A couple of months ago I did an interview with the guys at SEN regarding sports apps. At the time, the AFL was clearly lagging behind the standard set by the Australian Open tennis and Cricket Australia. But with the new season approaching the AFL had an ace up their sleeve – their new broadcast agreement brought with it the live broadcast of all games to mobile devices. I loved the concept! Suddenly I had every game available at my fingertips. So I was quick to jump on the AFL's $50 season subscription. However I was also somewhat apprehensive given the AFL's clumsy attempts at mobile in the past. And based on my first experiences with the app over the weekend, that skepticism was unfortunately very well placed..

To be fair, my initial impressions of the app were actually great. I fired it up on Thursday night while I was out to catch some of the Carlton v Richmond game, and got an immediate stream of the live action. The picture quality was good and the stream remained uninterrupted for the entire first quarter. If they could manage the load for a blockbuster game like Carlton v Richmond, it surely bode well for other games. Or so I thought…

On Saturday I decided to test AFL Live out on my iPad. After all, the primary reason I bought the app was for iPad viewing, which I planned to then stream to my TV. As a keen Supercoach enthusiast, I had an interest in the Adelaide v Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon, having selected Gary Ablett as my captain. But I was surely in the minority. It was perhaps the lowest profile game of the round. So I loaded the app up on my iPad, and waited…

And waited…

And waited. Which set the tone for the performance of the app for the rest of the weekend, during which I spent more time watching the load screen than I did watching footy. When I finally did manage to catch a feed, the picture quality on the iPad was horrendous, instantly killing any plans of streaming it a larger screen.

By Sunday I was perturbed enough by the lack of performance to see what others were saying about the app. It wasn't good…

@AFL @Telstra what's the point of the #AFLLive app Subscription if u can never actually get on to watch it… #whatsthepoint#ripoff

— Matt Carroll (@mdsc33) March 31, 2012

Probably one of the worst apps in the #apple store. #afllive app on the iPad took my money but keeps on crashing and doesn't play live video

— Aman Talwar (@AmanTalwar) March 31, 2012

@AFL The @Telstra live mobile feed is still suffering dropouts and low-quality pixelated vision. Still a work-in-progress? #PoorValueSoFar

— tt (@TeeTeeDT) April 2, 2012

@telstra your afl app does not work. more servers at the backend so i can connect and update it to render on an iPad #wasteofmoney #aflfail

— richardorford (@richardorford) April 1, 2012

the official AFL live app is a piece of shit. Takes forever to load. Anyone know if there's a better one?

— DJ Sheriff Rosco (@TopBillinRadio) March 31, 2012

another #afl season another shit app by #Telstra and the @AFL #itahowweconnectmyass

— ChewbaccaOnTap (@chewbaccaOntap) March 31, 2012

@AFL what's the go with the afl live app nothing loads up barely all day paid 50 for a season pass and can't even use it.

— Luke Sultan (@LukeSultan) March 31, 2012

So, @AFL does your iPad app ever like to.. You know, work?

— Capey (@lukecaporn) March 31, 2012

Disappointed with the Official @AFL Live iPhone app. Too congested last night, didn't work. Couldn't listen to live radio.

— Tim (@skramit) April 1, 2012

For some reason the @Telstra / @AFL / @FOXFOOTY iPad stream isn't working at the moment. #AFLDogsEagles

— Brenton Cleeland (@sesh) April 1, 2012

It was a similar story when I ventured to the iTunes store to check out the most recent reviews. Only 4 reviews had been written over the weekend, but all were scathing in the lack of performance from the AFL's new app.

Now… I'm willing to give the AFL some leeway. I work in technology and I know things can go wrong when a new product is launched. But many others will lack my perspective, particularly when they've paid reasonable money for the service. The reality is that as soon as someone pays money for an app, they expert it to work. And when you pay $50 for an app, which is at the absolute premium end of app pricing, the expectation is that it will be flawless, particularly when the app is backed by organisations of the size of the AFL and Telstra.

There is no questions that the AFL's Live app was sub-standard in Round 1. The question now is how (or whether) they'll respond. I'll be watching closely this weekend to see whether I've truly been duped.

It’s been a while since I teed off. But every now and then you read an article so blatantly wrong you feel compelled to respond. That moment came for me last week when I read an opinion piece on Mumbrella declaring that “Australia’s traditional agencies can’t manage to put out anything remotely passable as digital work”. Which is quite possibly the most ill-informed opinion I’ve heard this year. But rather than relying on sweeping generalisations to support my claim, I’ll respond in the manner appropriate of a strategist – with insights and data.

Before I get into that though, I should make it clear that I have no personal agenda linked to my response. In fact, I’ve spent the last 4 years working within a pure-play digital agency. And I’ll admit that when I first came into the role, I had an opinion similar to Daniel's. Traditional agencies did do digital poorly at the time. But that was 4 years ago. And as anyone working in digital knows, the speed of change in our industry is immense. A lot has transpired since, and the traditional agencies have rapidly bridged the capability gap.

To prove so, you only need to look as far as this year’s AIMIA award finalists. The AIMIAs are widely regarded as the pinnacle within our industry, recognising the best digital work our country has to offer. If Daniel’s assertion was correct, there’d barely be a traditional agency on the radar. Except that there is. Plenty of them. From Leo Burnett to Ideaworks to Whybin/TBWA/Tequila the traditional agencies are representing.

In fact, almost half of all AIMIA finalists came from beyond the pure-play digital environment.  I analysed the complete list of AIMIA finalists and identified projects whereby an agency was engaged. Here’s what I found:

• 53 finalists (52%) emanated from a pure-play digital agency
• 37 finalists (36%) emerged from traditional agencies
• 12 finalists (12%) came from a hybrid style agency

Which seems to be fairly conclusive proof that Australia’s traditional agencies are perfectly capable of producing high quality digital work. And to be honest, I’m not sure how anyone involved in the industry could still think otherwise…

Earlier in the week the guys at SEN Sports Radio asked me to come on the show and talk about Sports Apps. Which of course I was happy to do given my love of everything sport. In the interview we chatted about some of the better apps in the Australian market including recent apps developed by Cricket Australia and the Australian Open Tennis. I also discussed why I thought the AFL's app from last year was a disappointment. To listen to the interview, just click on the link below.

Perhaps the most exciting trend in digital marketing right now (in my opinion at least) is the convergence of digital content into real world experiences. For a long time, Augmented Reality and QR Codes have promised so much, yet delivered very little from a practical perspective. But it seems times are changing, because a bunch of ingenious campaigns have emerged this Christmas that utilise the technology in a brilliant manner. Whether it's the Christmas spirit or not, it seems marketers are now beginning to grasp how to use digital content to supplement real world experiences. Let's take a look at a couple of the best campaigns over the last month or so…

Ebay Give-A-Toy Campaign

This campaign really struck a chord with me because of its charitable nature. Donating gifts to underprivileged kids at Christmas isn't exactly a new concept. But using QR Codes to facilitate it certainly is, which is what Ebay did with their Give-A-Toy campaign. Two virtual shopfront were created with an array of gifts for people to view and buy. Each toy came with an associated QR Code, rather than a price tag. Users then scanned the QR Code to buy the gift for a child. Technology and philanthropy working hand-in-hand = awesome.

JC Penney Santa Tags

This campaign from JC Penney is simple, yet incredibly practical for people wanting to add a personal touch to their gifts this Christmas. When shopping at JC Penney, customers can pick up Santa Tags for their gifts. Each Santa Tag contains an individual QR Code. Once scanned, it allows the buyer to record a voice message for the recipient. The tag can then be stuck to the gift to replace or supplement the traditional card. The recipient then scans the QR Code to listen to the voice message. Superb!

Macy's Believe-O-Magic Campaign

Macy's Believe campaign is already a beautifully crafted digital execution, without considering the Augmented Reality application. The backbone of the campaign is the true story of an 8 year old girl who wrote to a New York newspaper to ask if Santa existed. The story became famous when the editor published a response that confirmed Santa existed to all those that truly believed. It was later translated into an animated Christmas special, called Yes Virginia. Macy's now use Virginia as the face of their Christmas campaign.

To supplement the campaign, Macy's created an iPhone app that uses Augmented Reality to bring the character of Virginia to life. Parents use the app at Believe Stations located within Macy's stores. When a photo is taken at a Believe Station with the app, a character from the show is integrated into the shot via Augmented Reality. Thus, kids can have photos with their favourite characters from the show. The photos can then be converted into a Christmas card to send to friends and family.

Waitrose Christmas Recipe Campaign

The publication of Christmas recipes is a pretty natural activity for a grocery chain to be doing at this time of year. But while those recipes are typically only available in-store, Waitrose have extended their reach via Augmented Reality app Blippar. The app works with both Waitrose's TV ads and print ads. Users simply need to point their phone in the direction of the ad to access recipes from chefs such as Heston Blumenthal and watch cooking classes on how to make them. 

Parrot Carrot Children's Book

This one isn't quite a Christmas campaign, but makes an excellent Christmas present nonetheless. Kids love books. And there's no question they get attached to the characters in their favourite books. Which is why they ask us to read them the same story over and over and over… Parrot Carrot is a children's book with a difference. The book is complimented by an Augmented Reality app for iPhone and iPad. Kids use the app to find and catch the characters from the book around their home in a game of virtual hide and seek. In essence, the app helps bring the characters from the book to life. I'm certain the kids will love it, and I've already bought a copy for my nephew for Christmas. Winning!

Forget Facebook vs Google+. There's another war being waged on the web right now that makes for far better viewing. It's the war to claim the mobile payment space. Yes… payments. It may not sound like the sexiest of battles, but there's some serious innovation at the moment from some of the digital industry's biggest players. From credit cards, to banks to Google, everyone wants a piece of the action. So sit back, take a seat (and maybe some popcorn), and let's take a look at what's happening!

So why the great land grab for the mobile payment gateway? Call it the Apple effect. Apple has redefined the music and entertainment industry by creating the channel through which  entertainment content is purchased. In essence, Apple built the new default payment gateway for the music industry (iTunes). Each time a song is sold via iTunes, Apple takes a cut. Now… imagine the possibilities (and riches) if an organisation could create the payment gateway through which every digital purchase was made, not just music…

And imagine the scale of that opportunity when you consider the fact that the physical and digital worlds are rapidly converging to become one. Smartphones are increasingly bringing digital experiences (and commerce) into the real world. We're not too far away from supplementing (and maybe one day replacing) cash & card transactions in the real world with a digital equivalent. And that is where the war is being waged. To create the digital payment gateway for the physical world. Let's take a look at what each player is dishing up…

Google Wallet

With so much at stake in the online payments industry, it's only natural that Google is making a major play. Google's initial foray into the payment space manifested into the launch of Google Wallet in August. The aim of Google Wallet is simple yet ambitious at the same time. It aims to replace a consumer's physical wallet with a virtual equivalent, powered by their smartphone. Rather than having to carry physical cards or cash, consumers simply need to integrate those card details into Google Wallet. Once the banking details have been entered, users simply swipe their phone, rather than their card, at associated payment terminals (limited to PayPass for now). NFC chips within the phone and the terminal allow the devices the speak and transfer the appropriate payment amount. For a demonstration of Google Wallet in action, check out the video below:

Personally, I'm excited about Google Wallet and hope it goes mainstream. Like many others, I check I've got three things before I leave the house – wallet, keys & phone. If I can reduce that to two, I'll be a happy man. In reality, that won't happen until Google Wallet integrates everything I carry in my wallet, not just my bank cards. But it's a good start.

PayPal

Naturally, PayPal is making a strong play to attempt to maintain their status as the leading online payment specialist. In the last few weeks alone PayPal has launched two separate products to attempt to expand their foothold in the industry. The first, PayPal Access, aims to create a Facebook Connect style experience for online payments. I can't see it working however as it requires retailers to sacrifice their customer data, which very few will be willing to do.

More interesting to me is the PayPal Wallet concept, which was launched recently. There are clear similarities towards Google Wallet. Indeed, PayPal is suing Google over the matter. The core difference is that the PayPal version still requires a physical card. In fact, it necessitates that the user carry another PayPal specific card. Which is where the concept falls down for me. While Google is lessening the load in my pocket, PayPal wants me to add another card to my wallet. The biggest advantage of PayPal Wallet is that it isn't reliant on NFC technology. Thus it require far less infrastructural advancement. But my feeling is that the advantage needs to be with the consumer rather than the merchant…

MasterCard

Neither MasterCard nor Visa are content to sit on the sidelines while their industry evolves at lightning page. Both are also developing proprietary mobile payment concepts of their own. Visa Wallet tows the line of Google Wallet, and doesn't seem to add a lot of new thinking to the table. MasterCard however, seems to have a far more developed vision for the future of online payments, even more so than Google Wallet.

MasterCard's Qkr application is an impressive concept which introduces a number of innovative new payment options:

• Users will be able to use Qkr to scan QR codes displayed during home-shopping television programs. Once scanned they will be able to to buy products featured in the program (via credit card details stored by the app)
• In the same way Shazam can scan audio to identify a song title, Qkr will be able to identify frequencies emitted during a specific ad, and allow the user to buy the product in the ad. Check out the demo below and I challenge you not to be blown away

Commonwealth Bank

It's exciting to see a local player getting active on the mobile payments front, even if it is a bank (my least favourite of all corporations). Last week, Commonwealth Bank announced that they too will be launching a solution called Kaching. Interestingly, Kaching is targeted solely towards the iPhone. At face value that doesn't seem a particularly strange decision given the iPhone is by far the dominant handset in Australia. What does make it interesting is that Kaching will use NFC technology, yet the iPhone doesn't support NFC. And given the iPhone 4S has just been released, we're probably around a year from having an NFC compatible iPhone.

To resolve this issue, the Commonwealth Bank will sell NFC enabled iPhone covers to power Kaching. Which is where the plan falls down in my opinion. I will jump all over mobile wallets once they're on the market, but I'm not particularly keen to pay for the privilege when solutions such as Google Wallet are on the horizon, which certainly won't charge customers for usage. Nevertheless, check out the demo below:

So who will win the battle royale?

It's clearly too early to say. And in reality, there will probably be multiple winners, just like we have Android and iOs in the operating system space. But for what it's worth, I'm rooting for Google. Some fear Google already has too much power, but in my opinion they are still far more customer oriented than the banks or credit card providers combined. They know that customer experience always needs to come first to reach mainstream adoption. And they also know that the best price is free.

Now… if only they could get Apple to release an NFC enabled iPhone!

Ahoy there. It's been a while between drinks. But I have finally got my ass in to gear and written another post. And it may just be my bravest yet. It's a confession you see. And one that I'm not proud of. But to find out what it is you'll have to head on over to Search Engine People, where it was recently published.

Making content sharable and creating sharable content are two very distinct skills. Of course, installing social plugins (such as a Facebook Like button) is the easy part. It takes almost no technical skill, as is evident considering even I've been able to manage it. But actually getting people to click those buttons and share your content is a much more difficult task. Which is why so many web sites sit idle with 0 Tweets/Likes. So how do you create content that people willingly share? To find out you're going to have to read my latest post over at Search Engine People – 'The 3 key ingredients to truly sharable content'.

I rarely plug internal projects on my personal blog as I think it can come across as a little vain. But as an avid sports nut who has written about digital sports marketing many times in the past (and rambles on constantly about AFL on Twitter), I think this one's probably relevant. Next Digital has been the digital partner for the MCG for at least 3 years, and late last week we helped them launch their first iPhone application:

The app provides a bunch of useful features for sports fans to enhance their experience when they visit the ground, including:

• A seating locator tool enabling patrons to find their seat, along with their friends' seats
• Real time car park updates, which anyone who has ever driven to the MCG on gameday will understand the value of
• A facility locator map (especially essential for those of us who need to find both a bar and a bathroom during the game!)
• Integrated social features including photo sharing and Facebook Places check ins (side note – with over 75,000 check ins the MCG in amongst Australia's most checked-in venues)

Aside from that there's a bunch of other standard features such as news, travel information & travel information.

If you're a sports fan like me, you can download the app from the App Store now.

I must say, when a client tells me that they want to create a viral campaign, my first reaction is to cringe. Viral marketing is an incredibly risky proposition, and for every hit there tends to be 99 misses. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good viral campaign when I see it, especially when it's produced locally. So when Arthur Koulianos sent me the MyCarBudget case study I thought it was definitely worth featuring. What I like about the campaign is the fact that they've created an entertaining piece of branded content that has accrued over 125,000 views for what is essentially a boring product. First, take a look at the video, and then check out Arthur's commentary on how they went about creating the campaign…

Arthur's commentary

MyCarBudget is a product launched by FleetPartners earlier this year. It is essentially an employee benefit that we market to medium to large employers that can then be offered to their staff/employees. It provides an easy way to budget for the cost of your car expenses as well as access great savings on fuel, roadside assistance, servicing and tyres.

The sale process with these types of programs initially happens at the employer level (HR) and once approved, the bigger task of marketing to employees begins. The challenge with marketing within an employer environment is getting cut through. Whilst it might seem that you have a captive audience, in fact having employees read an email or a poster/flyer or even attend a presentation is quite difficult. If you think about the amount of material and information that passes your desk or work area in a given day it can be significant. In a white collar environment, the emails, paper and screens that you see all day mean most things just blend in. In a blue collar environment access to communication is really limited to breaks (tea and lunch).

Therefore our challenge was to develop something that could get cut through. We wanted it to be digital so that it could be viewed at work or at home. It didn't need to talk about the product but it needed to have a vehicle flavour to it. We also wanted it to generate discussion within the workplace, so that once the other material came around (email, posters, flyers and invites to a presentation) employees were more likely to read it. Finally we wanted it to have the potential to go viral.
 
We used a company called Snapper Screen Productions to create the video for us. They presented a few concepts and this is the one that looked to have the biggest impact. It was shot in Melbourne (near Queen Victoria Market). Within a day of the shooting, one of the extras had posted excerpts on YouTube "Day in the Life of an Extra". On seeing this we thought why not have it go viral.

The idea with going viral is really about generating leads and building some brand awareness. We started with distributing it to staff (our staff) and allowing them to have YouTube access for two weeks so that they could view it and send it on. We posted it via our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We also sent it to as many online vehicle magazines as we could find (all over the English speaking world).

The biggest impact came when we employed Rippling Media to help us. The video has been posted on several video sites and through the various video syndication networks that they are connected with.
 
The challenge now is to focus on local Australian viewing, as this is where any relevant leads will come from. Developing a "non corporate" video is a first for FleetPartners. Wanting it to go viral also raised a few eyebrows. Personally I think video can be very powerful in explaining complex stories and I hope our work can be used with other products that are offered.

We do have plans for a part 2…

You may not have known it, but a momentous day occured last week. It was Tell the Truth day of course. And to celebrate it, I had a little light hearted fun by exploring the secrets the world's top tech companies might be forced to reveal if they were to participate.

Check out 'The secrets of the world's top tech companies revealed' over at Search Engine People