30th Jan 2009
Britian's going Digital

It's very good news for the digital sector that the government is pinning the country's economic recovery hopes on it and the announcement of 'Broadband for All' is certainly a step in the right direction but the White Paper has actually created more questions than answers!

Firstly who is going to pay for 'Broadband for All'- it's certainly an idealistic policy and one which is much needed to bridge the digital divide but it will need to be funded. Initial indications are that the BBC are going to be asked to bridge this funding gap; one thing is for certain, a broadband tax won't be tolerated!

The biggest gap for me in the White Paper was the lack of an acknowledgement that despite the current difficult financial situation, online is still growing and not only is it still growing but new digitally focussed companies are continuing to spring up. Of course funding hass become harder to come by but for those ideas which have substance and are actual innovation stand a very good chance of getting funding and in order for this to continue the sector needs support and focus from the government; something that surely should be a key part of the White Paper after all it's helping to nurture Digital Britain!

23rd Jan 2009
It's not all bad news

It's official- we are in a recession. To be honest, we've all known this for several months but now the government has finally confirmed it. 

 

But amidst all of the negativity, there is evidence that the web is continuing to inspire both innovation and new business ideas, which will live out the 'R' word. Whilst the market has certainly contracted and certain sectors are suffering, there is still room for new businesses to estalish themselves particularly if they identify a need that is not already being serviced or are able to exploit the strengths of the web with a new or innovative business model.

 

It's refreshing that amidst the reams of negative headlines and doom and gloom that there is still one medium which is continuing to not only have an impact but also act as a platform for new businesses and it's soemething we at Evolv are keen to not only monitor but also to help encourage and develop so watch this space...

1st Jan 2009
Welcome to Evolv

Firstly welcome to the new Evolv - it's been a long time in the making but finally it's here! On it, you will find the vital stats about Evolv, which as the strapline says is a digital agency with a difference but just as importantly, we're aiming to use the new Evolv blog to chart the development of digital- which lets face it is now at a crossroads.

For the majority of the first decade of the 21st century, digital has been very much in ascendancy. Well over half of the population have the Internet and over 90% of them have broadband which means the web has gone from being a lean back medium to an always-on lifestyle tool, which lets face it pretty much rules our lives. In tandem, with this, digital marketing has boomed. Online is the only advertising sector, which has enjoyed record growth for so many consecutive quarters according to the industry body, the IAB yet crucially it is still very much being used for direct response advertising. It has long been predicted that the Internet will cement its place as a brand building platform but lets face it, online advertising's strengths lie in response. Whether its paid search, banner advertising, affiliate marketing or email marketing; it's all measured on response- after all the Internet is the most measurable of media.

So the dilemma is this; does the online advertising community admit defeat and concede that in the main, the Internet will never evolve beyond direct response or does it really start to try and push the envelope fuelled by the almost 100% penetration of broadband and rapid advances in the use of video and rich media?

I'm split on this one; as by its very nature, the Internet is so measurable then response absolutely makes sense but I can't help but think that except for a few niche examples, the brand power of the Internet has yet to be realised- the only question is, is it too late?