The article references the change in phone plans that now support lower fees for text messaging, as the number of text messaging capable phones has only increased slightly (7.3% from June to June).

The other change that I see is that new mobile devices make texting much easier.

While iPhone apps are the hot thing right now, don’t lose sight of text messaging in your mobile marketing plan as it has the most reach.

They’re new, exciting and fun to play around with. The amount of innovation happening in mobile is amazing with major brands launching apps as well as new players emerging, such as RedLaser, an iPhone app for barcode scanning and comparison shopping.

There’s new stats coming out everyday in regards to iPhone dominance, but, honestly, I still prefer my BlackBerry for business use over my iPhone. Traveling and personal use? The iPhone wins hands down. And people love their iPhones as the satisfaction index shows in the presentation below (except for battery life, which I’m sure Apple is working on).

Also in the presentation is a prediction by Gartner that the Google backed Android platform will be the leader in the space in the next few years.

This presentation wasn’t meant to be comprehensive, since new information is coming out everyday. Just to get the conversation started.

If I have a few words of advice – don’t spend your whole mobile budget on iPhone app development. For one, plan on multiple point releases of an app, publishing updates / enhancements at least once per quarter.

Second, make sure you hold on to some funds for promoting the app to get the number of downloads you need to make the development investment worthwhile.

And lastly, keep in mind that iPhone apps aren’t perfect for every brand and product and don’t cover the full market (under 15%). Keep in mind that although smartphone use is growing quickly, there are still a lot of consumers with old phones or non-Apple devices. SMS is still the best mobile marketing tactic when it comes to reach as it’s supported on almost every current phone.

I can’t remember who sent me this link, but I though it was relevant to share.

Facebook Now Running Over 30,000 Servers
Facebook, with over 300 million users, is one of the largest sites on the Internet serving over 200 billion pages per month. They are collecting somewhere in the realm 25 terabytes of log data per day (trust me, that’s a lot) and serving over 600,000 photos each second.

So, what does all of this mean?

Well, think about all the data they have on each user – name, address, past employers, family member connections, status updates, chat sessions, photos (and people tagged in photos), videos, polls, quizzes, friends, interests, brands that have been friended (fan pages), time of day usage, searches and results, applications installed and the list goes on…

Not to mention the ability to build a keyword index for every piece of text.

Wow, just thinking about it blows my mind.

This post is a combination of a shameless plug for an upcoming presentation as well as a call for some questions that you would like to hear more about.

In preparation for an upcoming panel that I’m part of at ad:tech New York, I’d like to field some questions about the panel topic: Location Awareness: Mobile’s Effect on Location-Based Advertising, Search and Social

From a mobile perspective, join us as we share both an overview of location-based advertising fundamentals for newcomers and discuss more advanced topics for the more experienced in the audience. The potential for using mobile location in advertising, search and social networking is enormous, but there are many business and technology hurdles that must be addressed before this potential can truly be tapped. In this session, we will discuss the current state of mobile location, how we got here and where we are headed. Topics to be addressed include: reach/addressability/audience and technology challenges and opportunities, business models and consumer privacy and perception. Panelists will draw on recent, real-world case studies as well as forward-looking plans to provide insight into the best way to make reality of what analysts project to be a $13 billion market by 2013.

I’ll be posting about relevant topics leading up to the event as well as a conclusion after the event.

So, what do you want to hear more about as it relates to the topic above? Leave a comment, send me a message on Twitter or email me [djacobsen] [at] [barkleyus.com] and I’ll see what I can do to get you a response.

Technorati Tags: presentation, crowdsourcing, mobile, social

In order to understand this post, you’ll probably have to read the article referenced above.

I blogged about texting while driving before (see: Should mobile device use while driving be illegal?).

If states want to pass a law that extends distracted driving to cover mobile devices, I’d be fine with that as long as it covers the other distractions. By the way, carrying on a conversation is the biggest cause of accidents, and I don’t see a anti-conversation law being passed anytime soon.

Since I don’t want to waste anyone’s time reiterating what I said in my previous post, I’m focusing this post in response to the article about a technological fix to the problem.

“The obvious bottom line is that sending a text is not worth the cost of a life.”

-> I agree.

“As human beings, we simply can’t always be trusted to make the right choice. In the case of texting while driving, we should be glad that there’s technology available so that we don’t even have to worry about making the wrong decision.”

-> I disagree. What country is this? Do we stay off the internet because the majority is not safe for work? We deal with choices every minute of every day. How many items are stocked at the average grocery store? Thousands..

The biggest hurdle as I see it is that I can’t imagine all handset makers getting behind the implementation of a technology solution unless it was mandated by law, as they would likely see their sales tank. And even if there was a solution put in place, there would surely be a hack available online almost immediately after. It’s a cat and mouse game.

Implementing such a complex technology would be impressive, but extremely challenging. There are very few solutions that would work reliably and accurately enough to make it into the marketplace. Just because a vehicle is moving doesn’t mean that the occupants shouldn’t be using their mobile devices, as most of them will be passengers. Determining movement is the easy part. Determining who should and should not be using a mobile device while moving is the tough one and would require some kind of integration with the vehicle.

In regards to TXTBlocker or any other software solution, there will always be a hack to get around it. I think the idea is good, but I’d need to understand more about how it distinguishes between a driver and passengers.

Legislation will help be a deterrent, technology can help support with things like headsets & voice driven commands, but education, in my opinion, is really the best approach.

I agree with the approach posted by CTIA-The Wireless Association a couple days ago:

“The wireless industry remains committed to educating all drivers about the dangers of distracted driving. We support state and local legislation that would ban texting for all drivers and place wireless use restrictions on teens and novice drivers. We agree with Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s recommendation that distracted driving legislation should be developed and enforced by state and local governments. While state and local legislation is a part of the solution, education is key to trying to end distracted driving. We also agree with Secretary LaHood that personal responsibility is important and every single person needs to be aware about the serious dangers and possible consequences of texting and driving.”

Education is happening now, but a technology solution is 5+ years away at best and that’s before getting everyone else in the mobile ecosystem on board, including handset makers, software makers, telecoms and ultimately, the auto industry.

I’d rather see money spent on education vs. thrown at a technology solution.

Technorati Tags: mobile, legislation, texting, driving

I’m not in the wine industry. Or the food & beverage industry, for that matter.

But, I do travel a reasonable amount and love to visit different wineries and breweries around the country.

On my last visit to wineries around Monterey County California, I must say that I was somewhat disappointed. Not because the wine was bad, but because of the wine tasting fees and the attitudes of several of the brands.

So first, let me say that most of our wine stops were great, and I recommend taking the tour at Chateau Julien (our favorite!) and stopping by to visit with the fine folks at Scheid, Talbott, Bernardus and Ventana Vineyards, to name a few. There were several wineries in Monterey County that I would have liked to visit but we just didn’t have enough time (Bernardus was the farthest South we got).

So, here is the my complaint: wine tasting fees.

I’m not complaining because I’m cheap, but I’m complaining because some wineries are trying to make money from wine tasting fees.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that businesses have to cover their costs. And I’m fine with covering costs, especially, if nothing else, having a wine tasting fee policy keeps people from stopping by and drinking without any intention of buying.

But, if there are tasting fees, they should either be reasonable enough that it’s a break even for the winery ($3-$5?) or applied towards purchase with a reasonable threshold (like $25).

Some of the wineries, which I won’t mention, had $10-$15 tasting fees that were not applied towards purchase. In my opinion, higher prices may be fine for reserve wines but not for wines that are in the $25-$50 price range.

If tasting fees are applied towards purchase, I’m pretty likely to purchase something to recoup my costs, but only if the threshold is low (i.e. 1 bottle, not a case). Some of the wineries had a high threshold for applying the tasting fees towards purchase.

For the wineries that charge for tastings, are they not confident enough in their product that they don’t think anyone will buy it once they taste it? If someone is tasting 5 or more wines, the chance is pretty good that at least one of the wines is going to hit home and the customer will purchase.

If the tasting fees aren’t applied and I’m on the fence on whether to purchase or not, I’ll usually thank my hosts and walk away. Why? Because unless something was great, there isn’t any incentive to buy, and I feel the winery already made some money off of me, which doesn’t sit well with me. Plus, there are so many great wines out there, and with limited space and funds, not everything makes the cut for the Jacobsen Estate cellar.

If there aren’t tasting fees and I was on the fence? I almost always make a purchase out of respect for the brands and their time. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I make a purchase at almost every wine tasting I go to. And if I don’t like anything they’re pouring, I try and find something else to buy.

But, what bothered me the most was how some wineries, when asked about tasting fees, simply responded “nobody provides free tastings anymore” and shrugged off my inquiry.

Maybe there was just too big of a disconnect between the wine makers and the storefronts? Or maybe, in this down economy, the sales people were more worried about making a quick buck and collecting a check vs. investing in a long term customer?

My favorite wine area to visit is Sonoma County (map).

Last time I was there, almost all of the fees, if there were any, were applied towards purchase, and the people were incredibly nice.

And guess what, I purchased quite a bit more wine.

Technorati Tags: wine, tasting, fee

If you know me very well, you probably know that I like wine. You know what else I like? Helping babies.

21st Annual Wine Fest
A Benefit for the March of Dimes
Thursday, May 21, 2009: 6 – 9 p.m.
Union Station ~ 30 West Pershing Road Kansas City, Missouri

• Food samples from over 25 area restaurants
• Over 150 varieties of wines to try
• Exclusive Premier Wine Room
• Large silent auction
• Live entertainment

You can get tickets in advance at MODwinefest.com or by calling 913-469-3611 until May 20. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for those that don’t like to plan ahead.

A little background on the event.

Wine Fest began in 1988 as a small gathering of young professionals who shared wine and appetizers donated by local restaurants. Over time, this small social gathering grew into a popular fundraiser made possible by some of Kansas City’s finest restaurants and wine vendors.

Funds raised by Wine Fest support research grants focused on issues related to premature birth and community programs such as NICU Family Support at Saint Luke’s Hospital and the Kansas Cribs for Kids Project.

The March of Dimes is a leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health and you can find out information about them at marchofdimes.com.

If you saw any of my Tweets from a few weeks ago, you also heard that Maya & I participated in the March for Babies walk, one of the major fund raising events for March of Dimes.

Not able to attend or not your type of thing? Please at least check out the site and help raise awareness for the March of Dimes. They’re doing some great things, and down economy or not, they still need our support.

Raise a glass to raise awareness and be a champion for all babies!

Technorati Tags: March of Dimes, wine, event

I also believe that social networking, if you can get past all the buzz and hype, is shaking up the advertising, marketing and PR communities.

At our ad agency at least, I’ve seen a huge increase in client interest in social networking in everything from Facebook applications to Twitter and beyond. No real surprise or breaking news there and I’m pretty excited about several of the projects in the works.

I think what we’re seeing with our clients is fairly consistent across the board:

According to a social media study by Michael Stelzner for the Social Media Success Summit 2009, 88% of marketers in a recent survey say they are now using some form of social media to market their business, though 72% of those using it say they have only been at it a few months or less. (via)

Benefits of Social Media Marketing
(Benefit: % of Respondents, multiple response OK)
• Generated exposure: 81%
• Increased traffic, subscribers, list: 61%
• New business partners: 56%
• Increased position in search rankings: 52%
• Generated qualified leads: 48%
• Reduced overall marketing expenses: 45%
• Helped close sales: 35%

Source: Social Media Marketing Industry Report, March 2009

The biggest question that remains unanswered, and really the most difficult question to answer, is the ROI question. Sure, almost anything you do will generate exposure, increase traffic, etc. But, you have to factor in your resource investment, which, in social networking, is mostly time.

There are several big brands that have been very active on Twitter (and increasing daily), but the ROI question is still kind of a “wait & see” in my mind.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that all brands, if they don’t already have one, should have a strategy for participating in the social space, and participating at whatever level makes sense.

But, I’m also of the mindset that brands should be setting aside a percentage of their budget for emerging media & technology (a small percentage, but something none the less) on an ongoing basis (being proactive vs. reactive).

For those organizations that have, what I’ll call an innovation budget, are probably already active in the social space because they saw this coming a few years ago when this whole craze kicked off.

Would an innovation budget be a waste, even if there wasn’t a solid ROI? I would say a realistic innovation budget is a homerun, no matter how you look at it, because the information and lessons learned will drive (or at least influence) the rest of the budget.

Just like you can’t make a campaign go viral, you won’t know what works for your brand until you set aside some resources to give it a whirl. And let me warn you. It will be painful at times, because the majority of projects won’t make it past the prototype stage.

But, as the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t play.

So, play on, I say, and get your hands dirty in the scattered gardens of social media and plant a few seeds that some day, may turn out to be a big part of your advertising and marketing strategy.

For more details, check out the full Whitepaper of the study, “How Marketers are Using Social Media to Grow their Businesses”

Technorati Tags: social networking, advertising, marketing, research

Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe ad agencies have at least some responsibility for the current economic crisis because they caused people to buy things they couldn’t afford

Come on, Americans. Don’t blame Ad Agencies for doing our jobs, which, if you forgot, is to convince you to buy things. Its not our fault that you bought stuff that you can’t afford.

Everyone who believes it needs to watch the SNL skit Don’t Buy Stuff

Technorati Tags: advertising, agency, pop culture, economy, economic, crisis

I’ll admit that I don’t know much about SpongeBob Square Pants outside of stumbling upon an episode here and there and reading about it on the Nick website:

SpongeBob is a sea sponge who lives with his pet snail, Gary, in a fully furnished, two bedroom pineapple in the town of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob’s dream in life is to be the ocean’s ultimate fry cook, and thanks to his job flipping Krabby Patties at the Krusty Krab, he lives that dream every day. SpongeBob is as optimistic and earnest as a sea-dwelling sponge gets, but he can’t seem to avoid getting himself, and usually everyone else around him, into trouble. While trying too hard, he tends to do things wrong…really wrong…which usually spells “disaster”. However, SpongeBob’s always looking on the bright side of life; his enthusiasm and curiosity about the world make him downright irresistible or completely annoying.

One of the latest clips from CP+B and Burger King, who brought in Sir Mix-A-Lot, added some controversy to the ad community: Burger King SpongeBob Ad Too Sexual? (via MediaPost)

From what I understand, the commercials never ran on children oriented programming.

The 30 second version:

Extended version (2:23)

Technorati Tags: SpongeBob, children, advertising, TV, pop culture, Sir Mix-A-Lot