The table below displays the results of that comparison;

Both Firefox and IE have continued to decrease in popularity; however Firefox is still in top position with IE coming second. The gap between Firefox and IE has increased this year from 0.6% to 1.3%.

Google Chrome has once again converted the most users as they are very quickly closing the gap between themselves and the top two browsers. They have increased a significant 10.9% from 14.6% to 25.5% of users in a year. With Firefox and IE on a downward slope, it would be fair to speculate that in the next couple of years Chrome will take the lead as the most popular browser in Europe.

Worldwide, Internet Explorer is by far the most widely used browser. Last year Firefox was second, but has been overtaken this year by Google Chrome. It will be very interesting next year to see if Chrome can steal the crown from IE as the most popular browser worldwide.

After every Creative Networks event, held at the Leeds College of Art, attendees are asked for suggestions for future speakers. I’ve been crossing my fingers that they would be able to persuade Cyriak to give a presentation and last Thursday night, at last, I got my wish!

On the last Thursday of every month, Creative Networks host a free networking event followed by a talk from one fo the big hitters in the creative industries. At these events I’ve seen the likes of Jimmy Choo, Harry Gration, Sir John Hegarty, animator Barry Purves and Patrick Burgoyne, editor of Creative Review.

Having no television (and no wish to watch any) I’ve developed a cosy relationship with YouTube. Attracted to it’s user created content, it was inevitable that I would soon discover the wonderful and mind bending work of Cyriak (his actual name – cool eh) and have followed his work now for as long as I can remember. From his early days of insanely funny animated GIFs and experimental video mashups, Cyriak has evolved his work a great deal but without sacrificing his uniquely entertaining style.

Now producing work for TV, web and music videos, he still manages to grab enough time to produce self-initiated animation work which never fails to put a grin on my face. During his presentation it was particularly interesting to see how, when given enough creative freedom by the client, Cyriak could take any brief, no matter how bizarre and turn it into something brilliant and memorable.

http://cyriak.co.uk

Online deals are fine, but they must be applied sensibly (externally and in-house), or risk eroding margins and/or really aggravating other customers – as happened in my case! I used to be quite happy paying full price at this restaurant: but never again!

Kelly Farrington
MD, Media Wow

A lot has happened during that time. Wow’s digital arm has grown massively and we now have a more rounded marketing outlook, including in-house design and PR. References to Digital Wow and Wowcomms existed on separate micro-sites, but it is important to encapsulate the integrated nature of all Media Wow’s marketing disciplines in one, easy to navigate website. All constructive criticism is most welcome and I expect we might tweak or amend elements along the way, but I hope you like the look and feel of the new site.

Along with the serious detail of what we all do, the site hopes to offer a taste of what it is like to work at Wow. The staff profiles, Wow Gallery and Blogs are meant to be both informative and fun. Happy Browsing!

Kelly Farrington
Managing Director

As a result we can expect the media’s spotlight to fall on elements of our industry over the next week or so.

The media and other non-industry people will invariably refer to the mailing side of the marketing industry as the ‘junk mail’ industry.  At Media Wow we believe the term Junk mail – or untargeted mail – is unacceptable. We should reject this term, and to keep the terminology simple refer to it as ‘advertising mail’.  We know the difference between direct, door-to-door, unaddressed, etc, but sadly the general public and journalists do not make this distinction.

In order to pre-empt the objections I expect to see arise in That’s Britain tonight, here are a few arguments to explode the myths usually expounded by shoddy journalism:

How damaging is junk mail to the environment?

I agree that wastage from advertising mail needs to be reduced and the DMA and member companies like Media Wow have been helping the industry shape up.

In 2003, Defra set the industry the target of ensuring that 70% of all used advertising mail is recycled by 2013. This target was smashed four years early in 2009, with 76% of advertising mail being recycled.

Since 2003, the volume of advertising mail now being sent to landfill every year has fallen by 80%.  Now, advertising mail represents just 0.4% of the average household’s unrecycled waste.

I’ve never bought anything from junk mail.  Does it really work?

When people say this to me, I say, “Really, you’ve never redeemed a coupon you’ve received in the post?”  The vast majority of people have.

Advertising mail works; if it didn’t then companies would not spend money on it.  According to the Mail Media Centre, 17.7 million people bought something after receiving a mail order catalogue in the past 12 months.

Every year, advertising mail generates £16 billion in sales – a massive contribution to UK plc at a time when high street retailers are suffering.  For some businesses, it’s the only form of advertising they can afford.  Many companies can’t afford to pay for TV, radio, billboard, or newspaper ads.

People hate receiving junk mail, so why bother sending it?

Research conducted by Royal Mail shows that the majority of people still prefer to be contacted by mail by the businesses they’re customers of, than by any other method of communication: for example, 46% of BT customers prefer to be contacted by mail, compared to 22% by email; 50% of Churchill’s customers prefer to be contacted by mail, compared to 20% who prefer to be contacted by email.

There’s plenty of research to show that the majority of consumers welcome receiving advertising mail that provides them with exclusive offers on products they like. For example, research by BMRB reveals that 75% of consumers like receiving special offers and vouchers through the post. The same research also reveals that consumers like mail alerting them to new products and services they might want to try, etc

While many people conduct their lives online, (an area Media Wow’s Digital Team understands well), there are still plenty of people who don’t.  Advertising mail is a source of information on products and services they might not otherwise have access to.

Summary & Key Facts

My colleagues and I at Media Wow, agree that delivery of poorly targeted mail – ‘junk mail’ – is unacceptable. The industry now has sophisticated data collection methods and data cleaning tools, so there is no excuse for sending poorly targeted mail.  And, it’s not in the interest of businesses to waste money and annoy consumers with badly targeted mail.

Before dismissing the whole concept of ‘advertising mail’ as ‘junk’ please consider:

• The delivery of untargeted mail annoys consumers, and businesses waste money sending it
• The advertising mail industry is against junk mail too, that’s why we’re taking action to end it
• Advertising mail generates a huge amount of sales for businesses and makes a massive contribution to the UK economy
• The DMA and Defra have agreed a plan to eliminate unwanted, untargeted mail
• Many businesses invest large amounts of money on targeting their customers to drive sales – for example, Sainsbury’s Nectar mailings to customers
• Advertising mail has a minimal impact on the environment when compared to other types of household waste
• The advertising mail industry is a major UK employer
• Advertising mail subsidises Royal Mail’s Universal Service

Media Wow is adept at minimising wastage by precisely targeting key prospects to deliver sales for businesses.

For more information on the above subject and how to ensure advertising mail is not wasteful, please talk to Kelly Farrington on 0113 2053764, or email Kelly@mediawow.co.uk

Playing through the sequence of ‘courses’ feels like a journey rather than purely a challenge. The music and sound is as integral to the experience as the animation and isometric landscape. It’s a relaxing experience but that said, the gameplay is still demanding and quite addicting with additional elements coming in to play on subsequent plays.

Every now and then an interactive project comes along that reminds me why I’m so passionate about Flash and why I need to keep pushing the boundaries of what I can do. Reece and Dan Millidge I salute you!

Play Wonderputt at http://www.dampgnat.com/wonderputt

Other games are available too at http://www.dampgnat.com

Andrew uses the latest development in “sticky technology” to fix his laptop this morning… Blue Peter badge on the way mate!!

Matt Cutts tweeted:

“Weather report: expect some Panda-related flux in the next few weeks, but will have less impact than previous updates (~2%).”

This coming update will be deemed panda 2.6 and will have less impact than previous updates but it is still nothing to be ignored. The previous updates have gone in this order:

• Panda Update 1.0: Feb. 24, 2011
• Panda Update 2.0: April 11, 2011 (about 7 week gap)
• Panda Update 2.1: May 10, 2011 (about  4 week gap)
• Panda Update 2.2: June 16, 2011 (about 5 week gap)
• Panda Update 2.3: July 23, 2011 (about 5 week gap)
• Panda Update 2.4: August 12, 2011 (about 3 week gap)
• Panda Update 2.5: September 28, 2011 (about 7 week gap)

Source : Search Engine Land

This is a good change in Google’s attitude to bringing back weather reports, but if they do become a regular thing it will only be for the important stuff. With over 500 algorithmic changes on average per year some of which are not even noticeable it would be silly of us to expect Google to inform us of each and every adjustment that the make.

So what pre-flight checks can be done to reduce the impact of the upcoming update? Well If you read about panda 1.0 and how to fix your site after it hit then i would say you are already prepared. Remember the point of this update is to get rid of poor quality sites and content farms so just take a step back from the site or sites you’re managing and think is this a good site? Does it contain relevant information around the subject the site is about? Have a look at the back link profile, is there any links coming from sites that are no good? Is it a good user experience? The list goes on….

Good luck, and this time they have publicly warned you.

I discovered the band just recently and felt I had to ‘spread the word’ as it were. They came as a refreshing change at a time when I feel the music industry is suffering under the weight of manufactured pop and ‘dumbed down’ eye candy. Here’s a band that can actually play instruments beautifully (do you remember them?) and, together with Brown Bread, are not afraid to try something different.

If you get a chance to see them live I would recommend it whole-heartedly. In the meantime check out the video below or listen to more online at maiatheband

For the uninitiated, QR codes (QR meaning Quick Response) are the black [mostly] and white squares that are increasingly appearing in the corner our magazine adverts, posters, and even on TV screens – they are designed to be scanned by mobile devices, and the result is that you are taken through to a website – it’s a web-link, basically. They work best when they like through to something relevant to the context in which they are shown, for instance an offer on a specific product shown on a poster, like this from Lacoste,

or the recipes on the TV programme shown below.

They are relatively old news in some Asian countries, but are only just becoming popular in the UK and US. The number of people scanning them is on a sharp turn upwards.

The ComScore research is here, and was undertaken in America.

The study found that in June 2011, 14 million mobile users in the U.S. (6.2% of the total mobile audience) scanned a QR code on their mobile device.

As far as the age profile of scanners is concerned, there are no surprises. Of course this profile depends hugely on the marketing applications of the codes. You have the danger of a self-fulfilling prophecy that the codes are only used for ‘young’ applications, and that will reinforce the low use by older people.

As smartphones become the default choice, and QR codes more prevalent, there is a danger of marketers creating content just for the sake of using a QR code. This would be a mistake. Content should be created because it’s useful, interesting and relevant. Like this fine example from Tesco in South Korea.

Keep your eyes peeled and it’s likely you’ll see more and more of these little black and white squares, as the months go by.

It is inconceivable to me that Rebekah Brooks and James Murdoch can remain in place.  It will not be long until we hear about the launch of The Sun on Sunday, but does a leopard really change its spots?  The seismic cultural shift required in the News International organisation to dispel some of the immoral and, yes, illegal news collating practises cannot be cloaked under a simple re-brand or restructure.

Whilst many an innocent employee at News Int will be caught up in this, not all the hacks and staff involved in malpractice had moved on with Andy Coulson.  I strongly suspect that some of the practises revealed, from hacking to bribing, were still in place up to the very death of NOTW – i.e. still exist today!  Nor will this problem be confined to the NOTW.  How many other publications will be outed soon?

The industry now needs complete reform.  Unless a PCC with real teeth is reinvigorated, then the alternative is a regulatory body like OFCOM to oversee press.  OFPRESS maybe?  It is clear that the people now need protecting from what had, for 168 years, been known as the Champion of the People – whatever new guise NOTW may emerge as.

Finally, it is striking that the period around 2006 onwards seems to have delivered the worst excesses of behaviour in banking, parliamentary expenses and now, apparently, journalism.  In a decade or two, what will historians be writing about the Blair years and the pervading culture existing in the UK during the mid to late noughties?

by Kelly Farrington, MD, Media Wow

Check out what we have planned for The Obesity Surgeons Group

• Our development team have created a BMI calculator widget that will be sponsored by The Obesity Surgeons Group.
• We have a wide range of paid search marketing planned.
• Our SEO team are working hard to make sure that the site is visible in all the right places online.

We can’t give away all of our plans but watch this space and keep your eye on The Obesity Surgeons Group’s online success.

Mr Jobs has been in the headlines a little more than normal recently due to the yearly Apple WWDC conference. The main revelation that came to light was the much anticipated iCloud which is going to be much more than just iTunes in the cloud. Due to be released this “fall” ( that means autumn to us brits ) iCloud will include nine apps with cloud components including, iTunes, Photo stream, Storage, iBooks, Backup, App store, and the mobile me apps ( Contacts, Calendar, Mail ). Feature packed it doesn’t stop there when you sign up to iCloud you get 5gb of storage for free. Now i know that the tech heads that are reading this have just gone “well 5gb is nothing” but the 5gb allowance will not include purchased music, apps, and books, as well as your Photo Stream. So that means your mail, documents, Camera Roll, account information, settings, and other app data have 5gb to occupy, which when its put like that is quite generous. Effortless is how Apple are describing the iCloud and the fact that you don’t really have to do anything as all your devices synchronise automatically is well, effortless.

Another thing that has been unveiled is the plans for the amazing new Apple campus. The incredible four story space ship looking building will be the work place of approximately 12,000 people, and will be packed out with features that will make the staff actually want to work 18 hour days. During Steve Job’s presentation to the Cupertino City Council aside from his dry sense of humour ( reefer’s to Apple’s growth as “like a weed” ) he puts forward some very positive plans and they are said with the mass of deep passion that he talks about all his endeavours with. There are plans to have an auditorium on site presumably to host conferences and the annual WWDC, and other features of the build include an on campus energy centre for back up power as well as 6,000 tree’s. Apple intend to put the plans forward a.s.a.p hoping to start the build next year with the hope of moving in to the building in 2015.  Apple’s world domination quest continues i guess seen as with the new build Apple will see an increase in staff by a pretty hefty 40%.

For all Steve Job’s critics and Apple bashers when you actually take a step back to look at the path he has forged for himself you have to respect him. One of the most controversial business ethos’s ever “the consumer does not know what they want, so i will tell them what they want” seems to have worked well for him.

I will leave you with the one of the most powerful Steve Jobs quotes and just hope that after reading this post you may be inspired and also i kind of hope that you dont think i want to marry Steve Job’s because i dont….well maybe a little.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” -Steve Jobs

The new rules state that “cookies can only be placed on machines where the user or subscriber has given their consent”. The only exception to this rule is where a cookie is ‘strictly necessary’ for example, a cookie storing a chosen product so that it can be passed to the checkout. However, a definitive list has not yet been produced.

What actions need to be taken?

For now, the guide advises the following three steps for website owners;

1. Check what type of cookies and similar technologies you use and how you use them.
2. Assess how intrusive your use of cookies is.
3. Decide what solution to obtain consent will be best in your circumstances.

The document points out that the government are in talks with the leading browser manufacturers discussing browser based solutions. However, it also points out that the websites will have to cater for everyone, including people who have not got the latest browser versions.

When will more guidance be available?

The final section of the document states that they will ‘consider issuing more detailed advice if appropriate in the future’. Like us, if you are looking for stricter guidelines on the topic then we are out of luck as the ICO ‘do not intend to issue prescriptive lists on how to comply’. In short, they suggest that the website owner works out the best way to present the information to the user.

After reading these guidelines, my biggest concern is that if the ICO has no definitive rules and regulations on how they want websites to comply with this law, owners of websites are going to be left second guessing as to whether they are actually breaking the law. How can people be prosecuted if there are no actual rules on how to comply? Until there are some definitive rules brought out, it looks like the online industry will be left in the dark on this issue.

Obviously good news all round and before we celebrate with a brew, I wanted to find out why….

Money Saving Expert was the answer, a fantastic post about our new Free Book Sleep which was expertly created by our Creative genius Johnny.

The forum post was added by a trusted member and was also added into the weekly newsletter and we had a massive response including high quality and relevant traffic. As SEO specialists we are also happy to receive a deep link from a high value and trusted website.

Obviously the long term benefit of this link is still to be measured, however it shows that with a great “hook” a well planned creative piece and a little bit of luck, you can create a massive impact for clients.

If you have an idea for your own website and need some expert advice, why not get in touch.

The Media Campaign has been booked by Media Wow and launches today! The TV advertisement airs tonight in the centre break of Emmerdale.

Watch this space; More Information to follow…

Check out the banana art gallery and if you have a second, let us know which one you believe to be the best! Keep your eyes “peeled” for future galleries. Who knows what the next canvas will be, i hear the sole of an Adidas shell toe can be very accommodating to the slight touch of a Bic biro.

We have created an infographic for Adjustamatic based on information about their adjustable beds and associated conditions that the beds help ease. Titled “600,000 hours of sleep brought to you by Adjustamatic”, this is the amount of sleep in hours that Adjustamatic has brought to its adjustable bed customers. The title sets the theme for the factual content of the infographic, the other points that are presented are in relation to features of the beds themselves such as the thickness of the mattresses and how many it would take to match big ben. Also there is information about the associated conditions that the beds help ease, and the shocking spend of the NHS on back related treatments each year.

Not only was this a great, interesting way for us to present the information but it also gives us chance to see what response an infographic of this subject matter gets in the digital world. As it is not about social media or apps we are hoping that it will still generate interest and very much look forward to hearing what everyone thinks of it!

No traffic, stunning scenery, tranquility, the clear head that you can only ever achieve when you do something that really takes you away from it all, and of course there are times when mother nature throws everything at you! I ran a race back in February in the peak district where the crosswind was recorded at 90 miles an hour. I was literally blown off my feet several times but I got up and carried on to the end (at which point I was tiptoeing towards the finish line with not a single ounce of energy remaining). Still smiling though.

In a few weeks time I will be running the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Race. It’s something I have wanted to do for a few years but haven’t done due to a number of reasons, injury, lack of time, too much beer!.

It’s a run of around 23.5 miles and goes up, and thankfully down, the 3 highest peaks in Yorkshire. Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. The total ascent is about 6,000 ft.
To enable me to do this event, It has taken 4 months of hard training and great deal of time and sacrifices, mainly to my social life!, not to mention me boring the pants off of my Media Wow colleagues by talking about it continuously. (Sorry!)

I know it’s going to be hard, there will no doubt be blisters, probably cramp, and I will at some point hit what is affectionately referred to as ‘the wall’ by marathon runners. So it’s a real challenge for me. Everyone has their own idea of a challenge, take the recent Marathon des Sables, a 6 day 150 mile race across the Sahara desert, or the inspirational and amazing achievements of Jane Tomlinson. www.runforall.com To others it might be a 3 mile run, or even a jog round the park.

It’s incredible to think of the endurance, stamina and self belief that people have whatever they choose to do.

At the end of it all, no matter how tired you may be, how sore you are, you might cry, you might laugh, but if you can look back and say “I did it!” then you have to be happy with that!

I am hoping to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation as it’s a charity with personal relevance to me and my family. Take a look at what they do. If you can spare a few pounds for this charity it will be very much appreciated, and who knows, It might just encourage me to run that little bit faster!
www.justgiving.com/richwilkinson
http://www.bhf.org.uk
http://www.threepeaksrace.org.uk

A story that made me wince was the unfortunate actions that Mahalo founder and CEO Jason Calacanis had to implement with immediate effect following the update. Based on the Google changes Maholo will be reducing it staff headcount by 10%!

So how would one recover from the some say “ninja” panda update? Well according to Google you need to evaluate all the content on your website and do your best to improve the overall quality of pages on your domain. Analyse the pages that have been affected the most and either improve the quality of the content or remove them completely.

The panda has slammed down his giant content farm crushing paw and it has for the most part hit who it was intended for, with some exceptions. All that is left to be done is move forward and think about good ethical techniques that will ensure the prolonged success of the websites you’re working on whether it is for a client or a personal concern, user experience and gaining Google’s trust is key.

Also if you would like an inside point of view there is a very interesting Q+A session with Matt Cutts and Amit Singhal here from Wired which makes for an interesting read.