Posts tagged mobile marketing
Why ask the Doctor, when you can just ask your phone?
Aug 18th
Got the sniffles? Feeling under the weather? Never fear, there’s a new Doctor in the house.
With more smartphones in use, it’s hardly surprising that people are turning to mobile applications for actionable health-related information.
Seventy eight per cent of Stateside consumers have expressed an interest in using their their phones to diagnose and find cures for their ailments.
The new age of comms us seeing smartphone owners interacting with physicians via mobile and wireless monitoring for a variety of medical conditions.
Want even more proof? The mobile app for the iPhone from leading healthcare site WebMD had 1.6 million downloads in its first three months.
All in all it signals a new era, opening the door for health IT companies and healthcare providers.
But how should marketers in the health sector best approach mobile?
A new report, Mobile Health 2010 aims to provide some answers and advice on the topic. It’s been developed by Dr. Mary Cronin and provided as a resource by Renu Mobile. Best of all it’s free to download.
Highlights of best practice include:
Best Practice: Smartphone Health Apps
• Clarify the intended use and target user of the application to provide integration with relevant mobile heath resources and options to extend the value of the app.
• Design apps with a keen eye toward user safety and health care data security.
• Example: Healthagen’s iTriage App allows access to prescription information and a history of previous care for keeping track of multiple prescriptions and care providers for their family members.
Best Practice: Mobile Web Design
• Make it easy for mobile web users with smaller screens to navigate for site information and services by limiting large graphics and animations.
• Provide a prominent search box and provide search results in a quick review with clear descriptions of each link.
• Example: The Mayo Clinic is targeting all mobile consumers by developing mobile browser compatible web sites that highlight most-used resources.
So maybe the next time you reach for the Kleenex, maybe it should be for the phone instead…
The holy trinity of mobile marketing: context, usability and location
Jun 17th
Mat Diss, co-founder and director of mobile web company bemoko, explains what makes mobile such a compelling marketing medium and the importance of usability.
So what’s the big deal about mobile marketing? It has been talked about for ages as a new dawn for the marketing industry: the holy grail of delivering content to people wherever they are. Yet the reality seems to have so far not lived up to the hype. Why?
John Lennon is credited with the quote “there are no problems only solutions”. Unfortunately for marketers seeking mobile solutions it often seems there are only problems. Like how do I ensure that my brand identity is properly represented across thousands of different models of mobile phone with different screen sizes and operating systems? How do I deliver relevant content to the right people at the right time? Most importantly, how do I ensure that my communications through mobile are adding value, not spam?
The very thing that makes mobile so compelling as a marketing medium – its proximity to the user at all times – can also act as an inhibitor. Years ago we might have turfed a travelling salesperson off our front door because they were intruding on our personal space. The virtual version of this is not much more compelling for brands using mobile.
To avoid problems and deliver solutions, marketers need to consider context, usability and location.
Context is important because we do not do the same things on a mobile that we do on a PC, TV or games console. We rely on mobile to give us relevant information and entertainment quickly and effectively. Building contextual campaigns means recognising this and tailoring mobile marketing to reflect this.
Usability is important because the mobile industry is littered with technologies that have been marketed to the public but have failed to take off. People like stuff that works easily and intuitively, not things that require a degree in electronic engineering. In the UK, the 3G licence auctions took place in 2000, yet it was only really in 2008, with touch screens phones and data dongles that the benefits of fast mobile data came to the public’s attention: all of a sudden there was something useful to do with a 3G data connection.
A constantly updated location is what makes mobile unique. Location provides users with relevant and contextual information. It gives marketers an opportunity to engage with users through meaningful and relevant content.
Mobile marketing that can deliver a combination of context, usability and location can delight consumers and build brands. The opportunity is still there but like all marketing, it simply needs to be executed really well.
Protect and survive? Now it’s text and survive.
Apr 21st
The phrase ‘Protect and Survive’ that fronted the public information series on civil defence produced by the British government during the late 1970s and early 1980s is being given a new spin.
Mobile developments now mean the rallying call is ‘Text and Survive’ on the back of a new MobileAlert system being introduced in Israel.
It will be used to back up 20th Century air-raid sirens and loud speaker announcements.
Developed by eVigilo the service is set to go live in early 2100 and is being managed by the Defence Ministry with the assistance of the National Emergency Authority.
It’s not a development that is being taken half-heartedly with nearly £35 million being assigned to the project.
MobileAlert will be plugged into the existing network of warning radars that monitor Israel’s borders for rocket attacks, ttrack the flightpaths of incoming rockets, and - estimating the point of impact - trigger alarm sirens in the area.
The hope is that MobileAlert will be more accurate, using GPS to send messages to all phones in the area predicted to be hit.
Of course, the warning window depends on where the missiles are fired from – mere seconds if from the Gaza Strip, but minutes if from, say, Iran.
But it could make all the difference between making to it to a shelter – or not.
“The siren sound component is the primary life saving tool within the alert array. The cellular alert system is being currently evaluated to become the central element in this array.” said Israel’s Deputy Defence Minister, Matan Vilnai.
Apps industry has Apple to thank
Apr 13th
For an industry that didn’t even exist just three years ago, the mobile apps market is experiencing phenomenal growth and success – and it’s all thanks to Apple.
After the hype around last week’s launch of the iPad, figures this week reveal that roughly 3 billion apps have been downloaded for Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
The app economy is growing rapidly and could top $20 billion (£13bn) in just a couple of years.
Roughly 80 percent of all apps are free, those that aren’t are usually under £1.
So how did a market, which focuses on free and almost-free apps, grow into an industry with annual revenues of $6 billion (£3.9bn)?
Apple has really changed the game in many ways – it has made every day people apart of the development process by making it simple to get apps to the App Store.
And once it was easier, faster and more lucrative to develop apps and sell them, more developers began to create them.
But making money from apps is another story. Read the rest of this entry »
Goodbye to the Facebook “fan.” Hello to the “like.”
Apr 1st
Facebook is replacing its “fan” buttons with “like” buttons on ads that direct users to big brands’ “fan pages” in a bid to further monetise the social networking site.
That’s according to new internal information acquired by All Things Digital.
Brand ‘fan pages’ are nothing new, of course but the problem for Facebook is they can be set up and operated for free.
All that free exposure to 400 million users via what is in effect a microsite for nada? Naturally Facebook is not happy so is now encouraging brands to buy ads on the site promoting the pages.
The move from ‘Fan’ to ‘Like’ has been prompted by a couple of developments.
First up is the fact that users have demonstrated the success of the ‘like’ button in other contexts – such as status up dates and photos. Facebook claims this is used twice as frequently as the ‘become a fan of’ button.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, is the bigger picture. Facebook, according to All Things Digital, will be driving to add the ‘like’ button throughout the Web as a way of funneling more and more interaction onto its platform.
“‘Like’ offers a simple, consistent way for people to connect with the things they are interested in. These lighter-weight actions mean people will make more connections across the site, including with your branded Facebook Pages,” Facebook said a FAQ Sheet, All Things Digital claims to have get its hands on.
“I believe this will result in gaining more connections to pages since our research has shown that some users would be more comfortable with the term “Like”. The goal is to get the most user connections so that you can have ongoing conversations in the news feeds of as many users as possible.”
It adds, “The core functionality of Pages will not change. For instance, your Pages will still have distribution into your fans’ News Feed and you can still call the people who “Like” your Page, “Fans”-your Fans are still your Fans.”
Will users notice the difference in the change of buttons? Possibly. Will they care about the name change? Probably not.
Will the name change increase user engagement with brands? Facebook seems to think so. I’m not so sure.
After all, at the end of the day, it’s about whether you like a brand or not; not really about the difference between ‘like’ or being a ‘fan’.
Race is on for publishers large and small to get mobile
Mar 23rd
Think publishing. Think revenue generation. Think multi-platform. Or your future might look pretty bleak.
Going mobile is nothing new to publishers. After all, how many years has WAP been around, never mind the smart phone.
But the planned launch of the iPad and it’s potential to revolutionise media and publishing is encouraging on those publishers to take action.
The reasons are simple. Going digital – and mobile - opens up the door on alternative revenue steams.
It’s something we’ve touched on a few times, most recently with the launch of Skimkits, but as tech advances, so do the opportunties.
However while major publishers may have had the budget and resources to make the digital leap, it’s not been so easy for smaller players such as bloggers.
A new development may be set to change all that. A new tool has been released that allows publishers to create and monetise a mobile version of their website, turning RSS feeds and web pages into mobile pages.
The best news is that Mobilizer, as developed by BuzzCity, is a free service, with no hosting fees, and free publisher support.
It allows publishers to start earning mobile display advertising revenue with a payout of up to 65 per cent of total ad revenues. Publishers are able to choose the type of adverts that will appear on their mobile website as well as the number of ads and their position.
“It is common knowledge that consumer behaviour is shifting. Reading habits evolved from print-based media to web-based media and now mobile media is really coming in to play,” explains KF Lai, CEO of BuzzCity.
“It is vital that publishers are making their content readily available on the mobile. Many have invested in apps for the iPhone but this will only serve a small section of the market.”
In addition, publishers receive a unique QR code to display on their website, newspaper or magazine.
Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone’s browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL.
The simple act of reading may never be the same again…
Location-based mobile advertising enters a new era
Feb 25th
Location-based mobile advertising. There’s been a lot of talk, but not a lot of action with only a few brands taking advantage of the tool to drive footfall into their stores.
But if a new experiment from North Face takes off we could see a significant uplift in the practice.
The outdoor apparel retailer is to send mobile users text messages whenever users are near a store – the first time the brand has targeted customers depending on their physical location.
The tech involves ‘geo-fencing’, which draws a virtual perimeter around a particular location, and is being managed by Placecast, a location-based mobile ad company in San Francisco.
In urban areas, the fences are up to half a mile around stores, and in suburban areas they are up to a mile around stores. When a mobile user enters the geo-fenced area they receive a text message is sent - but only if they have opted in to receive messages.
Placecast uses the phone’s GPS signal and location data provided by carriers to companies to determine the location of users.
For now, according to the New York Times, the North Face will send texts about promotions, like a free water bottle with a purchase, and new arrivals, because the company’s gear is heavily seasonal.
A text message might say, for example, “TNF: The new spring running apparel has hit the stores! Check it out @ TNF Downtown Seattle.”
But as things develop, the retailer plans to eventually send branded texts when people arrive at a hiking trail or mountain to alert them about weather conditions or logistics for a ski competition.
According to Forrester Research advertisers are projected to spend $561 million on mobile this year and $1.3 billion by 2014. And location-based marketing will play a major role.
North Face’s experiment has set a new benchmark for mobile advertisers and others brands are jumping on board with five more companies working with Placecast on similar campaigns.
Our lives may never be the same again. So next time you leave a gig and receive a message from a local restaurant, you’ll know why.
iPhone apps boost mCommerce shopping experience
Dec 4th
Big things are predicted for mCommerce. eBay’s recent ‘Deals’ app was launched on the back of predictions that by the end of this year it expects more than $500 million in merchandise to be purchased via eBay mobile.
Launched just a year ago, the eBay iPhone app has been downloaded more than five million times – making it one of the most popular iPhone apps.
The company also claims a purchase is made every two seconds via eBay mobile and that users from over 165 countries visit the eBay mobile website and use the iPhone application.
For mCommerce to be a success it’s all down to apps being easy for consumers to use and them then working cleverly to make lives easier.
Which is why a new one has caught our eye that uses high tech to make the most of an old tech device – the barcode.
‘StripeyLines’ allows shoppers to swipe the barcode on goods they are considering for a price comparison and then saves these goods and profiles as a wish list on the StripeyLines website for later research and evaluation.
It’s already got the backing of Iceland and Tesco through its TJAM initiative., with more retailers set to jump on board.
So in the run-up to Christmas or during sale events it could be used to allow visitors to affiliated retail stores to touch and feel products while on the shop floor then use their iPhone to scan the barcode of their desired products and collect them later at a “customer collection point”, or scan them and add them to online wish lists.
Alternatively, in-store, or later over a coffee, shoppers can review what they’ve scanned to make an informed decision and perform further research before purchasing the items from their iPhone or desktop PC.
Scanned barcodes can be used to gain access to generic images and details via either the retailer’s adapted version of their catalogue or through look-up search engines such as Amazon, eBay, iTunes and Google.
Shoppers can choose to carry out a number of different actions on a scanned item including the ability to search for the item on Tesco.com and then add it to their online Tesco’s Grocery account shopping basket.
It opens up a world of additional possibilities. What if having scanned a product the user plans to eat or drink, the application could update how much the nutritional value of that product contributes to their daily allowance and calculates the number of calories they have remaining? Such a development is already in planning.
Retailer specific barcodes (the shorter 8 digit barcodes found on own brands) are being added to the StripeyLines search as retailers make them available. The first retailer to provide this data is Iceland Foods with data also being made available from Tesco.
The flip side are the advantages for retailers who don’t want to developing their own iPhone application.
The StripeyLines app enables them to develop simple plug-ins that are beamed to shoppers’ iPhones and highlight certain lines and promotions when related items are scanned.
It allows them to integrate their stores with a product show room on an iPhone where shoppers can ‘touch and feel’ items and use capture/scan technology to deliver enhanced product data, access the website, create wish lists, receive recommendations, and cross sell suggestions - limited only by the retailer’s vision.
Following the launch in July 2007, sales of the iPhone and iPod Touch had reached 43 million units globally in 81 countries by April 2009, with over 35,000 applications hosted in the Apple store. Recently 30,000 iPhones were sold in the UK on the Orange network on the first day of sale, according to the operator.
“iPhone users are early adopters, technology savvy and are eager to embrace new lifestyle options and services,” explained Paul Tough, CTO of Portaltech, the company which has developed StripeyLines.
If it takes off, the StripeyLines iPhone app has the potential to change the face of shopping for consumers, making it possible for retailers to deliver enhanced mobile shopping services in store to implement a true multichannel strategy with minimal development and investment.
“As it’s a plug-in extension to their existing web technology, retailers don’t have to learn about a new technology and they can update and disseminate information in a true multi-channel environment, enabling them to merge the online and in-store experience so it is seamless and convenient, added Tough.
Why do marketers get branded iPhone apps so wrong?
Dec 1st
With over with over 100,000 applications on the iTunes App Store, brands are left with the dilemma of how to get their offerings noticed.
So what’s the secret of becoming a hit? What’s the magic formula that will get you on someone’s phone and close to them 24/7?
According to a new report from Adweek.com, two factors come into play.
Firstly, it argues that brands operating in the digital space have the advantage over non-digital brands.
No great surprise there. Unsurprisingly they get the space, how it operates and the needs and wants of online users. Oh, and they already have a profile in the online sector.
The second is ‘Utility’ – offering something of value to customer.
Any marketer is faced with the challenge of persuading consumers that their product/service is something they can’t live without.
It’s no different in marketing apps. Bottom line is do some research and do it early. If the feed back is that what the app is offering is rubbish, it’s most likely rubbish.
But don’t simply our word for it.
According to VP of Business Development at Symsource, Tim Ocock, in a recent article on UTalkMarketing.com the three guiding priciples for any brand developing an app should be.
1. Make sure you understand the capabilities and limitations of the technology.
2. Do something that can only be done on mobile.
3. Build something useful, not a gimmick
Ahhh, ‘something useful’ as in a Utility then! Have we made our point?
Banks lagging in the innovative tech race risk losing custom
Nov 30th
How can banks win back custom after users turned tail and fled in the face of the recession?
The answer, according to self-service provider NCR Corporation is to be more flexible in their services by embracing technological developments.
A bank provider that enables customers to manage their finances easily via online, mobile and kiosk self-services was favoured by 80 per cent of 8,400 adults polled around the world.
Speed and ease of access to financial services such as payment deposits are key priorities for consumers, according to NCR’s research with 31 per cent of respondents surveyed demanding online, ATM or mobile bill payment services.
Services that banks are introducing include text alerts to notify customers when they are nearing their overdraft limit and the ability to pay bills at ATMs.
Obviously new smart phones are making it easier to introduce downloadable applications that enable customers to switch funds between higher interest and current accounts, and pay bills.
Mobile money transfers are to help generate transactions worth over (£300bn) $600bn globally by 2013, according to Juniper Research’s Mobile Payments Study.
Banks are facing increasing pressures, not just as a result of lost consumer confidence, but also from potential new entrants to the market.
According to NCR’s Managing Director for the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Elton Birden, consumers are comfortable using a range of digital technologies to manage their lives and expect to be able to manage their finances in a similar way.
“Banks must respond to these demands or risk losing business. The banks that are succeeding are those that are now investing in technologies that offer customers instant access to an increased number of services and facilities, and greater autonomy over their finances,” he added.
In a bid to reduce operational costs, many retailers, leisure groups and international providers are using self-service to expand their offerings and move into the banking arena.
Self-Scheduler solutions now enable customers to schedule appointments with bank staff at a convenient time and location, via the Internet or touch screens in the branch.
The appointment is confirmed immediately by text message, e-mail or text-to-speech and reminders sent out.
From initial contact, the customer’s purchase process is monitored in detail, with their requirements for advice and information captured.
This enables bank to monitor the speeds at which customers are served and their needs met from a branch, regional and national perspective.
Already, consumers use over 40,000 NCR ATMs in the UK to get quick and easy access to their cash, make deposits and manage their bank accounts.
Similarly to eBay’s reasons for launching it’s latest ‘Deals’ programme, it’s about banks providing customers with services for what they want, when they want and where they want.
Miss that point and they’ll be missing out on next generation banking.
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