Tag Archives: mobile

Social CRM/Big Data in the News: How to Avoid Tumbling off the Fiscal Cliff

November 13, 2012

Social CRM/Big Data

 

What in the name of Armageddon does the so-called “fiscal cliff” (over which the U.S. government is rumored to plunge in 2013) have to do with Social CRM/Big Data? As it turns out, quite a bit. First, a little background is in order about this much ballyhooed fiscal cliff and why some believe we are about to tumble headlong into oblivion. Then, we’ll look at what this means to businesses.

Why Reducing the Deficit is Leading to the Fiscal Cliff

The phrase “fiscal cliff” refers to the simultaneous spending cuts and tax increases that are slated to take place at the end of 2012. In addition, provisions that limit the reach of the Alternative Minimum Tax (income taxes) and cut payroll taxes are also scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

Just to make matters worse and encourage the political pundits into apoplexy, automatic spending cuts, as per the language laid out in the Budget Control Act of 2011, are also currently planned for the 2013 fiscal year. While this should rightfully drive the governmental budgetary wonks crazy, many otherwise calm, cool and collected business people are worried that this combination of actions will plunge the most powerful government on planet earth over this mythical cliff, thereby causing another recession.

Since recently the U.S. economy has been dependent on fiscal stimulus – see automotive industry, banking and investment industry bailouts – many economists, while happy that the tax increases and spending cuts would reduce the size of the national deficit, feel as though the sudden changes would plunge the country into another recession. It is for this reason that many elected officials want to avoid the “fiscal cliff” that is currently looming in the distance.

Staring Into the Abyss

While it is perfectly reasonable to be worried about the prospects for the fragile U.S. economy if the government falls off this fiscal cliff, the odds are pretty good that cooler heads will prevail – among both political parties – at the last possible second. One is reminded of the lyrics of the song by musical group Dawes: “When My Time Comes.”

You can judge all the world on sparkle that you think it lacks.

    Yes, you can stare into the abyss, but its staring right back.

The fact is, many industries and the companies that comprise them have already fallen over the fiscal cliff or are standing on a banana peel and teetering very close to the edge. Some of these industries and companies include:

  •  Airlines (Have you taken any plane trips, just for fun, lately?)
  • Companies that make and sell supersized fast food products  (Sales down for the first time at McDonalds and the mayor of New York is demonizing supersized portions)
  • Manufacturers of large, low-gas mileage vehicles (Anybody thinking of buying a Hummer?)
  • Traditional newspaper publishers (With critically low levels of cash, some such as the N.O. Times Picayune are publishing only 3 times a week)
  • Traditional book publishers (Big publishers are merging with other big ones to survive)
  • Big box retailers (BestBuy, JC Penny both report sales declines)
  • High fructose corn syrup producers (nutrition experts blame this substance for everything but typhoid fever)
  • Big box video rental retailers (Blockbuster is in the tank)
  • Single-purpose gadgets (Blackberry is hanging by a thread)

And, as they say, the list goes on and on.

The companies in these industries have been buffeted by advances in technology, hammered by a struggling economy and, in the case of processed food companies, beaten down by weather patterns such as the long-term drought. However, each of the categories, have been guilty of another cardinal sin and this transgression has forced them to line up next to the U.S. government on the edge of the fiscal cliff. They have failed to systematically listen to their customers and make strategic changes to products and engagement with these people – their customers. They’ve failed to properly use the powerful tools – made possible by the amazing advancements in social, mobile and digital media – Social CRM/Big Data.

How Social CRM/Big Data Can Help Companies Avoid Their Own Fiscal Cliff

Advances in technology or changes in customer preferences can be a company’s best friend or worst enemy. When Apple, or Amazon Kindle introduce a new tablet which is capable of downloading and presenting hundreds of newspapers, books and magazines, those large, expensive printing presses and the people who run them at the New York Times, HarperCollins and People magazine go from asset to liability overnight.

When enough moms discover Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and begin posting negative content about high fructose corn syrup in soft drinks or the effects of supersized fast food on the obesity of their children, the industries that spawn these products are painted with a very broad and negative brush. However, these actions can be predicted and ameliorated with enough data, tools to understand this Big Data and tactics to deliver messages that are counter-arguments.

While Social CRM/Big Data can’t help all of these industries and companies from tumbling over the fiscal cliff, it can help every company, and perhaps even the federal government, understand the concerns of their customers, engage them with compelling dialog and keep them away from the big fall. Here are just some of the ways that Social CRM/Big Data can help companies avoid the abyss.

  • Social CRM/Big Data programs enable companies to use social, mobile and digital media to efficiently “listen” to the needs, concerns and wants of current and prospective customers and build a large, useable repository of this critical data.
  • Digital, mobile and social media can be deployed in a manner that is consistent with the customer preferences. Wasting time and promotional funds on expensive and broad-based mass media is eliminated or at least reduced when Social CRM/Big Data tactics are used.
  • With enough customer insights, gleaned from Social CRM/Big Data campaigns, the company’s products can be modified or scrapped altogether to meet changing customer demands. Following this line of thinking, the daily newspapers and monthly magazines will then realize that they are in the content aggregation and delivery business but NOT necessarily in the business of delivering this content via ink-on-paper.
  • Ailing companies can also use Social CRM/Big Data to amass enough pertinent data to be able to predict the actions of potential customers and use the knowledge to avoid expensive mistakes on new products and services that have no hope of success.

Can Business and Government Avoid the Fiscal Cliff?

Industries that are on the brink of the fiscal cliff and the companies that comprise these groups don’t have to stare into the abyss. They can adapt to a quickly changing marketplace. By truly listening to their prospects and customers, making tweaks and even wholesale changes to their products and marketing and then communicating the benefits of these goods and services via the social, digital, mobile or traditional media that they – the customers – prefer, companies can move away from the cliff. This is a textbook example of Social CRM/Big Data tactics.

Is it possible for the highly politicized branches of the U.S. federal government to use these Social CRM/Big Data strategies? Perhaps. However, it will require all concerned to be logical (which is typically a challenge in political environments), collaborative and to seek the greater good rather than short-term political gains.

Interested in Social CRM/Big Data? Click here to get a copy of Pocketstop’s Enterprise Social CRM checklist.

- Art Young, Client Development

Photo credit: Source: ivoras.net via Margie on Pinterest

 

 

Social Series: Facebook Gets a Rewrite

August 28, 2012

 

Does anyone ever use the Facebook app from their iPhone or iPad? It’s slower, it doesn’t look the same; it almost seems archaic when compared to other mobile apps. Knowing that the future of Facebook depends on having a strong mobile presence, the social network dominators went to work and last Thursday released a new version of Facebook for iOS.

By looking at the cover of things, the average Facebook user won’t notice a difference, but when one takes a look inside one can see the pages have been completely rewritten. The change: Facebook for iOS is no longer wrapped in HTML mobile web view, it’s written in Objective C, the iOS’s native codebase.

So what the heck does all the mean? Basically it means the the Facebook mobile app now loads faster, is easier to navigate, doesn’t pause when trying to load more news items, news feeds and notifications can be viewed in real time, and the likes and comments appear more seamlessly. Oh, and for all you avid iPaders, the Facebook timeline is now working. So it will look and feel more normal.

I can see the future and I see that Facebook is definitely going to be a part of it. Grab your phone or tablet and check out the new version for yourself right here.

- Katie Cohen, Junior Copywriter

Rumor Mill: Facebook Making a Phone?

July 27, 2012

 

You know when you’re out at happy hour with coworkers and then a group of old coworkers from your last job shows up and your head starts spinning because you just can’t handle the two worlds colliding? That’s how I felt when I read today that Facebook has plans to partner up with HTC to build its own smartphone. Sometimes I feel like Facebook IS the internet… it’s how we get our news, talk to our friends, do our shopping. Rarely do I go straight to a site without following a link from Facebook. But I never considered that it could take over other parts of our lives, too, and I’m not sure how comfortable I feel with that. What do you think about the possibility of a Facebook phone?

According to Bloomberg, “More than half of Facebook’s 900 million users access the social network via mobile devices, while none of the $3.15 billion in advertising sales last year came from ads on phones. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg could use a Facebook phone, with social-networking features built-in, to woo marketers and assuage concerns dragging on the company’s shares.”

Read the Bloomberg story about the phone here.

Check out this video from PhoneDog about the rumor:

 

Brian Teague, Chief Technology Evangelist

The Shortest Distance Between You and a Sale

March 22, 2012

If you run a business, have you ever noticed that the whistles and bells found in smartphones get in the way of actually making a sale? Sometimes, the easiest, most logical call to action is, well, a call. Adding a click-to-call button on a mobile screen might be the most efficient arrow in your mobile marketing quiver.

This is not quantum physics. Your grandmother told you things like: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And we all know how one gets to Carnegie Hall. So, what’s the most logical feature to motivate someone with a smartphone in their hands? That’s right. It’s a click-to-call button.

Google Uses It

Writer Lauren Johnson of Mobile Marketer wrote an interesting piece on this very subject. She noted that Google is on track to “generate $2.5 billion in revenue from its mobile advertising, a large chunk of which is driven by click-to-call formats.” Whether you think Google is brilliant or rapacious, they know how to make money and nobody ever went broke effectively copying Google tactics.

The types of goods and services that can benefit from the incorporation of a click-to-call feature run the gamut of enterprises. The commonality of these businesses that benefit from this feature seems to revolve around whether a prospect needs clarification before making a purchase. If it does, this feature should be a part of the mobile strategy. This covers a wide range of businesses: medical/dental practices, concert ticket offices and bigger ticket items such as appliances, computers and new smartphones.

Improving the Customer Service Experience

Adding a simple click-to-call feature can also change the way companies deal with customer service engagement. Ask yourself this: Would you rather click on a button and get a sweet-voiced customer service rep to help you with your concern about the color of the $200 dollar sweater? Or would you rather go to a website, find the customer service page, fill out the “contact us” form, send it in and wait two days before getting an auto-generated response that “someone will be happy to talk you if you call this 800 number between 8 and 5 pm Hawaiian time?”

Don’t Try This at Home

“Sure,” you say, “That click-to-call button sounds like something we need to do. I’ll get my IT gal on it pronto!” Before you give this assignment to the IT guy or gal or let the interns tackle it, you might want to consider that the placement of the button could be responsible for thousands of dollars in sales. Plus, that mobile screen is teeny, tiny.

Once the decision is made to add the click-to-call feature to your mobile marketing, it’s a good idea to get a professional designer involved in its incorporation on the screen. Smartphone users, especially those who must have the latest and greatest gizmo, are not the most patient people in the world. In fact, these folks use their phones for transacting commerce more than the average Joe and they are the first people to drop your brand like a hot potato if the user experience is not flawless.

Get someone who knows what they’re doing when you’ve made the clever decision to include a click-to-call feature to your mobile tactics. That’s my opinion. What’s yours? Contact me at art.young@pocketstop.com and I’ll tell you how to get to Carnegie Hall. Oh, what the heck. Practice! Practice! Practice!

- Art Young, Client Development

Photo credit: Flickr user Dan4th

Mobile Opt-Ins and Online Shopping

March 20, 2012

 

I just purchased a washing machine from Walmart.com. During the checkout process, the system asked for my mobile number. At the time, I didn’t think anything of it. I simply figured they would call me when the appliance arrived. There definitely wasn’t a box that said “check here to receive SMS messages.” (These are the kinds of things I notice, being a mobile marketer.) I went through all of the steps of the ordering process, clicked submit and awaited the delivery of my new washing machine.

About an hour after making the online purchase, I received this text message.

FREE MSG WALMART Alerts: You will now receive pickup alerts for Walmart.com orders. 1 msg per package arrival. Reply HELP for HELP; STOP to opt-out.

For those that know Mobile Marketing etiquette, this a BIG NO NO. Legal requirements state that we must provide an opt-in checkbox and it’s also a requirement to tell the consumer what is going to happen with their personal information. If we as marketers don’t do this and we don’t police this marketing vehicle ourselves, we are doing ourselves a big disservice.

While I don’t mind and actually appreciate the text message alert, the way in which Wal-Mart has implemented this technology is all wrong. I’m sure somewhere buried in the fine print of the terms and conditions, I have now signed up for daily Wal-Mart deal alerts etc… but let’s hope not, especially for the sake of this amazing medium we call mobile marketing.

 - Brian Teague, Chief Technology Evangelist
Photo credit: Flickr user wayne’s eye view

Text Campaigns for Brands: A Case Study

March 19, 2012

Want your customers to be more loyal to your brand? Then put yourself in the palm of their hand. Literally. SMS is one of the easiest, most cost-efficient ways to communicate with your brand’s loyal customers. And, for those customers that are on the fence about how fabulous your products and services are, SMS marketing is the key to showing them why they can’t live without your brand! If you need more convincing about how to make your brand a superstar using SMS marketing, then read this article for Luxury Daily.

If you’re like me, you prefer to hear an example of how SMS can increase sales and brand loyalty instead. So, I’ll tell you a quick story about one of the clients at Pocketstop.

ALON Brands needed a mobile marketing solution to drive more customers into their stores in West Texas and New Mexico and increase brand loyalty among existing customers. The Pocketstop FREE Gas promotion built a one-to-one relationship between the brand and consumers and it also allowed participants to communicate their preferred method of communication with ALON, via web, text or social media. Other SMS campaigns for ALON, including the DATE NIGHT contest and Customer Appreciation Week further established loyalty among ALON customers, by giving them timely and relevant access to special offers and a chance to win prizes.

Pocketstop helped ALON build a database of over 25,000 loyal customers. The offers sent to the database resulted in double-digit in-store redemptions. People got social with the brand, and we soon saw a Facebook following of over 3500 people and website traffic numbers that spiked 25%.

In a world where I’m constantly bombarded with information and other media competing for my attention, I actually appreciate SMS communication from my favorite stores and organizations. A reminder about a professional organization luncheon that I plan on attending, a coupon from my favorite retailer, or requests for my customer service experience don’t seem intrusive when they are timely and relevant to my wants and needs. And, of course the organization on the other end benefits as much as I do if their SMS message turns into my attendance (and therefore registration fee) at their event, money I spend in their store, or their increase in positive customer service ratings.

- Sandy Taylor, Accounts Manager

Photo credit: Flickr user KB35

Mobile Gaming: Did Temple Run Knock Out Angry Birds?

March 15, 2012

 

Remember when Angry Birds was THE game to play? There was a time when anyone with a smartphone spent hours everyday trying to beat the simple game of catapulting silly birds to knock out the pigs. The game quickly became one of Apple’s and Android’s top downloaded app.

It didn’t take long for Angry Birds to soar past 500 million downloads across all media. But Angry Birds didn’t stop there. Next thing you knew those cute birds were everywhere. Birthday parties, t-shirts, stuffed toys, even jewelry; you name it and the franchise had it. As one of the gaming hits of 2010 Angry Birds made a huge splash. But where are those birds now?

Angry Birds is still one of the most popular apps ever made but Temple Run is quickly coming up on its heels. While Angry Birds is available for Apple and Android users, Temple Run is not. However, Temple Run has already passed 36 million downloads in a mere 6 months on the iOS platform alone. Droid users are anxiously awaiting the Temple Run release but no final date has been announced. From the looks of the anticipation, Temple Run could annihilate Android app records.

Pause. Hold up. I just wrapped my head around the bird craze. What the heck is Temple Run? Temple Run begins with a character that has stolen an idol from a temple. The next step? To run. Monkeys are chasing you as you jump, turn, and slide as fast as you can, all while collecting gold coins for points. Best part? There is no finish line, just a never ending addiction to “run”.

So, will the Temple Run franchise become the next big thing for time-wasters? Will Angry Birds suffer from the Temple Run takeover? It’s hard to tell because these apps are some of the first of its magnitude. Will the money behind the birds be kicking itself once Temple Run hits the big markets? Maybe investors and businessmen alike have no choice but to relentlessly be on the lookout for the next big thing so they can hop from app to app to make the big bucks. App popularity seems to be a fleeting franchise. The next big thing could be-no wait- IS around the corner.

Temple Run may or may not be the next big app franchise but rest assured something will come along soon and our beloved birds will become an endangered species. Pocketstop is constantly reading, viewing, and engaging in new content to capitalize on what’s next. It isn’t easy, but then again, staying on top never is. Word of advice? If you want to cash in on the app franchise world, you’ll need constant vigilance. See what apps are taking of and jump the bandwagon. Happy hunting!

- Dhanya Yalamanchi, Public Relations Associate

Photo credit: Flickr user Yaniv Golan

Are You Game?

March 7, 2012

Technology has always been about making tasks faster, easier, and painless. Here’s a new twist; making a mundane task faster, easier, painless AND fun. That’s right, fun. More and more companies are climbing into the realm of gamification using apps, websites and other tech mediums to assist in rehabilitation, study disease control, and even strengthen adults brains pre-Alzheimer’s.

But why? Because that to-do list of yours gets longer everyday.

Your in-laws want that video of that cute thing your kid did, your spouse is on a crazy fitness swing, and did I mention the kids’ chores aren’t getting done, so guess what’s next on the list? Sounds exhausting and downright boring. Gamification has become popular because it creates a way for things to get done, without the tediousness of actually doing them. To gamify an activity allows for a pleasant distraction while the task is being completed. Some of those brainiacs behind technology were gamers and they listened to your qualms and came up with gamification. It turns your to-do list into a game accessed on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Churn out that adorable video while playing a game on your ipad, download that fitness app and sign your kids up on chorewars.com. To-do list? HA. You now have a whole lazy Saturday afternoon ahead of you. Mission complete.

Is it working? It seems to be, especially given the exponentially rising number of gamifying technologies out there. But why is this working? What about games that encourages people to accomplish something?

Some say that games are the highest element of distraction; convincing you into thinking you’re indulging in a game instead of finishing a task. And that’s partially true, especially in regards to a cancer patient, playing Re-Mission. Competition might also have something to do with it. We live in a highly competitive society, just ask the crazy soccer moms and dads of the world. Turning everything into a game just fuels the fire. But maybe it’s all a little more scientific than that. My colleague, Art Young recently wrote an article shedding some light on the concept of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to our brains being “plastic” or in other words malleable. Are our brains re-training themselves to finish tasks in game format? The appealing nature of games now paired with retraining our brains might be a solid reason to why gamification is taking the lead.

Can you picture a world where everything is a game? When everything adds up to points? Maybe, maybe not. This popular idea seems to be the next best thing to sweep technology of its feet. What tasks do you want gamified?

- Dhanya Yalamanchi, Public Relations Associate

Photo credit: Flickr user KB35

The greatest battle on Planet Earth: Android vs. iPhone

January 20, 2012

Coke or Pepsi; Nokia or Cannon; Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts; Jolie or Aniston; Nike or Adidas; Madonna or Gaga, ANROID or iPhone? Yes, it seems that the latest and most heated debate is between iPhone and Android users. As a Blackberry user I feel that I can discuss this matter in a non-objective way and stay completely neutral. Knowing that people feel very passionate about this topic, I will be sensitive in addressing the question: which one is better?!

The iPhone first stole our hearts in the summer of 2007 with its chic touch screen design and life-changing apps. That was until the Linux-based operating system better known as the Android popped up on the market in the fall of 2008. Since then, there has been a non-stop competition of “mine’s better than yours.”

So what is the difference? The iPhone runs on Apple’s IOS operating system and it’s available on only three carriers: AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. The iPhone is compatible with iTunes and Apple products; its key features being an 8-mexapixel camera and the Siri voice assistant. Androids run on Google’s mobile operating system and are available on all carriers. However, unlike the iPhone, not all Androids are created equal… capabilities range from budget to super premium. Androids are most compatible with Google services and offer features such as free voice navigations and very customizable voice actions. Most apps are available on both iPhones and Androids, which is convenient because one thing Android and IPhone users can agree on is that it’s all about the apps when they are deciding which smart phone to purchase.

Who’s in first place? According to the most recent study done by Nielson, Apple and Android accounted for 80% of all smart phone purchases in the 2nd quarter of 2011. It seems Android is currently winning the competition, as it accounted for more than half of that 80%. When we break it down by gender, Android has won over the ladies with 51% preferring Android; while 51% of men prefer the iPhone. Just this month at CES 2012, the largest consumer technology tradeshow, Android seem to dominate with their newest version, Android 4.0, which is going to be available on phones, TVs and even cameras. However, the competition stays strong as Apple is expected to release the iPhone 5 this summer, so stay tuned.

Maybe someday Android and iPhone will be able to live together in harmony, but until then, it’s every phone for itself.

- Katherine Cohen, Creative Services Coordinator

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Helico

Google Wallet and the Digital Wallet Revolution

January 17, 2012

Google Wallet is a smart, virtual wallet that stores your payment cards, offers, and more on your phone and online. While the possibilities of Google Wallet are endless, there are some challenges ahead for the program. Google Wallet still needs to be integrated with all of the payment terminals and point of sale (POS) companies in order to become a platform that all users can find useful. Right now the system is only integrated with MasterCard’s PayPass and only works on one phone.

Despite the challenges, Google is the company that has enough clout to actually pull off such a big endeavor. If they do, this would be the end-all-be-all technological breakthrough to define the turn of the century.

Google Wallet basically emulates everything a traditional wallet does and more. It holds your money, and stores your reward cards and coupons (if you’re into that). I’m sure it could even hold photos, but mobile and web both already do that, so no need for that feature. It works online too. In the not so distant future, the phone will even interact with payment terminals and point of sales systems through embedded NFC (Near field communication) chips. Although I won’t go into detail, there are already phones with NFC chips on the market that are already in use in Europe and ASIA.

Google Wallet provides so many possibilities that we are super excited to share with our clients. At Pocketstop, we are bullish on NFC and mobile, including mobile loyalty programs. We’re looking at how best to work with the technology, so we can provide the most value to our clients and their brands.

Introducing Google Wallet

- Brian Teague, Chief Director of Technology

Photo courtesy of Flickr user stevendepolo