Could Google’s New Rules Mean Death of the Welcome and Pop-Up Ads?
Google has implemented new ad blocking rules on its Chrome browser, in a move to improve what they think is an acceptable ‘ad experience’.
Chrome’s built-in ad blocker means that all advertising on websites that serve ‘annoying’ ads, such as autoplay videos with sound, full page pop-ups and some welcome ads will be blocked. This means Google won’t block all ads, just those that don’t conform with the Better Ads Guidelines.
Although this is a welcome improvement for users of the browser, it is understandable to see why online publishers are fretting about this move as they are the most affected by this change.
Many publishers use the Doubleclick for Publishers system (DFP) to display their advertising. As the system is owned by Google publishers are in a tight corner, as Google has the control to practically ‘dictate’ what ads can be run on their site.
If you run adverts that break the rules and cause a ‘Google ad violation’, this could result in Chrome blocking all advertising featured on the given site. This is potentially a huge penalty to any publisher.
Although the new ad blocking rules are currently only affecting USA and Canada, they are already affecting European publications who expect Europe to follow suit with Chrome’s built-in ad blocker.
Electronics Weekly, is already one key publication that is being affected by these new rules; they say they have no choice but to remove their use of ‘pop-ups’ that are no longer allowed by Google and ‘Welcome Ads’, which are now restricted in how they operate. The publication has alre+ady removed these types of ads from their advertising in USA and Canada, and will eventually remove ‘Pop-up’ and ‘Welcome’ ads from their standard inventory altogether.
Although it is clear to see why publishers are worried about this change, there has to be positives to improving the user experience. The big question is whether the new standard not only decreases the number of readers using ad blockers, but if it will improve the experience of website users to such a degree that the effectiveness of “better” adverts is improved.
A ‘Napier Nine’ Video… Get to Know Managing Director Mike Maynard
In our ‘Napier Nine’ video series we have been getting to know the Napier Team. The latest to take part is Mike Maynard, Managing Director at Napier.
Watch Mike’s video below to discover the four words he would use to describe himself, his secret skill and the Napier project he is most proud of.
Missed the other ‘Napier Nine’ Videos in our Series? Watch them Now!
- A ‘Napier Nine’ Video… Get to Know Media Analyst Rachael Penfold
- A ‘Napier Nine’ Video… Get to Know Director Suzy Kenyon
- A ‘Napier Nine’ Video… Get to Know Business Development Manager Hannah Kelly
- A 'Napier Nine' Video... Get to Know Creative Services Manager Rob Furby
The IET Innovation Awards 2018 Open for Entries
The IET Innovation Awards for 2018 are now open for entries. The IET’S annual award ceremony celebrates the very best in new innovations across science, engineering and technology, presenting entries from all around the world.
With 13 categories to enter, including Power and Energy, Manufacturing Technology, Start-up and Young Innovators, the IET ensures that everyone from the industry has the opportunity to reveal their latest innovations; whether this be a creative new design or a revolutionary product.
The IET Innovations Awards are highly regarded as they offer a place for the best in the industry to be celebrated, and raise their profile by sharing their ideas with a wider audience.
The awards are free to enter and the winners will gain a 12-month ‘Conference Pass’, as well as being invited to showcase their innovation in action at the awards ceremony.
For more information or to enter your innovation into the awards please click here.
EETech Announces New Partnership with Bodo’s Power System
EETech Media and Marketing has announced their new partnership with Bodo’s Power Systems, which makes EETech the exclusive North American sales channel for Bodo’s System Design.
Co-founder and CEO of EETech, Adam LaBarbera described the partnership as the next logical step to “bring our collective experience and audiences together”.
Bodo Arlt, founder and publishing editor at Bodo’s Power Systems reinforced this view stating “Partnering with EETech enables us both to grow our reach. Knowing that EETech understands the importance of quality, timely information for power engineers makes for a great partnership that we are very excited about”.
At Napier, we are always excited to hear about the latest magazine collaborations, and we are certain that the partnership of EETech and Bodo’s Power Systems can only bring benefits to the industry, as they work together to provide the best technical content for their readers.
New Editor in Chief at Selezione di Elettronica
Italian publication Selezione di Elettronica has announced an important change to their editorial team, as after 11 years as Editor in Chief, Laura Reggiani has decided to resign from her position to embark on a new adventure.
With almost 30 years of experience in the electronics industry, Laura has made the difficult decision to leave the electronics world behind and move her focus onto a new project. Although we are sad to see Laura leave, we were pleased to learn that Fabio Boiocchi will be taking over as editor in chief, with Pierantonio Palerma remaining Editorial Director for Selezione.
We wish Laura the best of luck for her future and look forward to seeing the direction Fabio will take Selezione di Elettronica in as the new Editor in Chief.
Techwatch acquire all shares of High Tech Institute
Techwatch, the publisher of Bits & Chips and Mechatronica & Machinebouw, has become the sole owner of High Tech Institute after acquiring all shares.
Formerly known as the Philips Centre for Technical Training, researchers and scientists of High Tech Institute have spent years developing technical training with their leading-edge knowledge; making them available for the people within High Tech Institute’s product divisions, and then eventually available for the whole high-tech ecosystem in the Netherlands.
René Raaijmaker owner and managing director of Techwatch and High-Tech Institute, explained how “The training institute fits with the mission of Techwatch as supplier of independent information and knowledge”.
It’s no secret that this is a clever move for Techwatch, as the post-academic trainings of High Tech Institute fit perfectly within Bits & Chips and Mechatronica & Machinebouw target audience of engineers and technical managers in electronics, mechatronics, optics and software.
It is impressive to see Techwatch take this leap of faith and make this move, as it shows that at least one publisher in the industry is thinking creatively about their business. This is definitely an opportunity that further publishers can take advantage of in the future, and with a clear fit between training and publishing, it would good to see more publishers making similar moves to Techwatch.
MMG Publishing Announce the Launch of EBOM
Mark Leary Publisher and Founder of MMG Publishing, has announced the launch of www.eBOM.com a global information source for engineers and professionals working within the electronics industry.
The site will provide engineers, R&D, procurement and manufacturing and test professionals with the latest new products, industry news and innovations; which will be based on research generated from professionals working within the global electronics industry.
EBOM will also include EBOM.com Authorised, a live component comparison tool which provides a component search function for the authorised distributors, in combination with the ECIA (Electronic Components Industry Association).
www.eBOM.com will run besides EBOM LIVE, a virtual trade show, which is the industry’s first digital exhibition platform covering visitor’s requirements from R&D through to finished production. The show will feature live RSS feeds, video content, latest literature and exhibitor profiles; while categorized halls visitors can even request further information from exhibitors. With over 100 companies already exhibiting at the show at time of launch, this is proving to be a popular choice for many in the industry.
We look forward to seeing what www.eBOM.com will provide to the industry.
Launch of New Magazine Connected Technology Solutions
Mark Venables editor of Plant Engineer, is launching a new magazine called Connected Technology Solutions (CTS). The magazine will concentrate on the convergence of IT/IOT/Comms and software, and how this is delivering a new operating platform for the industry.
CTS will focus on utilising trends such as IoT, Industry 4.0, Big Data, AI, and Automation; alongside cloud and edge computing, advanced analytics, high speed communications networks and software driven ecosystems.
IT managers, operations managers and C-level executives will be the main target audience for the publication, with the first print magazine to be published in late May.
The CTS website is due to go live in mid-April, with the monthly newsletters to begin soon after in late April.
As a well-experienced publisher, editor, and writer we’re looking forward to seeing Mark’s latest project and his take on the industry.
New Electronics Celebrate 50 Years
Congratulations to New Electronics, who will be celebrating their 50th year anniversary this coming June.
To mark the event, the magazine will be publishing a special issue on the 26th June, which will look back at how the electronics industry has changed, highlighting key dates and the main technological developments that have shaped the electronics market.
As part of their special issue, New Electronics are inviting professionals and experts from across the electronics industry to share stories about their history and vision for moving forward in the industry.
It’s great to see such a significant magazine in the industry celebrating their success and highlighting how far the industry has come.
If you have something you would like to participate for this special issue, then please contact Peter Ring or James Creber for more information.
MagPi Magazine to Publish in Dutch and French
Elektor International Media has recently signed an agreement to publish Dutch and French editions of the MagPi magazine in association with the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
MagPi’s first magazine edition was recently published with a print run of 10,000 Dutch copies and 18,000 French copies, and is available in book and magazine stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and the Elektor store.
Eben Upton, founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation has expressed his delight in Elektor working with them “to disseminate and strengthen the ideas of the Raspberry Pi Foundation in the Netherlands and France” as the “objective of the Foundation is to introduce as many people as possible to digital, computer technologies and programming in an accessible way”.
As a key international platform for electronics and computer technology it is great to see Elektor help key projects be brought to light, while also raising the profile of MagPi magazine.
Incisive Works Reveal Insight into B2B Tech Marketing for 2018
Incisive Works has released a report which provides valuable insight into IT decision-makers and the tech marketing that they respond to. Titled ‘B2B Tech Marketing: Are Tech Marketers Delivering What Decision-Makers really want?’, the report gains information from surveying 181 IT buyers, 153 business technology marketers and interviewing specially-selected IT buyers and marketers.
With opinions differing from across the industry on the best tactics to make IT decision-makers respond, this report has produced a definitive picture of the current state of the market, challenging previous perceptions of the industry that marketers may have held.
Probably one of the most surprising reveals in the report was the change within the buyer’s journey. In 2018, IT decision-makers will not focus on the features of the technology, but will direct their attention to how products help them achieve their goals to improve business effectiveness.
The report reveals that business drivers are now the key force in motivating IT decision makers, with 21% of respondents stating cost savings as one of their key reasons to be investing in new tech.
IT Tech buyers said that professionals, peer-level contacts and product websites are their main information sources, with buyers claiming that when they are interested in a product, they want to see cold, hard facts on what the specific technology can do, rather than a long drawn-out less than informative conversation.
A notable change in the industry is the importance of influencers in the decision-making unit. IT buyers commented that often marketers fail to be successful because they always approach the top of the chain, when many rely on their team around them to provide the information and research first before making any decisions. 55% of respondents disclosed that they were involved in the decision-making process, from inputting their opinions to contributing background information and research on the tech in question.
Although surprising, it seems that there are now layers to the decision-making process, and often this will start on the lower half of the business chain with some interviewees commenting that they will always hand their team the opportunity to research the tech, and will listen to their advice before making a final decision.
The report also features research on marketing tools which found that many tech marketers were now using marketing automation. 20% of respondents are using HubSpot, and 17% are using Marketo. This is not surprising considering how much marketing has changed in the last few years, with a firm focus on lead generation, conversion and revenue.
Although there is the worry that the customer is forgotten due to technology, there is no denying that IT buyers can benefit from these marketing automation platforms.
It is obvious to see that the industry is undergoing a change, and this report offers a window for tech marketers to seize opportunities and update their tech marketing to reflect the current state of the IT market.
Note this report is no longer available. Contact us for more information about how to optimise B2B campaigns.
New Editor in Chief for Computer&AUTOMATION
Congratulations to Günter Herkommer who has recently taken over the role of Editor-In-Chief at Computer&AUTOMATION. Günter’s new responsibilities will include handling the Computer&AUTOMATION magazine and website, as well as events such as the TSN / A-Conference and Forum Mensch Roboter. He will also handle the official daily newspaper at the sps ipc drives fair in Nuremberg.
Günter is replacing former Editor-In-Chief Meinrad Happacher, who will not be leaving the Computer&AUTOMATION team. Instead we are happy to announce that Meinrad has been promoted to a new role as Editor at Large, and will focus on efficiently growing the Computer&AUTOMATION brand in print, online and with regards to events.
We wish them both the best of luck in their new roles!
The Digital Transformation of Things Column
Elettronica In and Open Electronics are collaborating with EMBEDDED IOT, the leading Italian event on digital transformation of things, to launch a new column dedicated to the ecosystem of the IoT.
The first issue will explore IoT platforms, cybersecurity, and what’s new in IoT applications and products.
The column will be published on the Elettronica In and Open Electronics websites, as well as being included in the paper magazines which will be distributed freely during the IOTHINGS events in Rome and Milan.
It is great to see publishers and event organizers within the electronics industry working together towards a common goal as they provide a source of information on one of the hottest topics in the industry.
ELE Times Magazine Partner with ELECRAMA 2018
ELE Times magazine, India’s leading publication in the electronics and technology sector, will be the exclusive media partner of ELECRAMA 2018.
ELECRAMA 2018 is the largest trade show of the electric and electronic industry in India and will be held from 10-14th March at Great Noida, India.
This year’s event is set to be the biggest yet, focusing on ‘what the future of power beholds’. The show will feature the new business areas that are redefining the electricity space, the key components of renewable energy, and the digitalisation of electricity through IoT, AI and Electric transportation opportunities.
ELE Times say they are “redefining the modern electronics media company” in India, and the partnership with ELECRAMA 2018 is one step in achieving that goal.
We Created Napier’s Very Own ROI Calculator!
At Napier, we know that ROI is often a marketer’s top priority, and when creating a campaign, it is one of the most important outcomes to calculate. This is why we have built Napier’s very own ROI calculator that allows you to calculate the potential increase in profit and ROI for a campaign where you can estimate its impact on the sales funnel.
How it Works in 3 Simple Steps:
- You fill in your current website visitors per annum, and increase or decrease your current conversions to calculate how many MQLS, SQLS and Customers you generate yearly.
- Fill in your target performance numbers, estimated revenue per customer and your marketing budget invested for this campaign.
- Press Calculate and let our calculator work out your potential increase in profit and ROI for your campaign.
Click here to try out our calculator for yourself, and why not get in touch and let us know what you think.
ETN to Organise the 2nd Annual Embedded Conference Finland
ETN has announced that they will be organising the 2nd Annual Embedded Conference Finland for 2018. The event will be held at the Lighthouse at Akavatalo in Pasila on April 12th.
The event will cover topics including IoT, but will focus heavily on Artificial Intelligence including a panel debate on the meaning of AI.
The technology industry is one of the most important in Finland, despite the fall of Nokia after it was acquired by Microsoft. With a newly launched artificial intelligence group which aims to help Finland accelerate the development of new businesses based on the use of artificial intelligence in Finnish companies, it is clear to see the reason why Embedded Conference Finland is using artificial intelligence as the main theme for this year’s event.
ETN has also announced their expansion as a digital magazine as they plan the first ever ETNdigi for the end of May which will focus on the IoT as well as different network technologies and their testing.
To find out more information please take a look at their website or contact either Veijo Ojanperä and Anne-Charlotte Sparrvik .
New Chief Editor for photonik magazine and Editorial Director for Industrial Media
Congratulations to Matthias Laasch, who has been named as the Chief Editor of the German magazine photonik, as well as the Editorial Director for Industrial Media, which includes both photonik and the elektonik informationen magazine.
photonik focuses on optical technologies including, opto-electronics, optical communications, optical metrology, image processing and laser technology. The magazine aims to address development engineers and the users of photonic products throughout the industry and within science.
The magazine is published six times a year, and as the official voice of Spectaris, OptecNet Deutschland, VDI, the German Scientific Laser Society and the German Branch of the European Optical Society, it is clear that photonic magazine holds a vital place within the German optical technology market.
We wish Matthias the best of luck in his new role!
IKTEM 2018 – A New Conference to be Held in Slovenia
AX elektronika, publisher of both Svet elektronike and Svet mehatronike magazines is organising an international development conference for ICT, electronics, and mechatronics development engineers to be held in Slovenia for 2018.
The conference, IKTEM, will be held from the 31st May to 1st June at the ski resort Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.
After many years without industry conferences in Slovenia, it is inspiring that Jurij Mikeln made the decision to launch IKTEM. After taking part in many meetings with development engineers and distributor companies across the country ICT, electronics, and mechatronics sectors were chosen due to the slow merging of electronics and mechatronics and the presence the ICT sector holds across the entire country.
For 2018, the main topics for this conference include IoT, 3D metal printing and CADCAM software. The conference will also include hands-on workshops such as Android programming and more technical workshops such as advanced oscilloscope use.
IKTEM is also treating all participants at the event to the world’s largest ski jumping resort, Planica, to Zip-line sports after the first day’s sessions.
To find out more information and how to register, please click here.
Napier Feature in this year’s B2B Marketing Agencies Benchmarking Report!
Napier were recently invited to participate in the B2B Marketing Agencies Benchmarking Report for 2018; and we are happy to announce that we are ranked in the top 15 UK B2B PR Agencies.
Our Managing Director Mike Maynard was also asked to partake in an interview for the report where he discusses why Napier sees 2018 as a year of opportunity, and the latest technology on offer, including ABM and Chatbots.
Want to read our feature for yourself? Email us for a copy of the interview or click here to get your own copy of the full report from B2B Marketing Magazine… Don’t miss us we’re on page 72!
Napier's IronCAD Subject Line Competition - Winner Revealed!
Napier recently took part in a competition to design a powerful Subject Line for our client IronCAD, who set us the brief to design a a subject line which would promote the launch of IronCAD’s new and improved version for 2018, while increasing engagement with their target audience.
Finalists included team members from both Napier and our sister company Peter Bush Communications, and we are happy to now reveal the winner!
Congratulations to Melanie Bright, our Senior Account manager at our sister company Peter Bush Communications!
After a close vote Melanie is our Winner with the Subject line ' Want to interrogate 3D data using just your web browser?'
A Napier Competition -Vote for your Favourite IronCAD Subject Line
As we charge head first into 2018, we felt it was only right to welcome in the new year with our latest Napier competition. This time we have partnered with our client IronCAD, who set us the task to design a powerful Subject Line which would promote the launch of IronCAD’s new and improved version for 2018, while increasing engagement with their target audience.
After entries from all members of staff, our Managing Director, Mike Maynard narrowed down the top 5 finalists from both Napier and our sister company Peter Bush Communications. The finalists included Janice Ashton, Chloe Willcox, Freya Ward, Melanie Bright and Taylor Green.
It’s now up to you to decide which Subject Line is the best. Vote for your favourite by clicking on the link below and we will reveal the winner on the Napier website on 9th February 2018.
Subject Line 1:
Take your 3D design experience to the next level with faster, more intelligent software for 2018
Subject Line 2:
Boost your performance effortlessly with the new and advanced IronCAD.
Subject Line 3:
Forget IronMan – introducing… IronCAD
Subject Line 4:
Want to interrogate 3D data using just your web browser?
Subject Line 5:
Ensuring ironclad sharing of 3D designs with IronCAD
The vote is now closed.
Companies take Tracking to the Next Level by Recording Every Keystroke
A study from Princeton University has recently grabbed our attention. The study suggests that hundreds of firms are tracking every keystroke made by visitors, and this technique known as session replay, is used by companies to gain an understanding of how customers use websites.
With obvious privacy concerns in play, it is worth bearing in mind that is definitely overhyped, but companies should let people know if they are tracking keystrokes, mouse movements and scrolling behaviour, so that this information is not being collected without the user’s knowledge.
We took the initiative to review the websites of the top 50 semiconductor companies and see whether any of them are using these tools. Out of 50 only 3 were shown to be using tracking software: Samsung, Nuvoton and Micron.
SessionCam, Clicktale and Hotjar were revealed to be the most popular of the tracking software in the semiconductor industry. We did wonder whether, by tracking these results, these companies are actively improving their websites as most companies in our industry don’t feel they need to use such tools.
Although we don’t think it is a major privacy issue, many believe it is. The question left to ask is does tracking your customers every movement on your website benefit you by helping you improve? Or is it really just an invasion of privacy? Why not let us know your thoughts on this issue?
5 LinkedIn Tactics every B2B Marketer should be Using
Over time, LinkedIn has become an essential personal branding tool for B2B companies, but as popularity of the site has grown with over 467 million users, B2B marketers are having to work harder than ever to make sure they stand out from the crowd.
We’ve put together 5 important tactics to help the B2B Marketers out there achieve real success on LinkedIn:
- Turn your company page into a lead generation page
Your company LinkedIn page is a pipeline for LinkedIn leads to visit your company website, and as such it is vital that your LinkedIn page promotes links to your company website. Posting links to blogs or content offer landing pages with a clear CTA, is a great and simple way to guide potential leads to your website. - Spotlight your company with a showcase page
A showcase page on is an extension of your LinkedIn company page, which allows a company to promote specific products or market to a specific buyer persona. A showcase page is designed to expand your LinkedIn reach, and be able to create a particular message for one aspect on your business, whilst targeting a small and specialised segment of your audience. - Make sure you update LinkedIn with Long-Form Posts
On LinkedIn, there are two choices you can make when deciding to post on your company page. These include short-form and long-form posts. Although both are incredibly important to your LinkedIn page, studies have shown that long-form content is better for search engine ranking, social sharing and backlinks. - Optimise your LinkedIn Newsfeed
To make sure your company page stands out from the crowd, it is vital that you optimise your newsfeed on LinkedIn. This can be achieved through regularly posting relevant and quality content (This can include sharing content from other writers). If you offer your target audience something they believe is of interest and value, they are bound to keep coming back from more. It is also essential to use pictures! Whether this is your logo, product photos or employees hard at work, pictures allow you to tell an inside story of your company. - Use LinkedIn SlideShare
LinkedIn SlideShare presentations are a great resource which you can embed directly into your company page updates, even including video. This allows you to give your audience the information they need in an attention-grabbing, visual format, whilst also giving you a SEO advantage. It gives marketers the opportunity to repurpose existing content and communicate this information in a more compelling way.
Webinar Facts and Figures
After reading “The 2017 Big Book of Webinar Stats", we decided to share what we thought were the most interesting facts and figures, to help you determine whether webinars can really help you.
If you are thinking of running a webinar, check out our blog post for webinar hints and tips.
Why use a webinar?
Webinars are quickly becoming vital in the B2B industry, with 73% of B2B marketers and sales leaders saying that a webinar is the best way to generate high-quality leads. Research has revealed that the top objectives for webinars are: customer training and on-boarding at 31%, and marketing and demand generation at 29%. It was also revealed that a massive 61% of B2B companies hosted webinars in 2017.
Webinars are also a great way to attract a wide range of people and reach out to a wider target audience. The success of previous webinars is driving more investment, and 57% of marketers have suggested that they plan to increase the number of webinars they produce next year.
Who’s using them?
Webinars are used widely by a range of companies, and work across a large amount of industries. The software and technology industry produced 26% of webinars throughout 2017, with the financial services sector following with 12%. Surprisingly, the advertising, marketing and PR sector only produced 3% of webinars, something that is expected to change as webinars gain momentum.
How many webinars are the right amount?
The report revealed that the average number of webinars a company delivers per year is 23, with the number varying according to what is best suited to your business and the resources you have on offer.
It seems that there is no correct answer to this question, as often webinars are planned strategically and aligned to important business goals. As such, the education sector averaged 27 webinars in 2017, while the advertising, marketing and PR sector produced 23.
However, churning out the most webinars doesn’t mean you are the best, as it is the quality of the content and how you engage with your audience that determines whether your webinars are successful.
Please click here to download and read the full book.
We know it can be difficult to know where to start with Webinars... so why not find out how Napier can help you?
Electromaker has Launched!
Electropages has launched Electromaker; a website dedicated to showcasing projects built by makers around the globe, whilst forming a community of students, hobbyists, makers and hardware fanatics, who can share their ideas and collaborate with each other.
The Electromaker team aims to inspire, educate and create content that connects people with their passions, whilst presenting the latest news, reviews and tutorials on the community’s favourite topics.
Although the website is only in phase 1 of its development, it has already launched its first contest. The Electromaker ‘Connectivity Contest’ invites members of the global maker community to present an idea which encompasses electronic hardware design and wireless connectivity. With a $5000 prize pot up for grabs for 13 lucky winners, Electromaker is wasting no time in encouraging makers of all abilities to join their community.
It’s probably reasonable to assume that the launch reflects Mouser Electronics, whose parent company acquired Electropages, wanting to expand their reach in the maker market (although we understand that Mouser doesn’t get preferential support from Electropages). Makers are a segment every distributor seems to be fighting over, and we’re confident that this publication will be an influential read for this audience.