1. Netflix/Hulu/YouTube’s new content series. Could Internet video become the future of TV?

Netflix, Hulu and YouTube are beefing up the competition by launching new, original content over the next few months. The Huffington Post reports that the quality of online video is not up to par with that of TV, but it will get there in due time. The quality must improve if Internet video hopes to compete.

Laura Mitchell mentioned that the CES trade show was held in Las Vegas recently. At the show YouTube’s global head of content predicted that by 2020, 75 percent of TV channels will be transmitted via the Internet. YouTube already has plans to expand with hundreds of niche channels, and predicts that most interests will have a channel within the next few years.

How will this affect your company’s TV ad placement? Well it won’t, yet – but we will want to keep our eyes and ears on Internet video over the next couple years.

Can these online video giants become viable premium content providers? Have a look at the trailer below and tell us what you think!

2. Coca-Cola to dominate the Super Bowl. Will you interact with the polar bears on game day?

Coke is hoping to drive greater fan engagement during the big game with in-game animated TV spots and live-streaming video on the web. The main element of the campaign will be commercials and online video showing the iconic polar bears reacting to the game as it happens live. In hopes of reaching consumers on whatever screen grabs their attention, the brand will also be interacting with Facebook and Twitter users. Roughly 60% of the 100 million anticipated game-watchers will be interacting with their friends and foes online.

Check out the hype on Facebook and RSVP for the Coke Polar Bowl – if nothing else, your RSVP will donate $1 to the World Wildlife Fund.

3. Google’s new personal assistant app. Move over Siri. Meet Alfred.

Google has launched a new app called Alfred – a digital assistant that can learn what you like, how you like it, where you want it and when you want it. How does he do it? He learns from each user by asking a series of questions – future recommendations are based off of those answers and the answers from others with similar preferences. For people like me who can never decide where to get lunch, or what to make for dinner, Alfred might just be the perfect answer. Read more at alfredmobile.com or download the app and start teaching Alfred! You’ll never miss a place you might love again.

4. You choose the ads you see on TV, billboards and more? For a worthy cause, LoudSauce will help spread the word.

Depending on where you live, you may have seen Occupy Wall Street ads on television, ads representing the need for clean energy in the Boston train station, or billboard ads in North Carolina with a positive immigration message. These are the types of ideas and causes that people are raising money for on LoudSauce.com – a place where you can choose the campaign you want to promote and donate money to put that message on billboards, radio and even national television. Most people are not aware of the great causes and inspirational projects going on around them, and through this website groups can raise funds and spread the word. Check out all the messages seen in 2011, and browse the current campaigns raising money, like the next occupy ad below.

The American music service market is crowded, and reaching customers where they listen is becoming increasingly complicated. As a result of the fragmentation, advertisers today are faced with a dilemma. Going the route of traditional radio could mean missing out on reaching younger consumers who avoid the old-school model. Concentrating an entire radio advertising plan on online opportunities could mean missing out on local radio.

Let’s take a minute to look at the characteristics of the available listening platforms.

Pandora

Pandora is arguably the most successful Internet radio option for users that is supported by advertising. Pandora boasts 80 million users, and ComScore estimates about 19 million unique listeners on a monthly basis. While this is a small percentage of the entire adult population – it is an audience of active listeners. Users are required to listen to an ad to continue listening for free, and the company has made it a priority to make sure ads don’t infringe on the listening experience for users. They utilize fifteen second ads with companion banners, which don’t give advertisers much time to get their message across. Also, while Pandora’s age demographics span the spectrum, the median age is young compared to traditional radio.

Spotify and Myxer

Spotify and Myxer are up-and-coming online music services (or ankle biters depending on how you see it). Spotify has shown considerable growth since its 2008 inception – with about 10 million users worldwide, and a modest 3 million U.S. users. The trend is expected to continue upward supported by a Facebook partnership that debuted in September 2011. Experts don’t expect that partnership to be exclusive, and competitors may have a chance make inroads with Facebook and other social media platforms.

Myxer entered the crowded market earlier this year with Myxer Social Radio, which allows friends to thumbs up or thumbs down your music taste, song by song.

Traditional Radio

And what of traditional radio? I would call traditional radio, local; if not for the two radio giants, Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Radio, who control a combined 1,372 stations across the U.S. One major advantage of using traditional radio is having the option to choose how long your commercial will be. Controlling the length of a spot can be important depending on the message you’re delivering. Some say this form of radio is dying, but according Arbitron September 2011 data, the U.S. market increased by 1.7 million listeners 12 years old and above over the previous year.

The standard traditional radio model hasn’t changed significantly in a long time, but over the years many stations and groups have been toying with Internet radio by streaming live radio on individual station websites. Now Clear Channel Radio is taking Pandora and other Internet radio options on full-force with the acquisition of iHeartRadio.com. The model will allow users to listen to free, streaming audio from 800 live broadcasts and digital-only radio stations, from 150 cities across the U.S. The network will be ad-free until April 2012.

What to Know

Ways to intersperse advertising messages among music will only increase in the near future, but a variety of options is a good thing as long as you establish two things: your goals and your message. Knowing those two things will help you decide which platform or combination thereof will be best in your media mix.

Over the past few month’s Pandora has been mentioned in case study after case study for mobile marketing best practices. The Pandora app is “the most-downloaded free music program on Apple Inc.’s and Google Inc.’s app stores,” according to Business Week. With the mobile apps popularity in mind it’s no surprise that over 70% of Pandora’s usages occurs on mobile devices. Pandora isn’t just for sitting back and listening anymore. The platform, and others like it, are taking advertising engagement to a new level.

Apps like Pandora are where many consumers are viewing mobile advertisements, allowing marketers to rethink the traditional banner strategy and offer a truly entertaining and engaging way to interact with the brand. These engagement mechanisms can range from playing games, sharing stories, submitting photos or experiencing the product via a mobile device.

Mobile Marketer recently released the most noteworthy 2011 mobile advertising campaigns. Six of the ten campaigns were all ad specific, with 2 of those focusing solely on the Pandora application. The other noteworthy campaigns ranged from SMS engagement to QR opt-ins.

Ads designed for mobile need to offer value to a customer, whether that is a boredom buster like the McDonalds Monopoly game or a product-specific ad that offers a fun way to learn about the company, like the current My Tide campaign.

Just remember, the purpose of downloading Pandora or similar mobile apps is for entertainment – so keep your advertising strategy fun and entertaining for your customers!

There’s never a good time to brave the mall crowds between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but midnight on Black Friday? Totally not a good time. My husband thought I was more insane than usual when I decided to venture out on Black Friday, but I 100% absolutely needed those clothes at prices so cheap they were practically giving me things. I’m still thawing from going from store to store at an outdoor mall at vampire hours of the night. Which makes me think, wouldn’t it be nice if I could, oh I don’t know, just buy this stuff online from the comfort and warmth of my own home or anywhere else other than a jam-packed mall?

Well if my impatient little self wouldn’t have given in to the hysteria of Black Friday, I could have purchased a few the same items, at the same price, from my cell phone. According to a Mobile Commerce Daily article, PayPal saw a 516% increase on Black Friday in 2011 compared to 2010. Looks like I’m not the only one who would rather touch my iPhone screen to add items to my mobile shopping cart than play bumper carts with other hurried shoppers in a store.

The article also cited the most popular categories for mobile shopping as clothing, shoes and accessories, computers, electronics, sporting goods, and jewelry and watches. Sadly, I purchased items in 4 out of these 5 categories at 3 a.m. when I could have just downloaded an app on my phone. Lesson learned for this girl. What is important for brands to keep in mind is the effectiveness of the apps they are putting out there. As a Social Times article says, it’s not enough just to have an app, because “mobile apps that are ultra-light on features or whose interface isn’t intuitive might be more detrimental to a brand than helpful”.

More than ever, people are on-the-go, multitaskers who expect businesses to support the mobility their lifestyles require. So for marketers looking to engage with consumers in new and interesting ways, look to mobile and digital solutions, which are not only gaining prominence among tech-savvy consumers, but also providing a more interactive and inventive way for them to connect with brands.

With the holidays officially upon us, the season of giving is in full effect—a time when many consumers will open their hearts and wallets to give to their favorite non-profits and philanthropic organizations. While the American Red Cross found that 72 percent of individuals cite charitable giving as important during the holidays, this year holiday giving is getting a little easier through the help of mobile devices and electronic payment systems.

Through electronic payment cards embedded within smartphones and other digital technologies, holiday giving is now as easy as scanning your smartphone over your credit or debit card. These technologies and websites, like mgive.com, are a great way for consumers to connect with non-profits and show their support in a more practical, digital way this holiday season.

And these types of giving are not just good ideas. Several brands have already started putting digital donations into practice. For example, working with Square Inc., the Salvation Army has equipped bell ringers in large markets like Dallas and New York with a mobile card reader that has the ability to collect donations directly from consumers’ credit cards.

Even eBay is using mobile QR codes that connect with interactive digital store fronts, allowing window shoppers to scan virtual toys displayed on the window display. Toys scanned come to life in the virtual environment and benefit  the Toys for Tots organization.

With donations and non-profits adopting more robust mobile technologies, consumers can now give to their favorite charities even while on the go. Non-profits looking to reach out to consumers this season in new ways should focus on digital engagement, even if it’s simply though reaching out on one’s own social media channels. Engaging with consumers in the spaces they frequent most will keep you top of mind when it comes to holiday giving this season.

After attending a webinar by AdAge entitled, “Online Behavioral Advertising and Privacy,” I began thinking about all the ways our privacy as online consumers can be violated. A little research led me to the topic of location based targeting, and more specifically, “geofencing.”

Geofencing is the idea of tracking mobile users from a subscriber list based on their location to a particular store and then sending those users a relevant message. To the mobile marketers of the world, this is a dream come true, but to mobile consumers this could be a privacy nightmare.  So how far is too far?  Does geofencing cross the line?

Not yet.  Similar to push notifications, where users can opt-in to receive messages from a mobile app, location-based targeting asks consumers to opt-in to the service. This is significant because 94% of consumers feel that privacy is an important issue of online targeting, as stated in a recent survey by TRUSTe. Today’s consumer likes to be “in the know” about the latest and greatest, but they also do not want to risk losing their privacy. From the same study by TRUSTe, over 50% of consumers are more likely to click and buy if they can control how they are targeted. When given the choice to opt-in or out, consumers will likely have less concern about location-based marketing. And until a company forgets to ask permission, geofencing can be valuable to both the seller and the consumer.

There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to use location based targeting to increase value to their customers. Placecast – a pioneer of location-based targeting in the US – launched a pilot program in 2009 using what they call ShopAlerts. They found that 79% of people said the ShopAlerts increased their likelihood to visit a store and 65% of people made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message.

The difficulty is making sure the content of the message is, in fact valuable and doesn’t negatively impact the relationship. The message must bring something unique and compelling to the consumer, otherwise, it will cause more harm than good. And why not let the consumer tell you how often they want to be contacted? Following these guidelines will ensure that the contact is both relevant and desired.

So how do you feel about geofencing and other location based marketing strategies? Do you feel your privacy is being violated?  What would make you more apt to opt-in to location based advertising? Tell us what you think!

My colleague, Molly Schenkel, and I traveled to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) conference in Boston last week. Here are 8 key trends I took away from the event.

1. Cross-Platform. 3 Screens is Minimum.

It’s the norm for consumers to be watching TV, using their laptop and playing on their smartphone. With this newfound level of multi-tasking and fragmented focus on any one device, it becomes even more difficult to break through the mass-media frenzy, and if your message is only available on one platform, you’re missing a large segment of your target audience.

As marketers, we must stop talking about mobile/digital vs. traditional – that’s not how consumers think; instead, consumers consume media interchangeably across different devices – your messaging program must be device-neutral and work on all types of screens/devices. It must also capture their attention at relevant times with proper engagement tactics.

 2. One-to-One is Expected.

“If you’re not talking to me, I don’t hear you.”  This sentiment rings true as we think about how consumers expect personalization and relevancy. Segment like you’ve never segmented before. Technology makes this easy; don’t take the lazy one-message-for-all route or you’ll simply be ignored.

3. Social Media is about Community, not Sales.

While a few retail giants have found ways to generate sales from social media communities, it’s not the norm. Unless you’re one of these giants, use the platform for what consumers want – to build relationships and entertain. Be personable…people don’t want to be friends with shoes or chickens, but they will follow and engage with brands that relate to them and provide great value. Give your customers a reason to interact with you in all available channels.

4. Context is King, not Content.

“The amount of content generated from the beginning of time until 2003 is now generated every 48 hours” – Gary Vaynerchuk. There’s no way to stand out by simply generating fresh content – it has to be relevant to a specific audience segment. It has to have personality and a unique angle. Draw people in or they’ll drown you out.

5. Know each Customer’s LTV (Lifetime Total Value).

All customers are not created equal, and all customers will not create equitable lifecycle value for your company. Use the magnitude of data available to identify the lifetime total value of each customer (LTV) and then focus your efforts accordingly. Send your highest LTV customers a little something special on their birthdays; send your lowest LTV customers a birthday postcard.

6. Real-Time, NOT Right-Time.

If you take the time to monitor social media conversations, be timely with your entrance into the conversation. Customers want their questions answered in real-time, not following a thoroughly planned (and delayed) response. Be quick to respond and always search for ways to provide an element of surprise. Customers love to feel appreciated.

7. Put Location-Based to Work.

Location-based technologies and platforms provide a whole new way to deliver messages at the right place and the right time. You want to reach customers when they are at critical decision point, and proximity is often a key factor in this decision-making process. Real-time location marketing (also referred to as geofencing) is paving the way for how media will be delivered in the future.

8. Loyalty & Retention.

Thank your customers and thank them often by rewarding frequent visits. That’s all. It’s simple and goes back to the beginning of time. Don’t underestimate the power of saying thank you with a treat along the frequent purchase cycle.

For those in the travel industry the value of traveler reviews cannot be overstated. Whether gearing up for a cross country flight or booking a one night stay just a few hours from home, travelers everywhere turn to recommendations from friends, family, and, yes, even online strangers, in an effort to minimize hotel hassles or potential vacation nightmares.

Sites like TripAdvisor  and others have carved out nearly unmatched name recognition with travelers looking for hotel and destination reviews. But, combine that well-established user base with  crowdsourced content and new digital technologies, and you create the opportunity for travelers to not only influence visitors in the planning stage with post-trip reviews, but also through real-time information while on their trip.

For those unfamiliar with the term, crowdsourcing involves “outsourcing” the collecting of information, feedback and ideas to an already active and accessible community, giving you more information and content from a variety of personal sources. A buzz word in the advertising industry right now, crowdsourcing has helped establish new company constructions like Victors & Spoils, an entire ad agency using crowdsourcing for creative ideas, and even helped to solve a molecular puzzle in the fight against AIDS.

If users and consumers can utilize the sharing of information to solve problems like these, using crowdsourced content for travel would take the experience of planning a vacation from a personal choice to a collective discussion. Vacations could be even better thanks to recommendations from your own friends or live alerts about events happening at your destination while you’re there.

And some marketers are already on the pulse, anticipating future travelers’ needs and meeting them with crowdsourced content. One example is Trippy, a new travel service launched earlier this month. Using crowdsourced vacation information from your own Facebook Friends, Trippy is able to pull in tips and recommendations from those within your own circle to help you plan vacations a bit more easily.

Even Ogilvy Worldwide’s Public Relations department got in on the crowdsourcing trend by prompting readers to book their next trip using crowdsourced content.

As more users post vacation tips, photos, reviews and recommendations on sites like TripAdvisor and as mobile devices allow consumers greater access to that content any time, the opportunity for marketers to reach out and engage in the travel conversation expands. Creating a space for visitors to meet digitally and share trip ideas will only increase the value of your destination in the minds of your most social travelers.

A few weeks ago while listening to the L&S Webinar on marketing to Generation Y, a co-worker highlighted an interesting finding from the Pew Research Center saying Millennials consider their cell phone to be a “necessary appendage.”  An appendage…as in equal in value to an arm or leg.

While initially this thought surprised me thinking Generation Y has yet again taken the value of technology to its most dramatic peak, the more I thought about it, the more I decided they were right. And not just for Generation Y—but Generation X and even some Baby Boomers as well.

And who can blame us?  Today’s devices allow us to have gaming, email, Internet, and yes, even a flashlight at  the simple touch of an app on our phones or tablets. Tablet usage alone makes up 20 percent of weekly digital media consumption, and with more consumers poised to purchase tablets this year, we’re bound to reach another level in our commitment to technology.

Just think of the implications on the travel industry. Tablets will completely change the way we plan travel and the way we experience travel. Why carry a map when you can carry your tablet that not only shows you a map of your own destination, but others in the region for day trips or extended getaways. You can take pictures and upload them to Facebook or Google+ in seconds. Even the simple art of exploring new restaurants or attractions on your trip will be easier with augmented reality apps like Layar, which overlays hotels, attractions and even dining searches directly over the window view using your device’s camera and GPS.  With Layar, instead of searching for nearby hotels or restaurants, you can just hold up your phone and the search will populate automatically.

With more interactive apps like Layar enhancing the digital travel experience, travelers will continue find new ways to make their trips last a little longer and memories a little more interactive.

As these devices take on new roles in users’ lives and recreate the user experience, so, too, will our connection with these devices change from seeing them less as an interesting tool and more as “a necessary appendage”.  And who knows? When it comes to vacations, tablets just may become the travel companions we refuse leave home without.

Advertisers have mastered the art of traditional media; we know television, radio, newspaper and magazine ads exist. We know these traditional means have had a run of success over many years. Though some may disagree, I believe they are still very important parts of an advertising strategy. Online is another medium that has been around for several years that has proven to be a crucial part of the plan.

So where do we go from here? If you, as an advertiser, are not doing any mobile marketing, it’s time to start. Mobile marketing is very young and has a long way to go, but the options currently available are endless.

The quick serve restaurants and retail industry are leaders in mobile advertising using texting campaigns to keep customers coming back. Sending a simple text message offering discounts and coupons has been a successful way of boosting return customer numbers and rewarding those that were already loyal customers.

Most people when thinking of advertising on mobile believe that they need to build an applicable app for their business. Though apps are great when it fits in with the business and when they will be referred to time and time again (hopefully), it’s not the only option out there.

Just like online advertising, banner ads are available on smartphones and viewable to consumers when they surf the web. The same standard ads can be used for both platforms in one swift motion, which means no additional production costs. However, there are several other opportunities when producing creative specifically for mobile advertising. Two easy and affordable options are below.

First, creative that routes the consumer to a mobile site rather than a traditional website will be fitting and the results will be more successful. Advertisers who do not have a mobile site find that consumers get frustrated when they arrive on the website and it is distorted, hard to navigate, or simply doesn’t work on a smartphone.

Second, mobile ads have a feature called click-to-call (CTC). When clicking on the ad instead of being routed to the website as a typical banner would, the smartphone will dial the number designated to call. This number can be directed to the business line, a call center, or anywhere else the advertiser desires. One of the top reasons for using this feature is if the advertiser doesn’t have a mobile site. The customer will be spared from the frustrations previously mentioned. It also leads to a great opportunity for retention of an interested party. Often, sales are missed because the website doesn’t give enough information for the customer to take action. A call allows the interested party to ask questions and get as much detail as they’d like.

According to an article from the Google Mobile Ads Blog there have been several success stories by using this option:

“Home security provider Defender Direct gets 75-80% of online advertising clicks using Click-to-call. Four out of their top 10 campaigns in terms of clicks are now mobile. And the calling customers are ready to consult with an expert about the ins and outs of alarm systems. Once the company started targeting high-end smartphones, their returns from mobile ads and CTC skyrocketed. Results were soon double what they got from desktop search. Today, Google mobile ads constitute 24% of the company’s overall online budget.”

As a media strategist, I feel it’s extremely important to include mobile advertising in the media mix. Advertisers need to be where the consumers are and use platforms that are successful. As presented by Mary Meeker, Internet Analyst at Morgan Stanley, over the next three years, the amount of people using the Internet on their smartphone is expected to surpass those that access the internet on their desktop computer. In addition to more users, research shows that the efficiency of mobile ads is more successful than any other traditional form of media based on campaign comparisons using five elements: reach, targeting, engagement, viral and transaction (Chetan Sharma, January 2011).

If your business does not currently advertise using mobile, now is the time. This medium will only continue to grow and become a dominant form of advertising which your media mix shouldn’t be without!

It’s time to fess up. You are not just sleeping with your spouse. You also sleep with your smartphone.

According to a recent report released by the mobile service provider iPass, more than 60 percent of workers keep their mobile device in the bedroom at night, and more than 45 percent keep it within an arm’s reach. For this study, iPass surveyed more than 3,700 mobile employees from 1,000 companies across the United States, and the statistics are shocking. The stats prove that work never sleeps, and neither do those employed.

The infographic “Smartphone Pillow Talk” shows that 58 percent of workers wake up during the night to check their phone and of those respondents, 11 percent find themselves awake every night to monitor their e-mail inbox or check Facebook.

It’s clear that people today want to be connected, but what’s even clearer is that employees are willing to work during all hours of the day. No longer is home life and work life separated. The line is completely blurred.

In a 24/7 kind of world, no time is off time. News and work updates can be viewed instantly during any hour of the day, and that is the expectation. We want the all-access pass to information, and we’re willing to sacrifice good sleep for it.

Public Relations, like the mobile employee, never sleeps. PR is all about building beneficial relationships, earning trust and generating reputation, and these things don’t always happen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They are constantly happening. And since the advent of the smartphone, PR is becoming increasingly relevant and important.

If you don’t have PR strategies in place, think about what can happen. A customer can run into issues with a product late at night and then feel the need to tweet or Facebook it. PR professionals know that at any moment a business’ reputation can be tested, so having a planned response is ideal. PR is about strategizing, but also about reacting and conversing with real people in real time. And if companies are missing that in the mix, they’re missing key, ground-level interactions.

Remember when you’re up at night checking your iPhone or Blackberry, so are your clients and customers. Chances are they’re talking or thinking about brands and companies (maybe even yours), so keep a PR strategy or two on your nightstand for good measure.

How effective are your ads? Are your customers noticing them?

An even better question to ask may be — is your marketing budget being spent on the channels your customers are paying attention to? E-Marketer recently released a report comparing ad spending with media channel consumption.

The report showed the percentage of budgets dedicated to digital and online mediums does not correlate with consumers’ media consumption. Online and mobile ad spending share is not in sync with the time consumers are spending on those platforms. A higher percentage of budgets are also being allocated to newspaper and magazine advertising than the amount of time consumers are devoting to those mediums. TV remains a powerhouse and accounts for 42% of marketing dollars and media consumption.

But what does this report mean for your business? It’s essential to know your audience’s behaviors and understand where advertising messages will best reach them. If your customers are spending more time on their mobile devices or searching online, then you should be pushing your message out to them through those mediums. As more consumers move towards completing full purchase cycles on their phones, it is crucial to have your business available when and where consumers are searching for it.

Before shifting your marketing dollars, take a close look at your audience to see where they are searching for information and the best ways to reach them. It could still be through newspapers or magazines. It’s always important to re-evaluate your customer base and make sure the messages you are distributing reach them through the most effective media channels.

Again, it all comes down to content and relevancy. As more consumers embrace digital marketing channels and as technology continues to increase, creating ads tailored to customers is becoming much easier.

Smartphones, social media, tablets, e-readers, web apps and mobile barcodes are just a few of the emerging technologies brands are exploring in 2011 in hopes of reaching new (and often younger) consumers. For product-based brands like Target or Nike, incorporating  your brand into the digital world easily generates higher levels of brand engagement. But other more serious products like health insurance can also reap rewards from emerging media.

An article last week in the Minneapolis Star Tribune showcased Medica Insurance’s new marketing aimed at reaching younger, non-traditional families and couples needing health insurance. By utilizing imagery of their target audience and QR codes in their ads, Medica is bridging the gap between what’s cool with consumers and what health insurance has to offer.

With Nielsen projecting smartphones to reach equal levels of saturation with that of standard phones in 2011, it’s a smart move for health insurers to look into not only utilizing mobile marketing tools like QR codes or augmented reality, but getting on mobile devices, as well.  Last year, Pew Research found that 43 percent of cell phone users had apps on their phones. This number will undoubtedly increase over the next year as more and more consumers opt for new smartphones.

With healthcare reform continuing to take shape on a state-by-state basis, health insurance marketers now have an opportunity to reach niche audiences they may have never considered before. By utilizing tools that not only resonate with the target audience, but also help create greater interaction with one’s brand, health insurers will enter a new realm of consumer engagement and connection with their key audiences’ wants and needs.

*image courtesy Minneapolis Star Tribune

I take free WiFi access for granted, but upon further consideration, am amazed how important it really is. WiFi can be our best friend, a boredom buster, and a lifesaver – all depending on your situation.

As consumer preference for WiFi enabled devices grows, we are seeing substantial growth in demand for more WiFi networks and hotspots. A poll conducted by Wakefield Research found that in 2008, 43% of respondents would like to have their next cell purchase be WiFi enabled. Two years later we have seen that number grow to 62%. Deloitte predicts that in 2011, the volume of data uploaded or downloaded from portable devices via public WiFi networks will likely grow faster (25-50 percent) than that carried over cellular broadband networks.

Although I am not in this group – my love of chocolate is more of an addiction – according to WiFi Alliance, 68% of users would rather give up chocolate than do without WiFi! When asked what technology has had the biggest impact on their online experience, users ranked WiFi above YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and iTunes – exposing their WiFi addiction.

One thing that has made WiFi access in Sioux Falls so easy for me is that Midcontinent Communications has made WiFi available in many popular locations, such as in downtown and at the Sioux Falls airport. By doing this, Midcontinent Communications isn’t just bringing accessible, free Internet service to users, but they are also connecting their brand to this service. With WiFi on the rise, this service is a great way to provide a benefit to customers and community members – as well as to get some extra attention by attaching your name to it.

While in some circles mobile barcodes are emerging media, for those in the advertising industry, mobile barcodes have been a promising messaging seed marketers have been waiting to see sprout for some time.

Today, the average consumer is becoming increasingly aware of mobile barcodes as major brands utilize them in Sunday newspaper circulars and even edible products. More consumers are not only aware of mobile barcodes, but are using them to interact with brands like Best Buy, Target and Time Magazine.

And the advertising is paying off. According to mobilecommercedaily.com, mobile code scans have increased 1,200 percent in the last six months alone–a sign that more consumers are at least trying the codes and reviewing additional content.

While mobile barcodes are an obvious fit for brands like Target who can connect codes to specific in-store products, mobile barcodes are becoming an emerging media in the travel sector, as well. Last year, Arkansas Tourism  was the first destination to integrate QR codes at Fort Smith National Historic Site. This year New York City recently released plans to integrate QR codes around the city to make searching for restaurant reviews easier for travelers.

For travel marketers, mobile barcodes are a unique way to supplement visitor guide content and put information literally in the hands of visitors while on vacation. Beyond linking to travel websites, travel destinations generate additional opportunities like linking to maps, coupons, itineraries, and even historical information—all of which enhance a visitor’s experience. By integrating mobile marketing, not only can destinations claim variety and family fun as key selling points, but also content that is interactive and engaging.

But the value of mobile doesn’t end there. Mobile barcodes also have the potential to build a wealth of real-time consumer data. Not only will marketers know how often their codes are scanned, but when and by who–both factors that will help marketers predict future consumer behavior. Such scientific data will allow brands to target their audience more precisely and effectively, ultimately leading to better vacation experiences for travelers.

NOTE: This week I fired up my time machine and went back to October 2010 to revisit my trip to Adobe MAX 2010. While preparing my presentation to the agency, I found this long lost blog post. The content is still relevant and has only been updated to reflect the passage of time.

What does the future of user experience look like? Touching, pinching and gesturing will play a big part in how users interact with your website or application.  The popularity of touch based devices is increasing at an exponential rate and in the next 2 years there will be more mobile devices in use than desktop PCs. Everything from iPods and iPads, to the numerous other tablet devices coming in the next few months will use touch as the primary interaction to the user experience.

In the first general session of Max 2010, Adobe laid out five areas of challenge for developers to overcome to build the best possible experience: websites, digital publications, video, enterprise applications and gaming.

Websites – How can developers build a site for multiple devices without actually building the site for multiple devices? With HTML5 and CSS3 media queries developers can determine the screen size and serve the appropriate CSS file for that screen. The CSS determines the layout and overall user experience for that device. Ok, slow down, HTML5? CSS3? How long have I been out? True, these technologies are not currently supported in over 85% of the desktop browsers on the internet, but they are coming. The good news is that most mobile and tablet browsers do support HTML5 and CSS3 already. To take advantage of HTML5 and CSS3 on the desktop you must be running Chrome5 or 6, Safari, IE9 or Firefox 4.

Adobe is providing tools for developers to make developing multi-screen apps as simple as their single screen predecessors. The multi-screen option in Dreamweaver CS5 shows the developer in real-time what their site will look like on a variety of screen sizes. EDGE is a new application that will allow developers to use jQuery to develop user experiences that mimic Flash without writing code.

Digital Publications – If you pick any two magazines off the shelf and page through them you can quickly see that they are distinctly different in layout. Now, go to the website of those same two magazines and in most cases you will notice they look eerily similar. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at a magazine online and have a totally immersive experience that is just an extension of the magazine itself? Click on a recipe and see detailed step by step directions and videos of how to prepare the meal? Click on an ad and be presented with a rich media version of your advertising without ever leaving the page. http://blogs.adobe.com/digitalpublishing/2010/11/martha-stewart.html

Video – Over 120 Petabytes of flash video was viewed last month (September 2010), this is more than 125,000,000 Gigabytes of data, and that number is expected to continue to grow as more internet connected TVs begin to emerge. Google TV was launched in early October with integrated Flash player so users can “have access to the full web”. The example of viewing a video on your mobile device, hitting pause and then resuming on your TV was displayed.

Enterprise Applications – The new Blackberry Playbook was used to demo business applications such as SAP’s CIO Cockpit and SalesForce Chatter. LiveCycle Enterprise Suite 2.5 was announced which includes improved multiscreen delivery, an updated framework for building rich internet applications and real-time collaboration.

Gaming – Over 70% of the games online are built in Flash, Adobe AIR allows Flash developers to deploy their games to mobile and tablet devices with little code manipulation and without writing code for each OS individually. Flash now also supports USB game controllers for an enhanced gaming experience.

In the second general session, Adobe delivered a fun-filled presentation set in the age of the digital living room to display their tools.  Several skits such as “Pimp My App”, “Iron Builder”, “Ben Forta Live”, “MAX Shopping channel” and “HTML5” were used to demonstrate just how easy it is to use their technology and get amazing results in a fraction of the time it would take with other tools. Watch all of the skits here: http://tv.adobe.com/show/max-2010-keynotes/

Sneak Peeks – This is the can’t miss event of the conference. An hour of Adobe employees demonstrating the cutting edge functionality they have been working on that may or may not make it into future releases of their products.

• Flash to HTML – Impressive demo that showed a .flv file being converted to HTML and running in the browser. The demo looked just like the flash file. Impressive!
• Flash Builder Live – Ever had problems coding when a co-worker is hovering over your shoulder? Try 5000 of them? Demo showing live changes to a Flash file from right within the editor.
• Video Tapestry – A new method of navigating through a video file using content aware snapshots.
• Flash Performance – Demo of tool that allows developers to analyze the CPU and memory their application is using.
• ColdFusion Device Info and Geolocation – The demo didn’t go so well, but if the changes make it into the finished product it is one more reason to use CF.
• Photoshop Whirlwind – If you have ever taken a fuzzy photo this demo is for you. Rather than delete the image why not just fix it? What about fixing brightness/exposure problems with a single click?
• Typography of code – Interesting idea about formatting source code. More than just the color-coding that we are all used to, but actually using different sizes and formatting to display rather than the monospaced style we are used to.
• Noise to meaning – Ever wanted to search for a guy’s voice in an audio stream and jump to it? What about playing music or the sound of a kiss? (their example, not mine). Even export as cuepoints in a file and trigger events in video player.
• Stage Video – Increase performance by moving the video out of the display list and putting it behind other content. Not sure how they are doing it, but the results speak for themselves.

Three days of sessions, talking with old friends, making new ones and playing with the newest technologies available takes a lot out of a person. The experience also forces you to take a step back and evaluate the way you approach your product development. Are you providing the best experience for your users? Can your website or application be used across multiple devices and platforms? Are you following best practices? Are you doing more work than you have to?

All attendees received a free Droid 2 and Logitech Revue (Google TV) to help get them started developing for these new screen sizes. Development for the Android operating system is surprisingly simple and the process to get an app on the Android market is even easier.

With the impending explosion of mobile development is your website ready?

The Past

It’s no secret to my family, friends, or coworkers that I’m an Apple fanboy. The first computer I ever programmed on was an Apple IIe. My first Mac was a MacBook in 2006, and since then I’ve had an iMac, a MacBook Pro, and 7 iPods (between my wife and I). I watch every keynote, read every press release, and ogle every device, usually in envy. The iPhone was no different when it was announced in 2007. I decided, not long after, that my next phone would be an iPhone, however long it took. When the exclusivity of AT&T came to light, I poured over their coverage map in dismay; South Dakota was a blighted mess of “Moderate”, “Partner” and “No” service levels. It was becoming obvious that switching to AT&T for the iPhone wouldn’t be feasible.

Waiting was my only option.

Fast forward past years of longing and heartbreak to February 2nd, at 4am CST. My son, nine months old, uncharacteristically wakes from his night’s rest. His mother and I take turns trying to figure out how to get him back to sleep, and I remember the Verizon pre-order. Existing Verizon customers were given the opportunity to pre-order the iPhone 4 on Verizon. In what I assume was an attempt to keep their ordering servers from crashing, they opened the pre-order at 2:00am CST. I had gone to bed hours earlier deciding that I’d wait until morning, but now I was faced with a unique opportunity. I opened my laptop, filled out the pre-order form, and, with a final click, realized a dream literally years in the making.

The Present

Less than a week later, after a bit of a tame goose chase, I had my iPhone in hand. After a short, painless activation process, I was ready to dive in. I’m a long time fan of the iPod touch, which runs the same software as the iPhone. I thought this would prepare me for using the iPhone. After all, I’ve long thought an iPod touch was just an iPhone without the phone. In the case of the iPhone 4, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The iPhone is fast and sharp looking. These are both points that Apple’s iPhone marketing drives home often, but it also happens to be true. Also, like so much of Apple’s stuff, the device is really intuitive. Getting a phone call while music is playing? iPhone fades out your music, lets you take the call, and fades back in your music when the call is done. Want to use the phone hands free? The included headphones have a microphone built-in, and the iPhone has a voice-powered command center called Voice Control. It hasn’t taken me long to fall in love with my phone. From the cameras to the multi-tasking, I’m constantly being surprised and impressed with such a well-designed piece of hardware.

Any frustrations I have are minor and a simple matter of getting used to such an advanced phone. (There’s quite a technological gap between my previous phones and my iPhone.) For instance, I’ve been a little confused by the volume settings. The iPod touch has two volumes: one for when headphones are in, one for when they aren’t. The iPhone has an additional phone ringer to worry about, and I’m not always sure which volume is being applied. Also, contrary to the iPod touch, the iPhone’s headphone jack is on the top. There’s nothing wrong with this design choice, but it does mean that my phone ends up upside-down quite a bit. Still, all these frustrations will be cured with time.

The Future

I think the future for iPhone on Verizon is bright. Verizon has always been a great network for me. I’ve never had any issues with them, and (best of all) it covers all the places I usually go. The iPhone has had great service so far. The few calls I’ve made have been trouble-free, and Sioux Falls seems to be 3G in all the places I’ve checked. In fact, I’ve been really impressed with the 3G speeds, especially never having had a smartphone before. It’ll be interesting to see how the network holds up to the increased traffic, but so far so great.

If you’re on Verizon and looking at getting a smartphone, and your contract is coming up, I’d highly recommend looking at the iPhone. If you would have to buy the phone outright, I’d consider your options. It’s likely that an iPhone 5 (or at least a new iPhone 4) will be coming along this summer, and it will likely work on Verizon as well. It might be worth the wait. If you’re not on Verizon, and you’re considering switching for the iPhone, it also might be worth the wait, just to see how the Verizon network holds up to the increased traffic.

If you’re anything like me, though, waiting is simply no longer an option.

Are you a Verizon iPhone user? Do you use a different smartphone on Verizon? What do you think?

The face of mobile computing changed dramatically this past year. Apple’s iPad, Google’s Android phones, and the continuing rise of netbooks has put a sharp spotlight on what we call “mobile”. This flood of impressive devices has caused a surge in mobile web usage. Suddenly, people can enjoy much of the same Internet their desktop computer provides but in a convenient, portable device. This has been a game changer for all websites.

Three Midwest companies saw amazing growth in the number of people visiting their website from a mobile device. When comparing the months of November 2009 and November 2010, the number of mobile visits grew 441%, 450%, and 699%. Note that there are no decimal points in those figures. Mobile visits quadrupled for two of the companies and septupled¹ for the third. It’s important to note that these weren’t visits to a walled-garden, stripped-down, mobile-friendly version of their websites; these visitors were seeing the exact same site as they would on a desktop computer. This substantial growth points to the simple truth: consumers are engaged in online activities via their mobile device, whether those websites are ready or not.

While it’s true that mobile web browsers have seen remarkable growth and refinement of late, they are still no replacement for the browsers on our desktop machines. Mobile visitors have different needs than desktop users, and, if your website doesn’t keep this in mind, mobile users may have a frustrating experience when they arrive at your homepage. The growth of mobile visits makes a strong case; if your business doesn’t have a mobile compatible site, you are essentially ignoring those costumers’ needs.

Is it worth your time and money to invest in creating mobile compatible websites? The short answer is yes. Your website is your company’s first impression for many customers, so make it a good one! If you’re interested in seeing how your company can be more mobile compatible, we’d love to talk to you. Drop us a line, or learn more about the mobile web on Wikipedia or Google webmaster central.

1. Extensive Google searching indicates that “septupled” might not actually be a word.

Today marks a seismic shift in the cell phone landscape of the Midwest with Verizon Wireless announcing the launch of the iPhone on their network. For the last few years, the iPhone has been the coveted smartphone and only recently faced serious competition from Droid phones.

While Droid operating systems currently dominate 33 percent of the smartphone market share, that figure is likely to change as the iPhone widens its net of influence in the Midwest. For those in the advertising industry, this also marks a shift in available messaging channels as brands now have the ability to reach consumers any time and from anywhere through mobile devices.

Regardless of the type of smartphone, predictions are already surfacing on how mobile will prompt growth of mobile game ads and mobile apps. And with 33 percent already using mobile devices for online shopping, just think what effect additional features like 2D barcodes and augmented reality will have on brands building in the mobile space.

With new technologies at the fingertips of consumers, brands like Target are predicting that in 5 years, every guest will be linked to the Internet while in the store. The opportunities to reach consumers have become nearly limitless and promise significant growth for brands willing to seize mobile marketing.