Here’s part one of a two-part interview I did with Rick Mathieson, author of the On-Demand Brand and one of those interviewed in my Mobilized Marketing book.
We talk about how brands are succeeding in mobile and lessons discussed in the book.
Facebook Can't Monetize: Anything New Here?
Facebook had advertising issues long before its IPO. So what's changed, if anything? Here's what I told Digiday:
“Facebook’s challenge is to provide value through mobile advertising. That is hardly unique to Facebook. It’s about trust and personalization. Consumers want information, offers and convenience. Brands want to reach mobile users in a one-to-one rather than one-to-many way. Mobile brings us together.
"The half-full view for Facebook is that it hasn’t sped 100 miles an hour to bring ads to members using mobile. A measured approach is prudent. The half-empty view is that it still hasn’t figured this out. Given the stock downturn, more are focusing on the latter than the former. And Facebook is more on the clock than ever before.”
The full story is here: http://www.digiday.com/brands/envisioning-facebooks-mobile-future/
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The "Find Your Way" Edition
June should be the month for mapping with Google and Apple bringing enhanced products. With all the shiny object apps out there, maps are among the most used. And always will be. Especially by guys who think they can live without them.
Not enough room for competition? Photo-sharing app Picplz has said farewell after Instagram became the Kleenex of the category.
By 2016, mobile Web traffic is projected to increase 50 times the size of today as more view Internet on mobile than PC.
I’m stoked for a pair of Mobilized Marketing book signings this week – Wednesday at 1 at BlogWorld in New York, then Saturday at the Barnes and Noble downtown Bellevue (WA) store at 2.
The majority of Twitter users (31 percent) are 18-24, according to Pew. I would've bet more tweet during ages of 30s and 40s.
About 25 percent will try NFC (near field communication) for mobile payments by 2017, a new report from Juniper Research says. Mobile wallet hypesters – it’s a long process; most still won't 5 years from now.
I’m hearing more "you're missing the boat if you're not doing mobile" chatter from vendors. That sentiment means more coming from brands.
Overheard from a woman with a new smartphone - "Yeah, I'm even changing tiles". Microsoft needs more of those women. And men. And boys. And girls.
In a marriage of new and old, Google is going to make Zagat the “cornerstone” of local search.
Anatomy of a failing company - RIM added 4.5 million users per quarter for the last seven, but only 2.9 million in the most recent quarter.
A Japanese carrier is planning to sell smartphones with radiation detectors. In strange positioning, marketing says devices - comes in eight "bright colors".
What was the most memorable quote from Apple CEO Tim Cook’s interview at ATD10? "I love museums, but I don’t want to live in one. Another lesson Steve (Jobs) taught us all was not to focus on the past.”
Wikibranders Seattle 20
I’m awed by the marketing talent in Seattle, my home for the last dozen years. I was surrounded by it in my agency life and now as I travel in mobile and social circles.
Sean Moffitt, co-author of the bestselling book Wikibrands, has come up with a top 20 list of Seattleites who, he says, “influence me, inspire me, inform me and just plain get how this crazy social world of tech, marketing, innovation and communication works.”
I’m honored to be included. http://wiki-brands.com/wikibranders-seattle-20-the-best-of-the-pacific-north-...
Jason Yormark @jasonyormark Vice President of Marketing & Social Media at Strategies 360. Mac Enthusiast, Volleyball coach, Amateur baseball player.
Shauna Causey @shaunacausey Help nonprofits + startups. VP of Marketing at @Decide. Previous: lead social/digital at Nordstrom and Comcast. President of@SMCSeattle. Speaker, volunteer.
Adam Brotman @adambrotman Chief digital officer, svp, Starbucks (opinions and thoughts here are my own) http://about.me/adambrotman
Maria Ross @redslice Storyteller, irrestible brand builder, dynamic speaker. Author: Branding Basics for Small Business #brandbook Rebooting My Brain#rebootbook
Joann Jen @joannjen @AntsEyeView. @SMCSeattle Board. Jersey Girl. A little bit Non-Sequitur. Love crunching numbers, online shopping, politics and the Huskies! #socialbiz
Sean O’Driscoll @seanodmvp CEO and Co-Founder of Ant’s Eye View, a management consulting firm focused on social customer engagement.
Rob Wolf @thatrobguy Social Media Manager @Microsoft, photographer, part-time purveyor of fine baby gifts, and folksy raconteur
Jeff Hasen @jeffhasen Chief Marketing Officer at mobile marketing leader Hipcricket; author of book, Mobilized Marketing: Driving Sales, Engagement, and Loyalty
Eric Berto @geekgiant Participating in the verbal scrum at the convergence of communications, PR and social media.
Eric Weaver @weave VP Social Business @AntsEyeView • Veteran digital marketer & Fortune 500 Strategist • Keynote speaker • I am not a hairstyle, seriously.
Jennifer Cabala @jennifercabala Microsoft Accelerator/TechStars, Social Media Club Seattle board member, Startup Weekend facilitator, former reporter, gadget girl, outdoor enthusiast
Kevin Urie @kevinurie Advertising/Marketing Geek @SpringCreekgrp, Dad, Husband and@SMCseattle Founder
Jeff Lanctot @lanctot Razorfish Global Chief Media Officer
Rod Brooks @NW_Mktg_Guy CMO: PEMCO Insurance. Immediate Past Prest: WOMMA Board. Board member: WA. DECA. Dedicated WSU Cougar. Student of Social Media.
Warren Sukernek @warrenss VP Social Insights at @Alterian. Co-founder of @SMBSeattle. Social Media is ok.
Pam Dyer @pamdyer I explore the use of social media tools for marketing, advertising, branding, and engagement.
Sean Gardner @2morrowknight Digital Media Consultant|Contributor @SocialMediaWeek @Smedio@HuffingtonPost|Co-Creator #TwitterPowerhouses Series| Do-Gooder, Surfer!
Jeff Shuey @jshuey Alliance Manager – Microsoft and Tech (ECM & BPM); Mountain Biker, wind and wake surfer; proud dad; SMC Seattle Board Member
John Cook @johnhcook Co-founder of GeekWire, an online news source covering the Pacific Northwest technology community.
Laura Kimball @lamiki Community manager with a marketing brain & heart of a writer.#CrossFit strong girl who wears her @scrappy_face. Building something you haven’t heard of…yet.
Charl Lee Pierce @simchabe By Day: Quietly Brilliant @ HTC By Night: Hanging with my fabulous husband & chasing our kids through the social web
Say Please or Your Target May Say "Do Not Track"
Think back to when you were very young. One of the first lessons taught to you was likely around the concept of permission. There are few words more important than please.
Business people should remember the direction, especially when they consider how to engage with consumers.
Two recent developments are a step in the right direction (if not a verbal ask for permission).
Beginning this week, the European Union's 'Do Not Track' law is beigne to be enforced.
The EU regulation require websites that set cookies to do the following:
-- Inform visitors that cookies are being used
-- Explain the purpose of the cookies
-- Obtain a visitor's consent to store the cookie on their device
Some are suggesting that the "Do Not Track" law will soon come to the United States. We shall see.
Meanwhile, Twitter recently began moving in the right direction by utilizing the Do Not Track feature in the Mozilla Firefox browser. This enables people to opt-out of cookies that collect personal information and any third-party cookies, including those used for advertising. The Do Not Track functionality will only work if a Web site agrees to acknowledge it.
Mozilla is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Web better.
Current adoption rates of Do Not Track on Firefox are 8.6 percent for desktop users and 19 percent for mobile users, according to Mozilla. The company says it sees the biggest adoption rates in The Netherlands, France and the United States.
The issue around tracking comes up often. It was high profile around mobile during the 2011 holiday season when it was reported that certain retailers were “tracking” customers.
Marketing is more common sense than brain surgery. The idea of giving consumers what they want—and nothing more—is simple. Permission-based programs are the future (in my view, they are the present as well).
Tracking people online or mobile (particularly without transparency into the process) flies in the face of this practice and does anything but encourage interaction between people and brands.
Why is it so difficult for some marketers to understand the requirement for permission-based marketing—let alone implement permission-based programs?
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This post was written as part of the IBM for Midsize Business program, which provides midsize businesses with the tools, expertise and solutions they need to become engines of a smarter planet.
Choice is Mobile's Killer App
Three marketers without a horse in the race say that consumer choice, not one product or tactic like QR codes or the mobile Web, is the key ingredient in successful programs that include mobile.
“Obviously the big game changer was the iPhone,” Steve Mura, director of digital marketing at MillerCoors, told me in my new book, Mobilized Marketing: Driving Sales, Engagement, and Loyalty Through Mobile Devices. “It wasn’t a big game changer for the masses but it was a game change and sort of woke up the beast and then everyone said, ‘Smartphones are it.
They’re the next thing — look at all the things these mini-computers in your hands can do,’ and then everyone saw the potential.”
But it was options that Mura’s customers needed rather than the iPhone and Apple’s restrictive iOS operating system. Mobile’s potential became even more clear with the launch of Android. The iPhone didn’t connect with MillerCoors’ consumers because it’s a closed environment. And lets not forget about the cost. Creating for the iPhone was/is expensive. You had to get it at AT&T. According to Mura, the iPhone really created the possibilities and for the MillerCoors consumer, the Android delivered it.
Eileen Woodbury was one of radio’s earliest and staunchest believers in mobile, largely due to its ability to make passive listening interactive through calls to action and permission-based messages. Still, Clear Channel Los Angeles’ director of marketing hasn’t excluded other channels with the inclusion of mobile.
“People will communicate with you the way they want to communicate,” she told me. “So texting isn’t replacing the Web. The Web didn’t replace the phone call. People who want to call will want to call. People who never called us before hopefully will engage with us through text. Some people prefer Twitter or are on Facebook all day.
'The bottom line is that this is the age of choice and people communicate the way they want to."
In early 2011, Macy’s developed a differentiating in-store program called Backstage Pass that gives shoppers access to 30-second videos that provide fashion tips and a behind-the-scenes look at clothes from Bobbi Brown, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Greg Norman for Tasso Elba, Rachel Roy, Irina Shabayeva for I.N.C., and Martha Stewart. Perhaps what is most interesting about Backstage Pass is Macy’s inclusion of calls to action involving SMS, MMS, QR code, and the mobile Web. There is even a URL given for those few who aren’t carrying a mobile device with them. For Macy’s, it’s about choice. After all, the retailer isn’t limiting shopping in its stores to those who drive red sedans. Why would it want to dictate mobile behavior?
(first appeared here - http://www.digiday.com/brands/choice-is-the-killer-mobile-app/)
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The Flying Pan Edition
With my new Kouply app, I'm going to ask my wife if she'll award me 50 points for taking her to a nice place. Then I will duck.
The Federal Communications Commission has asked the public if the mobile carriers are sufficiently protecting privacy. How the heck would users know?
T-Mobile has priced the Korean-designed Prism smartphone at $20 with a month-to-month contract. It comes with slow speeds and a not-so-cheap full data plan.
Facebook is supposedly back at efforts to build a smartphone. That’s one track for the company. Another is to engage global feature phone users.
Meanwhile, Facebook is rumored to be in talks to buy Opera Software, fueling speculation it will launch its own mobile browser.
NBC will be coming with two mobile apps for the London Olympics. One will have live streaming. The other will lead with highlights. Access will mostly be granted only to cable, satellite and telco customers.
A year after launch , Google Wallet has 25 national retailers, 1 carrier (Sprint) and 6 Android phones. Also, American Eagle Outfitters, Foot Locker, and Jamba Juice made another mobile wallet bet - adding PayPal to Google Wallet. This all means what? The mobile wallet race is a marathon rather than a sprint.
I needed an app for a dachshund on my lap with hiccups. I've seen tries with crazier business models.
If Windows 8 won't be enough, how about a removable battery on Dell's coming 10.8 inch tablet?
73 percent of teenagers say that they text while walking. The other 27 percent are fibbing.
A judge ruled that a text message sender is not liable in a distracted driving crash case. The opposite verdict would’ve created a firestorm.
Mobile devices make up about 20 percent of U.S. Web traffic, according to a report. That seems high to me even as we're likely to move to 50 percent in 2 years.
Headline: Phablets are here to stay. Hopefully the word is not.
Make Something Happen After the Click
The reporter’s premise was that iPad advertising was “taking off”. I extended the idea further by telling the E-Commerce Times about the value of building upon the advertising activity on the tablet well beyond the click.
"For example, companies like HBO have worked with Hipcricket to conduct mobile advertising campaigns that ultimately invite customers to take part in, say, a VIP club. It's one thing to get consumers to click on your ad. It's another thing entirely -- and much more critical -- to do something with them once they do: the concept of 'post-click engagement.’”
The full article is here http://www.technewsworld.com/story/75215.html
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The "Make It Stop Raining" Edition
The Weather Channel iPhone app, long one of the most popular, has gotten its first redesign since 2009. Nice, but you still can't stop it from raining.
Who is scanning QR codes? Scanbuy says it's 68 percent males.
Eight percent of magazine pages had a mobile bar code during Q1. That’s a move toward the passive becoming interactive.
Coca Cola will use mobile and music in a London Olympics effort to "inspire youth". Included are a wide variety of mobile tactics, including SMS, apps, and more.
Beyond the hardware change, I await a new iPhone most for have-to-have Siri improvement. It’s shocking that Apple heavily advertises such a poor experience.
Speaking of which, there are several “new” reports that Steve Jobs influenced the design of the next iPhone. There is no news here. Product cycles are that far out.
Does size matter (in tablets)? Amazon is looking to turn around its slumping Kindle Fire sales with a screen three inches larger.
T-Mobile makes good points in downplaying shared data plans. Who wants to keep track of the family's consumption?
An Apple board member says an iCar designed by Jobs would've taken 50 percent of auto market. That’s laughable.
American Express’ mobile strategy, like its social efforts, is deeply rooted in measurable sales. Imagine that.
Marketers take note: one tablet generates as many website visits as four smartphones, according to a report.
70 percent of mobile app users pay little or nothing, a study says. It explains how a large number of app makers don't make money.
30 percent of Groupon transactions in North America were completed on mobile devices in Q1. It was 25 percent in December 2011.
Teenagers believe that adults text as much as they do - which means a lot, a survey says. That’s surprising.
The Decline of Apps? Ummm, No
Mobile apps or mobile Web? If the goal is to reach as many makes and models of devices, then mobile-optimized websites are a natural first choice. If it’s about building “experiences”, then mobile apps — front and center on our smartphones— may have some advantages. It’s often a confusing decision for marketers to make, and the right choice depends on what brands want. However, new numbers from Nielsen boost the argument that apps are gaining some serious traction (despite an increased focus by brands on the mobile Web and excitement about the improvements promised by HTML5).
Comparing 2012 to 2011, the research company discovered U.S. mobile subscribers are moving to smartphones and downloading more apps.
Among the findings:
• Smartphones are 50 percent of penetration, up 12 percent from the previous year
• The average number of downloaded apps per device has gone from 42 to 51
• 88 percent of iOS and Android users have downloaded an app vs. 74 percent a year ago
• The number of iOS and Android users has risen to 84 million from 38 million
• Time spent on apps is up 10 percent despite the advancement of the mobile Web
• The time spent on the Top 50 apps has gone down from 74 percent to 58 percent
Some things have seen little or no change. The top five apps continue to be Facebook, YouTube, Android Market, Google Search and Gmail. And smartphone owners spend just slightly more time on apps each day (37 minutes a day in 2011 compared to 39 minutes today).
Also, privacy continues to be a concern, with the vast majority of users (70 percent in 2011 and 73 percent in 2012) expressing concern over personal data collection.
What’s more, 55 percent are wary about sharing information about their location via smartphone apps.
How I See It: There are few absolutes in mobile. I never bought the debate that tried to make us believe that mobile Web and mobile apps was an either/or situation. As marketers, we need to follow the numbers, keep an open mind, and anticipate what’s next. Yes, apps appear to be on the rise. But we have to dig deeper and ask “why”. One driver is the always-on nature of apps across the board. Many apps (like games) can be used even when there is no connectivity. We know that many apps are downloaded —but we also have evidence that many apps lose their appeal quickly and are rarely, if ever, used. In contrast, a mobile website is a more of a necessity than a novelty. People require access to optimized destinations using their mobile devices and they expect brands to provide mobile-friendly experiences once they get there. This — as I learned from ESPN while researching my newly released Mobilized Marketing book — is critical. Mobile users often punish brands that fail to deliver a great mobile experience.
(post also appeared on mobilegroove.com http://www.mobilegroove.com/mobile-usage-hot-trends-mobile-apps-multi-screen-...
Notes From a Mobilized Marketer - The Spring Hype Award Edition
I saw where Polaroid eyes mobile for users to experience the "magic of instant in way that only Polaroid can deliver". That makes my spring hype award list.
Pew says that 18 percent of smartphone owners use a geosocial service to check in to certain locations or share their location with friends. That is a meaningful number (around 30 million), but far from the key element in a mobile “reach strategy”. That would be SMS or the mobile web. Preferably both.
I don't buy report that Siri is missing from the iPad because Apple can't make it look good on tablet. I bet that it’s more about an overloaded system just with iPhone 4Ss.
There were ads for pizza and for free obituary searches on Barnes and Noble page of Mobilized Marketing book.
Given the lack of news at CTIA Wireless 2012 (see previous post), do you think that companies are kicking themselves for missing the chance to be one to stand out?
The Angry Birds follow-up is dubbed ‘Amazing Alex’. The word amazing should be reserved for Angry Birds.
Urban Airship’s CEO says that we have years of education ahead of us when it comes to selling in mobile. Hopefully we’re on the other side of the mountain.
It may be that the loyalty play is more meaningful to Google than its new offers showing up on maps, including on mobile. There is lots of money in remarketing and remonetizing.
Blue Droid RAZRs are due in stores. Remember when pink RAZRs were the hot phone? No, I didn't have one, but I could have by accident (I’m colorblind).
Fast Company says that a company turns your Instagram pictures into canvas wall art that anyone can buy. Can buy or will buy?
We’ve all seen this - mobile devices are increasingly being used as a mother’s helper when her kids are bored, according to eMarketer.
Finally some reason - MasterCard says: "No single (mobile) wallet will rule them all".
Trumpeters & Trombone Players Made Noise at CTIA Wireless 2012. No One Else Did
Six years ago, when I went to my first CTIA Wireless show, the competition for attention was so fierce that those of us introducing products and services needed to decide whether to pre-announce or to spend freely at the event.
At that conference in 2006, when I was with InfoSpace, we lured media and other CTIA attendees to our booth with performances by skateboard legend Tony Hawk. And, even then, we fought hard to get noticed.
By contrast, in the vibrant city of New Orleans, this week’s CTIA show was notable because of the silence.
So, what changed?
For one thing, the race to get mobile offerings into the marketplace is not run on CTIA’s timeline.
The wireless association moved back its spring show about a month to get distance from the Consumer Electronics Show in January – which has more of a mobile focus every year – as well as the global GSMA conference in Barcelona in February. That strategy did not lead to high-profile product launches in New Orleans. Frankly, there were not many – or even any – low-profile launches worth mentioning.
Plus, some of the key players in mobile do not launch hardware or software at the mass conferences – Apple, for one, has its own events and never exhibits with the rest of the ecosystem.
Some of the largest companies did not bring their booths to New Orleans – Samsung, Microsoft and Research In Motion were among those absent, undoubtedly because they are between launch cycles.
What did get done at the Ernest S. Morial Convention Center?
Lots of business development conversations were conducted. Surely, M&A talks were held as well given the increased interest in mobile, especially at scale. There certainly is value there and CTIA should be commended for bringing the people to one place to talk.
I did not meet one brand marketer. Honestly, there was little to see and hear when it came to case studies and real-world lessons.
I am often asked by marketers to identify the top shows to attend.
Mobile Marketer and its sister publication, Mobile Commerce Daily, frequently conduct events – Mobile FirstLook in January, Mcommerce Summit in May: State of Mobile Commerce and Mobile Marketing Summit: Holiday Focus in September – that feature rich case studies and top-notch marketers. Mostly brands, retailers, agencies, financial institutions and publishers attend.
Next month, the Mobile Marketing Association holds its Mobile Marketing Forum in New York. About 1,000 are expected with the group mostly made up of brands, agencies and mobile service providers. There are other worthwhile shows for marketers coming up in the summer and fall.
In New Orleans, there was talk of spectrum, security and the connected home, among other subjects. The topics were not new and neither were the comments.
“Wireless service is part of the social fabric of nearly everyone in the country,” is what we heard from the CEO of a major carrier.
Got it. That made neither noise nor news.
(post first appeared on Mobile Marketer)
Among Tips In Mobilized Marketing: Don't Bet It All On Mobile
While we're obviously bullish on mobile, one of the tips offered in my Mobilized Marketing book is to not place all your chips on the channel.
That piece of advice is included in a column I wrote for Mobile Marketer that I'm reposting on this site.
The word pioneer is overused, but it is accurate to describe those who were the earliest into mobile marketing. Many of their efforts worked and others fell flat.
I interviewed more than three dozen of these mavericks for my book, “Mobilized Marketing: Driving Sales, Engagement, and Loyalty Through Mobile Devices.” Their experiences – good and bad – provide lessons that potentially could move your business.
Here is advice from some of those who were the first to include mobile in their integrated marketing plans:
Be brave
You will be hard-pressed to find a smarter businessperson than Hank Wasiak, an ad man for more than four decades who has led small firms and global agencies, while always seeking to reach his target audience on a personal level.
“Technology opened the door to what consumers always felt anyway – back in my day when we were doing IR [infrared] scores to gauge television commercials and saying how hard it was to break through, the average recall for a 30-second spot was maybe 25 percent of the people who were forced to look at a commercial would remember it,” Mr. Wasiak said.
“They were telling us then, ‘I want it the way I want it when I want it.’ We just didn’t have the capability to do it. Now we do. Mobile, it gets you connected but it’s part of your life in a functional way, in an emotional way, an entertaining way, in a lifesaving way,” he said.
And Mr. Wasiak, former vice chairman of McCann Erickson WorldGroup who is now a partner at The Concept Farm, says fire sooner rather than later.
“To me, the key thing when looking at something is to be early and fast,” he said. “I’ve been the poster child for this.
“You want to overthink things sometimes. You want to get it perfect but things move so fast. To me in this world, especially in mobile, iteration is more important than innovation. You can find out quickly because you’re in real time in the hip pocket, the breast pocket and in the heart of your consumers.
“You have to put on a flak jacket and get a little more risk averse.”
Use mobile measurement tools even if they are not perfect
Nirvana would include a dashboard that showed marketers all of their initiatives in real time. That would allow for assessment and optimization long before the post mortem when, of course, it is too late to affect a program. Some have refused to spend on mobile until measurement is more advanced.
ESPN’s John Kosner says that a bigger flow of brand dollars to mobile will solve the mobile metrics woes.
“It’s weak now, but in my experience the measurement follows the money,” said ESPN’s general manager of digital and print media. “Everybody complains where it is now. I think we’ll see significant expansion in the measurement in the next 5 to 10 years.
“In the meantime, I think companies like ours – that have great products, demonstrate scale and represent a safe buy – we may benefit disproportionately in a world less measured,” he said.
“I think the lack of strong metrics is a frustration for marketers today, but I think it’s a mistake not to get started and learn this thing. Television has been an inefficient science forever and it is by far the most popular medium. This is going to be a booming business.”
Do not bet it all on mobile
Mikes Orkin eyed wireless interaction as soon as he joined the American Cancer Society in 2002 as National Director of Web and mobile.
His first move was measured, aligning his organization with the Mobile Giving Foundation, a nonprofit group that gave mobile subscribers the ability to donate to nonprofits through a text pledge that would appear on their mobile phone bill.
“Text-to-give seemed to be a relevant tool for us,” he recalls. “I wouldn’t say that it was a smashing success, but it put mobile in people’s consciousness. Haiti got exposure for text to give [$32 million was raised for the American Red Cross in 2010 after a devastating earthquake with 95 percent of the consumers who texted in to the Haiti campaign being first-time donors to the organization, according to ARC]. We’re never going to be that. Cancer isn’t an earthquake, a fire or a flood. But we thought maybe the phone can help us.
“We ran small pilots only within (ACS) divisions that were interested. We kept the overhead as ridiculously low as possible so we didn’t have to be a massive success. You have to be prepared to set yourself up to fail but do it in a measured way.
“Don’t bet that you will be the next [Facebook founder/CEO] Mark Zuckerberg. If you fail, you will be selling coffee. So we didn’t bet the whole nest egg.”
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The Crystal Ball Edition
Lots of forecasts are out on what will happen in mobile in 2016 and 2017. Big growth in all, but wide disparity in the numbers. Does anyone know in such a morphing category? For presentations, I’ve been asked to focus only on the next six months. That’s really what matters to marketers.
Missed last week's webinar with the Mobile Marketing Association on my Mobilized Marketing book? You can see it here https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/933811590
Should we take the half full or half empty view on this one? According to Harris, 20 percent of U.S. consumers buy via mobile and 62 percent couldn’t care less. Twenty percent of American mobile subscribers is more than 60 million people. I’ll take the half full position this early in mobile. Why, another report says that mobile commerce accounts for 13.3 percent of all online sales – and that’s growing rapidly.
A report says that 80 percent of app developers don't make enough money to support a business. It has been this way since beginning of apps.
By 2016, tablets will outship netbook PCs, NPD says. Significant but it does not signal the death of the computer – it will be more of a co-existence.
Amazon Kindle Fire reportedly slipped to 4 percent of tablet market shipped last quarter vs. 17 percent the previous quarter. If true, more iPads sold in 5 days than Fire shipped in quarter.
Websites have been found to contain malware targeting Android devices. Having spent time working in the security category, I’ll tell you that it will take a major outbreak for people to care. And, even then, many won’t.
Apple fanboy delight – stat that two-thirds of top U.S. carrier sales in Q1 were iPhones.
The Draw Something app has seen its daily user base drop from 15 million to 10 million. The company drew a blank on an explanation.
Seven of the top ten grossing iOS apps and 6 of the top ten grossing Android apps are integrated with Facebook. Of course, that’s part of the reason that they are top grossing.
I saw that Apple "discussed" putting a keyboard on the iPhone. Is there news here? Would it had launched the product without pondering the possibility?
Welcome To The Olympics - Just Don't Be Social
With billion-dollar and exclusive usage rights in place, the Olympic Games have always been about big money and feverishly policed by lawyers on behalf of brands, content owners and media giants. But the advent of mobile and social — which allow us all to mash up content the way we like and share it with anyone using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and other properties — make me question whether anyone (even high-powered lawyers) can hold back the tide.
The advance of user-generated content and consumers’ assumption that they are in control of their content and experiences has huge implications for the London Games — and the brands lining up to get mileage out of the event.
Seeking to prevent guerilla tactics from non-Olympic Games’ sponsors, the International Olympic Committee has decided to restrict precisely how athletes can transmit photos and other information to networks and the wider world.
Yes, you read this right.
The IOC has introduced The Olympic Athletes’ Hub, which it says will include the verified social media feeds of more than 1,000 current and former Olympians. According to Mashable, this destination will post content directly from athletes’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, and incorporate a gamification layer incentivizing fans to interact with the site. Users will be able to access exclusive training-tips videos and gain virtual and real-world prizes according to how many athletes they like and follow online.
Significantly, athletes will not be allowed to tweet photos of themselves with products that aren’t those of the official Olympics sponsors. They are also not permitted to share photos or videos from inside the athletes’ village.
Amazingly, the restrictions don’t only apply to the athletes. Fans who are ticketholders are also barred from sharing photos and videos of themselves during Games’ action via Facebook and YouTube.
The crackdown is largely linked to a pair of new and stringent brand-protecting acts passed in the U.K. in preparation for the Games. (By way of background — and via the Guardian — the pieces of legislation are the 2006 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act, and the 1995 Olympic Symbol (Protection) Act.)
I have a long history with the Olympics, first as a reporter (Los Angeles 1984), and later as a brand marketer (Atlanta 1996, Nagano 1998, and Salt Lake City 2002). Traditionally, the national and international Olympic organizations have been aggressive (and successful) in seeking to prevent non-sponsors from associating with the Games. But that was before smartphones and tablets. Will these new measures stem the tide of user-generated content and activity? Don’t bet on it. Instead, expect to see ‘bootleg’ footage and content from people at the Games. And watch the Olympic lawyers come after brands and individuals who violate these new rules.
The upshot? The Olympics aren’t the only games we will be watching this summer. While it might seem easier for companies (and people) to get around large sponsorship fees by harnessing user-generated content and content created by companies that are not official sponsors, be prepared for a tussle as rights owners struggle to lock down content and distribution in an age where mobile has changed the idea of ownership forever.
(post first appeared on mobilegroove.com http://www.mobilegroove.com/london-olympic-games-crack-down-hard-on-social-me...
Waking Up Consumers Via Reveille or SMS
One of the more memorable and decorated campaigns I worked on in 12 years in agencies was the 3:21 Wakeup Call for Tully’s developed by WongDoody.
The challenge for Tully’s was to establish awareness of its blended drinks, especially difficult with the attention given to Starbucks’ Frappuccino.
WongDoody devised a mid-afternoon barrage of outdoor media, high school bands playing Reveille in the streets (and near Starbucks and Tully’s locations) and a sampling. http://www.wdcw.com/work/project/47/tullys_coffee_321_wakeup_call/
Beyond the noise it created, Tully’s blended drink sales increased by 24 percent and unit volume (year over year) increased by 77 percent during the first four weeks of the promotion that ultimately won an Effie for advertising effectiveness.
I thought of the program this week when Mobile Marketer asked me about Starbucks using SMS reminders to push its Frappuccino Happy Hour. Starbucks sent out an email blast to its My Starbucks Rewards consumers, asking them if they would like reminders about the promotion.
As discussed in earlier posts, many stop what they are doing when a text message arrives with a bing or ping.
“(The Starbucks program) plays on the effectiveness of a permission-based SMS that gives a consumer what he or she wants.” I told Mobile Marketer. “Email doesn’t provide such immediacy, so employing SMS in this case is smart.”
Cruising With Mobile
Celebrity Cruises is growing its mobile database via SMS and QR codes in print advertisements that offer chances to sign up for weekly emails, talk to a representative and enter a sweepstakes.
Mobile Marketer asked for my take on the program. Here's what I told the publication:
“SMS calls-to-action often lead to an opt-in relationship with a consumer that is a win for the brand and win for the subscriber if it is based on a value exchange. We have seen travel brands use SMS to educate, differentiate their products and services and promote sales, especially in reaction to a competitor’s price movement.
“Since text messages are opened up within minutes, the offer is seen in a timely fashion as opposed to an email that may languish in an email inbox overflowing with spam."
I added:
"Savvy brands are giving mobile users choice. Consumers, especially affluent ones, do not want to be dictated to – give them an ability to interact with your brand on their terms, not the brand’s.
“We have moved into the era of interactivity. Ads without calls-to-action via mobile miss the opportunity that is created when the device is within reach of a consumer all day and all night. Consumers are looking to do something when they read a print publication and brands that do not take this into account are living in a bygone era.”
The full article is here http://www.luxurydaily.com/celebrity-cruises-builds-database-via-mobile-calls...
The First Reviews For Mobilized Marketing
The first reviews are in for Mobilized Marketing. I'm humbled and grateful.
Thom Kennon
SVP, Director of Strategy
Y&R
“I’ve been lucky enough to have been doing mobile for about as long as it’s been a viable marketing channel and touchpoint. I was thrilled when I found out Jeff was writing this book since I knew full well the story hadn’t yet been told. And I also believed there was no one better suited and positioned to tell it than Hasen, looking back and forward from his prime seat at the head of the table at Hipcricket.
“Jeff’s unique role in our industry’s founding origin stories afford him superb and actionable insights about where we’re heading. Jeff gets that mobile is not one thing – it isn’t just ‘little digital’. It isn’t just apps or messaging. And it certainly isn’t just about media. Jeff gets the big picture -- that what’s really going on is a new era of brand marketing and human behaviors that is best summed up by what some of us call ‘mobilityness’. Jeff gets that mobilityness matters and this book is about the how and the why. It is a tale is both instructive and inspirational as it uncovers the key lessons learned over the past 10 years of early mobile and point us towards the opportunities which lie ahead for the future of all marketing, with mobile as its beating heart.”
Michael Becker
Managing Director, North America
Mobile Marketing Association
“Jeff is a superb storyteller and in this book he takes you through the story of mobile and its place within the marketing mix. At every step along the way, he shares key lessons and insights that will help you ask the right questions and know how to get the right answer. Jeff will prepare you to embrace mobile in a way that will help you deliver value to your customers, your employer and your career.”
Miles Orkin
Former National Director, Web and Mobile
American Cancer Society
“Mobile marketing is about giving your customer the right message via the right channel at the right time. When it works well, nothing is more intimate and effective. Jeff knows what works. And the stories from mobile marketing leaders he features in this book add detail and dimension to Jeff's compelling strategic insights. It's a fast, informative, entertaining read, and it will set you up with a clear point of view on the latest mobile thinking.
“If you want your audience to pick up their phones and engage with your brand, you need to pick up this book!”
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The Angry Birds Edition
Social leaped ahead of games on mobile when it comes to amount of activity. Games held the top spot for four years. I wonder if the birds are angry.
One in five want self-driving cars. I'll settle for a chauffeur.
95 percent of independent restaurants don't have mobile web sites, according to a study. I would be surprised if more than 10 percent do anything with mobile.
Twitter has set its sights on two billion users. For me, that's too many "tuna fish sandwich for lunch" reports.
Walmart has brought augmented reality to customers with an app around The Avengers. Will THE mass retailer make AR go mass?
Two thirds won't spend more than $50 per month on mobile data, a study says. Half of smartphone users don't know how much they use. I’m in that 50 percent.
The London Olympics will be streamed live but don't expect real-time posting of user-generated video. That is prohibited by ticketholders.
Something to watch – the U.S. Transportation head says that distracted driving is a "national epidemic". He has called for a ban on using the phone while driving.
Some apps ping the carrier network 2,400 times an hour. Is that enough? Check me in somewhere, please.Finally a LinkedIn iPad app. It’s surprising that it has taken this long given the iPad user demographic.
Google's ad says Chrome can help you get your ex back. I don't want my ex back. How many do?
71 percent of affluent consumers don't have set spending limit in mobile apps. I wonder if this is more default than by choice.
Notes From A Mobilized Marketer - The Yucky Bacteria Edition
Ninety-four percent of U.S. bills have bacteria on them, MasterCard reports. Is that enough to move people to use a mobile wallet? Do you think our phones are pristine? Mine isn’t.
Speaking of the wallet, marketers, if you say that the mobile wallet will completely replace cash, your credibility will be lost. Nothing is absolute and this transformation will take years, maybe decades.
Enabling small business to accept payment via mobile is not exclusive to Square, but it may soon have a $4 billion valuation. Coincidentally, the company is processing $4 billion transactions annually.
Ads for viewing singles nearby and for attorneys in area were back to back on my iPhone. I view them as one message to me – sent by my wife.
Travel & Leisure named Seattle the top hipster despite fact that I live there.
We can waste time reading pure conjecture. Case in point: I bypassed three straight stories with headlines saying a company "may" do something. Nudge me when they do.
Apple has lost $56.5 billion in market value in two weeks. That's roughly an eBay, by market cap, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Nokia shared a video taken with its 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView. That's the one that won't be available in the States. Are we supposed to think other Nokia products are as innovative? We don’t.
Oh, how the world has changed. National Geographic is covering an Everest expedition on Instagram.
Did you see the story that said cellphone that sees through walls is closer to reality? Ignore the piece. It's a shiny object that won't move your business.
T-Mobile is bringing mobile security to users. The problem is that the issue is not a factor in buying.
Do you think Samsung calling iPhone users "sheep" in ads will get us to switch? I don't think so, either.
