MobileBehavior's Next Great Thing

Microsoft’s Bing Builds Mobile Search With User Behavior in Mind

2009-12-03T22:50:47Z

Yesterday Microsoft released an internal study that explains how people are increasingly using ‘virtual’ systems to get things done in the ‘physical’ world. Based on these results the company hopes to use Bing to improve this experience, helping people decide what to wear, where to eat, and what the safest medicine is to take. They plan to do this outside of the traditional keyword to URL search by connecting with services like their new Bing Maps.

To enable their new behavior-focused search everywhere, Microsoft also constructed a Bing app for Windows Mobile. The functions used to keep the designers on track included typing less, mapping your way, acting locally, and getting quick answers. While Bing is no threat to Google’s search, we approve of their focus on user behavior in developing a better product.

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Truth in Advertising: To Sext or Not to Sext? LG’s PSAs with James Lipton

2009-12-02T19:17:11Z

LG has a new series of commercials featuring James Lipton, the host of Inside the Actor’s Studio. Positioned as public service announcements, these ads urge teens to “give it a ponder” before sexting or spreading Gossip Girl-style texts.
This particular ad features a teen boy, Stephan, who is having a “steamy back and forth text with his girlfriend Zoë” and is about to send her a “pic of his junk.”

While the ad is worth watching just to hear Lipton say these words, do they ring true?

The warning seems to be justified. According to a survey fielded by TRU:

18% of teen boys and 22% of teen girls say they have sent/posted nude or seminude pictures or video of themselves
71% of teen girls and 67% of teen guys who have sent or posted sexually suggestive content say they have sent/posted this content to a boyfriend/girlfriend.
36% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say it is common for nude or semi-nude photos to get shared with people other than the intended recipient.
38% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have had sexually suggestive text messages or emails— originally meant for someone else—shared with them.

So what did teens think? Rebecca Cullers at AdFreak did a (very) informal opinion poll:

My husband happens to have a whole class of 9th graders who saw the ads during homeroom. What did they say? “Why does she have a beard? I don’t get it. That’s retarded.”

Perhaps Lipton’s beard-scratching pontification isn’t as well-known amongst the under-30 set, but now they will likely know him as “the old guy who says ‘tweets about his piece’ in that weird commercial.”

Truth in Advertising is a running series of television commercials that portray consumers using mobile technology in their everyday life. They take a look at how brands are demonstrating our want and need for mobility. Click here to view previous entries.

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Mobile Marketer | Mobile Marketer’s Mobile Women to Watch 2010

2009-12-01T16:46:05Z

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/classic-guides/4747.html

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San Francisco State University Mobile Media Class

2009-12-01T16:36:53Z

Michael Matthews,
5:10pm,
San Francisco State University, CA,

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Path/Presence: IKEA’s “Augmented Reality” App

2009-12-01T18:42:44Z

If you build it, they won’t come. Every good mobile marketing campaign includes not only a “mobile presence” (e.g., an app or a mobile site) but just as importantly, a “mobile path” to discover it. For example, this path could be a keyword/short code, a QR code, image recognition, a “send to a friend” option, even a link on a Facebook page.

In this series we’ll be analyzing a mobile campaign by looking at these two key factors: Mobile Presence (i.e. what and where is it?) and Mobile Path (i.e. how do you find it?)

First up is IKEA’s Einrichtungskamera (translated as “Camera Body” or Portable Interior Planner) application. It was launched in Germany and ran from February through August of 2009.

Mobile Presence

Key Insight: People lack imagination, at least when it comes to visualizing furniture in their homes.

Technology: While this is being called “augmented reality,” it technically uses a more simple layering functionality. This application is optimized for all handsets and not more feature-heavy smartphones.

As explained in MobiAd:

Using the camera from the consumer’s mobile device, the application lets the user visually place pieces of furniture from IKEA’s new PS collection in their homes.

In the application are images of as many as eight pieces of furniture. The customer selects the product they are interested in, and then selects “Take a Picture”.
The user aims the phone’s camera at the area of the room where the furniture might be placed.
The image of the room appears on the phone screen, along with the superimposed IKEA furniture. The furniture can be scaled larger or smaller to make it fit better in the scene.
The user can take a picture of the final scene then save it on the phone, or send it via MMS directly from within the application.

(photos via MobiAd)

Mobile Path

According to MobiAd, IKEA made the mobile application discoverable in three ways:

In-store posters asked consumers to text in and receive a link to the mobile download site via SMS.
IKEA launched an online microsite (via the IKEA official site) on which consumers could enter their mobile numbers and receive the SMS with the WAP link.
Bluetooth pillars were installed in certain IKEA stores in Germany, which periodically sent out signals to nearby phones inviting the subscriber to download the application.

IKEA saw an average user response of 5.21 percent via the in-store Bluetooth post, the application was requested by SMS in-store a total of 6,800 times, and the IKEA PS microsite saw a unique user base of 15 percent, according to MobileMarketer.

Takeaway

Mobile augmented reality is getting a lot of hype, but it’s still limited to advanced smartphones. This application could achieve scale while still delivering a “Wow” factor AND utility. The three-pronged approach towards discoverability was also certainly key to its success.

Texting in via SMS should be standard to any campaign that hopes to reach the masses. An online presence is also a must-have (though it can be a simple call-out on an existing website). Bluetooth will vary by region, but in Germany it is standard on phones and consumer acceptance has been increasing enormously over the past couple years in Germany (there was a 70% increase from 2008-2009). According to our colleagues at Proximity, general acceptance is high–about 60%.

Of course, the success of any of these paths is always dependent on the attractiveness of the promoted product, the perceived value of the message, the performance of the technology and an eye-catching call-to-action.

[Via MobiAd]

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NTRGlobal Enables Remote Access Via Mobile App, Funds TreeLink

2009-12-02T00:17:43Z

NTRGlobal operates a large network of remote access and web conferencing systems, supporting their organization-level and IT support clients with remote computing control software. Moving their services to a mobile application is a natural step for NTRGlobal, which they have done with the release of NTRConnect. Recognizing that their service reduces excessive business travel, NTRGlobal has taken the opportunity to partner with TreeLink, an organization aiming to support urban forestry and the development of green cityscapes. For each download of NTRConnect, $1 is given to TreeLink’s TreeBank funds.

From Pepper Provenzano, founder of TreeLink:

We’re delighted to work together to introduce a new form of online philanthropy that will establish and grow TreeBanks for new locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. NTRconnect Remote Access eliminates or reduces discretionary travel and, combined with the additional benefits of a healthy and well-maintained urban tree canopy, cities around the world will see immediate and long term benefits.

[via Mobiltor]

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Five iPhone Apps For A Fashionable Black Friday

2009-11-26T00:51:43Z

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the biggest shopping event of the year. CNET came out with a roundup of iPhone Apps for Black Friday shopping, which included a handful of popular mass retailers that rocked 2009. For those who would rather avoid the big crowds, but crave designer labels on sale this is for you. Here are five iPhone apps for the fashionable and mobile-savvy shopper.

“Lucky At Your Service” is the iPhone app introduced by Conde Nast’s Lucky magazine that retrieves the inventory of retail stores. The app shows products based on category, such as shoes, and lets shoppers browse by type of shoe, brand, color, or size. Typing in a keyword, like “Diane von Furstenburg patent pump” and clicking the “Find It Near You” button will utilize your GPS or zip code to determine which stores in the area have the item available. Shoppers can make an online purchase or place the item on hold at the store.

“Teen Vogue Haute Spot” is Teen Vogue’s answer to shopping on the mobile. The iPhone app is an extension of the magazine’s pop-up retail store, the Teen Vogue Haute Spot, and has been running for two years. Teen Vogue created a brand experience that their teen readers crave. “It is as if you’re walking into the store and closets of Teen Vogue,” said Laura McEwen, Teen Vogue publisher. The app enables users to peruse the apparel and beauty products found in the store and click to buy them.

We previously mentioned Seventeen Magazine’s Fashion Finder iPhone app which allows users to search for local availability of clothes, shoes and accessories by style or price point. Once the Seventeen Fashion Finder tracks the item down it will notify you by text message and place the item on hold until you visit the store.

Gilt Groupe launched “Gilt on the Go,” an iPhone app for shoppers to literally follow the website everywhere they go. On the app shoppers can preview when the sales start (diligently at noon), shop, and purchase all on your mobile phone. It also sends sale alerts to your mobile so you will never miss an opportunity to shop for your favorite designer.

Barcode scanners are great for competitive price shopping. RedLaser is a barcode scanner on the iPhone and you can scan the item’s barcode and the app will access a range of prices, information, and even online reviews of the product.

The Gap recently held a contest to create a Gap iPhone app with a concept that was closely modeled after a live shopping experience. The top five winners can be found here.

It’s apparent that an increasing number of brands (and magazines) are creating mobile apps to make connections from the product to the consumer. From “purchase now” to “try on later,” all the mobile apps mentioned have a different call to action. Does this make shopping easier? Is it enough to replace an actual shopping trip, a one-of-a-kind experience that some refer to as “retail therapy?”

Janice Momoko Chow is a freelance strategist and writer in New York City. She writes Momoko Mashups and for PSFK, a global innovation consultancy that spotlights new ideas and trends in consumer and business culture.

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