Commercial emailers account for 70% of spam complaints, according to [download page] Return Path’s Email Intelligence Report for Q3 2012, released November 2012. 22% of spam complaints stem from other internet service providers (ISPs), 5% from internal email, and just 3% from bots and dynamic IP addresses. Despite sparking 7 in 10 spam complaints, marketing represents just 18% of email volume, and .03% of all unique domains seen by ISPs.

via Email Marketers Spark 7 in 10 Spam Complaints.

5.4%. It’s a small figure, to be sure. But, it’s one that looks like it will keep steadily growing. Indeed, the share of time spent watching online video on mobile phones and tablets continues to increase, passing 5% in August and hitting 5.4% in September, according to [download page] a November 2012 report from Ooyala. Much of the growth in Q3 could be attributed to tablets, which accounted for 3.2% of overall time spent watching online video in September, almost double April’s share (1.69%).

via Mobile Devices Account For More Than 5% of Online Video Consumption.

Gartner predicts that by 2015, about a quarter of all companies will have created a new seat at the senior executive table–the Chief Digital Officer. Gartner’s prediction is based on the major transformation underway as companies are digitizing both their sources of revenue as well as their services.

The research group said this is happening because “organizations are digitizing segments of business, such as moving marketing spend from analog to digital, or digitizing the research and development budget.” Also, Gartner says, organizations are digitizing how they service their clients, in order to drive higher client retention. Thirdly, it says, they are turning digitization into new revenue streams. As a result, of these changes, every budget is becoming an IT budget, and the Chief Digital Officer is becoming a logical addition to business leadership.

via Why CIOs May Morph Into the Chief Digital Officer – The CIO Report – WSJ.

Public relations professionals have spent lots of time debating whether journalists make the best PR people.It used to be that ex-journos were hired in narrow roles based on skills or pedigree. At a large agency where I once worked, they were invited to the big pitch to weigh in on story potential, drop names, and wow the prospect.Others were installed in editorial spots where they could wield a blue pencil but otherwise stay out of the fray.Recently, the conversation has shifted to something that professional communicators are doing more often—brand journalism. Though the term is somewhat controversial, its practice—corporate storytelling through compelling and relevant content—is not contentious.So, is there anything new here?It comes down to a matter of approach and commitment. In the past, we were identifying and telling client stories, but the typical PR approach lacked a true journalistic sensibility. A press release is not a story.Today, with the influx of traditional journalists into the profession and the rise of digital and social media, the emphasis is more on getting it right. And without question, someone with experience spotting news, shaping a story, and writing against hellish deadlines has the requisite skills.Here are some guidelines for better storytelling for all communicators.

via Essential components of brand journalism | Articles | Home.

Content marketing continues to inch up in importance for business-to-business firms, according to research from content curation platform Curata.

The company’s “B2B Marketing Trends 2012 Report” found that 87% of US B2B marketers have used content marketing this year—the most popular tactic of any queried. That was up 5 percentage points from usage levels in 2011, impressive considering the already-high level of interest in content marketing.

via Originality Is Content Marketers’ Greatest Challenge – eMarketer.

Measurement, distribution less of a problem

Content marketing continues to inch up in importance for business-to-business firms, according to research from content curation platform Curata.

The company’s “B2B Marketing Trends 2012 Report” found that 87% of US B2B marketers have used content marketing this year—the most popular tactic of any queried. That was up 5 percentage points from usage levels in 2011, impressive considering the already-high level of interest in content marketing.

via Originality Is Content Marketers’ Greatest Challenge – eMarketer.

Companies have big plans to use social tools as innovation platforms, details a new study [download page] from the IBM Institute for Business Value. Among companies experienced in social innovation activities, 57% now use social business for internal collaboration, but that number will reach 78% over the next 2 years. Similarly, while 58% now monitor customer comments for new ideas, 78% plan to do so in the next 2 years. Other areas in which more respondents plan to use social business for innovation include gathering feedback from customers (73 planning % vs. 46 currently using), enabling customers to submit plans and solutions (68% vs. 40%) and more effectively collaborating with partners and suppliers (72% vs. 38%).

via Social Media Poised To Become A Stronger Force For Innovation.

Millennials (aged 18-29) in the US have diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and are concentrated in cities with large Hispanic populations, according to [download page] a new report from Scarborough Research. Heritage doesn’t just matter to American Millennials, though: around the world, this generation shows pride in national traditions, along with a strong sense of tolerance and openness towards other cultures.

Looking at the US, Scarborough finds that 43% of Millennials identify as Hispanic (21%), black/African American (13%), Asian, or of other race or ethnicity (9%). That compares to 38% of Generation X adults (aged 30-44), and 26% of Baby Boomers (aged 45-64). In particular, Millennials are 49% more likely than average to be Hispanic. That’s a big reason why Millennials are highly concentrated in cities like Bakersfield, CA (34% more than in measured markets overall), El Paso, TX (31% more), and Fresno, CA (21% more).

via Culture, Social Activism Matter to Today’s Youth.

Marketers may be out of touch with how consumers feel about their engagement with brands, according to [download page] November 2012 survey results from Turn, conducted by Forbes Insights. For example, 49% of marketers rate forwards or shares of ads or other content online as a strong influence on their engagement measures, but just 15% of consumers say they feel engaged or invested in a brand when they share an ad.

Data from “The New Rules of engagement: Measuring the Power of Social Currency” reveals that there are numerous similar instances of disconnect between what marketers measure and what consumers feel is important. One that stands out relates to brand recommendations. 45% of marketers say that consumers’ proactive efforts to recommend a brand is a strong measure of engagement for them. But, just 24% of consumers report feeling invested in a brand when they convince others to use it. The only measure in which both groups agree concerns opt-in messaging. For marketers, subscribers to email alerts, newsletters, or other loyalty programs topped the list of strongly influential engagement measures. At the same time, signing up for special deals or email updates ranked as the top way that consumers feel engaged with brands.

via Consumers, Marketers Disconnect On Measures Of Brand Engagement.

There’s a strong perception that with the rise of social media, mobile device usage, and other such digital trends, youth have put TV on mute. According to the latest cross-platform report [download page] from Nielsen, young people are indeed watching less TV, but it’s not a seismic shift, yet. The 18-24 group, for instance, watched a weekly average of 22 hours and 32 minutes of traditional TV in Q2, about 1 hour and 45 minutes less than they did in Q2 2011. That’s about 15 minutes less a day. The difference in monthly viewing time for this group between Q1 2012 and Q1 2011? About 1 and a half hours, or 13 minutes a day.

via Are Young People Watching Less TV?.