Entries in mobile (5)

Tuesday
Dec292009

Foursquare and changing behaviors

DateTuesday, December 29, 2009 at 2:26PM

I don't always like to post on the newest, shiniest technology out there.  It makes me feel like a front runner -- like rooting for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Duke Basketball.  But Foursquare has led me to it.

With the holidays and a general sense of busyness, I haven't been up on the techiest of news.  Despite that, it's hard to ignore the noise that Foursquare and other location-based apps are predicted to make in 2010.  When Foursquare exploded onto the scene earlier this year at SXSW, I was unimpressed.  New products like this launch so frequently, they feel like a dime a dozen.  I did join eventually, using the product in an echo chamber that consisted only of "tech friends" and no actual ones.  Because I use social technologies to enhance existing off-line relationships (and rarely to build new ones), it took the addition of a few good friends to Foursquare for me to appreciate the service.  One of its key features was what I deemed to be the missing piece for mobile social networks early this year.  And once my friends showed up, the thing that makes a product truly innovative happened: my behavior changed.

Here are a few examples:

  • Planning a pub crawl with a friend that uses Foursquare, with the goal of trying to win the Foursquare points battle in my city
  • Actually dragging myself off the couch to meet friends, with some motivation coming the fact that I would be tallying checkins on Foursquare
  • Getting heckled by a friend due to a series of "effeminate" [sic] checkins, then making a point of checking in at more masculine places
  • When meeting friends, relying on checkins to replace texting the location to meet

The highest compliment your product can receive is: "It changed the way I ________".  Congrats to Foursquare for making me feel that way.

Authoradam stewart | Comment1 Comment |
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Thursday
Jan082009

What's missing in mobile social networks

DateThursday, January 8, 2009 at 4:21PM

Mobile/location-based social networks have long been considered a "next big thing," but despite the sharp increase in smartphone purchases and the release of the iPhone, adoption has been slow.  I am one that agrees mobile networking is going to be a big thing.  Maybe not THE next big thing, but it is going to have a significant impact on they way that people communicate and the way that businesses market.

Techcrunch had a nice rundown of location-based social networking on the iPhone in September and they highlighted some key things that these applications are missing.  To me, the most important one was that these applications need to update your location while the phone is sitting in your pocket.  Otherwise, it is too much work.

That missing piece is crucial to the feature that could serve as the tipping point for mobile social networks --  receiving alerts when your friends are nearby, without having to do anything.  Whether your friend from another part of the country is within 40 miles or your arch nemesis from across town is drinking at your local bar, automated alerts that allow you to see (or avoid) people you know would be a game changer for mobile networking.

As far as I know*, no mobile social network is offering this feature, and it's a bit surprising that GPS enabled phones haven't made this possible.  When it does happen -- and I'm sure it will, even if Garmin has to step in -- we're going to see a widespread adoption followed by smart brands moving into the space to converse (and market) on a local level.

Maybe this will happen in 2009.  Maybe not until 2010.  When it does, I'm looking forward to seeing what mobile networking can really do. *If I'm wrong, please correct me in the comments.  And I will join that network immediately.

Update: Thanks to Ed Cotton for including this post in belated predictions for 2009 from influx readers.

Authoradam stewart | Comment2 Comments |
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Monday
Aug042008

Failure to "Migrate"

DateMonday, August 4, 2008 at 10:29AM

Like any football fan, I’m gearing up for my favorite sports season, which is why Reebok’s "Join the Migration" had me riveted within the first 2 seconds of the commercial.  I saw this ad for the first time this past weekend and watched as attentively as I have watched any ad in recent memory.  Great song, great visual and a unique premise for a sports ad.  I love the walking (as opposed to the flying) V.

The ad concludes with a call-to-action: "txt ‘migrate’ to 94444".  This type of call to action is appearing more frequently in TV ads both as a channel to connect with consumers and a way measure the impact of the ads.  And although I know sending Reebok a text is an invitation for future SMS spam, I figured I’d give it a try.  Despite having no idea what I was texting for, the ad had served its purpose – I was curious and compelled.

And what happened after I sent the text?  Nothing.  I have not received any return text or confirmation that it was received.  I found the description of the text component on YouTube:

Fans can text MIGRATE to 94444 and they'll be sent a link to the Migration WAP site where they can enter to win a trip to the '09 Pro Bowl, download a free NFL wallpaper, watch the commercial, browse Reebok products including the new Speedwick tee with official NFL branding and more.

There was obviously a promotion.  I texted again a few days later, in case I somehow botched the first one.  But I got the same lack of result.  So after Reebok spends the money to create a 60-second ad targeting me, a male in the coveted 25-34 target, the call-to-action is a dead end for the viewer.  Although the front end is key in bringing the consumer in, it doesn’t mean a thing if the back end doesn’t execute the main goal of your ad – engaging with your potential customers.

Has anyone had a different experience?  Is it just my phone that Reebok hates? Complete ad here:

This post also appears at DIGtrends.

Authoradam stewart | Comment2 Comments |
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Monday
Mar032008

nextwall - Interactive Graffiti Wall

DateMonday, March 3, 2008 at 5:30PM

nextwall.jpgGerman interactive communication agency Jung von Matt/next has created nextwall, a "creative laboratory for combining street art with digital media". They worked with five graffiti stars to create the wall, which includes mobile phone codes, 3D graffiti and a visitor camera.

Very cool. And a great example of using new technologies to engage an audience.

Related: Send a message: Graffiti on demand (via PSFK)

Authoradam stewart | CommentPost a Comment |
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Monday
Jan212008

Twitter at a tipping point?

DateMonday, January 21, 2008 at 2:32PM

I recently started using Twitter after listening to countless blogs and friends praise the service. I resisted. Do I really need to know when my friends are eating a burrito? The answer is not really, but curiosity led me to join anyway and try it out. So far, I'm enjoying having an outlet to post those random thoughts that occur to me when the bus is stuck in traffic. I have integrated Twitter with my Facebook status (through TwitterSync), reducing the immense pressure of updating multiple statuses/Life Streaming. I also follow a few friends and prominent bloggers, giving me another outlet for information.

But Twitter seemed to have had its biggest moment last week, when the service went down during the MacWorld keynote address, upsetting influential bloggers and tech enthusiasts alike who were depending on Twitter to post and read updates. If there was any doubt that Twitter has arrived, the frustration at the outage seemed to put that to rest. In Twitter's defense, many reported the internet was slow that day with everyone tracking MacWorld. Twitter obviously has yet to hit the mainstream the way that Facebook has, but it's now established as an important communication tool for bloggers, journalists, marketers and self-promotion. In just the last few weeks, Twitter buzz has been picking up steam, with local news coverage and a write-up in the Times on political campaign reporting with the service.

Twitter seems to be at a tipping point. They have momentum, few competitors -- Jaiku was shut down and Pownce is struggling -- and the growing influence mobile technologies. Their biggest obstacle seems to be a perceived lack of stability, which is obviously a big one. If and when resolved, it will be interesting to see the role Twitter and other micro-blogging services begin playing in the lives of the next generation of adopters.

Related:

  • 17 Ways You Can Use Twitter: A Guide for Marketers, Beginners and Business Owners (doshdosh)
  • Can We Talk About Twitter for a Second? (louisgray)
  • A Decentralized Twitter (Scripting News)
Authoradam stewart | Comment2 Comments |
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