Five Years from Now Mobile Will be a Mature Market…but Still Confusing

Procter & Gamble’s Downy is using location through a mobile scavenger hunt to help promote the launch of a new product.  Launching in Vegas they hope to get into the Guinness Book of World Records and appeal to the younger Millenials.  Reading through their plan though brought me to a sudden realization.  The mobile industry is doomed.

Before I explain, let’s get back to location.  We all know this is what makes mobile unique and powerful as a marketing tool – it can be anywhere your consumer is.  But that is also part of its weakness.  Marketers are used to thinking of marketing channels as having a specific location or place.   Since mobile does not, it is–and will continue to be–thought of differently than all the prior mass media.

All other media channels have a “place” that both consumers and marketers expect them to be.  TV is in your home/office.  Radio in the car (and maybe shower).  The Internet is on your computer.   But mobile has no “place” because it is everywhere.   That is why we see every type of agency (shopper, social/pr, web, experiential, etc.) executing mobile.  With no “place,” it falls into the hands of whoever has the idea.  And this is a problem for the growth of mobile.

For those of us in the industry (i.e. those of who work on mobile marketing 24/7, not just the “oh yeah, we do mobile” people), we know that the breadth of mobile is, well, breathtaking. You want to build your spot radio campaign? Add mobile. Want to increase the reach of your experiential marketing? Add mobile. Want to drive greater engagement in-store? Add mobile. And so on. Even TV’s effectiveness can be augmented by adding mobile as we all saw at the Oscars with the Save the Dolphins stunt.

To make it more confusing, mobile can also be its own channel. Mobile ads, mobile web, mobile search, mobile apps are all solidly in the mobile channel. The rise of all of these are tracked in the news every day and usage is only growing at smartphone adoption steadily rises from 40% today to 58% in 2015 (per eMarketer, slide 4).  There is no other media that is as amorphous with as few boundaries.

So what if people don’t know “where” mobile is?  This is my doom prediction.  It will stunt the growth of the industry.  The fragmentation of this industry, particularly in this current rapid growth period creates even more confusion and often more mobile heartbreak.  Dissatisfaction leads to a lower level of investment and perpetuates the myth that mobile is not “ready” for big time marketing investments.

The mobile scavenger hunt that P&G’s Downy is a good example.  So what is Downy’s goal?  To create brand awareness, engagement and consideration with younger Millenials for their new product.  The work is being done by SCVNGR, a good company with a solid mobile product, but is it really the best way to achieve these marketing goals within the mobile channel?  Well, they’re doing it for a dime so P&G’s risk is minimal.  But would a typical PR stunt with a texting component be better?  Or maybe just banner ads on mobile websites that target young adults.  Or print ads in young adult magazines with a text or QR code call-to-action.  Or an event marketing tour around the top markets with a mobile component that extends its reach.

Currently each of these ideas are the bailiwick of different agencies.  No ONE person/agency is corralling all the mobile ideas and saying this is the best.  And more than likely amongst the multitude of agencies pitching mobile none of them have a true mobile expert.  The implications is that the fate and growth is in the hands of many, not just those of us focused on mobile.  Perhaps this will generate an explosion of ideas but it will most definitely lead to self-imploding campaigns.  Inevitably agencies without enough knowledge take on this tricky new mass medium and more often than not fail.  With mobile growing in fits and starts with so many hands in the pie, it will take some time to line-item mobile in the budget.

One solution to this problem is impractical: Just let mobile-specific agencies handle mobile marketing work.  That would make my colleagues extremely happy but realistically nothing will stop other agencies from this land grab.  Much like social media, they all see it as a way to increase their billings.  And truthfully there is nothing wrong with them proposing mobile ideas – competition is good for all.  The downside is that marketers are generally risk-averse people and once burnt, twice shy does not bode well for industry growth.

The other solution is education.  Educating the marketers, product managers, business people AND their agencies.  If we have a place where we can get the full panorama of mobile possibilities–not just what’s being pitched to us today or what we read in the Huffington Post–then businesses can intelligently and strategically invest in mobile.

Modestly, that is what we’re trying to accomplish at the Heartland Mobile Council.  Our mission is to educate brands on how to use mobile effectively.  We do three things unique to any other mobile organization:

1.  The HMC creates a safe haven for education.  We’re a non-profit with a 100% volunteer staff.  No pitching.

2.  We provide a broad, comprehensive education.  A company like SCVNGR is great but they (rightly) only pitch their own product.  The press only covers what they think is the latest shiny object.  The HMC, however, provides a broad education, whether on a specific topic like 2D codes at a Seminar or the entire mobile marketing spectrum as we provide at our Mobile University Summits.

3.  Lastly, we provide Experiential Learning – more than “classroom” instruction.  Professional learning is more often done on-the-job, and our Experiential Learning initiatives do the same.  At our Mobile University 2011 Conference we brought 14 companies to our Experience Hall to demonstrate how Google does a mobile wallet, how Lockitron does mobile locks, how the Art Institute of Chicago is educating a new generation on Impressionism by iPad.

If you believe that education in a safe place, with a comprehensive curriculum using experiential learning is the right way to build this industry, please join us.  Location, location, location will always be critical but we are a mobile organization so you can be part of our movement from anywhere.

Hugh Jedwill is the Executive Director of the Heartland Mobile Council.  He also leads Mobile Anthem, an agency that activates consumers with brands.  He was a brand marketer at Procter & Gamble where he did the first mobile-integrated campaign.  Previously he worked at Palm and Kraft Foods.  He can be reached at hugh@heartlandmobilecouncil.com and followed on Twitter at @mobilebranding.

The next Mobile University educational program is a Webinar on Mobile Strategy and how to make your brand relevant through mobile.  Presented by Nissan and Critical Mass, it will be held Tuesday, November 22, 2011.  Click here for more info and to register.

Mobile marketing is all the rage these days, and with good reason. No other “channel” is quite so personal to consumers with such untapped potential to connect all the dots for marketers. Yet more current mobile executions aim to be a viral sensation than a useful tool for customers.

Join this webinar to see how Nissan is using mobile to add brand relevance to consumers’ lives and drive business results.  They will discuss how they created their mobile strategy and how mobile played an important role in the launch of the Versa, their new Millenial-targeted car.

If you missed the Mobile University 2011 Conference, you can still see Nissan’s presentation.  The Webinar is only $20 but spots are limited so REGISTER NOW.

This webinar is being co-hosted by The Heartland Mobile Council and Critical Mass, our speakers include:

About the Presenters:

Scot Cottick, Senior Manager, Interactive Marketing, Nissan

Scot has been working on digital initiatives for Nissan Motor Company for the past five years. He currently leads the charge on nissanusa.com and mobile. He was a pivotal team member of the Nissan LEAF online launch in 2010. He’s extremely focused on increasing the performance of KPIs while elevating the Nissan brand. Previously he was an Infiniti Marketing Manager with responsibilities overseeing the website and creative for digital paid media.

He has also worked on the agency side, as an Engagement Lead with Organic and a wide variety of Account Services roles with BBDO. Throughout his career, he has been devoted to marketing excellence for automotive brands as can be witnessed through numerous awards and accolades. Scot received his BA in Advertising from Michigan State University.

Amanda Levy, SVP Group Director, Critical Mass

Amanda Levy is Senior Vice President, Group Director, managing the Critical Mass Nashville office and our Nissan North America relationship. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Integration on the Dell account working across Critical Mass offices, agency partners and client groups to drive tighter coordination and improved communication throughout the teams. She also led numerous new business opportunities with key wins including: Nissan, Infiniti, Clorox, Harley-Davidson, Budweiser, and Tyco Electronics.

Prior to joining Critical Mass, Amanda served as the West Coast Director for OMD Digital where she managed the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. Some of her key clients included: Nissan, Infiniti, Apple, Sony PlayStation, Hilton and Clorox. Amanda truly understands clients’ needs since she worked on the client side for over five years at Dell Computer. During her time at Dell, she managed Dell Consumer’s online demand generation vehicles, was responsible for the site strategy and performance, and led global browse and application layer projects cross-functionally. Amanda has an MBA in eCommerce and a BA in Economics, both from Vanderbilt University.

Continue your mobile education with MobiU Webinars.  Our Fall Session will cover Analytics by InsightExpress, Research from Yahoo! and Strategy by Nissan & Critical Mass.  For those who registered for the MobiU2011 conference, the sessions are free (you will receive a separate invite).  Descriptions are below and space is limited so sign up now!

MobiU2011 Fall Session:

ANLT201 Webinar – Mobile Modes Research.

• What types of content are mobile Internet users consuming on their phones
• Where and when are mobile users typically viewing this mobile content
• What are the key motivations that drive consumers to use the mobile Internet and how can marketers optimize their mobile advertising to improve effectiveness

Click here to register.

Sponsored by Yahoo!

ANLT101 Webinar – Mobile Measurement.

Many companies never make it past their first mobile campaign because they don’t have a metrics strategy. Even when metrics are tracked how do they relate to mainstream metrics already in use? Joy Liuzzo will provide an overview of mobile metrics – what can and can’t be measured – and provide a strategy that will create solid reporting during and after mobile campaigns. In addition, she will compare how mobile performs against other channels so you can optimize your marketing mix.

Did you miss this webinar?  See the presentation here.

Sponsored by Sun-Times Media.

STRAT101 Webinar – Mobile Strategy.

by Garth Moore, Deputy Director, New Media, ONE.org

How can a movement engage with its activists online in a world that hardly sits still? You get them on the run! However, ONE – the global poverty-fighting campaign –previously encountered problems when it came to “mobile advocacy.” How do you inspire action, not donations? We always say “we’re not asking for your money, we’re asking for your voice;” but, with nonprofit mobile platforms primarily asking for SMS-based donations, it was difficult to see how we could move the masses to take action in an increasingly mobile world.

ONE had a long history with SMS-based activities that have ranged from sign-ups at U2 concerts to colleges across the nation as part of ONE’s annual Campus Challenge program. Both efforts drove in some numbers, but didn’t create the build-up  reflective of the energy and brand of a growing movement to fight poverty. ONE required a new initiative to engage our 2.5 million global members.

Fortunately, we have a truly visionary partner in @radical.media, who helped us envision an experience to take mobile advocacy to the next level. The notion was simple: create the first mass-market iPhone app designed exclusively for advocacy.  So, @radical rolled up their sleeves and designed the ONE app to help our members get the facts, get connected and create change all through one mobile platform.

@radical envisioned a cool app design and asked us to stuff it with our best online  advocacy content and tools. Members can now read our blogs, watch our videos, sign our petitions, RSVP for local events and even recruit new members right from their phones. Plus, ONE can easily update the app’s content and actions through our customized content management system.

The ONE app launched in late May and proved a hit right off the bat. Reviews in Fast Company, The Washington Post and Mashable showed us that the world of activism was ready for a mobile app that could do more than just post an article or take text donations. Video, online actions and mobile sharing tools can easily be deployed to  encourage activists to  become part of the story and engage their networks to join them.  In total, there have been more than 33,000 downloads from the iTunes store in just four months!

But, we’re far from finished.  The challenge now is to launch across the mobile web and Droid platforms. We also continue to make refinements to our application with daily updates and more personalized actions. As with any mobile developer, ONE wants to engage members to continually take an action every time they pick up their phone – wherever they roam.

Editor’s Note:  Come see Garth Moore talk at Mobile University on Friday, 9/23 at 8:30am on the Mobile & Life Panel.  He will be joined by The Economist and Blue Cross Blue Shield in a panel that will cover how mobile impacts larger life issues.  More info is here.

A few days ago the HMC asked me to write a blog post about how Mobile and Social interact, and how they play a role at Walgreens.  So I thought I’d start with a concept more than 110 years old.  Community Pharmacy is something that has been the core of the Walgreens culture since day one.  As we’ve grown we’ve expanded that community from your street corner to America’s street corner and now to your pocket.  Mobile and Social at Walgreens have three things on the brain; our customers, convenience, and community.

Our Customers- It is about what they want.  Our social media team has set up partnerships that give us access to a number of social listening platforms.  While playing in those tools we noticed that customers were regularly checking-in on foursquare at the “Redbox @Walgreens”.  After seeing this a few times, we dug deeper in found that this behavior was happening a lot.  So we reached out to our partners at Redbox and Foursquare and worked on setting up a campaign to reward those customers.  While the Free DVD rental when you check-in at a “Redbox @Walgreens” didn’t change the world, it does stand as one of many examples of how our customers are driving the experiences we’re offering.  For more details read our Director of Social Media’s perspective on the campaign: Link (  http://www.thekmiecs.com/marketing-advertising/walgreens-redbox-and-foursquare-bring-you-a-free-movie/ )

Convenience- This is nothing new to Walgreens, after all there’s a reason we have 7,700+ locations.  But the brick and mortar stores aren’t enough, the improvements to Walgreens.com and the addition of the Walgreens mobile app were the next steps.  One feature on the app in particular stands out.  Refill by Scan allows our customers to scan the bar code on their prescription bottle with their smart phone and in 17 seconds (give or take) complete the process of ordering that prescription to be refilled.  (We even text you when the prescription is ready)  The idea again came from our customers through surveys, customer service feedback, and social listening.  The original goal wasn’t traditional ROI but rather ROA (Return on Amazing), let’s do this because it is an amazing feature.  Of course as it turned out a year and a few awards later, Refill by Scan has become a big ROI win for us.  For more information about the Walgreens Mobile App go here: Link ( http://www.walgreens.com/topic/mobile/apps/learn_about_mobile_apps.jsp )

Community- Coming back to the start of this post, Community Pharmacy is important to us.  Your pharmacist is someone you trust and rely on.  They play an important role in the health of a community.  Currently, thru 10/8/11, when you check-in on Foursquare or Facebook places and you’ll be donating a flu shot to someone in need.  We are then allowing our Facebook community to vote on which charities will receive each portion of the flu shot vouchers.  For more info on Walgreens’ current check-in campaign go here: Link (http://www.thekmiecs.com/marketing-advertising/check-ins-that-make-a-difference/ )

With those simple concepts in mind, at Walgreens we’re working to make shopping and staying well easier and more convenient… on your computer, on your phone, even on Facebook.

Thanks for listening,

Zach West

by Sam Jemielity, Director of Content – Digital, Playboy

The internet age has resulted in a seismic shift of a decades-long dichotomy between what was traditionally considered “editorial” versus “advertising.” Traditional forms of advertising—the one-page ad in a magazine, the 30-second spot on TV—struggle to reach audiences as DVRs cut out commercials and people access information online or on their phone.

I’ve spent 10 years creating content for brands like Playboy, AOL, People, etc. The content I created had what a traditional journalist might call different degrees of “purity.” At times, I created something purely for the editorial relevance or “coolness” of the topic. Sometimes an advertiser was paying the bill and wanted their product or their message integrated.

But to me and my creative team, the goal was exactly the same: Create something that our audience engages with. I don’t care what the motive or who is paying the bill, I want the audience to be entertained, edified, given something of practical use. In recent years, I’ve seen a huge influx of advertiser-sponsored content online that blurs the line between editorial and advertising, often in incredibly clever ways where the client gave the creative team huge leeway with the representation of their product. Consider the series of hysterical Absolut ads created by Zach Galifianakis, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.

Absolut Vodka gets absolutely abused in these commercials. Absolut’s willingness to let their product to be involved in this type of campaign, I think, is a product of a brave new world of advertising where old maxims (Always treat our product with utmost respect, our message needs to be summed up in 30 seconds or less, etc., go out the window).

And this “ad” is an online only campaign, as well. Absolut wouldn’t run a five-minute skit on TV, and it would be extremely difficult to convey what Zach and Co. achieve here in a print ad. Absolut created content that is specifically tailored to the medium.

As the medium of consumption changes from print to the internet to mobile, brands will need to adapt once again to a new medium and devise new methods of reaching consumers. A magazine reaches a reader once a month or once a week, tops. An internet site can reach a visitor several times a day, potentially, depending on how much time they spend in front of a computer. A mobile application can reach a cellphone user anywhere they go, any time.

This reality changes the playing field for anyone who wants to reach a consumer today and in the years to come as more and more people will access brands via their phone. It changes not just how you reach your audience technically but what you reach them with, the content you create.

I came from print journalism into the internet game in 1999, in the halcyon days of the net. The biggest hurdle in getting brands or even print journalists to adapt to the web at that time was getting them to accept that the internet medium is a different animal. Now, just as many brands are just getting comfortable with the internet, mobile rears its head. Statistics suggest that in a few years, more people will access the internet via phones than computers. So smart brands and agencies need to start planning now for how they reach those consumers on their phones. Expect to try and fail, but better to get that experience now than sit on the sidelines.

See Sam’s lecture on Mobile Content at Mobile University, 9/23 at 9:15am and 10:15am.  View video footage of him from our QR Seminar in August.

Sam is Director of Content for Playboy’s Print/Digital group where he develops content strategy focused on brand building and generating subscription and advertising revenue. He also leads the creative team of producers, writers, designers, photographers and videographers in executing content strategy across multiple digital platforms. He oversees all creative for Playboy.com’s marketing and ad sales businesses, supervising digital campaigns to support Playboy’s subscription businesses as well as top entertainment and lifestyle brands such as Budweiser, Electronic Arts, Sony, Fox and Axe.

Sam has previous stints in print and digital media at Playboy.com, People magazine and AOL.com. He has a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Chicago and a Masters of Arts from Rutgers.

By Matthew Saleski, Group Vice President- Marketing and Business Development, Sun-Times Media

Quick Response (QR) Codes have made quite the splash in the U.S. in the last year. It doesn’t matter that they were originally developed in Japan in 1994 as a way of tracking vehicle parts; they now have a broader application, and specifically here in the States.  Consumers are discovering them, marketers are beginning to use them (some better than others), and technology providers are struggling to deliver the right business model.

Is there a window opening or closing relative to this opportunity to connect traditional media and other sources to mobile?  That is the question I’m excited to explore as I present “TECH121:  2D Codes” at Mobile University 2011 next week.

As a precursor to that class session, it’s worthwhile to frame the opportunities, as well the challenges.  Let’s start with the end-user experience.  QR codes are appearing everywhere—from Times Square billboards to popular consumer focused magazines and newspapers.  They are in ads pitching consumer packaged goods, expensive cars, dealerships, homes for sale.  You name it.  Some ads go so far as to tell the user how to download a reader, along with an expectation of what they’ll experience when they scan the code (“Exhilaration, ” one breathlessly promises, “..Recipes and coupons,” another didactically states.)  What none of them are able to address, though, is consistency both in terms of a standard reader (some readers only with certain codes) and—just as important—a valuable experience when the user scans the code.

From an advertiser’s vantage point, simply having a QR Code either on packaging, or in traditional advertising creative, can implicitly signal that “with it” perception.   But, the key is building a unique value proposition for the user.  That is, assuming the user has the right reader in the first place, (s)he should be rewarded with a mobile experience that offers high utility and/or entertainment.

Kay Slaven, Senior Manager for Digital Marketing at Kraft Foods, echoed the preceding point.  Working with all the brand groups at Kraft, Kay makes sure she understands not only the brand’s objective in using the code, but also takes into account nuances such as package life.  For instance, if a brand doesn’t change their packaging for a long time, they need to be very clear that long term support will be there for QR Codes.  Kay brought this perspective and more to the HMC Seminar on QR Codes on August 10th  [click here to see video of her].

Another consideration—one near and dear to my heart—is metrics.  Specifically, what can media and technology providers deliver in terms of measurements, and what do clients want to see? How do the broader issues related to privacy impact this?

I truly enjoy leading Business Development at a local multi-media powerhouse like Sun-Times Media. Providing solutions to these questions is what we’re all about.  Linking our still enormous print reach to our ever-growing mobile business represents a strategic opportunity for us, but more importantly for our users and advertising partners. I’m excited to expand on this discussion on September 22^nd.  Hope to see you there!

- Matthew Saleski

Matthew A. Saleski is SVP of Marketing and Business Development for Sun-Times Media.  He joined Sun-Times Media as Vice President of Marketing in January 2010. He has an extensive background in online, media and corporate marketing. Prior to joining Sun-Times Media, he was Strategic Account Director for Yahoo! Inc., where he was responsible for major corporate clients including Kraft Foods, Mars/Wrigley and PepsiCo. Formerly, he had been National Sales Manager-Yahoo! Display/Search. Prior to joining Yahoo! in 2007, he worked for Getty Images as Group Sales Director-Premium Accounts and Research.

Mr. Saleski also spent five years with the Tribune Company and prior to that worked for Kraft Foods and Ford Motor Co. Mr. Saleski has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan-College of Engineering.

Editor’s Note:   Matthew Saleski speaks at Mobile University 2011 on September 22 at 1pm and 2pm.  See a video of him talking about QR codes here.  He will be joined at MobiU2011 by speakers from many other marquis brands like OfficeMax, Discover, Cars.com, Crate&Barrel, Allstate, Playboy, Nissan and more.

By Matthew Saleski, VP Marketing and Business Development, CRWN (powered by Sun Times Media)

Turning what has been called a “newspaper” company into a leading local media company has had its challenges.  Changing perceptions among our audiences and clients—and even our employees— has been one of the most difficult– but rewarding– aspects of my job.  As Vice President of Marketing and Business development, I wear many hats, but I think about our business by focusing on three basic objectives: 1) content (build it in a way that is both relevant and utilitarian), 2) audience (grow it while gaining key insights), and 3) monetization (both 1 and 2 “don’t play if we don’t pay”).  All that said, QR Codes came across to me as an interesting strategy to finally be able to stitch together traditional and digital media to accomplish all 3 objectives.

In my humble opinion, QR Code acceptance is dependent on consumer adoption, delivering a valuable user experience, and granular metrics.  We kept that in mind as we developed our advertising program, and segmented it by category.  But, we also wanted to understand other uses and benefits that could be gained from using QR Codes for other applications.

It’s no secret that Sun-Times Media has been hard at work both in a B2B rebranding effort entitled, “Chicago Region-Wide Network (CRWN)”, but also backing up the implication that we are “shiny and new” with innovative programs and processes, which now include QR Codes to connect our print assets with our explosively growing mobile channel.   One program, in particular, the Sun Shine Project, is a shining example (forgive the pun) of how CRWN will deliver the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust’s (which is a 501 (c) (3) entity) message to an audience of 54% of the Chicago DMA, specifically:

— The Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust provides financial support to organizations that help the city’s youth to reach their highest potential by targeting programs that address their needs and empower them with skills necessary to evolve into literate and responsible adults.

— The Charity Trust will award up to $500,000 in one-time cash grants during a unique public event launching in August 2011.

— The Sun Shine Project will leverage interactive software for the first time to “Crowd Source” parts of the grant process.

— The program will have three distinct phases:

1.  Nominate.  During this period of a few weeks, Sun-Times Media will be encouraging our large audience and charitable partners across the Chicago DMA to nominate their favorite charities that comply with the Trust’s guidelines.  QR Codes will be leveraged in all traditional media channels, particularly print, to drive users to the our mobile-optimized web site, which is in beta until late August.
2.  Vote.  After the nomination period ends, we will be now encouraging Chicagoans to vote for their favorite charities.  Again, QR Codes will take a key role in giving on-the-go users the ability to make their voice heard.
3.  Promote.  After all the votes are in and tabulated, Sun-Times Media will heavily promote the charities who will be receiving grants. QR Codes will allow anyone to see a full list of those charities.

QR Codes are a great bridge between the traditional print world and the new digital mobile world.  Using them we can leverage the visual and emotional impact of print and provide a digital outlet that allows people to take immediate action when they otherwise might forget.  QR Codes and their cousins 2D Codes may evolve to play an important role in how we connect audiences, channels, and ideas.  With them, I can think of no more important idea to shine a light on than on the incredible, heartwarming work that many local charities do to increase Education/Literacy, Arts & Culture, and Social Services.  The Sun Shine Project campaign, replete with QR Codes, will do just that.

Beta Image of the Sun Shine Project Website

Matthew A. Saleski joined Sun-Times Media as Vice President of Marketing in January 2010. He has an extensive background in online, media and corporate marketing. Prior to joining Sun-Times Media, he was Strategic Account Director for Yahoo! Inc., where he was responsible for major corporate clients including Kraft Foods, Mars/Wrigley and PepsiCo. Previously, he has worked for Getty Images, the Tribune Company, Kraft Foods and Ford Motor Co. Mr. Saleski has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan-College of Engineering. He was named in early 2011 to Board of Advisors for the Chicago Innovation Awards (www.chicagoinnovationawards.com). Matthew also sits on the board of directors of the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust and is a member of the CMO Club.

Note from The HMC:  see and experience how CRWN is using mobile to engage people in the charity giving process on August 10th. Matthew moderates a panel with Kraft Foods, Playboy, Microsoft and Spyderlynk on how QR/2D codes can be used to help your business/brand. Click here for more details.

by Ben Wiener, co-founder of Tees at Risk

Tees at Risk is not your typical t-shirt company. For starters, we’re one of the first apparel companies to become a certified B Corporation, on account of the money we give away to youth nonprofits for every t-shirt we sell. Secondly, our fabulous designers are not (yet) Madison Avenue stylists, but instead are at-risk teens who submit artwork to us from around the world. And finally, our shirts are not merely static works of art – each shirt tells the story behind its design and artist, using a QR code printed on each shirt.

My partner Richard Kligman and I founded Tees at Risk in 2010 after having worked together to start a technology company a few years before. Both of us have experience as volunteers with troubled youth, and we believed that because many of them suffer from low self-esteem, finding new ways to help talented but troubled kids feel better about themselves could have a positive impact.

Our company’s primary goals are to give at-risk youth a positive outlet for their creativity, and to distribute as much money as possible to selected charities that focus on helping disadvantaged youth. Our triple-bottom-line approach creates a unique “cycle of benefit” whereby our artists feel good not just about their artistic expression but also about their ability to help generate funding for nonprofits through their creations.

QR codes are an integral part of each of our designs. We print a unique QR code on the front of each of our t-shirts; when scanned with a smartphone, the code opens a webpage that includes the “back-story” of the design in the youthful artist’s own words. The webpage also features the nonprofit that we’ve chosen to benefit from sales of that design, as well as links to our website and Facebook page. So if you see someone wearing a Tees at Risk t-shirt, you can just scan the QR code to instantly learn about the “story behind the shirt” and then immediately share that story with your friends via Facebook, and buy the shirt at our online store.

In the few months since our launch, we have produced engaging t-shirt designs that benefit stellar organizations such as the National Runaway Switchboard (based in Chicago), NY Youth at Risk, and the Youth for Technology Foundation. In addition to our “retail” designs, we have also produced custom designs for organizations, where our teen artists serve as a virtual design studio to create the organization’s staff or volunteer t-shirts; in those projects as well, we donate a portion of our revenue to a youth non-profit. Our unique designs and business model have already been noticed by influential media, MTV, and even country music star and youth advocate Jimmy Wayne.

We’re looking forward to continuing to grow and tell more unique stories, and QR codes will be an important part of that storytelling effort.

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NOTE FROM HMC:  See and buy the Tees at Risk shirts and scan their QR codes at the HMC MobiU Seminar on QR codes, August 10, 2011. Click here for more information.

Website: www.teesatrisk.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teesatrisk

By Chuck Martin
Author, The Third Screen

In 1974, at a Marsh’s Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, a 10-pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum was run through a hand-made laser scanner, for a sale of 67 cents, according to Wrigley’s.

That pack of gum marked the beginning of the UPC barcode era, where these ubiquitous codes have helped track the sales of many billions of items and speed shoppers through checkouts.

While there’s a role for these series of black bars and numbers in the mobile world, there’s an even bigger potential role for a newer model, though not a replacement for the trusty old UPC barcode. While the UPC barcodes carry traditional information and pricing related to one specific product, mobile transports those and other codes to a new dimension.

This new barcode for mobile is the 2D barcode. While the traditional UPC barcode is one dimensional, read from left to right or right to left, a 2D barcode is read in two dimensions, right to left and top to bottom. The codes are essentially square rather than rectangular like UPC barcodes. They also look better than UPC codes and can be less intrusive on product packaging.

And as in any other new medium, there are varying versions of 2D barcodes, some with different characteristics and purposes. Anyone can search the Web and find a site where a person can create a free QR (Quick Response) code that can link to their website, include a phone number to call or a number of other functions. There are companies that will print these codes on a shirt, put them on a business card or just let you have them do whatever you want with them.

Different 2D codes can look different from each other. A QR code, for example, has to be printed larger than some other 2D codes to be readable by the average phone camera, which may be a consideration for a business intending to add 2D codes to millions of packages. There are several different barcode companies and approaches, such as SnapTag from Spyderlynk, RedLaser, Microsoft Tag, Jagtag, ShopSavvy and ScanLife from Scanbuy.

[Learn more about QR Codes from The HMC's MobiU Seminar, Q&A with QR Codes, July 21st, at the House of Blues Chicago]

The 2D Barcode Platform

Scanbuy is one of the oldest of the 2D barcode companies. Like other 2D barcode readers, Scanbuy’s ScanLife reader can read other codes besides its own. It has been used all over the world and has active operations in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Spain, Italy and Denmark.

These 2D codes will play an increasing role in the marketing and sales of products because they often are at the closest location to a purchase.

The Scanbuy system provides businesses with all the data from the scans so they can see the number of scans, the date, time of day, location and demographics, such as age, gender and income. (We used a ScanLife code on the back cover of my book The Third Screen).

The value of using a 2D platform is the amount of information that can be captured as well as disseminated, since the code can be linked to any type of marketing material.

As is typical with platforms in the mobile industry, the data is captured by Scanbuy and the brand accesses their data through the platform.

Many companies of all sizes are using 2D codes in a number of ways. Following are some examples of how some clients of Scanbuy have used 2D barcodes.

• Heineken printed EZ codes on their six-packs of beer. When scanned, and age verified, an app called Breathalyzer could be instantly downloaded. The idea is that if a friend has had too much to drink, the person with the Breathalyzer has them blow into the phone microphone, which shows that the person has had too much to drink. The person then selects from a list of characters (The Sleeper, the Groper, the Flirt, etc.) the one most likely to fit their particular drinking friend and then a humorous video showing that character in action is played.

• Sears placed 2D codes on more than 400 different shelves for individual products. Each code linked a shopper to product specifications, consumer reviews, and an option to purchase. Thousands of shoppers scanned the codes, giving the sales staff another opportunity to interact with the customers.
• Transantiago placed thousands of codes throughout Santiago, Chile, as small stickers placed on each bus stop, where commuters could sometime endure lengthy waits for a specific bus without knowing its location. The code linked to information about the current location of that specific bus by using GPS locators already on the buses so they could see when the bus would arrive.

• CB Richard Ellis used codes on signage for commercial properties. The codes linked directly to a mobile page for that property with current pricing and agent contact information.
• American Airlines placed 2D codes on outdoor media in major airports in the United States to drive users to its mobile site while in the airport to provide real time flight status, gate information, and a reservation portal.

• Morgan’s Hotel Group promoted its 25th Anniversary with a code that linked to a special discount of 10 percent off select stays and information on its hotel properties.

• Volkswagen placed 2D codes on the national brochures for its GTI and Golf. Each code linked to a different experience including a driving video, additional photos and a connection to VW’s soccer affiliation.

Chuck Martin is author of The Third Screen (Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile), from which this is adapted, and CEO of Mobile Future Institute.

Note from The HMC:  There are many “guides to QR codes” on the web today.  Most are hacks who have just done web research and perhaps done thin executions.  Chuck Martin is a market researcher who has talked directly to many brands who are using QR codes today.  His knowledge of mobile eclipses most of the so-called mobile experts touting the latest mobile fad.

[Learn more about QR Codes from The HMC's MobiU Seminar, Q&A with QR Codes, July 21st, at the House of Blues Chicago]

SOLD OUT!!!  Check out our Conference September 22-23 and sign up to get updates on new speakers and events.

SEE.  FEEL.  TOUCH

You see them everywhere in the past few months.  Those funny looking squares printed on signs, flyers, billboards and even the side of trucks.  These QR Codes, or Quick Response Codes, can be used like a computer macro to deliver a variety of information whether a video, website, contact info or even a phone call.  Are QR Codes and their cousins, 2D codes and image recognition, the new shiny object?  What value can they provide to you as a marketer?

Join the Heartland Mobile Council at One Sixty Blue as we present an educational experience on this latest mobile trend.  Reasons to attend:

• SEE.  Kraft Foods, Playboy, Microsoft and Jagtag will increase your mobile IQ with case studies and advice from real marketing experiences.  They will help you see how these codes and image recognition by phone can be used in your marketing plan.
• FEEL.  Demos of how charities, arts and entertainment have used QR Codes to help consumer feel their connection in a stronger way.
• TOUCH.  The venue, One Sixty Blue, is a highly rated upscale restaurant and is co-owned by Michael Jordan.  It will have a special QR experience for everyone to “touch.”

The total experience will provide you with a much stronger understanding of how QR codes impact you, your company, your brand, your consumers and your life.

Registration now open!  Click here

Partial proceeds will go to Tees at Risk, a non-profit charity that markets t-shirts featuring innovative and thought-provoking designs by current and former teens at risk. Each t-shirt has a QR code that tells the story of the teen artist. We will be selling Tees at Risk t-shirts at the event along with a custom t-shirt that goes to a Chicago teen charity.

AGENDA

6:00 – Reception, Art Demos, Networking

6:30 – Demo of how Sun Times Charity Trust is using QR codes

7:00 – Moderated Panel Discussion with QR code experts (bios posted below)

Kay Slavin, Sr. Mgr Digital Marketing, Kraft Foods

Sam Jemielity, Director of Content, Playboy.com

Adam Shapiro, Business Development Manager, Microsoft Tag

Jane McPherson, CMO, JagTag

8:00 – Reception, Art Demos, Networking

Registration now open!  Click here

Sponsored by The Chicago Sun-Times

Speaker Bios

Kay Slaven, Sr. Manager Digital Marketing, Kraft Foods.  Glenview, IL.

Kay Slaven leads the planning and development of digital marketing for Cheese, Oscar Mayer and the Beverages business units. She is working to help the brands change the conversation with their consumers and deepen the relationship between them.  Kay wears many hats leading digital strategy, search, emerging media trends, digital education, agency relationships, social media and mobile marketing. Under her leadership and tenure, Kraft Foods has developed a comprehensive consumer engagement strategy for several brands including Philadelphia, Velveeta and Lunchables.

Kay has more than 10 years experience as a brand marketing communications expert in both traditional and digital media.  Before joining Kraft Foods in 2008 she worked at Sara Lee leading digital and media efforts across all the brands.

Sam Jemielity, Director of Content, Playboy.com, Playboy Enterprises.  Chicago, IL.

With stints in print and digital media at Playboy.com, People magazine and AOL.com, Sam Jemielity is now the Director of Content for Digital in Playboy’s Print/Digital group. He oversees all creative for Playboy.com’s marketing and ad sales businesses, supervising digital campaigns to support Playboy’s subscription businesses as well as top entertainment and lifestyle brands such as Budweiser, Electronic Arts, Sony, Fox and Axe.

Adam Shapiro, , Business Development Manager, Microsoft Tag.  New York, NY.

Adam Shapiro is a veteran of the mobile snap/scan sector, having worked for the past four years for SnapNow, Spyderlynk and currently for Microsoft Tag.    Adam has been point person for some of the largest campaigns in this space, with brands such as Coty Prestige, Barnes & Noble, Bud Light and Lowe’s.  Prior to mobile, Adam worked in tv news, and considers himself a “recovering” journalist after stints at WNBC, WCBS and other stations around the country.  Adam lives in Montclair, NJ with his wife and young daughter.

Jane McPherson, CMO, SpyderLynk.  Denver, CO.

Jane McPherson joined SpyderLynk in 2007 as CMO – just ahead of SpyderLynk’s market launch of the SnapTag. Prior to joining SpyderLynk, Jane spent 15 years in both brand and product marketing leadership positions at high growth innovation savvy companies including Anheuser Busch, Quiznos and award-wining marketing agencies where she been responsible for media planning and buying, advertising, international brand launches, product development, shopper marketing, brand building and account management.

Matthew Saleski, VP Marketing & Business Development, CRWN (Sun Times Media).  Chicago, IL.

Matthew Saleski will be the panel moderator and has an extensive background in online, media and corporate marketing. Prior to joining Sun-Times Media, he was Strategic Account Director for Yahoo! Inc., where he was responsible for clients like Kraft Foods, Mars/Wrigley and PepsiCo. Previously, he has worked for Getty Images, the Tribune Company, Kraft Foods and Ford Motor Co. He was named in early 2011 to Board of Advisors for the Chicago Innovation Awards.

Dear Friends:

I am so sorry that I could not join you for the HMC’s May 19^th event, Recycle Your Phones with the Inventor of the Mobile Phone, but I wanted to share a few thoughts with you. First of all, thank you so much for participating in our “Recycle to Eradicate Poverty” program. I know you may be thinking, “How can recycling address poverty?” Please let me explain.

Chiapas International was formed in 2003 as a “Circle of Friends” that had heard about microfinance and how very small amounts of money could provide opportunity to people living in extreme poverty. Our first project was suggested by the Grameen Foundation in Washington. They hoped that our group would adopt the small MFI (microfinance institute) AlSol in San Cristobal, Chiapas. They hoped that we could raise $780,000 for them to scale to the next level. We agreed and the funds were raised by the summer of 2005.

Our next step was to accept a $3.3 million dollar campaign to be completed in three years. To accomplish such a large goal, our small grassroots group needed to be creative. One of our volunteers told us of a company that recycles cell phones and would pay us a small amount for each phone. We visited with the company; Phoneraiser’s CEO, Richard Gonzalez and agree to join the program.

Since our loans might be as small as $50 or $60 dollars, we knew that every phone recycled could be translated into loans-“small phones for small loans.” Thus the program “Recycle to Eradicate Poverty” was born. To date, we have raised almost $40,000 dollars from the phones.

Since I am unable to join you in Chicago, please allow me to share a small story with you. In November, I traveled to the Dominican Republic to visit Esperanza International, a group that we support. I met a woman whose husband had died from AIDS and after his death; she learned that she was HIV positive. She had two children, no work, no food, and no hope for providing for her children. Then she was invited to a meeting with Esperanza and was told she could take a small loan. She bought bags of rice and beans and made a very tiny little store in the front room of her house. The neighbors began shopping with her and she was able to pay the loan back very quickly and bought more, adding water and other necessities.

On November 9^th, she looked at me and smiled as she said, “Now my children eat everyday, I am so happy.” I was delighted for her and gave her a hugs. As I walked away, her words playing back in my mind, she said, “My kids eat everyday”…she didn’t say they eat three times a day, or even two but they have food everyday. Her loan allowed her to provide for her children. No more tears having to go to bed hungry, she was now a business woman, and her family will continue to receive the benefits of every loan. Life will improve step by step as she takes her first steps up and out of extreme poverty.

So, your cell phones, working or not, outdated or not still have “power”…power to change lives. So, on behalf of everyone associated with Chiapas International, and the clients that we serve, thank you!

Sincerely,

Tricia Medrano Bridges

President & CEO, Chiapas International.

By Martin Cooper

In the coming years, the ability to communicate wirelessly will engender several new revolutions, specifically in regards to health care. Cell phone technology will provide the basis for a radical change in the way health care is managed, in order to improve the health and quality of life for all.

Although many people have annual physical examinations (I get an annual every five years), without a personalized health benchmark, doctors can only compare the results of a physical with those of a “typical” person. But we are all different from one another, and data that is normal for one individual may represent a serious problem for another. So just imagine if doctors could conduct physical examinations by analyzing an individual’s data with a computer that has sensors to alert doctors when there is even a trace of disease. With such a technology, we could change our health care system from one that cures diseases to one that actually prevents diseases. We could help people live longer, and with a much higher quality of life.

Of course, there are obstacles to achieving this dream that may take years and much work to overcome. These challenges include:

·         Conversion of our health care system from fee-based to results-based
·         Radical change in the regulatory and legal establishment
·         Enormous improvement in the sensitivity of the requisite sensors
·         Adoption of unified patient records
·         Availability of a very low cost communications transport system that is secure and friendly to medical data
·         Creation of the analytical algorithms that are needed to interpret the diagnostic data downloaded from people

Now, achieving the technology aspect is relatively easy. More difficult, and requiring serious focus, are the human behavioral issues related to realizing such a change. Technology alone will not solve the health care problem; school leaders, health care practitioners, employers and most importantly consumers will all need to embrace new attitudes and habits for change to happen.

Despite these challenges, we are already seeing the development of valuable medical applications based upon wireless technology, especially in the treatment of people in rural areas and in emerging countries. But before we can completely eliminate disease, significant improvements are needed in the sensitivity of the sensors that detect precursors of diseases, which are essential in detecting warning signs of major diseases such as cancer, heart failure or diabetes. This process alone will likely take at least thirty years, but in that period medical research will have made great strides in disease prevention. We will have a new generation of bureaucrats, lawyers, and doctors who will bring new attitudes into the health care system, and with such developments, the possibility of change is very real.

In this regard, thirty years may be ambitious, but then, I have always been an optimist.

About Martin Cooper:
Martin Cooper invented the mobile phone in 1973 in Chicago while working for Motorola. As the story goes, the first public cell phone call was made to his competitor at Bell Labs. At the press conference for the launch of the first commercially available mobile phone, he was asked about talk time of the phone; his reply was “It’s only 20 minutes, but that’s not a problem, it’s so heavy you can’t hold the phone to your ear that long!” He continues to innovate and publicly speak through DYNA LLC, the company founded by Martin and his wife, Arlene Harris. For more information, visit http://www.dynallc.com/. Follow him on Twitter: @martymobile.

The HMC welcomes Martin Cooper back to Chicago’s mobile community on May 19th at the Google Chicago office.  Click here for details.

BREAKING NEWS – May 18:  The Art Institute of Chicago will be exhibiting at the event, demonstrating how they are using mobile to connect with their patrons.  See their Impressionist apps, how they interact with kids with iPad “sketching” and how their tour guides use iPads to assist in their tours.

===================

Join the Heartland Mobile Council and Martin Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone, at the Google Chicago to help raise awareness and money for women in poverty. Bring your old mobile phones so that Recycle to Eradicate Poverty can recycle it and send proceeds to the Grameen Foundation which microfinances female entrepreneurs in third world nations.

It will be a night of networking, discussion and possibilities that will help bring the Chicago community together. Through your attendance, the entrepreneurs and businesses of the Second City can help the women entrepreneurs of the Third World.

Early bird registration is $20 and ends May 6th. After May 6th tickets will be $35. The HMC will donate profits from this charity event to the Grameen Foundation.

To Register Click Here

The Grameen Bank was founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammed Yunus. It helps the “poorest of the poor” in developing countries. Microfinance is a proven means of addressing and breaking the cycle of poverty in many cases. Their initiative, Recycle to Eradicate Poverty, gives people everywhere a chance to help change lives by recycling used cell phones/PDAs and ink jet cartridges. Something you no longer use can change somebody else’s life, for good!

Event Details:
Topic: Recycle Your Phones with the Inventor of the Mobile Phone: and help micro-finance women in poverty
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011
Time: 6:00pm – 9:0pm
Location: Google Chicago, 20 W. Kinzie St.

To Register Click Here

Sponsored by Google and The Chicago Sun-Times

More about Recycle to Eradicate Poverty:

Recycle to Eradicate Poverty energizes organizations to collect used cell phones/PDAs and inkjet cartridges to be recycled. The proceeds from those recycling efforts are used to provide microfinance loans as small as $50 to women entrepreneurs to create a small business, which can eventually sustain her family. For more information, please visit http://recycletoeradicatepoverty.com/

More about the Grameen Foundation:

Today more than 250 institutions in nearly 100 countries operate microfinance programs based on the Grameen methodology. Dallas based, Chiapas International has contributed over $4,480,000 for microfinance in Latin America and the Caribbean in partnership with the Grameen Foundation in Washington.
http://recycletoeradicatepoverty.com/

More about Martin Cooper:

Martin Cooper invented the mobile phone in 1973 in Chicago while at Motorola. As the story goes, the first public cell phone call was made to his competitor at Bell Labs. At the press conference for the launch of the first commercially available mobile phone, he was asked about talk time of the battery; his reply was “It’s only 20 minutes, but that’s not a problem, it’s so heavy you can’t hold the phone to your ear that long!” He continues to innovate and publicly speak through, DYN LLC, the company founded by Martin and his wife Arlene Harris. For more information, visit http://www.dynallc.com/. Follow him on Twitter: @martymobile

More about Heartland Mobile Council:

The Heartland Mobile Council is a Chicago-based non-profit whose mission is to educate brands on how to use mobile marketing effectively. The HMC is a safe forum for marketeres and companies to learn how to use this new marketing channel to grow their businesses and enrich their brands. For more information, please visit http://heartlandmobilecouncil.org/, or follow us on Twitter @heartlandmobile

Early Bird extended to April 8th 10am to accommodate the surge in demand.

Consumer acceptance of the iPad and the recent introduction of iPad2 has caused competitors to react with more than 700 tablets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. As a B2B or B2C marketer, you are confronted with a variety of decisions regarding your approach to the tablet market. The Heartland Mobile Council is here to help you navigate these new challenges. Join us on April 13th at Upshot in Chicago to get an update on the Tablet market and hear from B2B and B2C marketers regarding their strategy for tablets and the success they have achieved so far.

Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Time: 5:45pm – 8:30pm
Location: Upshot, 350 N. Orleans St., 5th floor, Chicago, IL

Sign up now! Early bird registration is only $35 but ends April 8th at 10am. Click here to register.

AGENDA

5:45 REGISTRATION

6:00 TABLET LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW

David Albert, SVP of Interactive for Upshot will be presenting an overview of the tablet landscape. David joined Upshot in 2009 when the agency acquired his interactive shop Emerge Digital. He works closely with Upshot clients—Kraft, P&G and Hilton Worldwide—on interactive marketing initiatives to help develop strategies, best practices and overlying vision.

6:30  B2B STRATEGY & CASE STUDY

Greg Goodman, Senior Product Manager from the SAVO Group will be presenting the strategy and results that the SAVO Group has seen following the introduction of their B2B iPad application. The award winning application combines proven sales and marketing best practices to address all aspects of the Sales Enablement challenge – spanning people, process, content, and technology.

7:00  OPEN DISCUSSION & NETWORKING

The evening will conclude with an open discussion to give you an opportunity to ask questions of our speakers. Attendees will be encouraged to share their thoughts on the future of tablets and what your experiences have been to date with tablet applications, both good and bad.

Early bird registration is only $35 but ends April 8th at 10am. Click here to register.

ABOUT THE PRESENTING COMPANIES

Upshot (upshot.net) is a Chicago-based marketing agency that strives to engage consumers through simple ideas brilliantly activated with a focus on brand, promotion, retail, regional and interactive marketing. Clients include Procter & Gamble, Crown Imports, Hilton Worldwide and Kraft Foods to name a few. Upshot interactive marketing delivers relevant brand experiences that entertain, inform and resonate, inspiring consumers to share interactions with others—wherever and whenever they use a screen.

SAVO is the industry’s leading provider of Sales Enablement solutions, which deliver the right materials, information, and subject matter expertise to improve sales productivity and sales effectiveness. SAVO’s on-demand, collaborative Sales Enablement software opens up lines of communication across a company, connecting people with the best sales materials, tools, insights and expertise to help them work more efficiently. That knowledge is delivered to sellers when they need it most, enabling more effective sales conversations. The combination of real-world client experience, an innovative consulting approach and award-winning technology uniquely positions SAVO to deliver practical solutions to enable the entire sales organization.

By Vanessa Horwell, Chief Visibility Officer, ThinkInk & HMC Director PR

Tablets have been touted as hybrid devices, filling the niche that existed between the laptop PC and the smartphone. While this may be true (just don’t tell that to anyone that was on the netbook wagon a short while ago), for marketers, the tablet is essentially a mobile device and should be treated as such – in my opinion.

With some tablets, this is a natural association to make; many look and function like souped-up versions of their manufacturers’ top-tier smartphone. But the most popular tablet, the iPad, has been positioned as unique from any existing mobile device, and so marketers have approached this platform with strategies that differ from those utilized with the mobile channel.

This, however, is changing, and as tablets become more popular will continue to change.

Part of the reason for this evolution is a gradual refinement in marketers’ approach to mobile marketing. Just a few years ago, bilateral communication, through voice or SMS (text messaging), was the pinnacle of mobile marketing. Now it is a truly rich environment, hinging as much on native apps as on the burgeoning mobile web.

While direct marketing continues to be effective, it’s no longer the only tool in any company’s marketing kit. Tablets, without the universal capability for voice and SMS communication, are the beneficiaries of this fleshed-out mobile marketing ecosystem. Many of the strategies aimed at the smartphone-owning market also translate to the tablet-owning market; rich native apps, access to the mobile web, and the combined capacity of a device that can both be taken on the go and features the computing power comparable to a laptop are all extensions of a robust mobile marketing strategy aimed at tablets.

Which, of course, leads to the other part of the reason that the tablet market will (and should be) considered a mobile market: the tablets themselves.

Since the iPad was introduced last year, the trend has been toward more, not less, direct connectivity. Apps have been developed to augment and improve the ability of most tablets to function as one-to-one communication devices, and every tablet features the critical portability aspect. The prevailing impression of tablet computers may be as couch-bound entertainment devices, but in reality, they’re built for the proverbial road.

Marketers ought to be capitalizing on these two aspects of the tablet trend. Location awareness should figure in heavily in tablet marketing strategies, just as it represents a fast-growing tactic in most mobile strategies. Apps that access the mobile web will eventually take precedence over native apps, just as that evolution is underway in the mobile sphere. Payment via tablet should become as prevalent as payment via smartphone, and tablet apps should become as monetized through placement and advertisement as mobile apps are.

By accepting that the tablet is the latest mobile technology to engage consumers – and not a ‘third-way’ niche product that necessitates a reinvention of the marketing wheel – marketers can begin to leverage this category to its fullest.
Of course, not everyone will agree with my view that the tablet is indeed a mobile device. What’s your take?

Come to the HMC’s Tablet Seminar on April 13th to learn more and continue the discussion! Click here for details.

Vanessa Horwell is the Chief Visibility Officer at ThinkInk and one of Mobile Marketer’s Women to Watch.  Check her latest blog on mobile here.

SxSW Interactive will have 25 mobile panels scattered from Friday, March 11 – Tuesday, March 15. Topics range from the newest mobile technologies like NFC (mobile payments) to how to reach mobile consumer like Hispanics. Great environment for marketers, brands and agencies to learn about the latest in mobile technology and trends. Click HERE for a filtered list of mobile events. Click HERE for registration.

Designing for Mobile Web

The presentations have been posted Here for attendees to view.

The Heartland Mobile Council is pleased to announce a seminar on Location Based Services.  There is a lot in the press about LBS potential, check-in apps like Facebook Places, Foursquare and Shopkick.  The promise of location based coupons is always mentioned.  But what is the reality vs. the hype?  What does this mean for managers of retailers and brands?

The session will be opened by Chris Miller, EVP, group management director, Digital at DraftFCB, who will paint the landscape of location based services from a marketing perspective. He is followed by three industry leaders pushing the LBS envelope – Google, Slifter and Placecast.

Drew Mitchell, Head of Industry, Local for Google, will discuss Google’s current LBS initiatives and address where LBS is heading. Google recently announced $1 billion in mobile ad sales confirming the importance of mobile for advertisers. Alistair Goodman, CEO of Placecast, will discuss the creation of geofences and how North Face has successfully used them to execute promotions. Alex Muller, CEO of GPShopper will discuss LBS within mobile applications. GPShopper has created applications for several retailers including Best Buy and Express. The speakers will also address a number of timely topics related to LBS including:

• Check-in apps such as Facebook Places, Foursquare and Shopkick
• Mobile couponing
• The use of LBS in mobile marketing
• Metrics (or lack thereof)
• Moving engagement beyond early adopters
• Privacy issues/concerns
• Hype versus reality

The session will conclude with a one hour roundtable discussion during which the speakers will answer attendees’ questions.

Get your tickets early.   The last mobile we co-produced with the AMA sold out.   Space is limited to just 80 attendees.  The conference will begin at 3:00 PM and will conclude at 7:00 PM. A networking reception will be held immediately following the event from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM.  Cocktails and appetizers will be served.

Early bird registration ends Tuesday, 10/12/10.  Click here to register.  Any questions please contact Steve Snyder, VP of HMC Seminars at steve@heartlandmobilecouncil.com.

Join the HMC and the American Marketing Association for a marquis mobile event, September 23rd at Google’s offices. Learn about mobile marketing from Google, OfficeMax, Playboy and Sara Lee.

Register here, http://cama-september2010.eventbrite.com/

Get an HMC discount with this code: Referral-0910

MOBILE: MARKETING ON DEMAND

Mobile has been awkwardly fumbling along for the better part of a decade. From badly-designed devices, to less than ideal user experiences, to an absence of any real application, mobile has nearly always been a well-deserved after-thought. Until now. As mobile technologies become more common-place and consumer adoption surges, these little smart devices now represent an enormous opportunity to connect with consumers, providing value on their terms, not ours as marketers.

Come join a distinguished panel of marketing professionals currently actively engaged in various mobile marketing activities, peeling back consumer usage behaviors and current best practices to deliver consumer value and marketing engagement. Bring your mobile phone for live engagement!

Program Summary

Mobile Technology Demonstration Tables
Come early! Learn how different mobile technologies can be used by personally interacting with them. Open until formal event program begins.

Today’s Mobile Industry Overview
* State of Mobile Overview. Hugh Jedwill, CEO – Mobile Anthem
* Google’s State of Mobile. Drew Mitchell, Head of Industry – Google

Brand Case Studies in Mobile
* Julie Krueger, SVP/eCommerce and Direct – OfficeMax
* Korhan Beba, Sr. Brand Manager, State Fair – Sara Lee
* Paul Gelb, Director, Mobile Practice Lead – Razorfish (JC Penney case study)

Roundtable Discussion
* Julie Krueger, SVP/eCommerce and Direct – OfficeMax
* Korhan Beba, Sr. Brand Manager, State Fair – Sara Lee
* Paul Gelb, Director, Mobile Practice Lead – Razorfish
* Rob Sprungman, Sr. Account Executive – Google/AdMob
* Moderated by Dave Schneider, VP/Global Marketing – Apollo Group, and Hugh Jedwill

Register Today, or call (312) 280-0449!

by Nick Fotis, Product Manager, Cars.com

Lost amid the frenzy of the iPad’s launch was an indictment of one of its ancestors. The laptop, nearly twenty years old, is no longer considered a “mobile” device. This isn’t news to anyone who’s lugged a laptop (certainly older models) across an airport, but in fairness to the device, while the laptop isn’t as context-friendly as a tablet or smartphone, it’s hardly an anchor.

This contradiction raises a couple questions. First, what qualifies a mobile device?  The question was asked at the HMC’s Mobile University: is the iPad a mobile device?  The conference was mixed in its replies.  Given the uncertainty her, is it fair to not include laptops in this category? We must be fairer to laptops than to lump them in with desktop towers. Perhaps laptops aren’t mobile devices, but are they portable devices? Next, is there enough of an intuitive difference between the terms “mobile” and “portable” for those not immersed in the mobile category (whose understanding is necessary when selling business cases for mobile projects into an organization) to understand?

While not a revelation, attention must be paid. This isn’t a debate about what truly is, or is not, a mobile device. The larger issue revealed is that language standards haven’t made their way to the mobile category. Who else has struggled to find a short, intuitive way to refer their mobile website versus their (wired, www, desktop, full) site?

While rapid mobile adoption is forcing businesses to develop for the mobile channel, how much easier would it be for businesses to adjust if there were, simply, more accurate language standards for the category?

Here are a few areas where I’ve experienced confusion – my own or my conversation participants:
·         To the IT crowd, an application can be software that helps a user perform a task.  To the business crowd, “applications” now refers native software products that run on mobile devices.
·         Applications that frame a website within a shell – choose between hybrid/web/pseudo apps
·         iPhone vs. Apple devices – how many times do we say iPhone, when we really mean iPhone and iPod Touch?

By no means are the examples discussed here a comprehensive catalog. Who owns the responsibility to establish these standards? How best can they be communicated? Rapidly changing technology only increases the challenges. Think it’s hard to explain the difference between a native app and a hybrid/web app now – wait until HTML5 makes the functionality impossible for the user to differentiate.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau is doing their best to address standards for mobile, but their hands are full identifying language for advertising products and measurements (no small task). This type of change must happen the grass roots level. Those of us who are responsible for driving mobile strategy within our organizations must not only manage the products, but must establish consistency in the way mobile is discussed internally or to external customers.

As the sole individual dedicated to mobile  in my organization, I believe a third of my responsibility should be dedicated to educating my colleagues about the mobile category. Internally, each time I present I spend time discussing vocabulary. With all scorecards and other internal information I distribute, there is a section dedicated to language. In conversations, it’s challenging to remain disciplined. However, it’s necessary. With a customer base that includes over 16,000 dealers, all major auto manufacturers and their agencies, our salespeople encounter vastly different starting points of mobile knowledge. Providing a consistent vocabulary provides a stable base for their discussions.

Have other examples of language challenges with mobile, or how you’re addressing them? Please share them below.

Nick Fotis is Product Manager at Cars.com and on the HMC Leadership Team.  He heads the HMC group, “Products/Brands in Mobile,” which provides a ’safe zone’ for managers/marketers to discuss mobile marketing issues without any sell-side interference.  You can catch him talking about the importance of mobile at Cars.com at the HMC’s Mobile Marketing event on June 30th, 6pm, in Chicago.  Click here for more info and to register.

The Heartland Mobile Council™ (HMC) today introduced its industry-leading mobile marketing case study library as part of the launch of the non-profit organization’s new website.  The site will launch with four case studies with fresh content added on a regular basis.  This is provided free to the public in keeping with the HMC’s mission to educate marketers on mobile and grow the industry.

With the mobile marketing industry still in its infancy, there is a significant lack of case study content showcasing successes.  The HMC looks to ignite the industry by providing a score for every case study and the opportunity for readers to provide feedback.  The HMC Case Study Library will be unique because it will be the only place that marketers can come to find case studies that all have quantified results and ratings. It will help them justify a mobile marketing initiative for their own business or brand.

Each case study is carefully reviewed by the HMC Best Practices task force and scored based numerous benchmarks that include creativity, call to action, compliance and value proposition.  The HMC Best Practices task force will also provide recommendations and comments based on our industry expertise.  Brands and agencies are encouraged to submit case studies to the HMC Best Practices task force for review.  Visit HMC Case Study Library and feel free to download any case study that’s of interest.

Dirk R. Rients – Director of Best Practices, Heartland Mobile Council™

The Mobile Insider Summit is a three day event that brings together the brightest minds in Mobile marketing to share leading-edge information and experiences in a think-tank environment while exploring new technology, strategies, and tactics for effective use of Mobile as a marketing vehicle.

For the Summit we bring in top marketers responsible for mobile strategies and budgets for their companies to network, debate, and collaborate about marketing using mobile. Attendance for the Summits are capped to ensure conversations, learnings and overall experiences are intimate, productive, and highly useful.

The Mobile Insider Summit offers far and away the most robust attendee experience and the benefits from the experience lasts long after the show ends.

For more details and registration, click here.

Mobile-marketing represents tremendous potential for revenue generation and is one of the fastest growing marketing channels. But as with many new opportunities, there are many challenges, including navigating through a sea of statutes, regulations, and case law to avoid litigation or even liability. For instance, potential damages under the TCPA alone represent an ominous specter in this new advertising space. Attorney Blaine Kimrey of Lathrop & Gage in Chicago has advised numerous clients with respect to mobile-marketing compliance and has been involved in dozens of TCPA direct and class actions. Blaine will address the potential pitfalls of mobile-marketing and methods to reduce risk.

Following Blaine’s presentation, Nick Fotis, Product Manager at Cars.com will discuss the impact of mobile to his business. “Given the importance of information to car shoppers, mobile is a necessary channel for us,” he says. Cars.com has increasingly focused on mobile with an iPhone app and mobile website that have become critical to their business.  In addition, for the last two Superbowl ads (2010, 2009), the plotline includes visuals of the Cars.com’s mobile website.

If you are a marketer, you cannot afford to miss these presentations. The Heartland Mobile Council is committed to presenting educational seminars to enable attendees to maximize mobile marketing for their company. Food and refreshments will be served. The forum will take place at the offices of the Acquity Group, 500 West Madison, Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60661 For more information, contact Steve Snyder, Director of Seminars for the Heartland Mobile Council. Steve can be reached at steve@heartlandmobilecouncil.com. You can purchase tickets at http://hmclegal.eventbrite.com.

On the heels of the launch of Google Buzz – which is all about mobile social networking – a new study from Ruder Finn confirms that “social” is a top mobile priority.  Americans are spending an average of 2.7 hours per day on the mobile Internet – connecting socially, managing their personal finances, and even as a means for advocacy. Ruder Finn’s first-ever Mobile Intent Index studies mobile phone user habits and explores the underlying reasons – or intent – people have for accessing the mobile Internet: http://intentindex.com/mobile.

The Shift Towards Mobile and Shopper Marketing

Last spring, a shopper marketing agency spoke at a conference about mobile marketing.  I was excited because I thought I had found someone who knew the space well.  And who could join me in helping to educate marketers/agencies on how to use mobile in-store.  Unfortunately, a closer look revealed that they had no background in mobile.  So these two “experts” with no meaningful mobile experience were talking to a crowd about how to use it in retail.

This was only the beginning.  I know of three other shopper marketing agencies who are infusing mobile into their offerings as a core strategy.  It seems that ordaining someone the mobile “expert” is sufficient to make it a core competency.  Whether these agencies can pull it off is not the big issue in my mind.  My concern is what happens when most of these programs meet with mediocre success.  Or worse, when they hurt the business or piss off the consumers.  And what the agencies are advising their clients about the capabilities of mobile in the retail environment – and how do they know what to say?

The reality is that mobile marketing is very, very good at creating purchase.  It can alter the power equation from the retailers back to the consumer goods companies.  TV too expensive to place in all but the key Walmart locations?  That’s ok, mobile can deliver video straight to your consumers phones while they’re in the store.  Can’t secure enough shelf space to deliver your branding and value proposition?  No sweat, you can send messages, video, slideshows and engaging quizzes, surveys, sweepstakes, coupons through mobile.

Are you reliant on your retailers to communicate with the shopper?  Problem solved.  Mobile creates a link direct to your consumer.  For the segments that you care about you can have a conversation directly with them.  If you worry that the retailers’ staff can’t possibly sell your products as well as you can, these complicated feature/benefits can be transmitted over 3G networks.

I’m a big fan of mobile marketing’s potential in-store.  I think the first brands to reach their consumers this way will enjoy great advantages.  At the same time I worry that there are many agencies out their touting their mobile expertise when it isn’t really true.  So check with your agencies and find out how long they’ve been executing mobile.  Who is their expert and what are his/her credentials?  Do they have a team dedicated to mobile?  These questions will help you make sure your brand is in safe hands.  Your consumers and your sales will thank you.

- Hugh Jedwill
CEO, Mobile Anthem
Executive Director, Heartland Mobile Council

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As someone from the multi-channel, analytically driven marketing technology world, I bring a unique perspective to mobile.  Just like traditional digital marketing used to be about banner impressions and click through, so too does mobile marketing seem fixated on these broad and difficult to value approaches.  In the absence of such clear value, both reach and price seem to be the primary variables marketers use in choosing to approach their customers via mobile (if not also the novelty factor).

I joined Interactive Mediums recently to help the company articulate and realize a vision that focuses on the value of mobile interactions, not just the reach promised by devices carried by virtually every person in the world.  While technologies, metrics and marketing approaches evolve around this idea, all are centered on collecting customer data that should inform more relevant ongoing dialogues with customers.  Creating a Mobile Customer Data Asset I believe is a logical first step toward this end, and is something I have blogged about extensively here http://blog.interactivemediums.com/.

While the industry moves toward more defined metrics and standards for mobile marketing success, marketers need to embrace a process that uses customer data gathered via mobile and other channels to drive richer, more fulfilling customer experiences, and ultimately more business/sales.  Too many approach the mobile medium as a one off exercise as opposed to an interaction channel that may soon become the only one that matters.

I am excited the Heartland Mobile Council holds a similar vision for the industry, and agree that demand for mobile marketing products and services can be spurred by promoting the heartland as a proving ground of sorts for mobile.

Gib Bassett, Director of Marketing, Interactive Mediums

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One common question that I get from clients after they’ve learned Mobile 101 is:
I know I should be doing Mobile … now what?

Now that you understand how mobile can help you reach your customers in a targeted and personal way, forming a strategy to integrate mobile with your brand’s communication strategy can be daunting. The key to success for your mobile campaign isn’t necessarily using the latest technology or releasing an app with a sexy design. Start by identifying the business problem that you are trying to solve. Once you have your business goal in mind, then you can plug in the appropriate mobile solution.

Here are some examples of brands using mobile to solve a business need and the mobile solution they’ve selected to deploy them:

Brand – Benjamin Moore

Goal – Brand Engagement

Benjamin Moore released a free iPhone app (ben Color Capture) to capture color, which can then be matched and coordinated with Benjamin Moore paint colors. This fun, intuitive app allows customers to interact with Benjamin Moore’s paint colors and find nearby stores to make their purchase.

http://www.geeksugar.com/3182153

Brand – Jaguar

Goal – Lead Generation

Jaguar uses mobile as a lead gen tool to increase foot traffic to dealerships, offer product brochures and opt consumers in to its SMS database. By integrating short codes into several media channels like print, television and outdoor, consumers can easily find their nearest dealership by texting “JAGUAR” to 24442: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/advertising/3376.html

Brand –  MLB.com

Goal – New Revenue Stream

MLB.com’s At Bat 2009 iPhone app brings live streaming baseball games, real-time updates and schedules to fans on the go. The $9.99 download not only excites sports fans but the app opens up a new sales model for struggling media groups.

http://www.mlb.com/mobile/iphone/

Brand – American Airlines

Goal – Communication and / or support channel

Many airlines like American Airlines understand that travelers may not be near a computer before upcoming flights. By creating a WAP site, like www.aa.com/mobile, customers may view flight reservations, check in to flights, view flight schedules and status and much more. Mobile boarding passes are even available for some flights.

http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/urls/mobileBoarding.jsp&anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=mobileboarding

Expanding your brand’s communication channels to use mobile may include hot new technologies but at the end of the day, we need to solve business goals. Ultimately, it’s a lot of fun to pour a beer or create a fart sound but with smaller budgets and taller performance targets, brands need to think of mobile as more than a branding tool and plan their campaigns with performance in mind.

Molly Garris

Digital Direct Marketing Manager, Arc Worldwide .. an affiliate of Leo Burnett

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As mobile technology becomes mainstream, we at The Heartland Mobile Council see more and more consumers utilizing their mobile device for a lot more than just sending a text message or making phone calls.  People are reading emails, watching videos, updating their Facebook or Twitter status, using search engines to gather information, playing games and lots more.

Mobile markeitng is very similar to online marketing.  The mobile device can be used for transactions or service alerts…such as weather updates, bank account updates, or a simple order confirmation.  SMS (short message service), shortcodes, and direct mail are other examples of mobile marketing through direct response.

We continue to see case studies of marketers shifting their dollars to connect with consumers or prospects on the mobile platform.  Here in Chicago…I recently passed a billboard with Kayne West on it asking for people to text a shortcode to get more information and where to buy his new CD.  Another example is when I was recently traveling to Texas, my airline sent me a text message saying that my flight was delayed and provided me with a new gate number.    These are just a few examples of companies communicating with me via my mobile device.

The talk of the town in the mobile space is privacy.  If you are going to communicate with your consumers, you better make sure that you have their permission and that they have opted-in to receive messages from you.  You can seriously tarnish your brand by sending out messages to people on the mobile device that are irrelevant and without their consent.  Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft said it best.  ”We use three screens every day…our television, computer, and mobile device.  Our mobile device is the only one that we carry with us at all times.”  Our mobile phone is very personal…heck some of you won’t even share it with your signifcant other.  If consumers sign up to recieve alerts on their mobile device…it means that they are very interested and engaged.  Use this to your advantage!

Here are just a few helpful tips to get you started with mobile:

• Make mobile a bigger part of your campaign…mobile alone will not work
• Start asking your consumers who are already engaged with your brand for permission to market to them via their mobile device
• Create a mobile optimized version of your website (WAP)
• Make it viral
• Have clear opt-out instructions
• Be relevant
• Put some thought into your message (160 characters)
• Set a strategy and expectations

Dirk R. Rients – HMC Founding Member

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As a prior brand marketer at Procter and Gamble, I have many conversations with my former colleagues about mobile. Every marketer I talk to from Pepsi to P&G from Kraft to Kellogg’s knows about mobile and that there’s huge potential there. But they don’t take it seriously.

Why? Because despite the huge press it receives, the mobile space is still a mystery. Their agencies don’t know what to do with it. The mobile technology companies they talk to don’t know how to make mobile relevant. If they look for best practices they will find plenty of case studies but few with quantitative results. Furthermore, there are no metrics to measure mobile’s effectiveness. It’s a black box with none of the hallmarks of a mature advertising medium.

If you think of “mobile marketing” as a brand, it has great brand awareness. There are over 270 millions mobile phones in the U.S. alone so it’s hard to not notice. Consideration is no longer an issue either. In just the last six months there has be a marked increase in mainstream media coverage of mobile marketing, particularly iPhone applications. Even trial is not an issue. Of U.S. online advertisers, 67% have at least dabbled in mobile marketing.[1]

Our issue is getting repeat. Only 8% of online advertisers are invested heavily or have mobile as a big part of their budget.[2] Ask any marketer and they would love to have two-thirds trial. Ask them again what would happen if their brand only got 8% repeat.

The question is how do we get repeat? We have to provide marketers with the information and support systems that allow them to commit to mobile. Not just case studies of other big brands, but ones that show real, quantitative results. Not just Click-through rates and opt-in rates. These have no meaning to marketers. What’s needed is an industry group that will educate and create meaningful benchmarks and metrics.

To date, the mobile industry groups that exist, help support those within the industry. The MMA does the necessary work to build guidelines and structures with the carriers and mobile companies. But no one is talking to the marketers who will invest money into mobile campaigns. The HMC will address this gap and release the stop gates that prevents whole scale adoption of mobile into brand marketing plans. Without people and organizations like HMC, adoption of mobile marketing will be as slow and painful as the last 15 years of internet marketing. With “history” so close, we should be able to learn and do better!

- Hugh Jedwill, Executive Director, Heartland Mobile Council

____________________________________________________________________________________________

2 ibid

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