perspective

This post on Alltop today reminded me how concerned I am about the lack of perspective that snippets and soundbites provide. Scanning my tweets this morning and seeing $50B in all the tech tweets, I was in awe. Then, along came this tweet putting things in perspective - literally. Sure, $50,000,000,000 is a lot of money but when you put it in PERSPECTIVE - it's not all shock and awe.

I just hope people take the time to put things in perspective even when the article isn't forcing them to do so.

i checked-in and all I got was this lousy blog post

During a recent vacation to Seattle, L.A. and Tahoe to visit family a friends I decided to experiment with the top L.B.S applications (location-based services) a.k.a "check-in apps" and conduct unscientific research on my non-tech savvy family and friends to explore how my perception of the services meshes with reality. Being an avid reader of technology and emerging media tweets, blogs, rants, raves, articles, etc., etc., it's very difficult to filter perception from reality. I thought this would be a good opportunity to do so.

The check-in apps I used:

• foursquare
• SCVNGR
• Yelp
• Facebook Places
• Gowalla

Realities:

Working in technology and living in Manhattan (where foursquare started) increases the likelihood that you'll know the word 'check-in' isn't just related to flying or ATM machines.

Living in Manhattan makes one more apt to know what foursquare is, period.

Foursquare is a powerhouse brand, not a powerhouse app (yet).

SCVNGR is not "cool" but it's well designed and kind of fun.

Yelp is highly integrated with other useful features, i.e. restaurant reviews and locations.

Gowalla..I mean the name kind of speaks for itself - I'll be nice and just say it has an uphill battle.

Facebook Places is, well, integrated with Facebook.

Checking-in is a feature. It won't survive as a stand-alone platform. I don't want to open up another app just for the sake of checking-in somewhere. I want to go to Facebook where I can check-in, chat, update status, upload pics, tweet...all-in-one.

The bottom line is the space is saturated and they all have an uphill battle against Facebook. In order to go mass, they must come to market with highly integrated and valuable loyalty reward offers and useful features. In two years one of these guys will have made sure that the paper card you get stamped at your favorite sandwich shop for a free item on your next visit, is extinct.

The first app that I expect to lose is Gowalla. Foursquare can survive for a bit longer on its brand while it builds a more dynamic platform. Yelp can survive because it has an entirely separate core business. SCVNGR can survive because they have Google $ and they seem to have a firm grasp on client services, making it easy for merchants to create and manage programs.

May the best app win.

facebookization

a few months ago i tweeted about facebook becoming the new google and the death of the website as we know it. i've since seen read write web talk about start-pages a la facebook, adweek comment on the evolution of websites to informational content vs. commercial because of facebook and countless other hints at how facebook is changing the website as we know it today.

here are 3 examples:

1. toyota - i'm not sure if it's still running but toyota has a tv ad that drives people to facebook.com/toyota instead of toyota.com.

2. la croix - i noticed the ad in the picture below while purusing the delta in-flight magazine. the ONLY call-to-action is centered around facebook. no mention of a website at all.

3. delta airlines - delta has enabled purchasing a ticket direclty from facebook. the feature is called the 'ticket window'. you can search and book a flight all from the comfort of delta's facebook page. many other companies are emedding direct ecomm solutions on their facebook page.

interestingly, just a few days ago i'm pretty sure i saw a similar if not the same toyota ad that referenced toyota.com instead of facebook. no doubt toyota is probably testing this strategy. i would hope many companies are testing this. what does it do to conversion? what does it do to brand perception?

there are two main thoughts here.

1) facebook is the new portal, or, some would say, start-page. you can discover new companies and services through facebook as well as interact with them. google may be good at helping you discover but that's where it ends; if you want to interact (buy, browse, etc.) you have to go to the to the site.

2) how ubiquitous must facebook be for a company like toyota to so strongly associate their brand with it. this is why facebook must tread so carefully in everything they do - not only do they have to keep their customers happy but they also have to help ensure the integrity of the brands that associate themselves with it.

3 days in the lost world

Hasn't technology and advertising reach transcended population and geography? After spending 3 days in Amarillo, Texas, I think they've been forgotten.

There is no noise. All advertising points to local businesses and services.

There is a lost population in these "central" towns that aren't being leveraged. In my 3 days in Amarillo, I saw no mainstream ads except for Budweiser and McDonald's. As companies grapple for marketshare, these communities need to be targeted.

First, they are ripe for digital billboards - mainly because they would make it so much more efficient to place and maintain ads in these "remote" locations. Second, highlighting micro-sites, social networks and mobile platforms that encourage these individuals to share just builds on their their already "tight knit, everyone knows everyone and shares information" social community nature.

Heine-can

Heineken knows well that the use of great music can generate buzz.

Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" is perfect for this spot. In general it meshes perfectly with Heineken's usual tone and message. The cabbie is hilarious.

Heineken's approach to 'drink responsibly' connects well but they need to make it more interactive. The boring age gate websites and tired 'drink responsibly' slogans will only go so far.

Huge missed opportunity to send people online and have them connect thru a social network group to share stores about and experiences around drinking and driving. Also, urge people to plan in advance in a fun way and let them to send a friend 'keys' or something like that from their social profile to say, 'you're driving tonight'. A mobile application to find/display local cab numbers could be a simple addition as well.

iPod (you didn't) Touch (me)

Pretty classic Apple - clean, simple and to the point.

On brand and attractive.

Seeing the iPod touch ad today reminded me that i'm actually in the market for an iPhone. In fact, I just visited the TMobile store yesterday to buy a charger so I asked about the status of my contract (as you probably know, TMobile doesn't offer the iphone and i'm not gonna hack) and found that I am in one until November so need to think that through. Anyway, I'm on the internet all the time and never see a targeted add for an iPhone. As Apple looks to expand, even just protect, their market share, they can't continue to depend on obscure marketing techniques to attract the masses.

Apple needs to use smarter targeting techniques in their online ad buys. Using any sophisticated targeting practice, Apple could most definitely determine which individuals are in the market for or have a certain propensity to purchase an iPhone. One example would be facebook; I update my profile with my blackberry app all the time. What a great opportunity to target potential customers - if you've updated your FB page with a blackberry recently you likely don't have an iPhone. Send me a targeted add with a nice offer and I just might make the switch.

GatorAID

The new "Woods of Wisdom" campaign for Gatorade is a great concept that fails to follow through.

The campaign transcends generations. The connection with Millennials is very apparent - animation, Tiger Woods and Gatorade. What impresses me is the connection I know it will also have with Gen Xers. Everyone loves animation these days so the creative concept is a sure win and you can't go wrong with Tiger Woods and golf with this demo either.

Gatorade missed a huge opportunity to connect and carry on the conversation. It's great to leave us wanting more, but consumers want immediate gratification. If you don't faciliate a conversation out of the gate, you will get lost in the noise and totally loose the momentum of the campaign. It's especially disappointing given the relativley advanced concept.

Gatorade needs to expand the channels and prominently reference that in the spot; at least provide the basics:

1. website - Gatorade.com is a relavitly robust site but it's never referenced. What the campaign really deserves though is its own micrsosite. Ideally with interactive features, maybe the ability to create your own avatar little tiger or even better, the ability to insert your little tiger in the spot and send the customized spot to your friends.
2. social - facebook, myspace, twitter...need I say more??
3. mobile - A "Woods of Wisdom" app that let's us generate our own 'words' of wisdom to share with friends or just ponder about througout the day.

Give us something, please!! Let us interact with the campaign and insert ourselves in this amazing world that appears on the screen.