Mindshare Media News

Instagram Extends Video Ads To 60 Seconds To Score TV Dollars

Instagram today announced that it began running its first 60- second video ads, starting with T-Mobile and Warner Brothers. Until now, the maximum length for video ads was 30 seconds, already longer than the 15-second videos users are allowed to post.

Instagram tells me that “We recognize that advertisers have a variety of creative resources and want to bring more choice to help them reach their business goals.”

CES 2016: Sony says PlayStation VR will have over 100 titles

Sony's chief executive has told the BBC that developers are working on 100 or more titles for its forthcoming virtual reality headset.

HTC and Oculus have made more noise about their rival gear at the CES tech show over recent days.

CES 2016: Chinese company unveils world's first passenger drone, the Ehang 184

A Chinese company has unveiled the world's first commercially available passenger drone at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

The Ehang 184, created by Guangzhou-based company Ehang, essentially looks like a larger version of a quadcopter drone - except with a small cockpit in the middle capable of carrying a single passenger.

Pilotless planes have been developed and tested before, but Ehang says their vehicle is the world's first commercially available self-flying aircraft.

Ehang has only revealed short videos of the drone flying in tests, but they claim it's capable of flying for 23 minutes after only two hours charging time, when carrying a maximum weight of 100kg - around the weight of a single passenger and a small backpack or piece of luggage.

Ehang said the 184 had undergone more than 100 test flights at low altitudes near Guangzhou, even carrying a passenger a number of times.

It's designed to fly fairly low, at altitudes of between 300 to 500 metres, but its creators claim it can reach 3,500 metres at the most. It's also got a fairly nippy top speed of 63mph.

The drone is controlled through a simple tablet-based app

Reassuringly, they promised that their device is fairly safe - even if one of the 184's four rotors fail, the other three will be able to take the aircraft down into a rough emergency landing.

The most interesting (and scary) part about the drone is that it's autonomous - passengers choose their destination and route on a tablet, and can only choose to either 'take off' or land'.

They can't issue any other directions to actually pilot the drone themselves, which means, according to the creators, passengers won't need a license to fly one.

But considering that the humble hover board if illegal to use on the UK's streets, it's unlikely that prospective Ehang 184 owners would ever be able to fly in their drones without some kind of permit.

Although drone pilots in the UK are currently fairly free to fly their devices as long as they stay away from built-up areas or restricted airspace, there's plans to introduce further regulation and controls like a US-style registration system in the works - so devices like the Ehang 184 would certainly face tight restrictions if they ever came to market.

Ehang co-founder Shang Hsaio says the 184 is likely to cost between £140,000 to £200,000 after its proposed launch later this year, but having raised tens of millions of pounds in investment, Ehang could yet bring out a more affordable version.

Read more at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/ces-2016-ehang-184-pilotless-autonomous-passenger-drone-a6800596.html

Black Bars Donation

When videos recorded vertically are posted on YouTube, two black bars appear on each side. Knowing the relevance of this channel’s audience -4 billion video views a day- and the need NGOs have for spaces to publicize their social actions, J. Walter Thompson Brazil's team created the “Doe as Barras” ("Donate the Bars") project. The idea was to give these institutions, which usually have limited resources for advertising, a little bit more of autonomy and visibility in their communication.

YouTube kids app will keep Video Family Friendly - Introducing YouTube Music

 

 

 

 

 

 

The good thing about YouTube is the almost inconceivably vast volume and range of video, all easily accessible in one place. The bad thing about YouTube is… well, all the same things, especially if you're an adult trying to moderate the media intake of a small child.

Which is why YouTube is launching its YouTube Kids app in the UK today, offering filtered content for three-to-eight-year-olds.

In an ideal world, of course, no child would be left to watch videos unsupervised because they would all have a constantly engaged parent on hand to direct their tiny eyes through the thickets of inappropriate content.

Here’s Samsung’s Answer To The Apple Watch

Last week, Samsung held a big conference in New York. While many anticipated the announcements of the Galaxy Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 Edge+, the company also teased a new upcoming device — the Samsung Gear S2. This new smartwatch looks nothing like the Samsung Gear S. It’s a smaller, more fashionable watch that will go head-to-head against the Apple Watch.

Adblock Plus Debuts Mobile Browser That Kills Annoying Ads Automatically

The use of software that blocks ads on websites is on a rapid rise. According to a study last year by PageFair and Adobe, some 144 million people used the software monthly, up almost 70% from the year before. But so far, those ads are getting blocked almost exclusively on computers, not on mobile phones. That’s about to change. This week, the maker of the most popular ad blocking software, Adblock Plus, is releasing a first crack at a mobile web browser that automatically blocks annoying ads.

Facebook Updates Controls for News Feed

News Feed is a personalised stream of stories that you build from the people and Pages you’ve connected to on Facebook. The goal of News Feed is to show you the stories that matter most to you. To do this, Facebook uses ranking to order stories based on how interesting they believe they are to you: specifically, whom you tend to interact with, and what kinds of content you tend to like and comment on.

Volvo Reveals Its BMW Killer, the XC90

The slow, Swedish striptease is over. After coyly dropping photos for months—a headlight here, some silky seats there—Volvo finally pulled the cover off its new SUV, the XC90. “This is one of the most important days in our history, Chief Executive Officer Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement. “We are not just launching a car, but relaunching our brand.” He isn’t understating it. The company, now owned by China-based Zhejiang Geely, hopes this is the vehicle that turns around its U.S. sales. If all goes as planned, the SUV will help double Volvo’s annual sales by 2020.

Ogilvy & Mather London Creates New Social Campaign for Hellmann's

Ogilvy & Mather London has created a new social campaign for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise called ‘Hellmann’s Summer Hacks’. Playing off the rising consumer trend of ‘life hacks’, the campaign features bite-sized pieces of digital content designed for social media that demonstrate new and innovative ways to make summer outdoor eating even more pleasurable.

You Can Now Unlock Your Motorola Phone With a 'Digital Tattoo'

Hate unlocking your Android smartphone so much that even Face Unlock or Skip feels like too much of a hassle? Motorola just came to your rescue. 

Volvo, Weather Channel Forecast Deluge of Hits From iPad App

Volvo is teaming up with The Weather Channel to promote its XC60 crossover and reach consumers with its first iPad-application use of branded creative that appears in the background of content on the channel's iPad app.

BMW reveals real-time purchase info for M5 via Instagram

BMW of North America is letting fans reserve one of 29 thirtieth anniversary BMW M5s to be sold in the United States exclusively through information revealed on Instagram.

Luxury automakers distill brand identity through mobile apps

Although mobile magazines and libraries do not get nearly as much traffic as social media, the medium helps luxury automakers build rapport with loyalists in ways that can influence sales.

Japanese company Otsuka is planning to send a can of its powdered sports drink, along with etched messages from children on a lunar mission.

Japanese beverage company Otsuka is taking part in the first private moon-landing project and the company is planning to send a titanium can filled with its Pocari Sweat powdered sports drink, along with the dreams and messages of children from all over the world.

Get ready for ‘app-enabled’ car

Sales teams and workshop staff in dealerships will have to become more familiar with digital app technology as so-called ‘connected’ cars start to dominate the industry, say experts.

Companies are creating billboards and packaging that are good for consumers and not just for companies.

This week we’ve been noticing a lot of “ads that aren’t” — advertisements that extend beyond just their marketing potential and more than just ads. From Chipotle’s new packaging that features original prose from famous authors to a poster that encourages blood donation and charge your phone, the products of these campaigns are useful for consumers in their own right.

Automotive Industry Update May 2014

 For the Automotive Industry Update from Trendwatching.com, please download the document attached:

Download INDUSTRY-UPDATE-AUTOMOTIVE-MAY-2014

YouTube, Facebook Account for Nearly a Third of Mobile Traffic

Facebook and YouTube are now dominating mobile traffic shares in early 2014, as more people shift to a mobile device to upload photos to social networks and watch cat videos.

Facebook revs up targeting of automotive brands for 'always-on' marketing

Facebook is ramping up its attempts to woo automotive manufacturers by claiming it has made significant strides in helping car brands with both overall consideration and lead-generation.

Google adds public transport data to Maps

UK users of Google Maps can now benefit from the addition of public transport data to aid navigation from smartphones and tablets whilst out and about.

Tiring of a tweeter but don't want to unfollow them? Now you can hit the mute button

Twitter is today rolling out a 'mute' option which will allow users to temporarily take a break from accounts that are becoming annoying.

Hands-on with the technology in the latest VW Golf GTi

The VW Golf is pretty much the benchmark hatchback that every other car is  measured against.

Automakers inch ahead in mobile creative despite technological challenges

While many marketers continue to struggle in syncing up compelling mobile creative with new types of ad units, automakers are staying a step ahead of the competition, according to a Mindshare executive at the 2014 IAB Mobile Marketplace.

BMW aims to equip ConnectedDrive service with real-time maps

German automaker BMW is fine-tuning its in-car navigation system with mobile enhancements that enable a more seamless experience.

Audi localizes 3D car app for Hong Kong shoppers

Audi Hong Kong’s new augmented reality application enhances the car-shopping experience by enabling users to customize and share a photo of the car.

Lamborghini builds brand community through race live-streams

Italian automaker Lamborghini is targeting aspirational consumers and racing enthusiasts by live-streaming Sept. 21-22 the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race at the Nürburgring racecourse in Germany.

FITBIT for Cars Offers Real-Time Auto Health Feedback

Startup Dash Labs is developing a car diagnostic tool that enables the driver to view real-time information about it’s performance. The on-board device plugs into the vehicle’s port (usually located beneath the steering wheel) and connects to a smartphone app.

Land Rover hypes Range Rover Sport launch in No. 1 market New York

Land Rover North America is hyping the global debut of the all-new Range Rover Sport March 26 at the New York International Auto Show through efforts that span a microsite, video marketing and social media buzz.

Nissan pairs with YouTube in branded content drive

Nissan and Google are tying up to launch a motor-themed YouTube channel in a branded content strategy that will also see the video-sharing service’s brand appearing on Nissan race cars.

Chevy Volt Driver Challenge

Since computer technology entered the automobile, it was just a matter of time, when known computer mechanisms would conquer the driver. We have seen it with the renowned case of Fiat eco:Drive years ago. Now with electric cars like the Chevy Volt the car-smartphone-combination becomes even more reasonable.

Ford’s CMO on building a social and product-driven brand.

Ford’s head of marketing Jim Farley talks about the company’s commitment to social media and content and the essential cultural shift that paved the way for a comeback.

Avoid accident Online-Banner

Statistics are often a good start for a brand campaign. Especially for Volkswagen, as it seems. Just some days ago, we posted the UK campaign “Dont’ make up & drive”, which also based on accident statistics.

Smart USA – Tag Your Own Adventure

Smart USA has a nice Facebook campaign going, that involves users and is balancing on the verge of Facebook’s restrict competition rules. We have seen flipbooks from VW and smart before, and an AXE comic novel, where users could vote on how the story would continue.

BMW welcomes Android

The car manufacturer BMW was the first one who integrated Apple’s products from most models from day one. Now the pages seems to have turned. The ”My BMW Remote” app is now available for smartphones running the Android operating system. The app allows various remote functions, including the locking and unlocking the doors via smartphone.

Volkswagen iAd: Tiguan Park Assist II

Here is a neat iAd from Volkswagen which ran in the Auto Esporte tablet magazine recently. Created for the Tiguan, the iAd showcases the Park Assist II feature that is now available, even off road.

Renault connect offline approval to online Facebook "liking"

Many brands have struggled when it comes to converting a popular offline presence into online recognition.

Hoping to remove any practical barriers to this process, and encourage instant online appreciation, springwise.com reports that Renault were displaying their innovative Facebook share pillars at a recent AutoRAI Amsterdam Motorshow.

Volvo Photography competition in Facebook organised by Volvo Cars Spain

For the celebration of the Volvo Ice Camp 2010 in the Austrian Alps, Volvo Cars Spain has organised the first Volvo Photography Competition in facebook  under the theme "Volvo and the winter". This is the latest Spanish example of Volvo's strategy in Social Media, which began with the appointment of a local Community Manager and the local launch of two international social media campaigns: The Blind Preview and Drive Around the World.

Fuller dreams a dream, Ford and Pepsi make it a reality (show)

Simon Fuller, the creator of 'American Idol', has unveiled a global web reality show called 'If I Can Dream', initially bypassing TV in favour of Hulu, with Ford and Pepsi on board as advertisers.

Car makers turn to social media for marketing boost

As the auto industry struggles to recover from the downturn, many firms are seeking new ways to engage with potential customers, Toyota being the latest to set up a social networking campaign.

Volvo UK: Milan to Marlow on one tank of diesel

Milan to Marlow on one tank of diesel. A story of friendship and fuel economy. Dom Joly and Rufus Hound embark on a journey of discovery, to see if they can make it back from Milan to Volvo HQ in Marlow, with just one tank of diesel in the car.

Pictures of the all-new Volvo S60 on Facebook.com/Volvo

Official pictures of the all-new Volvo S60 – sportier and more dynamic than any previous Volvo car disclosed on Facebook.com/Volvo

Mindshare launches new social media campaign for Volvo

 Automaker turns to Blind Artist to launch its most exciting car to date: the all-new S60 

 

Drawings by a blind artist are the key component of a new social media campaign to be launched next week. The initiative is being developed by the marketing services agency Mindshare for its client, Swedish automaker Volvo.

Volvo launches print, online and mobile lead generation campaign

Volvo Cars has launched a sales targeted activity for its C70 model across print, online and mobile platforms.

The campaign planned by Mindshare’s Invention group is set to launch across European markets including the UK; Germany; France; Belgium; Netherlands; Italy; Spain and Sweden starting in the first week of March and continuing until July.