Posted By sspearman - October 27, 2011
Sonera, a mobile telecom in Finland, recently faced an interesting advertising challenge: how do they demonstrate the speed of their new 4G network in their print advertising?
The solution: make the advertisement into a game all about speed. The advertisement sends readers to a mobile site, which serves as part of the game board. They can challenge a friend to a reaction speed test to enter to win a free 4G
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Posted By gsteen - July 27, 2011
A man walks up to the cash register and taps his phone on a pad that is sitting on the counter. Then he walks out of the store carrying a giant bag stuffed with new clothes without handing over any cash or using a credit card.
Technologists have predicted for years that we would all begin using our phones as credit cards, losing the plastic and simply waving our devices when
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Posted By sspearman - June 9, 2011
Japanese telecom NTT Docomo has expanded its new bicycle rental service with some high tech features. The terminals now accept contactless payment from mobile phones, so users can easily pay without having to have cash at hand. Another update is the service’s new Android app, COSOADO, which was specially designed for the service and keeps track of the cyclist’s location, calories burned, and can even recommend local attractions to check
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Posted By eknab - May 4, 2011
Along with everything that has happened in the news lately, from the Royal Wedding to the death of Osama bin Laden, a parallel wave of online conversations has ensued. The "amplified present" is a phrase that refers to how these conversations spark the amplification of real-world events through digital means. Whether they happen expectedly or unknowingly, any event of any size can grab the focus of an online audience, creating
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Posted By eknab - April 27, 2011
Services such as location-based check in platform Foursquare and entertainment check in app GetGlue have proven the power of the check-in for various purposes. In March 2011, Foursquare saw over 1,150,000 unique visitors. The idea of checking in has now taken hold in many areas of life: people will soon be able to check in to websites thanks to an upcoming launch from Meebo and check into products thanks to
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Posted By eknab -
JCDecaux Innovate teamed up with telecom operator TMN in Portugal to transform its outdoor displays into digital touch screens. The displays feature wireless communication functionality that allows pedestrians to make calls or chat with TMN subscribers directly from the touchscreen.
Implications: This DOOH execution illustrates how a brand can use touchscreen technology and wireless integration to ultimately engage with a neighborhood by allowing trial of the product. Such executions give members
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Posted By gsteen - April 14, 2011
The premise for brand sponsorships is that a marketer provides money for others to produce events and content, ultimately benefiting the consumer. But it can be hard to discern what elements of events or content truly exist because of the brand and what elements are simply being exploited by those in control of the assets. The essential question in the minds of consumers is "Would the event or content still
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Posted By eknab - March 17, 2011
Cause marketing is typically an upbeat approach to positioning a brand as philanthropic and responsible. However, it can also incur a more serious tone during times of need. The tsunami that hit Japan on Friday was one of these instances. It was thoroughly covered by the news, as was expected. What was less expected, however, were the brands that stepped in to lend a helping hand.
The most immediate branded assistance
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Posted By gsteen - March 15, 2011
The tech community has recently been abuzz over group text messaging applications for mobile devices. These services allow users to chat through an application rather than the standard text messaging interface built into the phone and facilitate chats amongst multiple users. That may sound a little boring in a world where image recognition, interactive games, geo-location and connected home appliances do things that seem like magic, but there are many legitimate reasons
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Posted By gsteen - March 10, 2011
NTT Communications, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies, has created an amazing service for its Japanese customers that tracks health data for them and helps them optimize their lifestyle to meet their goals. The app will analyze what the user eats with nothing more than a photo of each meal; image analysis is used to determine the content of the meal. The app will also track daily activity through the
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