(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: Social Gaming Popularity

There is definitely no denying that social gaming has swept the mobile and social scenes with unprecedented speed. Today's infographic takes a look at what makes social games so popular, both for the players and for their brands.

How have you seen brands use social gaming in their marketing strategy?

Mobile Marketing is a Must

by Mike Reiber

The mobile and social media marketing juggernaut continues. PQ Media reports that the market grew at a compounded rate of 28.7% per year from 2006-2011. The revenues charted include consumer and business access, content, advertising and marketing. No surprise, right? What's more interesting is some of the information at the end of the report. Consider these facts:

1.) The average American over the age of 12 years spent more than 100 hours in 2011 accessing content on wireless devices.
2.) There are more than 285 million mobile phones in operation in the U.S.  Of these, 60% are in the business sector; however, consumers are expected to make up the majority of smart phone use by 2016.
3.) There are more than 36 million tablets and e-readers in operation in the U.S.  Of these, 60% are for consumer use. 

Upshot?  Mobile marketing needs to be in your marketing communications mix.  Ask your customers how they are using smart phones and tablets. Ask them how they would like to interact with your company.  Challenge your vendors and internal staff to develop strategies and content that will help your company harness the growing smart phone and tablet market.  Revisit the strategies and content with your customers.  Ask for their feedback. 

Off the RIM

Every analyst and blogger on the planet knows that Research in Motion, and its Blackberry brand, is in trouble.

The degree of those troubles run the gamut from RIM simply being in need of a marketing change to the company circling the drain. Hiring a new CEO didn't help matters, after his claim that RIM "doesn't need drastic change."

And while I don't believe RIM is on the verge of extinction, given their immense popularity overseas and in the corporate sector, I do agree that they need to reevaluate the direction they're headed. But change for the sake of change isn't the answer either.

Case in point: RIM's recent "Be Bold" campaign.

Just minutes after RIM posted an infographic featuring these superheroes on its blog, the insults and criticism began to rain down on Blackberry's ill-fated cartoon design.

Before you begin questioning why a company whose strength lies in the business sector is going with a campaign aimed at a demographic that is most likely too young to even own a smartphone, I'll point out that RIM announced the following day that this cartoon superhero design isn't part of the official campaign.

That being said, a few days before this animated disaster, RIM launched a Twitter-based campaign under a #BeBold hashtag. Unfortunately for them, that hashtag was quickly hijacked and turned into a stream of anti-Blackberry jabs.

The lesson here is clear. If you don't want an unofficial design associated with an official campaign, then don't use the same verbage for both. Naturally, consumers (and critics) will make that mental link. 

Furthermore, if your company is under a lot of scrutiny and in flux with its marketing, you can't have these half-hearted efforts to reach consumers.

Despite these blunders, I still think there is hope for RIM, but they need to take their own advice and be bold in 2012.