Talking about motivation 

What motivates you every morning when you go to "work". Since i go to an office and i understand those specific challenges, I'll speak directly to us. I'm pretty sure job satisfaction is a mega mix of different things and I'll be very surprised if money actually ranks very high up on that list. On a basic level on the maslow hierarchy of needs, after we have satisfied the lowest level of the pyramid, most of us strive to 3rd 4th level 



This is where it gets really tricky as a marketer in any company, how are you in your specific function able to impact the business to a point you feel you belong, am wanted and am esteemed. Unless you get paid as a direct equation of your efforts, most of us get the same pay month in and month out so why would we strive for excellence? If its for the above levels of needs then it's probably very hard to realise if your marketing efforts are not measured and valued in similar company language. Marketers speak about ROI , Finance folks will look at the bottomline, Engineers will look at throughput and Sales folks talk about targets (top line).  It's very hard for any function to achieve company wide recognition unless we are all using the same measures and are speaking the same language. 

So what can we do? Like any new language, the starting point will be to identify use cases or scenarios you can all start practising the words and jargon. Here are some simple steps you can take. 

1. Identify how your activity is being viewed by other functions. Why does the web engineer think it's a total waste of time? Has he/she ever been consulted or has the marketing funnel activity ever been shared? Do they know the impact product changes make on your marketing decisions and vice versa? 

2. Learn about their processes and language. It's easier for you to understand the marketing improvements you can also make so your decisions impact positively on other functions. In the case of finance for example, find out how forecasting can be more accurate from their point of view. It's likely that it will force you to explore a different method of spend tolerance before committing that 6 figure display campaign. 

3. Start talking to each other. This is probably the best thing you can start doing that will impact the way you feel valued. Once meetings happen where you are all talking in a similar language, your contributions and ideas will not impact harder but also be valued much more. 

Song of the week

My FTW rant

Ok, Sorry it's not actually aimed at Feng Tian Wei. I just want to offer my perspective on the whole foreign talent representing Singapore in sports debate. I think everyone is confusing sports with economic success/hitting kpis or some industry where getting the best person to fit the bill is being argued. Since when did winning olympic medals become some approved KPI as a nation? Some people are going on about how it's about a temporary solution, or the best we can do for now. What is the problem in the first place? That we as a nation pride education above sporting excellence for our kids? That's a practical reality, not a problem to be fixed.  Here is my facebook rant in all its glory. And an example of the people i do not understand just below it. I don't want to nitpick or Mr Chan apart cause it seems like a well intended post, but there are so many misplaced assumptions about what i think the nation is actually pissed off about. Again, it's not about winning medals or not, its about WHO we want winning these medals

Sms is dead.. long live data?

It's been a while since my last post and so much has happened globally from a marketing trends perspective, it's impossible to even start summarizing my own reflections. From case studies to general best practices, i was thinking about what best to pen down when i decided to just pick a topic and gnaw away

"Is data turning SMS marketing redundant?" . The disclaimer is i am using Singapore as the market and this only relates to trends here and not some emerging market where mobile data consumption is in its infancy. Over here, with smartphones becoming the norm and applications like Whatsapp dominating the text space, we are seeing less and less reliance on SMS as a communications channel. Similarly, with mobile internet and instant access to sites and content, sending promotional vouchers or using SMS as a redemption channel has also become less common. So, is it still relevant to use SMS as a marketing channel? SMS marketing is fast becoming known as spam marketing and now that mobile internet is widely available, what's next for SMS marketing?

As i often preach, ask 'why?' then ask 'why?' then ask 'why' again. The 'why' establishes the premise for the 'what' and 'how' and 'who'. SMS marketing is about 1 thing, database management.The more things change, the more they remain the same. Data is still an incredible leverage for any business to have. Data is at the heart of facebook's entire advertising strategy. Data is an enabler for targeted sales campaigns and provides many repackaging options. So , in this use case, creating sms opt in exercises like free alerts, free notifications for scores, updates, results etc isn't necessarily redundant. The 'what' isn't nearly as relevant as the eventual 'who' and 'how'. Then comes the other use case, so how about the reselling? Assuming you have this data, who would want to rent it if sms marketing is truly dead? That's what differentiates Spam from Smart. Targeting and re-targeting and making proper sense of the database will be how SMS can still be relevant to the end receiver. It's only spam now because the management and mining of the data is sloppy and irresponsible.

We as a community are on an alerts/notification opt in consensus. Smartphones and apps and Apple have showed the way. So to say that we are no longer a subscription based audience is ridiculous. The question is how do we manage an opt in SMS database or grow it to a point where we can segment, learn and continue to serve correct alerts for brands to engage with? There are many ways to skin a cat as a famous ex marketer once told me, and there are many ways still to establish gateways of engagement. I hope SMS marketers start to think responsibly about how best to grow a sustainable and relevant business.

Song of the day

We are young by FUN feat Janelle Monae

Why Apps why?

There is an App for everything. But does everything need to be "App-ed?" Over the past year, Apps have dominated the innovation conversation amongst many creative planners, branding/product managers and marketing professionals worldwide. We see Apps that range from the integrated ( sales -force mobile) to the redundant ones (paragon app anyone?).

I can see the value proposition, hell i even preached about it for a good 12 months. The intrinsic value of getting one's service offering to reside as branded content in someone's phone is an amazing property to have. Now, in case you're wondering, i'm not jumping off the app bandwagon by any chance, i just think the wagon is currently filled with alot of lemons and very few winners. This boils down to 2 main fails, A lack of strategic understanding and too many assumptions.

What's your favorite branded app? Keeping to a local context, do you even have any branded apps living in your iPhone/BB/Android powered handset? ( I've excluded Nokia as the Ovi store isn't productive enough to be considered) Chances are the only ones would be readers such as Straits Times/ Today or some utility app developed by the government. Even those fail to hit the mark as the apps don't offer anything more than a good mobile site could have provided.

Brands need to identify their main proposition, examine what the iPhone or BB can do and create an original service that makes the app valuable. Do i want to read the papers on the go? Yes. Why should i read it on an app? Wouldn't a STOMP app make more sense than the Straits Times ( where the full story isn't even available on the app)? Users in real time could easily publish/report stories they see with geo location information and quick pictures. Stomp contributors could use the app on a functional level and Stomp readers could get their latest MRT grope in real time.

There are many more examples where apps are created without any reason to exist. Most times, it's either a duplication or meaningless. What happens then is a quick delete or relegation to page 20 of an iPhone. This brings us to measurement, downloads is a terrible way to measure apps as no one knows what happens to the app after. Unless there is regular interaction with some login or submission, most marketers have no idea. Kinda like direct mail marketing, yes it's 100% delivery , but it could also be 100% delivery from postbox to bin.

Let's not get carried away just because we think we can win awards with these apps or even because "everyone and everything has been app-ed". As with most good marketing strategy planning sessions, keep asking why? Then ask why again.

Song of the day

"Don't tell me that its over" by Amy Macdonald

Hot Buffalo wings and Purple Cows

I read Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" again last week and it's pretty amazing how every different read yields a unique and different response. (Kinda like Willy Wonka's varied flavored candy).I found myself thinking more and more about how true some of his observations were. The basic idea is simple enough, your brand/product needs to be outstanding amongst a sea of mediocrity. ( Thus a "purple" cow) Seth's adaptation is that it might not matter what the difference really is, as long as it is.

Be the first, the hippest , the largest, the smallest, the most hard to find and so on. I started to think about our very own local Sunset Grill with it's legendary Buffalo Wings. ( I've gone up to heat level 17 and i have the scars to prove it)
Now, for those who have been there, you'll know what i am talking about. For those who have not , let me summarize it briefly.

The location is inaccessible , the decor is just run down ( i don't care what anyone says, it's not "rustic") and the food is very mediocre and priced on the high side. So why do throngs of fans and super fans continue to make the pilgrimage to torture their taste buds and murder their bowels? The answer is in the heat. The challenge it presents to anyone who prides themselves as a hot head.

But how do you explain the other multitude of customers who think KFC hot n spicy really is hot n spicy? Why would they make their way down for a plate of level 1 cowardice?

WOM marketing is the holy grail of viral marketing in my opinion. Whether you hate or love Sunset Grill's wings, everyone has an opinion and is not afraid to express it. This to me is the secret recipe behind Sunset's cash register ringing in the dollars.
Everyone, whether heat lovers or not has heard the tale of Sunset's grill from someone they know. This influencer has somehow piqued enough interest for his audience to give it a go. In the words of Paris Hilton, "That's Hot!"

WOM marketing can only be manufactured/conjured when you as a business owner are not afraid to relinquish control over what the word is. I often get into conversations with clients who demand a very fixed outcome based on a specific message. I usually have a hard time convincing them that it won't work unless the word is the truth. Apologies for the religious context but in this instance, the "word" in WOM marketing should never be treated like an ad copy.

Whether you are selling hot wings or branding the next massage chair, your product/service is the WORD. What makes it different from anyone else ( the Purple Cow) are the letters that form the word but ultimately, your WORD will be determined by your customers and if it's a good one, it will make its way to your sales/targets.

Song of the day

Let it be me by Ray LaMontagne

Bluecasting not so blue after all

There has been a lot of debate about the effectiveness of Bluetooth (aka “toothing“) as a mobile marketing technique. As a technology, it undoubtedly holds promise–the key is in implementation. What a company might call “bluecasting,” the consumer may consider “bluespamming.” In a recent trial we did in Singapore with Aviva, we hoped to uncover some best practices.

Aviva’s Futurator Campaign

Through a dedicated Bluetooth kiosk, users could receive a banner encouraging them to experience Aviva’s Futurator in the actual shopping mall, and a chance to win $10,000. For people to receive the banner, they had to be in the range of the kiosk and activate the bluetooth on their mobile phone. The results were more than encouraging as we achieved over 4% banner ad download rates over 3 days reaching out to more than 790 unique mobile phones.

Right Message At the Right Time

At the beginning, questions were raised about the number of people who would actually turn on their Bluetooth without any pre-seeded knowledge of the campaign. Often, with Bluecasting campaigns, a lot of emphasis is placed on awareness marketing, essentially telling costumers and consumers to ‘Turn on your Bluetooth’. While awareness marketing has its advantage and is a big part of successful proximity-based campaigns, we also learned that the location of whatever is being distributed is an understated and overlooked ingredient in any successful Bluecasting campaign. Where your customer is actually located when the message arrives is a major factor in influencing their behavior. This makes sense on many levels, from immediate customer engagement to shortening the decision process, getting the right message at the right time is essential. The old cliche ‘quality not just quantity’ was on every one’s lips when we were doing our post campaign analysis.

Setting up Shop

Another insight from the campaign came when we discovered that by setting up various Bluecasting stations inside and outside our mall location, the highest participation rate was found outside the mall. This reaffirmed two of our understandings of mobile behavior and usage:

1) Information that is fed at an early stage of the shopping decision making cycle is crucial to influencing decisions on where to go and what to do

2) Engaging the user in a somewhat neutral environment is better than engaging him/her in an environment in which advertising and buying is expected

Setting up shop at a very visible, prominent location also helped create buzz. Not only was the audience intrigued but they opted-in as well. We saw many customers pause to receive the file and then look around for some marketing presence, seeing our tent outside got them to duly walk over to sign up. This movement and engagement sparked others to follow the herd.
Conclusion

We were pleased with the results and continue to advocate bluecasting as a great mobile marketing tool when relevant. By understanding consumer expectations and reactions to activity on their personal device, we have begun to see more and more how understanding mobile behavior is so important in delivering great mobile campaigns.

Song of the post "Candy" by Paolo Nutini

Nokia's mobile campaign "comes with branding"

For all who don’t know, Singapore is one of only 3 countries in the world where NOKIA has rolled out its “comes with music” service. All new owners of a NOKIA “comes with music” phone get unlimited access to millions of songs online from the NOKIA music store. Singapore as a market has over 3 million downloads in 2 months since its launch and whilst NOKIA has yet to release information on its sales figures, this is an incredible model of exploiting mobile usage behavior through relevant content.

A year ago when NOKIA first announced this exclusive and global first initiative, many observers were wondering why NOKIA would want to invest in what they considered a marketing gimmick. How would free music relate back to brand equity and sales? Was the cost of providing the free music carrot an acceptable one to bear? Recently, digital east Asia reported this quote

“The love affair between music and young urban Asian consumers remains inseparable and it’s no surprise that music continues to be an important part of their daily lives. Our overall findings showed that 25% were listening to music more in the last 12 months.
Ideally, the music industry should be working with telecommunications companies to deliver music via mobile phone while marketers and brand owners should be exploring or realigning their strategies by incorporating music as a platform to reach this fast-growing and digitally driven segment.”
– Steve Garton, Executive Director - Media, Synovate.

What NOKIA has now in Singapore at least is a market leading reach in consumers who actively enjoy music from NOKIA’s branded portal. This incentive will continue to ensure traits such as brand loyalty and WOM evangelism are alive and kicking with their core audience. Also, the fact that these songs are non convertible and only playable on NOKIA phone sets, NOKIA has also managed to offer more compelling reason for their consumers to throw away their old mp3 player and replace it with a NOKIA music enabled mobile phone.

I/We at MobileBehavior often talk about opportunities brands should take advantage of within the mobile phone environment. By offering value and content, brands can now be a part of a mobile user’s individual experience through their personal phone. From the Iphone/Blackberry applications to bookmarked WAP sites to Java games, the opportunities are endless and waiting to be explored. NOKIA’s “comes with music” mobile strategy also comes with branding, how about yours?

Song of the blog

The White Tie Affair "Candle Sick & Tired"

How to market mobile.... here

We just recently concluded a very enjoyable speaking engagement in Hong Kong and met with some of the brightest and creative minds in the industry. There was an amazing opportunity for MobileBehavior to interact and drill deeper into the minds of leading marketers in Asia. From brand managers to CEOs, our 1:1 conversations confirmed what we were evangelizing, that marketers now understand the importance of mobile. The question however has become “How”?

This is a powerful question that shows us 2 major insights. Firstly, We are no longer stuck in the “why?”. Having to convince a marketer about the relevance of mobile marketing seems to be a thing of the past. Almost every attendee we spoke to had a Smartphone in hand, checking emails, opening attachments, surfing WAP links, accessing news. This made them a part of their own mobile marketing audience even if they hadn’t realized it yet! For some time, there was always a disconnect between mobile marketer and audience as the marketer never considered him/herself part of that mix. Now, we have come to an age where we get it because we live it.

The next important insight from the question of “how?” brought home some major reality checks. Marketers in Asia recognize the possibilities based on mobile penetration rates, excellent carrier infrastructure and user behavior. We have in Asia, a mobile only audience in certain countries such as Philippines and Indonesia. China and India represent 2 markets with unparallel potential based on existing mobile services such as Mobile Social networking sites and direct carrier services. However, the peculiarities and nuances of each market has bred a lot of confusion on exactly how mobile marketing works in these parts of the world. It is clear that there is no one mobile strategy that can fit into Indonesia and be duplicated in India The question therefore isn’t just how to market mobile? It’s how do I market mobile here?

What resonated well with our peers lay in the area of activation. The mobile phone has an opportunity to breathe life into any campaign from an engagement vantage point. Using SMS and IVR channels to lead consumers from a passive to active role makes a lot of sense for any marketer in any market. Similarly, there are many other channels where the mobile phone is able to act as an enabler for marketers to interact, track and measure on their offline media. This is an important part of our approach in providing as many answers as we can to our clients and partners. From identifying common marketing tools ( think SMS , IVR) to taking advantage of local networks (e.g. island wide Wi-Fi, 3.5G networks) to considerations like dominant mobile handset brand data, we have discovered most marketers don’t know where to start and how to get mobile campaigns off the ground.

We were pleased to know Asia as a mobile market isn’t being debated. The questions of how to get involved in these fertile areas are excellent from a progress point of view. We often hear marketers talk about paradigm shifts in thinking. Today we are seeing a whole new movement of behavior in the realm of mobile. As innovation and technology continue to converge in providing us awesome mobile services and products. We think mobile marketing is NOW the next great thing in Asia.


Song of the blog
Live version of "Above the bones" by Mishka

Think mass mobile, think Asia

I just attended a conference on Saturday and Scott Rafer spoke on “Market Opportunity, Not Magic.” (His slides are available on slideshare here.) His main takeaway was that “size matters,” meaning that the market size in which you want to succeed needs to have enough numbers to give anyone a sustainable revenue per head. It convinced us more and more that in Asia the mobile market represents more than just blue oceans, it is the blue ocean. Asia makes up 40 percent of the global mobile market which is 21 percent more than Latin and North America combined, yet the ad spend in this region is so minuscule, it’s hard to even find the numbers.

China alone possesses 618 million mobile handsets which, as a single market, is a staggering number. Compare that to India, where about 500 million users are expected by 2012. We know the mass and the market are here, so what’s stopping mobile from taking off in a big way? Instead of posting yet another 10 reasons why we aren’t nearly there yet, let’s look at some good initiatives happening in and around Asia to get a feel for where we’re going. We’ll be spreading these over the next couple of weeks in what we hope will be an enlightening series of case studies.

Today’s spotlight is on Vietnamese mobile operator Viettel Telecom who announced a SIM card that is targeted directly at tourists in Vietnam. The aim of this service is to provide tourists with all the information they need during their time in the country. From hotel to transportation to weather news, all of these useful facts are available via the prepaid SIM card’s services.

Utility SIM cards that come pre-packed or linked with services is a great idea. In many developing nations within Asia, prepaid SIM cards outnumber postpaid SIM cards and so utility SIM cards make a lot of sense. Imagine the usefulness of pre-packed data such as applications or pre-saved RSS/mobile internet links easily. Taking this idea to countries dependent on prepaid SIM cards such as Philippines and Indonesia, we can start thinking about native branded utilities that give real meaning to the long tail.

When it comes to issues such as fragmentation and adoption of service, mass can be a double-edged sword. But as we make great strides in technology and user behavior, the only certainty is that the numbers will continue to swell and push the mobile agenda deeper into marketing proposals. It’s not just mobile as a medium that marketers need to consider, it’s also mobile as a mass.

Song of the blog

"Break me out" by the Rescues

QR codes. Relevant?

Having just come back from a mobile marketing forum where the focus was on visual code technology or QR codes, there was a lot running through my mind on the subject. Is there a place for QR codes in mobile marketing especially here in South East Asia, where not only is there a disconnect in software but also, a huge gulf in visual code services?

Unlike Japan, where the technology is native to the camera, users here in Asia require separate code readers for different codes. This lack of singularity makes QR code marketing seem troublesome and complicated.  Besides the obvious answers like embedding the technology in handsets and unifying readers, there are other less obvious ways QR codes in my opinion can still be a powerful mobile marketing weapon.

Remembering that QR codes evolved from shipping product barcode scanning, why not return to its origins? I would love to see additional information I could scan on products sold in supermarkets or Hyper marts. From nutritional information to price to even recipes, these QR codes could be a source of value to say diabetics who want to know if certain products are sugar free. It would make sense for the supermarket to develop its own in house reader since it would stocks all these products on their aisles and present these information as their VAS.

How about Libraries? Scanning a QR code unavailable book covers would tell you when the book was going to be available, allow you to reserve via WAP access. How about Concert tickets? I would love to read more about an artiste and access a content portal to listen to songs or download lyrics whilst waiting for the opening act to start. The mobile phone has replaced the lighter in many gigs and I think singing along from your screen could be the next big thing.

So even though we may not have the same ease of access as our sushi loving neighbors from across the ocean, QR codes are useful as long as it presents a real time value to our consumers. The issue of singular readers will undoubtedly affect nationwide adoption but if your business is in it for the long term; and you see QR codes as a long term investment to bring mobility solutions to your customers, then surely the answer to the topic question is : YES.

Song of the blog
Sometime around midnight by the airborne toxic event
Sometime Around Midnight

What's the winning formula for mobile marketing?

I had a chance to talk to a fellow industry colleague last week and we got to discussing how the mobile phone is so unbelievably entrenched in our daily lives. Now I'm a stats jock, but i think sometimes we get caught up in compiling graphs like 3G data usage, mobile handset penetration etc. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge advocate for knowing your markets and numbers tell a great story but how else can we gauge the reach and pervasiveness of the mobile phone besides pouring over cold hard country telecommunications data tables?

How about asking yourself this question: "When was the last time you turned off your mobile phone?" If you're like me, you don't switch it off. you charge it. This is a statement of powerful intent. My phone has become the heartbeat of my social life. By turning it off, i risk being disconnected with my friends, my calendars, my memories and my media. How do you place a measure on that?

The implications for mobile marketing are profound. Consumers and their personal device aren't just numbers we blast for gauging feedback and response rates. We need to approach mobile phone users with a great measure of respect and offer utility amidst a blanket of permission based access. I've recently been exposed to some awesome mobile marketing platforms happening in Asia and Europe and what they all have in common is a desire to bring users a superior mobile experience whilst meeting marketing objectives. This is of course, much easier said than done, but the evidence is overwhelming that our mobile audience isn't ad adverse. They are simply ad aware. 

In the case of Out there media , they have achieved what most advertisers are struggling with. A model that satisfies everyone. By offering free minutes and SMSes in exchange for a maximum of 3 targeted mobile ads a day, they have hit a home run in personalized advertising. Users sign up and fill out what kind of advertising they would like to receive, this gives them a measure of control which i talked about earlier, bundled with a personal touch of unique relevancy. The result is astounding and according to founder Kerstin Trikalitis , her advertisers are not just happy, her customers are too.

Now, this is just 1 model that works and there are many more, but there are certain common denominators for sure. Understanding that the mobile phone is a personal tool is one thing. Respecting it is another. Social media has given rise to a change in power when it comes to brand marketing. Our youth and mobile audience have the potential to become your biggest brand advocate but first you need to come up with a plan that tells them , you're on their side too.

Song of the blog ( An oldie but goodie)
"Banquet" by Bloc Party

Thanks a Billion

Apple just announced the winner of its one billionth downloaded application and the lucky 13 year old from Weston will be walking away with a $10,000 iTunes gift card, an iPod touch, a time capsule and a macbook pro. Apple has clearly exceeded all expectations with this staggering success but how do we put one billion downloads in marketing context?

If we look at the categories of apps available, you see everything from the farting app to mobile banking. The use of the app has far exceeded games, utilities or even information. Marketers are grappling with branding opportunities to develop applications they believe push their message closer to home. Automobile brands develop racing applications, Snack food brands put out calorie counting applications and so on and so forth. How do we go about measuring effectiveness on these applications and how else can an application work harder for our clients?

Sure we can measure downloads, but who’s tracking the retention rate? How successful is an application if it's downloaded once and banished to page 20 of our iPhone home screen? A successful branded application in my book needs to play within the boundaries of the mobile environment. It needs to serve a tangible value to the downloader. Branding should always be proceeded by action. This builds real brand behaviour which allows for consumer endorsement and evangelism to happen. The mobile application environment is a fantastic medium for an opt –in user experience like no other.

In this case study, we see Nationwide insurance building a free iPhone application that helps Nationwide customers find local resources, document the accident and submit claims information via their handset. This tells me Nationwide is thinking about its tagline ““I am On Your Side.”

By bringing real time value to a real need, Nationwide customers don’t just hear the marketing message. They actually get it. This branding effect results in a tremendous effect and benefit which will resound within that user’s sphere of buzz-influence.

And that to me, is an awesome way of putting 1 billion downloaded mobile applications into marketing context. Well done

Song of the blog "360 degrees by Asa"

Who the hell uses mobile for social networks anyway?

You might have noticed the blog has been quiet for about 2 weeks now, and although i would like to cite "lack of inspiration", twitter and procrastination probably answers it better. However, i just read an article ran on MobiAd on BuzzCity's founder KF Lai on his experience with MyGamma, a rapidly growing mobile social network.

MyGamma serves ads in over 100 countries and is rapidly showing a proven revenue model on the much lauded promise of social networks and location based targeting. In My Lai's words " mygamma is targeting “un-wired” consumers. In other words, people who do not have regular access to a PC and so their only means to connect to internet is through mobile." .. Wow.

Wow because for the first time, someone is making a point that demand based services on mobile isn't the only differentiating factor. THE ENTIRE MARKETPLACE is. We have been assuming the mobile target is an evolution of the 2.0 user experience. E.g we develop facebook mobile to cater to the facebook audience on the go , similarly for myspace etc etc.

But what Buzz City has done is to create a mobile social networking experience for the person that has no access to any wired device. And this is the essence of why his mobile community thrives. The difference is that once again, scarcity leads to demand. Not as a software but as a channel.

This is advantageous in so many ways. From barrier of entry fences to innovation adoption, having a purely mobile community is genius in my book.

How can we apply this? In developed countries where web and mobile is more interlinked, is it possible to find an audience that depends solely on mobile from an infrastructure standpoint? Maybe not, but let me try to challenge the demand marketplace again.

How about Taxi Drivers? Housing brokers? Insurance agents? Basically anyone who is mobile 3/4 of the working day. Will a mobile networking site that is productivity centric make more sense? A Taxi driver may not go home after a long day to update his facebook, but he may be enticed to update a cab mobile social network on traffic conditions, get updates on road blocks etc. Could this same driver be susceptible to location based ads?

It's certainly not proven , but what i hope you takeaway is that our assumptions on WHO mobile consumers and adopters are may need to change. How platforms monetize mobile may rely not only on services innovation but on channel innovation.


Song of the blog : "Run' by Amy Macdonald

A little less conversation... A little more action

You've read it before, probably blogged about it too. These days, it's all about the conversation isn't it? Everywhere we turn our head, somebody out there seems to be preaching that brands need to open up conversation in order to understand, improve and connect with their audience. There is this idea that in every boardroom, there is this 1 man, tight lipped, arms akimbo refusing to talk.

Dont' get me wrong, brand to audience conversation makes sense to me except i can't help but think it's been taken a little too far off the rails . Let me explain, in a perfect marketing world, we would love to think that brands have our interests at heart and therefore the conversation is genuine. But, how can it be deemed a genuine conversation if the bottomline agenda from brands is " I need to know how to sell more of my stuff, talk to me so i know how to strategise better." When did conversation become consultancy?

You see companies "embracing" social media and suddenly, every consumer ( guilty as charged) starts clapping our hands and nodding our heads. This is hilarious, note: If the product has a problem, fix it. Don't wait for me to complain about it. Fix it. If you want to advertise, advertise. Don't name drop in my ear and expect me to play chinese whispers for you.

Yes Dell was hugely successful in utilizing conversation to push sales, but let's put the product in context. We are talking about a neccesity in today's world. When a product leader in a neccesity market asks the bottomline question (see above), it's not a hoax anymore. We want to buy laptops, we want to get a good Dell product. We need this therefore it's in our interests to contribute to the product development. How many brands/products fall under this category? Do we need to talk with Pepsi?

When we question why big brands still refuse to engage in the conversation, the answer generally rumbles along the lines of inertia or fear. I propose that it's way, way more simple. In my opinion, they have nothing to say.

And honestly, that is fine, look at Skittles. They had nothing to say, so they opened up the front door and let the whole world sit on their front porch shouting obscenities for them. Conversation yes. To what point?

I suggest having nothing much to add to the conversation is fine. Creating drivel to create the conversation smacks of desperation. Much like the nervous first date who mentally notes down carefully pre planned conversation topics only to find his palms getting sweatier with each passing mouthful.

In these instances where the conversation is not required, then more action is. Don't talk, do something. Engage in a social media push campaign. Rainbow colored candy? Sponsor and raise funds for the rainbow foundation. How about nice colorful widgets that help diabetics track their sugar intake?

My point here is that, conversations aren't magical wands that will somehow unclog the sales funnel. In most cases, there really isn't any content in these conversations. Yes, it's still relevant and i am an advocate of permission based marketing but the who where how and why still needs to be answered when a brand decides to jump on the conversation bandwagon. And if you realise that you don't have anything much to say in any open channel to no one in particular, then perhaps it's best to stop thinking about talking and start acting on those thoughts.


Song of the blog by Elvis

Mobile mobile where art thou mobile

Whats the biggest impact the mobile phone world has made on your life over the last 4 or 5 years?

Here's Will.i.am from the black eyed peas and Kevin Spacey sharing their thoughts on the future of mobile



It's interesting that Kevin Spacey refers to mobile as the "new media". The industry hasn't caught up with the technology because the technology bypassed the industry's economics and made many industry players irrelevant. You want music? Let's share it. You like photos? Let's archive it. You want film? Let's stream it. The ability to network means the wisdom and content of the crowd continue to make industry bigwigs squirm in their pants.

However, it wasn't so long ago digital media was regarded as the enemy. It took a certain Steve Jobs to show how creative selling in a demand based marketplace still works. It took 1 man's vision to show the world how to think beyond the boundaries and deliver a solution. That's what i love about mobile, it's the new demand marketplace. We are demanding better user experiences, bigger screens, brighter colors, seamless web to mobile integration and so on. How long before someone comes along and shows the world a bridge for publishers, advertisers, the people and the handset makers to unite.

If you consider how we are already thinking beyond banner advertising on mobile and looking at widget/applications (Thanks again to Apple) as the new face of revenue, the future seems bright. As bright as the next brilliant color touchscreen i'm sure someone is developing right now.

Comments?

Song of the day "Silver lining" by Rilo Kiley

When Service Providers get it all wrong

Put yourself into the shoes of one of the big 3 Telcos here in Singapore for 1 minute. Assuming you had all power to drive strategy for market share expansion, would you focus on the best promotions possible to lure and flirt and chase after potential customers on rival service providers? Or would you put attention on retention programs to keep existing customers? Most would say "both" but the reality is that the latter is often overlooked. HUGE mistake.

It's exactly how Aesop felt when he was penning the fable about the greedy dog and it's bone. It was so excited about the bone's reflection that he lost the real bone in his mouth. Telcos have been shocking across the board in their approach (in my experience) when it comes to customer loyalty and i think it's not unfair to point the finger when fault is due.

My case for grief comes from a good friend of mine whom recently emailed M1 to politely remind them his contract was expiring and he would like some incentive to stay on as a happy customer. Not only was his request rejected but the reasons provided was utterly disappointing to say the least.

Background

1) He has been a customer for 10 years
2) He had served 18 months of his existing contract
2) His bill i dare say belongs on the upper curve of any mobile bill trend in his demographic
3) He's a really nice guy!

Extracted verbatim written response from M1
"Please allow us to explain that the issuances of handset re-contract
vouchers are based on factors such as customers' tenure, average
spending, current handset contract status and other factors. From time
to time, we do review your mobile line with us and will make a special
upgrade offer to you where applicable. We regret that we currently do
not have any special upgrade offers for your mobile line.."

In their defence , they did state that "you may contact us again upon completion of 20 months of your contract (after 14 April 2009) and we will review your request for
a handset re-contract voucher." So, the reply above must have been a result of some guideline that outlines when a customer is eligible for vouchers or upgrades.

Now, if you ran a F&B business and you had a 10 year old regular whom seldom bought set meals and ordered ala carte most of the time, i'm guessing you would be pretty agreeable every 18 months or so if he asked you for a free coffee. Which part of customer centric marketing does M1 need to get in order to realize extraordinary service requires an ear to listen rather than a voice to dictate guidelines?

The result? I'm blogging now, my friend is probably gonna tell at least 10 more. You as the reader might agree or disagree (but im guessing you're as disgusted as i am); in this day & age of social viral marketing, what medieval policy dictates that existing customers are to be treated like the old wife who slaves over hot oats whilst the husband woos the enemy's younger mistress with fur and meat? What effort does it take to pull a fraction of a pull marketing campaign and devote it to customers with expiring contracts sending vouchers or goodies that say "Hi, i know you exist, i value you. Let's stay connected"

Let's wave the magic wand of hindsight and learn from this. The existing customer has emotional ties to the service. We wouldn't have stayed otherwise. Loyalty is a virtue the new prospect has yet to show. Don't abuse it, don't take it for granted and remember, "hell hath no fury like an existing M1 customer scorned"


"The Story" by Brandi Carlile

How the Grammys could have been so much more

I'm 24 hours away from completing a 2 week long national service course and this is my 1st blog post since i first went back to wearing my charming greens and black boots.

I decided to treat myself to the grammy's on cable and the lack of a mobile presence was outstanding.

1) Why invade my show with " Buy the Cd in stores now!" ads every 10 minutes when its obvious the shift from physical to digital is almost complete in most households. If i wanted the song in the next day, you can be sure i will be buying it online.

2) Why weren't there any mobile downloads for songs and video performances that i could download immediately? Is it that hard to develop a Grammy mobile site where exclusive content can be downloaded? If there IS a grammy mobile site? Why develop it and then fail at advertising the address on the telly? Mobile needs to be integrated not inferred!

I was blown away by Radioheads's live performance of "15 step" and i found myself looking at my phone wishing i could access the content now to show my camp mates tomorrow.

Here's my tribute to this disappointing experience.

"15 Step" by Radiohead

TV's only hope

What's left for television? We all know viewership is declining, content is being offered across multiple competing access points, the effectiveness of the channel is being questioned all the time by marketers and advertisers alike.

Is the death of television advertising inevitable? I'm gonna stick my neck out and say "No." My daughter who is 3 , considers the tube to be the only truth on God's good planet. If Captain Carlos says 'eat your vegetables" , then she's gonna be stuffing down greens like there's no tomorrow. You might scoff at the age influence equation, but anyone who has understood the long tail, probably won't. The impact of the medium i believe remains as powerful as eve. The challenge however is now moving inline with internet & mobile advertising which is to confront the pillars of advertising itself.

What is advertising? It's certainly not a 30 sec commercial anymore if you consider that my daughter received branding and awareness from 3 minutes of unpaid interstitial programming.

Integration and non intrusive advertising surely must be the way forward if television is to remain relevant as a medium of advertising influence. As adults with a much higher advertising consciousness, we like to think we can "suss out the ads" and product placements and fancy gimmicks like segmented "relevant" sponsorships. Social media rules, please step forward. Authenticity and transparency aren't just values you peg to social media but to all media accounting.

Don't sponsor a show because the show's theme is relevant, integrate your value proposition into the show as a form of positioning and intent. For example, i love the way Bluefly integrates themselves into project runway as part of the accessories menu. It's the same analogy of a waiter interrupting a conversation without permission versus the same person standing ready by the side with a plate of entrees. Opt in. Always opt in.

Comments?


Song of the blog "Street Spirit" by Radiohead

Quitting social media practices is a good thing

You probably already know that social media can be a real vacuum cleaner of time. Try clocking in the number of hours you spend tweeting/blogging and facebooking/myspacing. I'm pretty sure the final figure will be pretty jaw dropping. ( as of now, i've officially clocked 3 hours and 27 minutes)

This has really helped me look at the "WHY" with a whole new perspective. When i follow someone's tweet and click on an URL, that's opportunity cost i could have spent on Guy Kawsaki's newest blog post. That if irrelevant ( i jest, the man's a god), could have gone to my own personal blogging time.

When you start to weigh this more heavily, the question of objectives and goals (the WHY) becomes an inevitable juncture. Why you micro blog will impact the way you use your time on twitter.

Reviewing your objectives will eventually narrow your time into funnels of worth. For example, i blog to air my opinions in an articulate fashion. But whats the "WHY?" (trust me, facing this was painful)

It became apparent that i can achieve better results by responding in multiple article comment forums. So, instead of becoming an author , i could do more entries as a contributer to existing topics. I believe this will change over time as my personal branding road gains more traction,but for now, it makes more sense spending slightly more time on commenting in the best blogs i follow.

I thought more objectively about why i use Twitter (Thanks Jerell !)and came to to conclusion that my goal is to learn from the best in marketing and social media and hopefully be considered as one myself someday. This meant trimming who i followed and whose tweets i identified as top tier net property.

Seth Godin spoke about quitting the right way, learning what to quit in order to excel in the goal is a vital part of this housekeeping process. I believe in order to maximise the best use of our time in social media, we all need to quit certain streams of content or people in order to reach those objectives.

Song of the blog "Heart attack" by Low Vs Diamond

Ogywawa deserves a drink?

Hi, as part of my occasional startup review, Ogywawa has come under the spotlight recently for it's innovative use of web to mobile commerce. It allows you to buy drinks ( it has since expanded to include meals and other FMCG goods) for friends via a website that will deliver a mobile coupon to your friend's phone.

Sounds very interesting yes? Well, i have never tried the service so i'm reviewing it based on it's concept. My take is that for this idea to take shape, a lot needs to be delivered as a proof of concept. Here is my dissection

The good

1) Finally, someone is using mobile the correct way. If you read my post on mobile communication, i spoke strongly about the HOW mobile advertising or branding needs to be redefined by actions and not just by current measures of impressions and click trus, The mobile phone these days is like wearing your head on your shoulders. Ogywawa has recognised that the use of anytime anywhere means delivering fuss free content that is useful and digestible on the go .

2) Mobile commerce makes much more sense than e commerce in many ways. The point of purchase intent is much closer for brands to take advantage of and most times, impulse buying is done on the go and rarely in front of a screen. For example, I'm a great fan of outdoor media because of the versatility of the medium to attract attention. But where is the measurement?, why on earth isn't mobile a huge part of outdoor media? I'm not going to remember www.wateveryoururl.com is but i will take my mobile phone and sms to retrieve info/access a purchase WAP page. I don't know how many times I've seen a concert poster plastered on some wall and wished i could buy on the spot. Maybe this is being done in other countries but it certainly isn't here.

The bad (potentially)

1) I don't know about you but it would be pretty embarrassing if i walk up to the bar, flash my mobile coupon and get replied with a blank gaze. The coordination and delivery by the F&B staff need to be SPOT ON. Again, i talk about branding as part of behavior and experience. If i get a lousy experience at xxx bar ( that's probably a real place) , guess who's in the doghouse. Not just the bar but Ogywawa. This is dangerous, Ogywawa's service and eventual profitability is reliant on their retail partners helping to deliver a good mobile coupon redemption experience. Difficult to control and very very prone to outlet staff not living up to their end of the bargain.

2) Buying drinks for a friend is fine as an idea of a gift but unless you regularly stand in front of meetings and start with " Hi , my name is .. and I'm a ..." Most people don't drink alone. Drinking will always be something best enjoyed with good company and for me, i don't think i would go out by myself to redeem a drink coupon just cause someone bought 1 for me. I might store it for a later time, but i doubt my immediate thought wouldn't be "Cool! I better get myself to the bar at lunchtime". In other words, if it ain't broke, why fix it. I haven't heard anyone say "Man, i love drinking with friends at bars, i just wish i didn't have to actually pay for it now." (wait, actually i have)

3) Even using the mobile coupon as a means to save time ordering and paying for drinks brings me back to the first point of service delivery. You really don't want to be caught with business associates showing off your new mobile coupon and getting an earful of " let me check with the manager"

So in conclusion, i applaud the fact that Ogywawa is using the mobile phone intelligently and creatively. The idea has merits but is also wide open for poor retention from customers.

Feel free to comment or bite back.

Song of the post We might fall by Ryan Star