Mobile Fundaz

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2011-12-30T13:14:00.001+05:30

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Invitation from Mobile Fundaz

2010-03-23T21:27:00.001+05:30

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Mobile Media in India Knol

2010-02-22T21:20:00.001+05:30

Mobile Media is a red-HOT marketing opportunity which Marketers CANNOT afford to miss out on

2010-02-08T22:28:00.004+05:30

Mobile entered India way back in 1995 and has since then achieved huge penetration. Roughly 50% of India's 1Billion+ population use mobile phones. The majority of the market (approx 92%) use prepaid connections whilst the rest use post paid connections. Mobile has an 85% penetration in urban India as opposed to a 30% penetration in rural India. Mobile phones which were once considered a status symbol have now become extremely mainstream so much so that everyone has one be it a maid-servant, auto-rikshaw/taxi driver, a panwala or a fruit/vegetable/fish seller.

Here are some interesting stats about key Telecom Players and their user base (COAI)
1.Airtel - 118.86mn
2.Reliance - 90mn
3.Vodafone - 91.4mn
4.BSNL -58.7mn
5.Idea - 57mn
6.Tata group - 58mn (Tata Indicom, Tata Docomo, Virgin Mobile)
7.Aircel - 31mn
8.MTNL -4.5mn
9.Loop - 2.6mn
10.Uninor - 1.2mn
11.MTS - 1.7mn

Here are some interesting stats on mobile usage:

1.SMS is the hottest app with 180 billion SMS projected to be sent by 2010.
2.SMS revenue is projected to reach $1.3billion (USD) by June 2010 and accounts for 37% of VAS revenue
3.Hello tunes or CRBT (Caller Ring Back Tunes) account for 40% of VAS revenue and are projected to touch $1.46billion (USD) by June 2010
4.Contest participation SMS accounts for 16% of VAS revenue and is projected to touch $587.3mn (USD) by June 2010
5.Mobile Gaming accounts for roughly 5% of VAS revenue and is projected to touch $183.55mn (USD) by June 2010

Some interesting innovations possible on mobile:

1.Name SMS – where a person receives an SMS with his/her name in the SMS making the SMS extremely personalized as well as resulting in a clutter-breaking innovation
2.Interactive Voice call – a person receives a call on his/her phone, answers the call and listens to a pre-recorded voice message ( powered by an IVRS) which the receiver can interact with by making selections on hearing prompts. These actions can be recorded and assist in lead generation for companies who are looking at creating a database of consumers who they want to engage with on an ongoing basis
3.Hello Tunes – since the average person receives 10 calls a day, the number of brand interactions that can be powered by just engaging 1 person is 300/month. This makes for an exciting opportunity to exploit from the perspective of consumer engagement where consumers may be exposed to brand audio-mnemonics/jingles to boost brand recall and aid Top of Mind Awareness Levels (TOMAL).
4.100% accurate targeting makes mobile a red-HOT media since marketers can target audience basis Age, Income, Sex, Location and sometimes even profession.

Source:
•http://www.cellular-news.com/story/39758.php
•http://coai.in/statistics.php?val=2009
•http://auspi.in/show-subscribber.asp
•http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ew/2007/05/07/stories/2007050700120200.htm
•http://www.iamai.in/Upload/Research/mobilevasinindia_25.pdf

Forget 2010: Ten Marketing Predictions for the Next Decade

2010-01-08T00:01:00.002+05:30

Forget 2010: Ten Marketing Predictions for the Next Decade

I'm always on the lookout for the next hot trend and the next game changer. So you can imagine my self-disappointment when I sat down to write another "top 10 predictions for the new year" post...it felt decidedly un-extraordinary.

So, forget about 2010. Let's talk big. REALLY big.

Here are 10 predictions for the next decade. That's right, the whole darn decade.

This is a fun way to start the new year and could ignite some great conversation. What will happen? And how will you succeed in this new decade?

1) Content Strategy Becomes the New Information Architecture: You've probably heard the saying, "Information architecture is to design what content strategy is to copy." And it's true, except that content strategy lags about 5-10 years behind IA as an agency deliverable. Expect clients to demand content strategy and hence agencies to staff up with folks who understand that the content on a site is as much a science as it is an art.

2) Marketing Sciences Get Sexy: Forget impressions, views, and hits. These dinosaurs are extinct and today's darlings (the all-too-vague visitors and clicks to name two) will likely follow them into the ether. Web metrics will get a hell of a lot sexier than bounce rate -- expect more about engagement, behavior, real customer insights. And as web metrics become more robust, the interpreters of this information -- marketing scientists -- will become the oracles of the office. Their challenge will be to not only wrestle this data into a story we can understand, but also to make info about past behavior predictive (or prescriptive) for future behavior. (Expect to see offerings like this proliferate.)

3) Google De-throned As Search King: As Google continues to diversify – phones, browsers, tons of acquisitions, etc. -- the amount of time they can focus on perfecting search falls. All this while competitors lick their chops. In '09, Microsoft's Bing brought a reasonable alternative to the fore with great ads and some innovative changes, especially for video searches. And with Wolfram Alpha and possibly others in the wings, it's likely the king of search will end this next decade looking around for all that lost market share.

4) Social Media Staffers Become Face of Business: Social media staffers have already far eclipsed your MarCom folks in terms of public visibility, but expect the same thing to happen to senior execs. Let's face it, more people know the name Scott Monty than they do Ford's own President. Frank Eliason and ComcastBonnie are the positive, helpful faces of one of the most despised corporations in the country. Of course, the best situation may be to have a senior exec who also understands social media strategy, even if the business isn't exclusively online. Expect leaders like publisher Michael Hyatt to raise the bar for business execs in the next decade.

5) The Death of Marketese: This is easily the prediction I pray for most. We learned in the last decade that people like doing business with people (wow, genius stuff there, I know). So why are so many "About" pages written in the vague, sanitized language of "marketese"? If your corporate page babbles on about "innovation" and "insights," you'd better be listing a few. Don't tell me about your "industry-leading technology;" just say you make the best damn widgets because of X, Y, and Z. Tolerance for marketese has dwindled and will disappear within the next decade. Let's hope this uninspiring copy does too.

6) Forget Resumes: For agencies in particular, and many businesses as well, resumes will disappear in the next 10 years. Expect employers to focus on what you've actually done, rather than what you say you've done. With creative examples like these, could you ever go back to single-spaced, 10-point font missives ever again? Developer Adam Darowski was one of hundreds (thousands?) of job seekers who have figured out that the blog is the new resume. When I was interviewing with Critical Mass, we discussed my blog in far more detail than any other component of my resume. They wanted to know what I did, how I lived online marketing; expect other employers to follow suit.

7) Competition from Unexpected Sources: The old rivalries used to be enough. Bill Gates' Microsoft vs. Steve Jobs' Apple, for instance. The last decade changed all that. Now, Steve Jobs faces stiff competition in the e-reader market from Amazon's Jeff Bezos and his killer Kindle. Brin and Page's Google Droid phone will be a formidable foe for the iPhone and Blackberry alike. No matter your business, be ready for new competition from unlikely places. And expect these upstarts to come in swinging.

8) News Continues to Decentralize: Everything from RSS to Twitter offers users personalized news feeds with no interruption. The 6 o'clock news simply can't compete and will disappear. This next decade will see a mass decentralization of news. But will the same fate befall newspapers as well? No way. Too many of us fogeys understand that nothing compliments breakfast like newsprint on a dead tree. Sure, the number of newspapers will fall, but stalwarts like the NY Times and Washington Post will endure.

9) The Decade of Mobile: FINALLY. But it's not the mobile device you're used to. Technology has caught up with our desires, but the next decade will usher in a handheld that is more mini-computer than telephone. In fact, expect VoIP to evolve quicker and eclipse the built-in phone hardware. Talking will be one of the lesser tasks solved by our ubiquitous mobile devices. The web will be with you...everywhere and all the time.

10) Hovercars, Teleporters and replicators (i'm still a bit of a trekkie). Or at least jetpacks. We deserve that much.

Courtesy: imediaconnection
--
Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rajiv Jadhav
--------------------------------------------
CEO + Founder
Mobile Fundaz
m:09867-616769
e: mobile.fundaz@gmail.com
blog: http://mobilefundaz.blogspot.com/
twitter: www.twitter.com/mobilefundaz
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/mobilefundaz
Credentials: http://www.slideshare.net/mobilefundaz
------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer engagement & Brand interaction via SMS | IVRS | SEM | SEO | Reverse SEO | Social Media Marketing | Online Reputation Mgmt | Widget/Website/Blog Design & Development | Campaign Planning & Strategy

How to move apps from distraction to transaction

2010-01-07T23:55:00.002+05:30

How to move apps from distraction to transaction

The year 2009 may be remembered as when the smartphone entered our everyday vernacular, but it also was when more marketers finally began to see the opportunities available through a device that is carried daily by virtually every consumer in their target audiences. The dramatic visibility and uptake of apps has made so much noise that it could hardly be ignored.

This is just the beginning. As the adoption of smarter phones continues and the next wave of development deploys, brand managers will be amazed at the sheer service and advertising possibilities. However, many of these seemingly futuristic advances will be based on the features already inherent in today's mobile handsets. With understanding of capabilities, some imagination, and constant focus on business goals, brands do not have to wait, and can build these advanced mobile programs into their 2010 plans.

Below are three fundamental areas for marketers to focus on, based on current technologies, with views and applications as to how each can serve the savvy marketer today and tomorrow.

Current reality: The transaction engine
The term mCommerce (or mobile commerce) has been used often, but it does not really capture the possibilities of what can be created through mobile devices. These pocket-sized computers, which just happen to make phone calls, really are powerful transactional engines. With that in mind, apps and other mobile functionality move all kinds of transactions into an un-tethered environment -- beyond traditional online -- and create the opportunity for new kinds of commerce and activity altogether.

As brands continue to evaluate which mobile opportunities to undertake, it is important to see precisely how this channel can either enhance an existing business or create an entirely new mechanism for interacting with consumers.

Retail is an obvious fit for the "enhancement" category simply by extending into the mobile environment. While some brands have left any transaction potential out of their current apps, the online juggernaut of Amazon embraced it smartly, and created additional value for its customers.

First, Amazon addressed simple mobile purchases, as consumers can log in to their existing user accounts, just as they would from any PC. This gets past the security-blanket hurdle. Next, using the core functionality on many smartphones -- specifically the camera -- the Amazon app brings the online brand into the real world. Users can snap a picture of any desired product with the app, which relays the information directly to Amazon. The photo is then matched to similar products sold on the site, either via automation or a group of people, and the consumer is notified in-app, via email, on Amazon.com's PC personalized homepage, and in the user's wishlist. Essentially, the world becomes the Amazon Shopping Mall. More importantly, this creates potential transactions virtually anywhere, including at competitors' brick-and-mortar locations.

Pizza Hut has moved in an opposite direction, mapping mobile phone purchase transactions to physical retail restaurants. For a consumer, the primary method of ordering food was traditionally to find and call a local Pizza Hut. But the company's new mobile service essentially brought the menu to life, helping a user customize a pizza order and then place it automatically at a local restaurant (using location-based services). Purchases can be made directly from the phone, and the mobile aspect keeps this access available to the consumer on-demand. While the app itself has had both positive and negative response, its business model illustrates how to open new avenues to the consumer when other online efforts have not been as successful.

The opportunities it brings
When adapted by other types of localized businesses, this could lead to true, efficient, on-demand purchases and delivery. Think of it as a retail store with no cash register. The mobile phone provides a touchpoint and interactive interface to the consumer, as well as connectivity to the transaction engine for purchases. So consumers can walk through a store, pick out items on their own handset, press buy, and grab their purchases as they exit. Or how about truly fast food, where each customer can order for him or herself at McDonald's without uttering a word. No need for lines, as there would just be purchase and distribution. These are service and business possibilities that the PC environment could never truly offer.

One new arena that opened with online adoption -- banking -- is about to change dramatically again, as mobile may provide an even more robust platform to service customers. Many of the large banks have deployed their own mobile apps, which currently offer the simplified basics of the PC environment. However, more functionality will find its way into these interactions, and can create new services altogether. USAA, a bank and insurance company, lets its customers cash checks directly from an iPhone app. The user takes a picture of the check, transmits it to the bank, and the funds are applied to the consumer's account.

Now, take this approach even further. What if a bank customer never stepped foot in a physical branch? The account opening "paperwork" can be done through the touchscreen of a phone, including the signage card. Deposits can be made. Money can be transferred. Even cash can be dispensed from machines with customers carrying the smartest of smart ATM cards, the phone.

Current reality: Location
Physical location may be the single most relevant targeting attribute for any marketer. As location targeting for ad units becomes more prevalent, the current method of evaluating and buying digital advertising becomes quite antiquated. Audience is great; demographics are helpful guides; but the actual ability to place highly-appropriate marketing in front of a consumer inside a decision-making moment increases the value of interactive advertising immeasurably.

The possibility of so-called "location-based services" has had marketers salivating ever since the smallest iota of computing or digital media became mobile. For the past decade, virtually the same example (just with varying brands) has been used by technologists and marketers alike to describe a mobile, location-targeted campaign. It sounds something like this: "You are walking by The Gap, and your phone begins to shake with an offer of 10 percent off a pair of jeans. You walk in the store, present your phone, and buy your jeans -- along with four other items."

From the introduction of the Palm VII with its pop up antennae to the embracing of the iPhone, challenges to this approach existed on technological and consumer-usage levels. However, within the past three years, both of these have been at least partially solved, making hyperlocal-targeting a reality.

From a consumer usage standpoint, Disney took an early stab at this, with a child-locator service in its now departed eponymous mobile service. But it was the introduction and adoption of mobile apps that created the basis for consumers to proactively use location to their own benefit. Obvious services such as mapping, driving directions, and mobile search use location as a focal criterion. An added category that found significant value with location is social media.

Several platforms including Loopt, Google Lattitude, and foursquare use location as a primary component for users to interact with their network of friends and contacts. Instead of just manual status updates, as on Facebook, automated location updates accompany posts, including displaying friends' current positions on maps. With this interaction as a basis, these services also offer suggestions of events, stores, and restaurants in the area.

The opportunities it brings
A brand advertising in such an environment can significantly heighten its own relevance. In fact, for retailers with physical storefronts ranging from clothing chains to restaurants, this is the specific type of consumer engagement that they have long sought. For example, a consumer having coffee at Starbucks opens a social media app to find friends in the area. He is presented with an exclusive mobile offer in a visual ad unit for the Best Buy within a block from his location. Alternatively, if the consumer is within the proximity of a Radio Shack, he could be served another unique offer pushing him to Best Buy. This location-aware advertising gives brands great consumer influence, hyperlocal targeting capabilities, and reduction in wasted digital media.

Campaigns like this exist today across the different platforms that have location at the core of their service. However, each platform has wrestled with moving that concept into a larger ad buying conversation. This transition is hindered partially by a matter of understanding by the marketer of the mere possibilities and the creativity to use this type of advertising effectively. Equally though, the challenge lies in the age-old scalability issue. That is, many agency buyers want to make large buys. While understandable, the real focus should be to directly address a brand's goals by adapting to the opportunities created by technology.

The seminal moment for advertisers will be when virtually every ad unit can be location-aware. This moves the potential from confined communities to virtually anyone accessing the internet or using an app on a mobile phone. This will enable a marketer to augment the normal buying decision criteria with the assumption of using physical consumer positioning. "Right place, right time" is an old adage, but here is that precise potential for the astute advertiser.

Current reality: Audio interactivity
Mobile devices are still primarily for making phone calls. While this is an often-forgotten aspect for mobile marketing possibilities, the technological necessity to support this functionality places a microphone in each consumer's pocket. This provides a basic component for untapped advanced advertising and interactivity.

Services like Shazaam have amazed and impressed consumers with its app that "listens" to songs and does a look-up based on that 10-second audio clip. It then returns a list of possible places to purchase the song directly through the mobile phone.

The essence of this concept can translate specifically for brands as well. To simplify the overall functionality, Shazaam uses an audio element to trigger a response. What if a clever marketer were to build similar pieces into a mobile campaign, letting users' phones listen to its advertisements, thereby augmenting larger media investments?

For example, Wal-Mart could create Mobile Sunday on NFL telecasts the week before Thanksgiving 2010. On its national TV spots, it featured an exclusive mobile sale for Samsung's Blu-ray player. While the commercial may have looked like any other, the audio -- whether audible or not -- automatically triggers the customer's phone to open to the product details and purchase opportunity for the Blu-ray player. Now that is how to use advertising to directly drive purchase.

Further, consumer behavior proves that people watch TV with their phones by their sides (see "American Idol"). It is an ideal interactive medium, which some brands have tried to embrace with text message calls-to-action. This mechanism is significantly more advanced, and even simpler for the consumer.

The opportunities it brings
Beyond the single app component, the next logical step would be mobile ad units that are themselves "audibly aware." This infers the relevance of the moment based on the sounds surrounding the consumer. While a consumer is multi-tasking, watching a TV show while viewing the web on the phone, mobile advertisements could directly correlate to the show itself. This would let a brand reinforce its on-air buy, potentially compensating for the exposure lost to DVRs. It is yet another evolution in the targeting capabilities made possible by the growing contingent of iPhone, Blackberry, and Google Android users.

The awareness and transactional capabilities that mobile phones can provide will continue to grow rapidly, and can serve brands well. There will inevitably be some privacy concerns, but the right approaches and innovations will help protect consumers. As the online world and that around us blurs more, the opportunity for a marketer to adapt may be the biggest challenge. This is not a matter of chasing the shiniest, newest thing. It is understanding consumer behaviors, and how mobile technology specifically enables brands to actively be a relevant component of each customer's day.

Courtesy: imediaconnection

--
Thank you.

Sincerely,

Rajiv Jadhav
--------------------------------------------
CEO + Founder
Mobile Fundaz
m:09867-616769
e: mobile.fundaz@gmail.com
blog: http://mobilefundaz.blogspot.com/
twitter: www.twitter.com/mobilefundaz
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/mobilefundaz
Credentials: http://www.slideshare.net/mobilefundaz
------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer engagement & Brand interaction via SMS | IVRS | SEM | SEO | Reverse SEO | Social Media Marketing | Online Reputation Mgmt | Widget/Website/Blog Design & Development | Campaign Planning & Strategy

3 steps for curbing social media pollution

2010-01-07T23:51:00.002+05:30

3 steps for curbing social media pollution

Social media, as helpful and positive as it has been for the communications industry as a whole, has faced some obstacles recently.

Sometimes it feels as if we are living the real-time, 24/7 electronic equivalent of my Venezuelan wife's annual family get-together: Everyone talks too loudly, at the same time, on top of each other, without listening to anybody else, competing to get the most words in edgewise. After all the storm and fury, no one remembers much of anything (except the gossip, of course).

It's easy to get excited by the chance to have our own personal soapbox. Before agencies dive into the realm that is social media, we've come up with some ground rules to make sure we add to the quality, rather than quantity, of the discussion for both the industry and our clients.

Resist the tendency of "fun facts." As advocates of social media, we must learn to resist the tendency to just repeat information and comment on everything and anything. We are all interested in many things and have opinions about pretty much everything. While it's fine to be occasionally fired up about this or that current event (who can resist commenting on Michael Jackson's passing?), in the end it can feel -- and sound -- like you aren't saying anything at all.

A good place to start is to look over your last 20 tweets or postings and see if they add up to a greater whole. Have you brought in another perspective to expand or challenge the material you are commenting on? Do you see an overarching point of view or theme? If you focus on one issue or topic, people will expect and look forward to hearing more of your comments.

Don't just pick any topic to talk about. Choose one you are passionate about. Unless you care deeply about an issue, it's unlikely your thoughts will be interesting and engaging enough for people to pay attention.

When fueled by a true passion, the sum of your cumulative comments will build intuitively toward an overarching idea, and people will look forward to hearing your next thought and building on it.

Remember it's a conversation, not a monologue. I know, we love the sound of our own tweets -- why else do we craft them into mini haikus? But you must listen first before you tweet. Agree, disagree, amplify, redirect, respond rather than ignore. There's a reason it's called "social" media, so be sociable. You have as much to learn as you do to teach.

Like any medium, control over social media is no longer in the hands of the publisher. Just as consumers are fast-forwarding through TV commercials, they can easily block you on Facebook and unfollow you on Twitter. Make sure you keep earning your place within the conversation that is social media. Said another way, tweet like you mean it.

Mobile Fundaz' Credentials Deck

2009-12-30T21:47:00.003+05:30

A brief profile of Mobile Fundaz which encompasses the Key Promoter's credentials, showcases some recent web and mobile case studies as well as lists the suite of services offered which include:
--> SMS, IVRS, Mobile Hello Tunes Innovations, 2.5G Innovations
--> SEO, SEM, Social Media Marketing, Widget/Blog/Website/Game Design, development & Maintenance; Publisher Innovations, Digital Campaign Planning & strategy

Sweetie wants to be fed and needs your help:

2009-12-30T21:41:00.003+05:30

Sweetie hasn't been fed for 3 days! She complains that her owner (CEO of Mobile Fundaz) is too busy looking for work and requests that the audience help her out by giving her owner some digital marketing projects so that she can finally be fed.

Mobile Fundaz' Mascot requests for Digital marketing projects

2009-12-30T21:23:00.001+05:30

Scampie hasn't been fed for 3 days! he complains that his owner (CEO of Mobile Fundaz) is too busy looking for work and requests that the audience help him by giving his owner some digital marketing projects so that he can finally be fed.

10 tips to dominate digital in 2010

2009-12-29T22:47:00.002+05:30

1. Social media: A marathon, not a sprint
Hoping to become fast friends with their targets, a lot of brands rushed into Facebook and Twitter in the last 24 months without investing sufficient time or resources. In 2010, savvy marketers will increase their commitment to social media by first listening and then offering up a steady stream of engaging content that their fans actually want. This will be particularly true for B2B brands, only 38 percent of which included social media in their 2008 marketing plans (compared to 71 percent of B2C brands).

One comScore study indicated that branded social media activities can have a multiplier effect on search results, providing a quantifiable rationale for brands to up the social media ante in 2010.

2. Mashups: Taking inspiration from biathlons
A few innovative marketers took a shot at mashups in 2009. E.P. Carrillo, a new cigar manufacturer, created a mesmerizing Twitter and Google Maps mashup for its "coming soon" site that tracks cigar tweets from around the world. In 2010, these kinds of mashups will become smoking hot as marketers look to extend the value of their social media activities. Recognizing that tech-savvy consumers glide seamlessly between personal and business, online and offline, mobile and desktop, farsighted marketers will bring together formerly disparate elements into a cohesive and self-perpetuating social media experience.

3. App happy: On your mark, get set, go crazy
Given the success a handful of marketers enjoyed with their "apps" in 2009, expect a blaze of new entries in 2010. iPhone apps that provide demonstrable utility like Kraft's iFood Assistant recipe finder, Benjamin Moore's color matcher, and Zipcar's GPS-based car finder will continue to gain traction. Expect more apps that integrate with other social media like the GapStyleMixer that allows you to mix and match clothes and share them with friends on Facebook.

And don't forget the non-iPhone universe. The steakhouse Maloney & Porcelli cooked up a humorous and somewhat deviant web-based app Expense-A-Steak that extrudes faux expense reports that look stunningly authentic.

4. Measure up: Track every second
With more dollars earmarked for social media, marketers will undoubtedly use new tools to monitor the conversations that are happening with or without them.Radian6 and Scout Labs emerged in 2009 as two of the leading social media monitoring tools. Molson Coors uses Radian6 to stay on top of all the banter about its major brands, allowing it to respond with remarkable speed to one of my blog posts about a Coors Light Twitter account that turned out to be unofficial.

And while these tools are great, each requires a sizeable commitment by the marketer in time of staff, a commitment that can and does pay off. Just ask JetBlue, which manages to enhance customer loyalty daily by responding to any and every customer tweet within minutes. JetBlue follows 117,000 people on Twitter, generating more than 1.3 million followers for itself.

5. POV power: Don't just talk the talk
While lots of brands raced into social media in 2009, few established true connections with their targets. The reality is that consumers engage with brands they like on a visceral level and that provide a distinct perspective on the world. Aflac's Duck quacks up a gaggle of quirky content, including charitable requests that appeal to more than 161,000 fans on Facebook and more than 3,000 followers on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Geico's Gecko has been left in the social media dust due to its surprisingly dry and unresponsive online voice. Ironically, a brand by definition is a point-of-view that, once clearly defined, should guide all communications, social or otherwise.

6. Expose yourself: Win the crowd with honesty
The emergence of several "tell all" consumer-created sites signals the arrival of a new era of honesty and transparency, especially for brands targeting those under 35. Sites like fmylife.com, textsfromlastnight.com, and MyParentsJoinedFacebook.com reflect a generation willing to bare and share all without the least trepidation.

Even the emergence of "Untag Mondays" speaks to the socially acceptable norm of posting embarrassing content that one might not want a parent or employer to see. Marketers that share this sense of honesty, that admit mistakes and address shortcomings in real-time, will find a youthful army of comrades willing to do their bidding. As Comcast discovered, this kind of honesty can even transform a PR nightmare like ComcastMustDie.com into an industry-leading customer service, like its Comcast Cares Twitter pages.

7. Hold the presses: Major comebacks are possible
Though a 50-percent decline in ad pages certifies 2009 as the worst year in print's history, don't write it off as a viable media channel just yet. More than 80 percent of U.S. consumers still subscribe to at least one magazine and 83 percent believe newspapers are still relevant, according to MediaPost.

Experimenting with video in print publications like Entertainment Weekly is but one of the ways certain magazine segments will hold onto their targets and satisfy advertisers. Fashion magazines and enthusiast publications continue to offer a visual showcase that is far superior to what most online magazines can serve up. Models, both human and auto, simply look prettier in print.

And while Procter & Gamble shut down its 72-year-old TV soap opera Guiding Light in 2009, it is cranking up the presses with a custom-published glossy, Rouge, that it expects to reach a whopping 11 million North American households in 2010.

8. Go to the video: Separate from the pack
The emergence of viral video rankings in 2009 reflected the mainstreaming of this approach to audience engagement.

While everyone and their branded brother aspired to cut through with a viral hit, surprisingly few found an audience. In 2010, marketers will undoubtedly crank out more of the same, while a savvy few will worry less about mass reach and focus more on grassroots appeal, providing content that their core targets really want. B2B marketers in particular will find that using informative videos that transform the complicated into the comprehensible, like Commoncraft's Plain English videos, will generate quality leads from grateful prospects.

9. Mobile media: Catching up at last
Despite all the hype by this author and others, less than a third of marketers had a budget for mobile in 2009. In 2010, smartphone penetration should rise to at least 25 percent (from 17 percent in Q2 '09), making it a lot easier to deliver a rich mobile experience worthy of consumer attention. The blending of mobile and social apps like Facebook, Loop'd, and Twitter has also created a new openness toward this medium.

Given the desirable demographics (18- to 34-year-olds with household incomes of more than $75,000) of smartphone owners, marketers should, at the very least, give strong consideration to creating a mobile friendly website, thus allowing prospects to engage whenever and wherever they happen to be.

10. Be positive: Attitude is everything
While honesty is a worthy friend to marketers, don't forget that almost no one wants to date a Debbie Downer. A recent Adweek/Harris poll found "relatively little enthusiasm and lots of indifference for ads that refer to the downturn." Even if the economy is slow to recover in 2010, find the silver lining for your customers and prospects with both words and actions. Like the athletes whose positive outlooks and superior skills propel them to victory, so too can marketers find success with an upbeat message and an unimpeachable value proposition.

Courtesy:imediaconnection

http://www.youtube.com/mobilefundaz

2009-12-29T22:29:00.001+05:30

Just set up my youtube page - http://www.youtube.com/mobilefundaz

10 Interesting fundaz

2009-12-07T02:21:00.002+05:30

1. 50% of india's 1billion+ population is on mobile
2. Internet reaches out to only about 44mn people in india presently
3. 50% of net users are in the 18-35 demographic
4. 85% of net users are heavy consumers of social media with online video and blog consumption being the most popular activities
5. 66% of people on the net use social networking sites
6. the top social media sites are youtube, orkut, facebook, picasa and flikr
7. Yahoo reaches out to 70% of india's web users
8. male:female ratio on web & mobile is 75:25
9. Airtel is the largest telco with 110mn user base. Rcom follows closely at 2nd place with 92mn base
10. 85% of all net users get thier email atleast 2-3 times a week making email the most popular web app.