Browsing evolution blurs lines between mobile and PC Web

July 30, 2008

Ray Anderson is CEO of Bango

By Ray Anderson

Many great things come in two parts – the megapixel sensor and digital photography, the carbon fiber filament and the light bulb, baseball and Babe Ruth. The history of the Internet is no exception.

As with other inventions, the Internet’s evolution involved a technology introduction (part one) and then general mass-market adoption (part two). This two-part approach again is playing out in the latest phase of the Internet – the mobile Web.

The first part in the development of the mobile Web started in 1998 when the WAP Forum introduced WML 1.1, effectively creating a new separate Web for mobile devices. This saw limited success outside the mobile decks, created by the world’s various mobile network operators.

Part two – the mobile mass market – remains elusive.

Today, the browser likely is the key to moving part two of mobile Web evolution forward.

The Apple iPhone has raised public awareness for browsing the Web on mobile phones – a trend that all the other handset providers have been quick to follow.

Whether it is the new mobile players such as Apple and Microsoft (with Windows Mobile) or the established mobile leaders including Nokia with its N Series, the one consistent element is a full Internet browser.

Mobile operators such as Sprint are helping accelerate this by providing transcoding capabilities to ensure all phones can see the traditional Web sites without the need for special mobile sites to be built.

With this seed now sown, it’s clear that a unified Web is upon us, blurring the lines between desktop Web sites and those built for mobile.

As part two of the mobile Web plays out, it’s time for anyone with a Web site to get up-to-speed with mobile visitors. There are two things to think about.

First, now is the time for business – especially larger brands – to understand how much of the overall traffic to their PC Web sites comes from mobile devices.

Brands need to be prepared to modify their Web sites so that they can track this audience and appeal directly to them using the appropriate marketing tools.

Next, it’s also critical to ensure PC site looks good on a range of new and old mobile handsets.

You may find, for example, that operator transcoding is breaking your site or making it look unattractive. You can use DeviceAnywhere from Mobile Complete to test different handsets from different countries.

Brands that move in this direction now will be better prepared for what’s shaping up to be a familiar scenario.

After all, part two of the PC Internet did not really take off until the arrival of the first truly consumer-friendly Web browser with the launch of NCSA Mosaic in 1993. This made it easy for anyone with a PC to reach Web sites by typing the now familiar URL that had started to appear on every TV show and in every magazine.

We all know the rest of the story with the famous Web gold rush in the late ’90s. It was a great time, especially if you saw it coming. For those that missed out the first time around, now’s the time to make sure you are prepared to capitalize on the second Web gold rush – on mobile.

CellSigns’ Mobile Agent brings real estate info to mobile

July 30, 2008

Mobile real estate

CellSigns Inc. has made it easier for home buyers to make purchase descisions with the release of Mobile Agent, its real estate search tool for consumers on-the-go.

Home buyers can now drive around their local market, see any home for sale and get property information on that home, including photos and detailed descriptions, via their handset. Real estate brokers and agents can deploy an SMS mobile access tool.

“Many home buyers today do lots of online research, but they leave their desktops when they start to get more serious about buying a home,” said Mark Ford, CEO of Cellsigns, Philadelphia.

“We saw an opportunity in the marketplace to power mobile real estate info, and we wanted people have just a standard mobile phone to have access, so decided that text messaging was the primary mechanism to reach the largest audience,” he said.

Using Mobile Agent 2.0, home buyers can quickly search by property address, street name, Multiple Listings Service number or agent name from any mobile phone and get information via SMS, MMS and CellSign’s mobile Internet site.

Mobile Agent

Mobile Agent provides such features as photos delivered to consumers’ mobile phone with a detailed property description and a list of comparable properties in the area.

Other features include text-to-client immediately sending listing information to clients or other agents and click-to-call letting consumers instantly connect to their agent or broker.

Property descriptions include all the relevant pricing information, square footage, acreage, up to 12 pictures and the number of beds and baths, among other details.

Mobile homes

Home buyers can request additional information via CellSign's real estate text messaging service, including details about taxes, school districts and whether or not the property has air conditioning, a garage or basement.

Also, home buyers can log in to the web site to plot the homes they have viewed on an interactive map.

Mobile Agent works on all mobile phones without any downloads or special training.

The Mobile Agent offering has been launched market by market to thousands of real estate agents. The service currently covers 20 major metro areas and more are being added daily.

Major markets served by Mobile Agent include Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas/Ft. Worth, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, OR, and Orlando, FL, along with with Boston and Seattle.

“We have pretty much 100 percent coverage of properties listed by real estate agents and brokerages in our current markets, and we’re adding between five and ten new markets per month,” Mr. Ford said.

The RE/MAX 4000 office in Grand Junction, CO, has added a Mobile Agent portal to its Web site.

In about a month or so, CellSigns will release a Mobile Agent application downloadable from the iPhone App Store.

The service is free for consumers other than carriers’ data charges, while for agents and brokers it is subscription-based.

Subscribers get mobile search for all buyers, full reporting on all activities of buyers in their market, including every property they have viewed, a widget portal on their Web site and offline tools allowing agents to hand out a how-to card telling consumers how Mobile Agent works.

The package also includes a listing tool letting subscribers advertise their own listings and on-property signage with a call-to-action urging prospective buyers to text in a property ID keyword to a specific short code.

There is also an active chat feature that lets consumers chat live with a broker or agent through interactive SMS sessions via handsets or instant messaging via computers.

CellSigns created a YouTube video to promote the Mobile Agent platform.

“Right now we’re the only ones offering this service,” Mr. Ford said.

“Other companies do SMS marketing for real estate companies, but their technology is limited to property IDs at specific listings and their coverage is limited to the agents on their service," he said. "They might cover roughly 10 out of the 60,000 properties for sale in the Philadelphia market, while we cover 100 percent of them.

“We’ve given consumers a free mobile tool for getting real estate information, and our partners have a tool to advertise their own listings and communicate with their buyers.”

by Staff Reporter Dan Butcher

Jack in the Box uses mobile to boost sales

July 30, 2008

Egg head

West Coast fast food franchise Jack in the Box is experimenting with Near Field Communication-enabled phones.

It teamed with Bay Area Rapid Transit and Sprint to launch a technological trial that allowed participants to pay their BART fare and Jack in the Box tab using their mobile phones. Trial participants also downloaded content from Sprint just by waving their phones in front of smart advertisements.

“The strategy for Jack in the Box was to drive sales in-store and at the same time track those sales,” said Mohammed Khan president and founder of VivoTech, Santa Clara, CA.

BART, Sprint and Jack in the Box tapped VivoTech, which developed the NFC software for the mobile phones and the over-the-air card provisioning servers that Sprint used for the trial.

Participants were able to remotely download their BART fare and Jack Ca$h gift cards onto their mobile phones, check their card balances, review previous transactions, automatically top up their cards and use their phones to pay for BART fares and Jack in the Box food.

VivoTech also provides the contactless payment devices that read the NFC-enabled chips at Jack in the Box restaurants

How does it work? It’s simple.

Walk up to any BART fare gate with a specially-equipped Sprint wireless phone and pay for their ride by tagging the phone on a reader located on top of the gate.

Once through the gate, the 230 trial participants held their specifically-equipped Sprint mobile phone up to certain Jack in the Box and Sprint smart advertisements on BART station walls and download either directions to the nearest Jack in the Box restaurant or content from Sprint.

Then, after taking the train to their favorite Jack in the Box location, participants used their phone to pay for their meal.

This trial gave participants the benefit of receiving discounts and offers which companies usually only provide to customers participating in their loyalty programs,” Mr. Khan said.

In the past, other pay-by-mobile-phone trials have just allowed customers to pay for goods and services using a credit card tied to their phone, which often prevented them from automatically receiving the discounts merchants provide.

However, in this trial participants automatically got those special discounts.

For example, participants automatically got a 6.25 percent discount BART provides those who purchase high-value tickets.

The technology lets riders avoid spending time buying a paper ticket and makes BART greener.

Sprint is currently evaluating the results from the preliminary trial of this new technology.

This technology can make life easier since users can manage their daily commute and make payments using the one device they carry with them throughout the day,” Mr. Khan said.

By Giselle Abramovich

Slifter debuts location-based shopping for BlackBerry

July 30, 2008

Shop Slifter

Consumers using Research In Motion’s BlackBerry smartphones can now download Slifter, a free ad-supported location-based mobile shopping tool.

Using the application, BlackBerry smartphone users can now search local store inventory for products, Hot Deals and promos. they can surf through product information, images and maps, and save products and promotions into a mobile Shopping List to share with friends in their address book.

“We’re really excited to be working with BlackBeryy and at the rate of pickup and the enthusiasm we feel from the wireless community,” said Alex Muller, CEO of Slifter, New York. “Slifter is for people walking or driving around thinking, ‘I wish I knew where I could go to get such-and-such item.'

“We’re excited to be bringing this to market,” he said. “We’re using technology to facilitate what people are doing in the real world.”

Mobile product search provider Slifter uses GPS technology to let consumers search and share more than 300 million products and various promotions at more than 150,000 retail stores across the country.

In addition to most BlackBerry devices, the downloadable application is available on Web-enabled Sprint phones, while AT&T subscribers, iPhone users and others can access Slifter’s mobile Internet site at http://slifter.com.

Slifter’s downloadable application is also available on Helio handsets and Nokia phones via its Download Now mobile store.

The company claims that within a few months the majority of U.S. carriers will make Slifter available to their subscribers.

“The application is specifically designed for each specific handset and carrier to make sure the consumer’s experience is optimized,” Mr. Muller said.

For example, BlackBerry users can download an application that is specific to the carrier to which they subscribe.

Slifter customers enter a keyword, product name, model number or UPC code to find a product.

They can then view product availability, price and promotional information and detailed directions to the nearest store.

The downloadable application automatically identifies the consumer’s location, while visitors to the mobile Internet site type in their ZIP code to get location-specific results.

“We’re getting into next-generation capabilities to help consumers make purchases in a way they could only do on a computer before,” Mr. Muller said.

To download Slifter for free, BlackBerry customers can visit http://slifter.com on their handhelds and click on “Try the Slifter download.” Standard data plan rates from carriers apply.

Slifter is free to consumers. Retailers can list their products for free, but they can also choose to advertise to get more exposure via paid placements on consumers’ shopping lists or Slifter’s Hot Deals page and banner ads on Slifter’s WAP site.

In addition, if a consumer searches for a generic keyword such as “digital camera,” the top result is a paid placement.

These ad placements are pre-programmed to match each consumer’s location.

“A lot of retailers are looking to offer back-to-school promotions on Slifter,” Mr. Muller said.

Nikon, LG and Discount Tire have all run ad campaigns with Slifter.

“Retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, Macy’s, Diesel and Best Buy are looking for interactive avenues to drive sales,” Mr. Muller said. “With the current economy, many companies are cutting back on their marketing budget, so they want the most trackable, most effective use of those marketing dollars.

“With more advanced data features, higher-resolution screens and GPS capabilities, mobile has really emerged as a viable means of marketing, it’s finally emerged,” he said.

“The pay-per-click model of mobile marketing is trackable and ROI-driven, so instead of paying for a billboard irrespective of performance, you pay based on how many people click through to a local product’s landing page.”

By Dan Butcher

When saying no is best

July 28, 2008

Mickey Alam Khan is editor in chief of Mobile Marketer

A striking comment made at last week’s IAB Leadership Forum: Mobile event was honesty at its best and marketing at its smartest. And it came from the CEO of one of the leading mobile marketing agencies worldwide.

Vladimir Edelman, boss of the Ansible agency, was part of a panel that threw up case studies of mobile work for marketers such as Procter & Gamble Co., Johnson & Johnson and Research In Motion Inc.'s BlackBerry (see story). After outlining his agency’s work for J&J’s BabyCenter site, Mr. Edelman advised the audience to be realistic, say no to work that does not translate well to mobile and find budgets that make sense.

“This industry cannot afford bad case studies,” Mr. Edelman said. “Brands can sit this out and not worry about missing anything.”

The 300 or so executives in the audience – agency creatives, media buyers, publishers, marketers and mobile service providers – may not have immediately understood the import of those words. But it serves everyone well to reflect on the wisdom of that message.

Eyes on mobile
Mobile marketing is under scrutiny like it has never been before.

Since the Apple iPhone’s launch last year and an upgrade’s debut earlier this month, consumers have raised their expectations of the mobile phone. See the steady stream of iPhone-focused applications developed for content, media, commerce and marketing purposes.

Developers, retailers and publishers have also lavished attention on the BlackBerry platform as well as Google’s much-hyped Android.

Yahoo and Microsoft too have a dog in the game, each collaborating with the marketplace to gain a spot on the world’s most valuable real estate – the mobile phone screen.

Each widget or application brings the mobile experience closer to a computer’s. A small screen, speed and data charges are all that hinder the mobile phone’s progress as the laptop’s successor.

On the marketing side, banner ads are now quite commonplace on major mobile publisher sites. The ads are simple, not intrusive and yet eye-catching, clickable to a landing page with Web or telephone options.

Advertisers in the entertainment and automotive sectors, for example, have found a marvelous outreach channel to reach consumers on the go. Given the newness of this medium, click-throughs are high compared with computer-based email or banner ads.

Similarly, text programs are more popular now than they have ever been. Marketers are turning to SMS for promotions and mobile coupons. They are inviting consumers to sign up for alerts, updates and sweepstakes. They are building opted-in databases of immeasurable value.

Advise, revise
Smart mobile marketing agencies, ad networks, service providers and publishers will obviously tout the value of mobile marketing. They will trot out case studies as proof of concept.

But smarter players will also know when to turn down business. It is tempting to slap the mobile label on every ad campaign. After all, how difficult is it to take a short code and add keywords and before you know it, the agency has proposed an SMS campaign?

Well, the one thing mobile marketing firms do not want to do is emulate the dot-coms in their cocky heyday. Venture-capital-flush Internet companies over-promised and under-delivered. Mobile does not have the luxury of losing billions to learning lessons.

So when thinking of pitching a client, consider: Does it make sense to add a mobile component? Does it extend brand awareness? Does it serve well as a direct marketing medium? Does it build loyalty? Does it add to the database? Is the effort measurable? Does it complement other channels?

Above all, does the marketer's product or service lend itself to mobile marketing, content or commerce?

If the answer to most of these questions is no, then mobile is not a candidate for that brand’s marketing efforts – at least not at the time of evaluation.

And even if mobile is a strong possibility for the brand, agencies and marketers should invite publishers and ad networks to comment on the ad’s likely effectiveness.

Essentially, publishers and ad networks should request to see the creative before it is formally submitted. After all, they know their audience's propensity to respond to targeted content.

Given the small size, the message and branding on the banner unit must be immediately apparent. Make sure the brand lettering does not get lost in the color of the banner. The call to action should be loud and clear. Don’t be too smart by half – there’s simply no time for showing off.

The landing page experience is equally important. Ask the visitor to accomplish the call to action in one of three ways – signing up for additional information, clicking on a link to another mobile Web page or clicking on a link that dials the brand’s call center.

Any call to action on mobile must be limited to no more than three clicks. Limit the data fields to the basic details that will identify the user and his or her preferences. This tip is not based on scientific assessment, but common sense. The mobile channel does not suffer fills gladly.

Not now, darling
To Mr. Edelman’s point, realism and saying no will be appreciated by the client or the prospect. That marketer will return when his or her brand is more mobile-friendly.

The final point is budgets. Do not just settle. Mobile is not a cheaper cousin of the computer-based Internet. It has its own cost structures.

Mr. Edelman and his fellow panelists were asked at the IAB Mobile event if $50,000 to $75,000 could buy a decent mobile ad campaign. His answer: not much.

Yes, that amount could buy some testing or finger-in-the-wind analysis. But it will not have a wide effect on a larger audience.

A strong, consumer-focused mobile marketing campaign can cost upwards of $250,000, according to Mr. Edelman. It’s not hard to imagine and is worth it when it costs just about that much to wire up a Bluetooth bus stand.

“This year, moving into 2009, we’re seeing a lot more seven-figure budgets,” Mr. Edelman said.

Many marketers and agencies complain that mobile is a complicated channel. It is not. But it requires dedicated attention. It requires transparency. It requires honesty. Sometimes saying “Not now” will prevent a headache.

Why mobile and traditional media are a powerful combination

July 28, 2008

By Tim Favia

If mobile is going to be the next big ad medium, it will need the help of the traditional media formats. The biggest challenge that mobile has is engaging people on their mobile phones in a legal and non-offensive way.

Traditional media, especially radio and television, is struggling to compete with online, reinvent itself and find new sources of revenue. Radio and TV are tremendous broad reach mediums, but are desperate to create more interactivity and engagement with listeners and viewers.

There is a symbiotic relationship beginning to develop. Herein lies the opportunity.

I recently attended a conference hosted by a leading venture capital company that included presentations from the largest U.S. new media, social networking and technology companies to online and mobile startups.

The discussions quickly turned to new media business models that are designed to capture ad spend from traditional media such as TV, radio, print and out-of-home.

Numerous presenters spoke of the inevitable disintermediation of mainstream media as advertisers transition to more measurable media.

The continuing growth of online ad spend at the expense of traditional media serves notice of the success of that strategy.

Also, it suggests the viability of an alternative strategy of partnering with large traditional media companies, with still dominant broad-based access to American consumers, to evolve their medium.

A significant opportunity exists to work with the broadcast and print players to make their programming dramatically more interactive through mobile, and engage the millions of viewers, listeners and readers that they fear losing.

In turn, we in the mobile space can leverage traditional media’s unmatched reach to build valuable, consent-based relationships with the mobile users that marketers increasingly covet.

Radio’s inherently mobile nature and cost effective broad reach makes it an attractive target. Mobile marketing gives radio stations across the country the tools they need to engage listeners, create sticky programming, increase ratings and, most importantly, drive new revenues.

Mobile devices enable the opportunity to reach listeners wherever they are, and radio offers an established, cost-effective relationship with millions of listeners.

By initiating a mobile dialogue directly with listeners, radio stations of all sizes are able to grow listeners and Web traffic by creating contests and exclusive offerings via programs such as SMS text-to-win promotions and by providing fun, interactive mobile content on their Web sites.

When you combine the broad and demographically diverse reach of traditional broadcasting, with the interactive, engaging and measurable nature of mobile communication, you create a powerful basis for mass engagement.

Once engaged, users can subscribe to a myriad of free ad-sponsored mobile content, participate in contests or engage with their favorite programming. Advertisers in turn get access to millions of mobile users in a highly targeted and relevant way to deliver offers and promotional messages.

Mobile is awkward step-child of traditional channels, says analyst

By Giselle Abramovich

Neil Strother is analyst for JupiterResearch

Mobile advertising is still in its early stages but will flourish once advertisers become more educated, more capable mobile devices are introduced and wireless networks have the speed and performance to deliver rich media.

Analysts believe that because the mobile device is always with us, no matter where we are, mobile advertising will eventually become part of all ad budgets. After all, no other medium has the potential to target the consumer in real-time based on their exact geographic coordinates.

“Mobile advertising is still in its early stages in the United States,” said Neil Strother, analyst of mobile marketing and media for Jupiter Research, Kirkland, WA. “Most companies have not done a campaign on mobile and those that have are still experimenting with what works best for their brands.

“Early results, though, have been somewhat positive for brands that have committed to mobile,” he said. “But several key hurdles remain: lack of audience reach, a complex buying process and campaign metrics that show an ROI.”

Regardless of these challenges, Mr. Strother still believes that mobile advertising will grow into a significant part of the overall advertising industry.

Nic Covey is director of insights at Nielsen Mobile

But it will take time - several years.

Mobile schooling

He said there's still a big need to educate advertisers about how to approach mobile.

“Brands need to get to a place where mobile becomes a regular part of an advertising budget, not just an afterthought,” Mr. Strother said. “And, of course, it will take time to educate skeptical consumers about what they get from ad-supported mobile content and services."

The channel has its benefits.

The main benefits of mobile advertising include closer targeting of individuals – since a mobile phone is so personal – location and interaction. These are unique capabilities that have yet to be fully exploited.

Mobile is still lacking in uniquely mobile attributes, meaning that what we are still seeing are online or television-based advertising models shoehorned onto mobile.

Mobile not like PC

“What works on a laptop screen doesn’t necessarily transcribe to mobile,” said Nick Holland, principal analyst for mobile content at ABI Research, Oyster Bay, NY. “Furthermore, the companies that can invest in mobile advertising are not necessarily a good match for the demographic that will be viewing the ads.

“I am not sure how many 18-25 year olds will be motivated to buy a Toyota truck due to a banner ad on their RAZR,” he said.

Companies like Loopt and Whrrl are at the intersection of social networking, location based services and advertising that show the shape of things to come.

Mr. Holland believes mobile advertising will be strong in connecting word of mouth endorsements of products and places at not just the time when consumers are looking to purchase, but also at the exact location.

“Tie this in with real time couponing and the eventual ability to use your phone as a contactless credit card and you’ve got a very compelling proposition,” Mr. Holland said. “Okay, a little science fiction for now, but not far off.”

Rich media, rich marketers

The good news is we are rapidly moving toward a content rich multi-media mobile environment that will give consumers more choices that ever.

This will drive the industry forward, said Milton Ellis, vice president and senior consultant at Harris Interactive, Rochester, NY.

As more capable mobile devices are introduced and wireless networks have the speed and performance to deliver rich media, mobile advertising should take its place as part of an integrated advertising approach offered across multiple platforms.

“In other words, to really build a bond between a brand and consumer, the advertiser must integrate their communications message possibly across radio, TV, the Internet, and mobile devices taking advantage of the strengths and opportunities provided by each medium,” Mr. Ellis said.

Today just about everyone has a mobile phone so the reach is tremendous across all age groups and genders.

No other electronic device approaches the personal relationship consumers have with their mobile phone so that relationship must be leveraged.

To leverage this relationship, mobile advertising must:

· Be on the consumers’ terms

· Provide the right incentives

· Have to do with topics and subjects they care about

· Include the option for consumers to opt out if necessary

Gone swimmin'

The mobile advertising market is a cold swimming pool on a hot August day,” said Nic Covey, director of insights at Nielsen Mobile. “There are a few people in the water, loving it, swimming around with a lot of extra space, sipping on pina coladas while the rest of the crowd has come to the pool planning to swim, looked at the pool, dipped toes in, even, but generally exhibited an unnatural reluctance to fully dive in and take advantage of it.

“Get in the water, already,” he said.

Mobile media advertising just recently reached a point where the audience, inventory and planning tools are in place to enable a robust mobile advertising market.

Now more marketers need to accept mobile as an important media option, Mr. Covey said.

Consumers are increasingly open to mobile advertising and expect to see more of it, but are still in a sensitive development stage where one bad apple could spoil the whole bunch.

Consumers, wireless carriers and regulators are watching mobile marketing closely for a misstep, but the winning approach is simple: don’t make consumers hate or distrust you.

“It’s their phone, not yours and so if you’re a marketer and you’re advertising on this platform, you’re there as their guest,” Mr. Covey said.

It’s simple etiquette: don’t come uninvited, bring something nice, don’t overstay your welcome and try not to leave a mess.

If consumers ask you to leave, don’t be difficult about it.

Tread delicately in their hand and if you’re a good guest they’ll think about opening their doors more often – to you and others.

Today, shortcode marketing programs offer the greatest reach, but the contrast between great shortcode campaigns and weak ones is stark.

Mobile media with fixed-universe ancestry (mobile Web, mobile TV) offer consumers a familiar marketing value proposition and have the most growth potential in the coming year.

Mobile video and Internet users are the most receptive to mobile advertising because they expect that trade-off and are still getting their head around having to pay another $10-20 a month for video or Internet access.

Though mobile is a viable option for marketers today, it will be some months before it’s standard in major media buys.

Advertisers and their agencies are historically quick to move with their mouths and slow to move with their wallets.

In this regard mobile won’t be so different.

What is different is all the various avails for marketers on this platform: if they’re not ready to spend a little on a shortcode campaign, maybe they’ll try a few banner ads with click-to-call.

“Ironically, dollars will move into mobile advertising for the same reason many will stay with broadcast television,” Mr. Covey said. “For all the nuances of consumer behavior, for all the new marketing opportunities available, much of the advertising market still moves on the inclination of a chief marketing officer that he or she has an obligation to put their brands in certain places.”

Primetime broadcast television has benefited from this immensely and Mr. Covey thinks mobile might too.

Audiences can grow quickly. Content and ad inventory can explode.

But advertising dollars don’t switch overnight.

“We won’t wake up one day to a billion-dollar mobile ad market, but it will sneak up on us,”Mr. Covey said.

If media planning evolves effectively, marketers may have a difficult time calling out the success of mobile, independently.

Integrated media and marketing should continue to blur the lines of ad spending and an onus is on mobile ad sellers to creatively demonstrate ROI as a component of substantially larger cross-platform campaigns.

“Mobile is the awkward step-child of more traditional media channels, but that’s what makes it such an important opportunity,” Mr. Covey said. “It’s a close enough relative to video, Web and promotional engagements to be familiar to marketers. But it brings new life to these methods by incorporating new place and utility.

“Tapping into mobile as an advertising medium will improve the mobile consumer experience,” he said. “The greatest benefit should be to the consumer, who will see reduced costs and more options in content as advertisers offset the growth of the mobile media ecosystem.”

Bluetooth Uses

Bluetooth is a standard and communications protocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a short range (power-class-dependent: 1 meter, 10 meters, 100 meters) based on low-cost transceiver microchips in each device. Bluetooth enables these devices to communicate with each other when they are in range. The devices use a radio communications system, so they do not have to be in line of sight of each other, and can even be in other rooms, as long as the received transmission is powerful enough. Bluetooth device class indicates the type of device and the supported services of which the information is transmitted during the discovery process.

Class	Maximum Permitted Power mW(dBm)	Range (approximate)
Class 1	100 mW (20 dBm)	~100 meters
Class 2	2.5 mW (4 dBm)	~10 meters
Class 3	1 mW (0 dBm)	~1 meter

In most cases the effective range of class 2 devices is extended if they connect to a class 1 transceiver, compared to pure class 2 network. This is accomplished by the higher sensitivity and transmission power of Class 1 devices.

Version	Data Rate
Version 1.2	1 Mbit/s
Version 2.0 + EDR	3 Mbit/s
WiMedia Alliance (proposed)	53 - 480 Mbit/s

What is Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a wireless protocol utilizing short-range communications technology facilitating data transmission over short distances from fixed and/or mobile devices, creating wireless personal area networks (PANs). The intent behind the development of Bluetooth was the creation of a single digital wireless protocol, capable of connecting multiple devices and overcoming issues arising from synchronization of these devices. Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, telephones, laptops, personal computers, printers, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) 2.4 GHz short-range radio frequency bandwidth. The Bluetooth specifications are developed and licensed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The Bluetooth SIG consists of companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics.

Bluetooth Proximity Marketing

Bluetooth technology is now the latest medium for advertising and marketing. Bluetooth proximity marketing has become all the rage overseas as the newest way to connect with potential or existing customers.

The definition of proximity marketing via Wikepedia.com is “the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so.” In other words, if you have a cell phone in the proximity of a marketing broadcast, you would be able to receive the message or advertisement.

Here’s how it works. Imagine you’re walking through a mall, and you pass a proximity broadcast station. The key is to have your phone on and in “discoverable” mode. This will allow all possible ads in the area to “hit” your phone – asking if you want to receive free content from the provider. For example, say you’re shopping for gym equipment at a specialty shop and they have a proximity marketing station set up. If your phone is in discoverable mode, you’ll receive a message asking if you want to receive free content from “ABC Company”. Think of it as a virtual billboard or flyer advertisement.

This form of advertising has been in use for quite some time in Europe, as well as various other overseas locations. There are dozens of companies already in full swing of promoting Bluetooth proximity marketing, with many more in the start up phase here in the United States today.

Proximity marketing can also be received via laptop or PDA. The range and accessibility to most Bluetooth proximity marketing depends on your equipment, many which don’t require pairing for receipt of text or graphics. The average range of Bluetooth proximity marketing is 100 meters, although with advances in technology, this distance is increasing. Although some critics of the technology claim this as a potential problem, we can refer to the virtual billboard idea. The billboard doesn’t move with the driver as they pass it on the road, but looks for an instantaneous response to the ad in the general vicinity. The same is true of proximity marketing.

Going paperless has been a concept for so long that it can be taken for granted in most businesses. Bluetooth proximity marketing is simply the next technological step for businesses to take.

Bluetooth Marketing Systems

Bluetooth, a short-range wireless system supported by many mobile devices, is one transmission medium used for proximity marketing. The process of Bluetooth based proximity marketing involves setting up Bluetooth "broadcasting" equipment at a particular location and then sending information which can be text, images, audio or video to Bluetooth enabled devices within range of the broadcast server. Other standard data exchange formats such as Vcard can also be used.

It used to be the case that due to security fears, or a desire to save battery life, many users keep their Bluetooth devices in OFF mode, or ON but not set to be 'discoverable'. Because of this, often regions where Bluetooth proximity marketing is in operation it is accompanied by advising via traditional media - such as posters, television screens or field marketing teams - suggesting people make their Bluetooth handsets 'discoverable' in order to receive free content. A 'discoverable' Bluetooth device within range of the server is automatically sent a message asking if the user would like to receive the free content.

Current mobile phones usually have bluetooth switched ON by default, and a majority of users now leave bluetooth switched on for easy connection with car kits and headsets.

Some implementations of Bluetooth proximity marketing require users to run Java applications on their phones to enable them to receive content this has the advantage that only those who to choose to will receive content. Others require no handset-side software.

The diversity of mobile phones is huge. Screen sizes and supported file formats varies greatly. To obtain the optimal user experience with Bluetooth Marketing, the Bluetooth system must be able to automatically recognize phone models and deliver the proper content automatically.

Proximity Marketing

Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so.

Distribution may be via a traditional localized broadcast, or more commonly is specifically targeted to devices known to be in a particular area.

The location of a device may be determined by:

• A cellular phone being in a particular cell
• A Bluetooth or WiFi device being within range of a transmitter.
• An Internet enabled device with GPS enabling it to request localized content from Internet servers.

Communications may be further targeted to specific groups within a given location, for example content in tourist hot spots may only be distributed to devices registered outside the local area.

Communications may be both time and place specific, e.g. content at a conference venue may depend on the event in progress.

Uses of proximity marketing include distribution of media at concerts, information (weblinks on local facilities), gaming and social applications, and advertising.

Google launches mobile community

Google Inc. is targeting mobile enthusiasts to join the newly launched Google Mobile Community.

The new service is a social network where people who are passionate about mobile can connect with other mobile initiatives and discuss cool new applications. The Google crew is also asking users to give feedback on Google mobile products and services.

“If you've been following this blog at all, it's probably pretty clear that we're passionate about mobile technology,” said Bret Luboyeski, mobile product specialist at Mountain View, CA-based Google, in the Google Mobile Blog.

“And if you have really been following this blog, it probably means that you are passionate about mobile technology too,” he said. “Well, we've created a place for you to connect with other mobile enthusiasts.”

Google envisions the community as a place where people can discuss the world of mobile in general, including what one wishes his or her phone could do or users who are looking to buy a new phone and are not sure which one to pick.

Well, now they can ask the group.

Of course, it makes eminent sense for Google to use this community to get feedback on its own products and services. Expect the search engine giant to throw out questions about its products - a sort of test lab, if you will.

Google expects that it will get unsolicited feedback such as what people like the most about its products, what don’t they like and what features they hope to see in the future.

For example there is a review of Google maps and Tele Atlas. Also, there is a posting about Sidekick applications.

One post helps readers get started with Google's open-source Android mobile operating system and another talks about how Google Maps can save the day.

The community has already attracted a few participants since its quiet debut.

The community comes just days after Google - again quietly - launched new mobile services.

The company introduced a new mobile phone tricks channel on YouTube, installed a mobile notebook and created Gmail for mobile.

Additionally, the launch of Google Sync enables BlackBerry and smartphone users to synchronize their calendars and documents on handsets.

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video.

Nike runs mobile 3D campaign for soccer shoe

Nike is running a mobile campaign using 3D technology to target teens in Hong Kong to promote the launch of the sportswear giant’s T90 soccer shoe.

The campaign, which The Hyperfactory created with ad agency McCann Erickson, starts with a series of hidden codes all throughout Hong Kong in Nike flagship stores and at MTR subway stations. Consumers must find the markers and point their camera phone at them, which will summon an image of a Nike soccer shoe and ball on their screen and reveal a special code unique to that location.

“The aim for Nike was launching the new boot and letting people see its features from every angle,” said Geoffrey Handley, cofounder and head of business development for Asia-Pacific at The Hyperfactory, Hong Kong. “Hong Kong is footwear-crazy and the fact that this is happening around the time of the Olympics and Euro 2008 Tournament means everyone is in sports mode.

“It’s important to note that Hong Kong is like a digital paradise and so to really get through to the target audience, Nike needed to do something very different,” he said. “The 3D augmented reality is really taking mobile a step further.”

Once consumers get the next location, they then can text in these special codes to find out the next secret destination. Texts will also count as a sweepstakes entry to win Nike merchandise.

Hide-and-click

The codes invite users to download a mobile application that allows them to view the T90 shoe from every angle in 3D on their mobile screens.

The more codes that consumers collect, the more chances they have to win Nike gear.

Augmented reality technology enables the product to be displayed in a dynamic way in which consumers can interact 360 degrees with the product. For an example, please visit the site at http://210.48.79.8/awards/nike/.

“The shoe is pixilated onto a consumer’s phone” Mr. Handley said. “It’s almost jumping out at you.”

The campaign’s message is two-fold.

First, Nike is announcing this new soccer shoe and its features. The message is that the shoe molds to the consumer and improves performance.

The second part of the message is that Nike is an innovative company.

Hong Kong has long been a fashion-conscious and digital-savvy market. Nike wants consumers in that market to think that the campaign is innovative and new and that it is representative of its brand.

As the word has spread about this campaign, it's created quite a buzz with the Hong Kong media. But the workers in Nike stores have been the biggest advocates of the mobile effort, Mr. Handley said. They actually use it as a tool to work with when consumers come into the store.

The campaign has been going on for about two weeks. Nike plans to extend the campaign.

“Mobile is not a channel in itself,” Mr. Handley said. “It's integrated with other mediums and we basically bombarded Hong Kong consumers with billboards, stickers - I mean it was a guerrilla effort.

“With all this digital and 3D stuff, you get this little sticker that unlocks a journey into this augmented world,” he said. “It wasn’t all about selling a shoe. It's making Nike an innovative brand, unusual and different.”

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video.

IKEA launches mobile loyalty program

July 16, 2008

IKEA gets idea

IKEA has launched a mobile loyalty program to build a database of consumers interested in receiving discounts from the home furnishings retailer.

The text-to-enter loyalty program is a means for IKEA to start a dialogue with interested consumers. BCode is powering the texted discounts.

“We got bCode on board so we can drive more store traffic in-store,” said Casey Crook, marketing specialist at IKEA, Seattle. “Everything we send out is redeemable in-store.”

IKEA is one of the largest home furnishings retailers worldwide, with more than 275 stores in 36 countries, including 35 in the United States.

The calls to action for the mobile loyalty program are posted online and promoted via email campaigns.
In-store signage asks consumers to text IKEA1 to a short code.

Texters get a message back letting them know that they will be receiving at least one IKEA message per week with deals, games and alerts.

Users can opt out by texting the word STOP to the short code.

A few seconds after opting-in, consumers receive their first coupon and are instructed to bring it into the store to scan it at an IKEA mobile kiosk. The kiosks print a physical coupon.

“The reasons that IKEA chose us our service is because we are 100 percent ubiquitous,” said Art Wagner, vice president of marketing at bCode, Seattle. “The service works on all phones.”

IKEA traditionally sent out catalogs with special promotions and discounts.

The Swedish-owned company first began using mobile eight months ago, asking consumers to text-to-play on IKEA trivia. All the answers could be found in the catalog.

Valassis aided in the development of the text-to-play. This was a push for the IKEA catalog, with players having to look though, interact with and involve themselves with the catalog.

“Your mobile phone is such a personal device – you carry it everywhere with you,” Ms. Crook said.

“Our IKEA Mobile program has allowed us to communicate one-to-one with our customers about store sales, events and activities, but it’s the bCODE solution which has allowed us to drive customer traffic into the store," she said.

Sending potential customers coupons via their mobile phone as opposed to printed coupons is eco-friendly because the consumer only prints the coupon if he or she is interested in the offer.

“We can send offers right to their mobile device, and by scanning their bCODEs at the store,
customers can receive exclusive, valuable savings offers on our products,” Ms. Crook said.

IKEA claims it has had very positive results in its use of the scanners.

“IKEA wants to develop a direct relationship with its customers,” Mr. Wagner said. “Paper is underperforming for them and so mobile was a good option.

“The great thing about our service is that it’s instant metrics,” he said.

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video.

Reebok scores with mobile

July 16, 2008

Mobile Rondovous

Sportswear maker Reebok used mobile as part of an integrated campaign creating awareness around its sponsorship of the Boston Celtics player Rajon Rondo before, during and after the NBA Finals.

Reebok’s goal was to establish authenticity and credibility in the basketball category through one of its hottest star athletes. Rondo and Celtic fans were encouraged to download and engage with the tagline “You got Rondo’d” through the WAP site at http://m.reebok.com/rondo where they could download a promotional ringtone, wallpapers and video content.

“The central hook for the campaign was to create a theme that would catch with Rondo fans and also a wider basketball fan group,” said Marcus Spurrell, head of digital marketing at Reebok, Canton, MA. “To do this Reebok turned the name Rondo into a verb that exemplified Rajon's style of play on the court.

“Three core definitions for the new term were created and these formed the basis of supporting video creatives,” he said.

To "Rondo" means to smoothly move between larger objects with dexterity and purpose, extract or remove an object quickly and efficiently without being detected and create an optical illusion or distraction followed by a swift change of direction.

The campaign ran June 2-18.

The Reebok WAP site featured information about Rondo, the history between the Lakers and the Celtics, links to Reebok's basketball gear and free Rondo wallpapers and ringtones.

Reebok’s aim for this campaign was to activate the Reebok brand during a highly competitive basketball season. The campaign was also meant to create brand awareness between Reebok and Rajon Rondo.

Fans attending the NBA Final between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers could opt-in to receive a call every time Rondo made a spectacular move.

Upon answering the phone they’d hear a message from various ex-Celtics players saying “See that? Somebody just got Rondo’d.”

Broadcasters during the NBA Final picked-up on the “You just got Rondo’d” catch-phrase which was used in their commentary during crucial moments in the game. The commentators also directed fans in the stadium to the Rondo ringtone download on the Reebok WAP site.

The WAP site saw more than 72,000 visitors with 168,000 page views.

Additionally there were 24,000 downloads and over 2,600 respondents opted-in to receive the Rondo call back.

But mobile was only one aspect of this integrated campaign.

Video content, five clips in total, was shot by Reebok in-house and placed YouTube.

A four-minute package on the campaign featuring interviews and sound bites from Reebok and Rajon Rondo were placed on Comcast. This package included the three Rondo’d definition videos.

The videos shot by Reebok were picked up by media outlets such as Comcast Sports Net (CSN), NBC 7, ABC 5, New England Sports Network (NESN). Local media pick-up throughout the Boston area experienced good outcomes, with the story reaching titles such as Boston Herald, Boston Globe and USA Today.

Blog relations activity reached an estimated number of 30 million sports and basketball fans.

“Mobile is a key strategy for Reebok's overall brand engagement and marketing strategy,” Mr. Spurrell said. “An intelligent mobile platform was integrated into the new Reebok.com Web site, which lets users browse a dedicated mobile version of the Reebok.com Web site.

“Additionally, when they are browsing the main site and they see a product that interests them, they are able to send this to their mobile phone so they can take it with them to show friends and family,” he said.

Associate Editor Giselle Abramovich covers ad networks, advertising, content, email, media, messaging, legal/privacy, search, social networks, television and video.

MMA updates Consumer Best Practices

Industry trade group the Mobile Marketing Association released the latest update of its Consumer Best Practices Guidelines for Cross-Carrier Mobile Content Services, which establishes acceptable and unacceptable practices for cross-carrier messaging, interactive voice response and mobile web services in the U.S. market. The December 2007 CBP Guidelines includes recommendations for free-to-end-user guidelines for messaging services, sweepstakes and contests, mobile web and IVR opt-in and billing modifications, affiliate marketing, participation TV and word-of-mouth verification. The guidelines include contributions from a series of new CBP sub-committees, among them IVR, Marketing to Children, Participation TV and Mobile Web

MMA releases Mobile Advertising Guidelines

Non-profit trade group the Mobile Marketing Association announced the release of its Mobile Advertising Guidelines, a global framework designed to accelerate mobile advertising uptake and enhance the consumer experience. According to the MMA, the guidelines provide improved formats around the mobile web and add new rules and restrictions for messaging (including SMS and MMS) and downloads, including recommended aspect ratios and banner dimensions, maximum file sizes, file formats and other technical specifications. A related publication titled Mobile Advertising Overview promises assistance and education to firms new to the space. The MMA Mobile Advertising Guidelines can be downloaded here; the Mobile Advertising Overview white paper can be downloaded here.

The MMA added the guidelines have received endorsements from industry associations including the IAB UK and Mexico, dotMobi Advisory Group, ADMA and others. "The creation of ad guidelines by the MMA ensures that the industry is taking a proactive approach to keep subscriber experience, content integrity and simplified execution as the driving forces behind all mobile advertising programs," said MMA president Laura Marriott in a prepared statement.

MMA issues Global Code of Conduct

A week after updating its Consumer Best Practices for the U.S., non-profit trade group the Mobile Marketing Association released its Global Code of Conduct, which promises guidelines to more effectively and responsibly leverage the mobile channel for marketing efforts while also protecting the consumer experience. Constructed by the MMA's North American Privacy Committee, with input from international boards of directors and various member organizations, the Global Code of Conduct includes five categories:

• Notice: Informing users of the marketers' identity or products and services and the key terms and conditions that govern interactions between the marketer and the user.
• Choice and Consent: The user's right to control which mobile messages they receive by obtaining consent (opt-in) and installing a simple termination (opt-out) process.
• Customization and Constraint: Tailoring collected user information to the interests of the recipient and guaranteeing compliance with applicable law. Messages should be limited to those requested by the user and provide value (e.g., product and service enhancements, contests, requested information, entertainment or discounts).
• Security: Implementing reasonable technical, administrative and physical procedures to protect user information from unauthorized use.
• Enforcement and Accountability: Compliance with the MMA Privacy Code of Conduct. In the absence of third-party enforcement, MMA members are expected to evaluate their own practices to certify compliance with the code.