Ritsa- Foxwoods

A few months ago, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Foxwoods for the night. Walking around, I noticed a kiosk-type device close to the wall that allowed you to enter to win contests just by typing in your phone number. After that you receive a confirmation text to your phone. Little did I know that I would keep receiving "promotional" texts about events going on Foxwoods for months in advance. I occassionally receive texts promoting events such as concerts, celebrity appearances, and bar specials.

Denis - iPhone OS 3.0 Software

On March 17, Apple presented the blueprint for iPhone OS 3.0, the next version of the world’s most advanced mobile platform. In addition to previewing its innovative features, Apple gave members of the iPhone Developer Program immediate access to the iPhone OS 3.0 software beta and an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 completely new APIs.

With the new SDK, members of the iPhone Developer Program can build applications that do even more. Developers will have the tools to enable in-app purchases — like subscriptions, additional game levels, and new content. They can also create apps that connect peer to peer via Bluetooth, communicate with hardware accessories, and use the Apple Push Notification service to provide alerts.

Maps

You can now embed maps within your applications using the new Map Kit framework. Map Kit works with the Google Mobile Maps Service and features panning and zooming, custom annotations, current location and geocoding.

If there's one thing the iPhone OS 3.0 preview has emphasized, it's just exactly how big the iPhone platform is, and how much room there is still left for growth and expansion.


This thing is just huge! Unlike the two years previous when it was non-existent, Apple's iPhone platform is now the hottest mobile platform in the world with over 30 million iPhone and iPod touch devices out in the wild. That figure has brought over 50,000 paying developers (with over 800,000 free iPhone SDK downloads) to Apple's door. So far, they've written more programs in just eight months than the Windows Mobile platform and its third-party developers have seen to date in over nine years. At the same time, Apple's software bazaar is nearing the one billion download mark, enabling even a small guy to become rich overnight with only a moderately successful iPhone app.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/41758/141/

David- How Marketers Plan To Invade Your Phone

I haven't put much thought into the rapid growth of the mobile industry but it's growing and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There are people out there that want a fair share of this Mobile market and according to a cnnmoney.com "Big marketers certainly seem interested in the opportunity: Car makers, movie studios and other deep-pocketed companies have started testing the waters of mobile marketing, and research firms estimate mobile advertising could be a $1 billion-a-year market in just a few years". That's a lot of money that I sure wouldn't mind being a part of.

Cell phones are here to stay especially with the new features that are being added to phones, IPHONE alone has thousands of things you can download to the phone, a book being one of them. You can go on the Internet, write emails, check facebook, myspace, whereas before these things all had to be done in front of a PC, now its right in the palm of your hands.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/14/magazines/fortune/mehta_pluggedin_mobilemarketing.fortune/index.htm

Kristen - Mobile Marketing on my Blackberry

It seems like everyday there's a new application that I can add to my Blackberry. Tons of different websites have mobile applications so that people who use Smartphones can tap into their favorite websites and get the latest news updates, scores and much more. Currently I've been on an application downloading spree and recently put Google, Facebook, ESPN, SoccerNet and the Red Sox applications on my phone. I may not completely need these all the time, but Google does come in handy when you're in the middle of Brooklyn and have no idea where you are--you can access Google Maps and find your location and get directions with the click of a button. I think in the future mobile marketing is going to easily become a huge trend, as it already has. People love things that make their life easier, faster and more "on-the-go" friendly--this is just one of the many ways to make that possible.

Shane - Mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing has increased dramatically over the recent years. With the creation of the iPhone and other smart phone devices that display the Internet as it would on any computer, it has only become easier to invade cell phone space with paid advertisements. I used "Free 411" last year. Trying to avoid charges to my cell phone I thought I would take a few extra minutes, listen to the advertisements while I wait, and get the same thing I would from dialing 411 directly. That didn't exactly go as planned. Instead, my phone would constantly receive text message advertisements from this so-called "Free 411" which cost me money to receive since they are sent out of network. Never again will I be calling that number.
It is becoming a reality, however, that we are easily reachable via cellular devices. Since cell phones increasingly evolve into hand-held computers they are now being treated as such by advertisers. The biggest marketing ploy thus far is the iPhone Apps. Granted, most of the apps are pretty cool and, if I had an iPhone, I would have many of them. But many of the apps, just as computers do, have advertisements in the corners of the screen. The yellow pages, for example, or Google Maps, all have advertisements along with your search results. After all, if it looks and act like a computer, why wouldn't it be treated like one?

http://www.straightupsearch.com/archives/2009/03/mobile_apps_mar.html

Kristin- Stop & Shop jumpstarts mobile marketing

I don't know if you've noticed lately, but if you've been to your local Stop & Shop you may have seen a display like the one below when you walked in.

So you may be asking yourself what it is, or are just too scared to try the new technology. Stop & Shop has launched these new mobile "scan it" devices in many of their stores. It's really quite simple and easy to use. When you walk in, you scan your Stop & Shop card and one of the scanners will light up for you to take and use.

As you shop, you simply scan the barcode of the item you want with the device and it will appear on the screen. There is then a button you can press to add this item to your cart. Once you scan the item you place it in your shopping bag. If you decide you no longer want the item you can easily remove it from the list as well. I really enjoyed using the device because you get to bag your groceries as you shop. When you're done shopping, you simply proceed to the checkout and scan a barcode at the register, swipe your credit card or pay cash, and you are on your way. So you may be wondering how you purchase bakery items or fruits and vegetables...worry not. Stop and Shop has placed barcodes near these items as well that you scan or weigh your vegetables and the scale prints out a barcode for you. Below is an example of the barcode found in the bakery area.

Also, as you walk up and down the aisles, your hand held scanner will beep and alert you of special discounts in that aisle. Since you scan your Stop & Shop card at the beginning, the device is aware of your previous shopping habits and as you shop you may notice many coupons appear for items you frequently buy. For example, when I was shopping my scanner kept alerting me of a discount on bottled water since I usually buy a case whenever I'm there. The whole system is really quite amazing to think about how marketers are really individually targeting each consumer.

Sue H--G-20 activists and Twitter

Political activists have long been early adopters of the newest technology---and the latest must have gadgets for the group include Facebook & Twitter. Since the dawn of the printing press--where activists used print to quickly spread their message and unite en masse--to the recent Obama campaign, technology has always played a key role in social activism. Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody" and an expert on the social and ecomomic effects of Internet technologies, states that the groundbreaking event for online campaigning was the 1999 WTO protest in Seattle, where tens of thousands of activists descended on the city. Internet advances ---particularly mobile technologies--have made it dramatically easier to organize large groups of people in protest. These types of technology allow instant, on-the-ground, mass communication. This was blatantly apparent @ the G-8 protests in 2007, in Germany, where large groups of people identified a security breach in the police blockade and relayed the information within seconds to protesters, enabling them to outmanuever police. Far more people today are digitally connected, making it easier for groups to assemble and dissipate quickly. For the most part large-scale protests organized online have been peaceful--but the WTO, and G-20 protests do have a history of turing violent--something that worries some activists as the week unfolds.

Krista - iPhones in India flop

According to a BusinessWeek article yesterday, iPhones are not selling well in India which can be an indicator that they won't do well in China either.

Apple's iPhones have been sold in India since last August but sales have been very low given the 20 million new customers that Indian cell-phone providers add each month. The price may be a consideration as the iPhone is 1/3 the amount as the new Indian-made car, Nana costs. At $700 each (price is determine by local partners, not Apple) it is expensive compared to $199/mo with a 2 year contract in the U.S.

The article also mentions the slowing global economny as a factor and that the iPhones can be unlocked and used on competing networks.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2009/gb2009041_266236.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_global+business

Kerry- Mobile Marketing

Verizon, AT & T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile have agreed to to improve mobile marketing by working with the Mobile Marketing Association to lower costs for marketing and lead to a more consistent user experience. While working with the MMA to streamline the the process of getting marketing content out to the users.

The rule has 5 objectives:
- Promote a consistent consumer experience
- enhance efficiencies for marketing campaigns using short codes
- cut the time to market for campaigns
- ensure consistent monitoring and auditing
- cut operational costs

This all came about when users had been tricked to subscribing to services from text messages and jokes. They were charged on their bill for these services. They are looking to get subscribers approval or an opt in/opt out procecuders in place.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162224/us_carriers_join_to_improve_mobile_marketing.html

Liz - China

Regarding Google and China - Google is fighting hard to dominate in China and surpass its #1 rival, Baidu. The downside to Google's new music offer is that the music may not be the latest release considering most record companies will wait before sharing music & profit w/Google. Baidu currently has a music sharing feature, mostly illegal since Baidu is being sued by a number of record companies. To stay ahead of Google, I imagine Baidu will approach most record companies about a new music sharing deal. And most will partner w/Baidu - they have more to gain with a partnership and by sharing profits.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/31/google-baidu-music-markets-equity-china.html


On another note, I thought it was interesting that the Chinese web portal and social network operator Tencent financially relies more on the selling of virtual goods rather than advertising . It sells about $750million in virtual good a year - instant messaging upgrades, wallpaper, etc. Online advertising is a very small portion if its overall revenue (10%). This is a little outdated but 88% of Yahoo's total revenue in 2006 came from marketing.


http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/19/china-social-media-tencent-technology-paidcontent.html