Archive for the 'Mobile Marketing' Category

25
May
11

where to next?

While it’s certainly getting easier to predict the weather in New York — rain, rain, and more rain — it’s proving more and more difficult to guess what will happen next with legendary dive bar Max Fish. Back in December, a rent dispute between owner and landlord threatened to close the establishment’s doors forever. But then in May, it seemed police allegations of underage drinking and operating after hours were a greater cause for concern. And now, there is word that Max Fish may survive in its current space even longer than the one year eventually agreed upon. So who’s to know what the future will bring?

In January, I shared with you some of the things I looked forward  to witnessing unfold in 2011. And now, almost six months later, I have a few more questions to add to the list:

- How will the cloud music war play out between Apple, Amazon (Cloud Drive), and Google (Music Beta)? And will consumers agree to pay for this storage/streaming service?

- Will Microsoft’s takeover of Skype really mean the end of free voice and video calls — that the only way to use Skype will be via Office, Windows Phone, and Xbox?

- How will AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile — if approved — affect AT&T and T-Mobile customers and the wireless industry as a whole? Higher fees? Better or worse service? Trouble for Google’s Android?

- Will the biggest news about Yahoo this year be its sale of social bookmarking web service Delicious, or will the company be able to debut a groundbreaking product or two before December rolls around?

- Will technological advancements in TV such as Sharp and NHK’s new Super Hi-Vision screen help to keep enough people interested in consuming media via television rather than via computer or tablet?

- And lastly, for the umpteenth time, when will it actually be the Year of Mobile?

What are your thoughts on these topics? Come on, share your insights.

Photo credit: Andy Roberts

24
Feb
11

qr codes — waiting impatiently backstage

A few blog postings back, I touched on recent developments in the New York City restaurant health department grading system. Well, it now appears that the health department is thinking of taking things one step further by adding bar codes to the restaurant letter grades on public display. This way, potential customers can use their smartphones to scan for additional information about inspection results.

As has been said time and time again about mobile in the U.S., some proclaim that the QR code era is right upon us. But is it really? For years, consumers in Japan have embraced the use of QR codes in everything from subway billboards to food wrappers, but in the U.S., mainstream consumer adoption is taking a little more time. Although smartphone ownership continues to steadily increase, the majority of Americans still just have regular cell phones.

Make no mistake — the year of QR codes is coming… just not tomorrow. But it’s not too early to think seriously about how we as marketers can use the codes to truly improve upon integrated marketing campaigns. It’s not enough to just slap a QR code onto a billboard ad or place it in a TV commercial. We need to provide the consumer with information or an enriched experience that he or she truly values — not simply information that we as marketers would like to share.

Photo credit: Fluid Forms/Alexander Karelly

16
Feb
11

full price as the exception rather than the rule

Did you know that approximately 20,000 MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) workers in New York currently get unlimited bus and subway rides as part of their retirement package?! Neither did I. And I’m jealous. Since I don’t have a monthly unlimited pass, my stomach sinks each time I swipe my MetroCard — it’s now $2.25 a ride. And, for the same reason, I do a little dance inside whenever I’m granted a free transfer.

It’s the same feeling that shoppers get on Black Friday and the day after Christmas when there are sales taking place all over the country. But then one has to stop and think, would retailers and deal-of-the-day businesses such as LivingSocial, Scoutmob, and Groupon (who probably doesn’t need any more publicity right now) really be offering deals to the consumer if it was simply just to be kind? No. They adopt business models and tactics that are designed to yield profits.

Having noted that, however, I sometimes wonder if the American consumer’s growing fondness for 50%-off deals and BOGO’s (Buy One, Get One Free) will eventually result in seemingly discounted pricing becoming the norm. Will everything from shoes to bread end up always being “on sale”? And, if so, how will this affect the everyday marketer?

Photo credit: Lordcolus




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