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.

The Superbowl Gets Social

It comes but once a year, bringing chest-bumping, boastful crowds and fried, cheesy, bacon-wrapped atrocities. Yes, the Superbowl is this weekend and fans, players and advertisers are gearing up.

Game strategy has changed this year. Not only have many ads already been pre-released to generate buzz, but advertisers have more outlets than ever to generate conversation. But which brands are going above and beyond simply posting and playing to really make their ads work for them?

Stats show that a huge percentage of Americans will be interacting with another device while watching the game. Most of those watchers will share ads via social media during and afterwards. Brands need to make a multi-platform campaign in order to keep up. If they're shelling out nearly 3.5 million for a 30 second slot, they better make it count.

Here are a couple companies who are looking at the big picture of game-day advertising:

Chevy

Chevy has created a "Chevy Game Time" app which quizzes users with game-related trivia for a chance to win prizes via Facebook and Twitter. Their successful strategy relies on connecting the people who aren't necessarily interested in the game, but are there for the party or ads. They are also catering to the huge percent of viewers who will be watching with tablet or phone in hand.

Coke

Coke's iconic polar bears will be watching the Superbowl. Fans can interact with the polar bears on Facebook and follow their thoughts on Twitter (#GameDayPolarBears). Coke's stroke of genius is the emphasis the polar bears play into live conversation. The bears react to game plays and fan interaction. There is nothing quite like real-time brand response.

One key takeaway is that you can't have a "one size fits all" approach to brand presence in social media. The most successful brands have developed media that works uniquely for each medium, whether it be Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Not only does this ensure better interaction, but also campaign longevity.

I'll be tuning in this weekend, but mostly to see what other brands are able to dream up. Let the games begin!

Video Post: New tablet a recipe for success?

At CES in Las Vegas, a lot of tablets were unveiled. Steve takes a closer look at a particular tablet called the Qooq. The Qooq was designed specific for use in the kitchen. Tablet trends are showing a growth in niche markets like this, but time will tell if they can last:

There is Something More Than Youtube: The New Vimeo

When we think of video-sharing on the internet, the default website is Youtube. In all honesty, it is the second largest search engine, second to only Google. Where else can you find a whole series of videos about bacon? With all the hype of Youtube, other sites are often ignored.


The video-sharing website Vimeo just went through a complete re-design. This is the first time since 2007 they changed anything about their interface. Because of this, I have decided to take another look at the often overlooked Vimeo.

The first thing to notice is the crisp, clean design of Vimeo. Through the new design, the videos on the page are larger, a new content browser is provided, and convenient keyboard shortcuts have been added. When logging in, the user is brought to the inbox. When I first heard the term “inbox” I was thinking “mailbox,” but this is anything but that. What the inbox provides is a real time news ticker. The user is able to add contacts, subscribe to videos, and follow specific keywords and phrases. The latter is my favorite of these new features.

Once I started watching the uploaded content of Vimeo, one thing struck me. Vimeo chose not to litter their uploads with advertising! As I’m sure everyone has noticed, Youtube has stepped up their profitability by adding commercials to the start of all their “partner participator” uploads, not to mention the pop ups that are added a quarter of the way through their videos (Hey Ron Paul, I’m talking to you! I don’t really care to watch your ads bashing Newt Gingridge when I’m trying to watch videos about bacon). 


Vimeo has made it a goal to put a greater focus on your videos. With all the distractions Youtube provides, users can lose their audience quick. Vimeo, on the other hand, gives you a greater chance to keep YOUR audience engaged to YOUR content. It is this reason I believe really sets Vimeo apart from Youtube.

The one thing that is missing from Vimeo is an internal video editor. While I edit my videos through Final Cut Pro, not everyone has access to editing equipment. That being said, I do use Youtube editor to add annotations to my videos to make them more interactive. It is my biggest disappointment that Vimeo didn’t step up this technology. I want the option to annotate my videos to external websites!

Is Vimeo ever going to be able to take the market share that Youtube has acquired? Most likely not. And in all reality, I don’t think it needs to. Vimeo, in the high school of video uploading, is the cool artistic kid and not the bullying jock.