February 22, 2012

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R/GA named global digital agency of record for Unilevers
deodorant business
R/GA has been appointed global digital agency of record for
Unilevers deodorant brand, Rexona. The agency will be responsible for the
comprehensive digital strategy across Rexonas global portfolio including
Degree, Rexona and Sure. R/GA has also been added to Unilevers global
digital roster and in addition to Rexona, will be working with other consumer
brands including Impulse.

Starwood Hotels delights guests with mobile
For Starwood Hotels Resorts mobile has provided a
tremendous opportunity to further the hotels efforts, especially as travelers
become more technically savvy across multiple platforms.

Working with digital marketing agency Razorfish, Starwood
Hotels Resorts began running Google mobile search ads with click-to-call
(CTC) and location extensions.

Through using mobile ads, Starwood Hotels Resorts and
Razorfish learned how guests are using ads to call as well as find directions
to property locations.

U.S. and UK businesses to double mobile project spend in
next 18 months
U.S. and UK businesses are embracing mobile at an unprecedented
rate, with average current investments of $422,000 rising to $926,000 in the
next year and a half, and a third of companies planning to launch four or more
mobile projects in the next 12-18 months.

But frustrations around the cost, complexity, management and
timescale of those projects are growing too, according to the Mobile Business
Forecast 2012 released today by Antenna Software, which commissioned Vanson
Bourne to poll 1,000 CIOs and business unit leaders in the U.S. and UK.

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/O5_OeBdmeQw/12171.html

February 22, 2012

Trump Toronto

Luxury Daily today – Trump bolsters CRM through mobile presence; Neiman Marcus launches multichannel Louboutin anniversary campaign for social interaction.

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/TvdOpuuaivA/12167.html

February 22, 2012

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JCPenney strengthens mcommerce efforts via new ad campaign
Department store chain JCPenney is promoting its new fair and square pricing, as well as ramping up its mobile commerce strategy via a new advertising campaign.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

MT Bank expands mobile banking for business clients
Financial institution MT Bank Corp. has rolled out a line of mobile services to help its business clients conveniently manage their finances while on the go.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

Heals aims to increase sales via mobile site
Furniture, lighting and home accessories store Heals has introduced a mobile commerce-enabled site that lets consumers search, browse and buy from its inventory.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

Speed generates 45pc of digital bids via mobile
Cable network Speed used SMS to let users place bids during a televised automobile auction.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

Trump bolsters CRM through mobile presence Luxury Daily
Luxury Daily today Trump bolsters CRM through mobile presence; Neiman Marcus launches multichannel Louboutin anniversary campaign for social interaction.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

10 hard-won lessons from 2011 to use in 2012
A lot of 2012 predictions are great, and they help guide strategy. But if you are in the trenches, trying to execute against your customers key performance indicators, well, strategy-schmatejy.
Please click here to read the entire story on Mobile Commerce Daily

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Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/DP5-oCmMjvI/12170.html

February 22, 2012

Tablets are on the move

With Apple’s iPad and several Android-powered tablets picking up steam, is there a point for RIM and Barnes Noble both of which failed with their initial tablet strategies to take another stab at gaining market share in the tablet space?

Barnes Noble has launched a new tablet from its Nook line of products that is priced to directly compete with Amazons Kindle Fire. Additionally, RIM has updated the operating system for its PlayBook tablet in an attempt to make it more appealing for marketers. The launch of the new tablets prove thatthe two companies are becoming more ambitious in terms of gaining tablet market share.

Both Barnes Noble and Amazon run the Android operating system, which gives them access to a wide range of Android apps, said Matthew Mckee, Nashville-based senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

But Barnes Noble will have to differentiate themselves somehow in order to justify the price difference, he said.

The same goes for RIM in that they need to build out the business-to-business ecosystem to offer consumers the number of apps available with Android and iOS.

Tablet target
Barnes Nobles new Nook Tablet is designed and priced almost identically to Amazons Kindle Fire, proving how the retailer is jumping at the chance to get into mobile.

The new Barnes Noble tablet holds 8GB of storage, retails for $200 and is positioned as both a tablet and an ereader. Amazons Kindle Fire has the same specs and is also being marketed as a high-end ereader with apps and mobile Web browsing.

Barnes Nobles original Nook Color tablet was 16GB and was released late last year. The company has lowered the price to $169 for the device.

Additionally, Barnes Noble is letting Nook Color owners swap out more of the devices memory for personal storage space, showing how ereaders are becoming more sophisticated and that users want more tablet-like features on their devices.

The Barnes Noble news was also announced in conjunction with the companys fiscal earnings for the third quarter of 2011. Revenue from the companys ereaders and digital catalog generated $542 million and increased 38 percent. Barnes Noble claims to have approximately 30 percent of the ebook market in the United States.

Barnes Nobles announcement is proof that the retailer is going to great lengths to become a leader in the tablet space and will aggressively compete in lower-priced tablets in the coming years.

Everyone is experimenting with product and pricing strategies at this nascent stage of the tablet markets growth, said Michael Boland, senior analyst and program director at BIA/Kelsey, San Francisco.

There will continue to be lots of experimentation, but it will be difficult to compete with the markets current two leading tablets the iPad that dominates on quality and the Kindle Fire that dominates on price, he said.

The new $200 8GB Nook is clearly trying to compete with the latter.

Market reach
RIM has also rolled out new advancements to its PlayBook tablets that position the device as an entertainment hub for users.

With the updates, more applications will be added to BlackBerry App World and a video store that lets users buy and rent movies and TV shows will also now be available.

The new operating system will make it possible for Android app developers to port tablet apps from Googles Android market to BlackBerrys market. This will help boost awareness of the device and make it appealing for companies developing Android tablet apps to reach both platforms.

Additionally, the update will make email accessible via the device, which is a feature that many argue should have been loaded on the device at launch. Social media features have also been added to the PlayBook.

With heightened rumors around Apples announcement of the iPad3, RIM is getting its tablet product up to par.

The PlayBook was initally launched last year by RIM as a stab into the tablet market, but given Apple and Android’s market share, marketers have been hesitant to roll out apps for the device.

By increasing the number of apps available and using Android-developed apps, RIM will be able to harness itself to create a more well-rounded tablet strategy.

Additionally, the updates to PlayBook will expand the role for mobile Web initiatives. As tablets are increasingly seen as a seperate mobile channel, marketers are realizing the power of having tablet-optimized mobile sites that take advantage of the device’s size.

RIM also tried to place the PlayBook as a compeitor to Amazon by recently dropping the price of the device (see story).

The updated operating system and lowered price point is proof that RIM is trying to be a prime player in the tablet space and is part of the companys broader initiatives to reposition itself as a mobile leader.

However, with Apples lead in the tablet space, manufacturers are beginning to learn that in order to compete in the tablet space, they have to develop a significantly different product than is already available.

At the moment, the tablet market is a two-tiered market an iPad market and an everyone-else market, said Carl Howe, vice president of consumer research at Yankee Group, Boston.

Further, based on current buying intent, we do not see that changing substantially in the next three to six months because our surveys of consumer buying intent do not show it, he said.

The No. 1 challenge for any vendor who is not Apple is to provide a really good answer to the question, “Why should a consumer buy this tablet instead of an iPad?” If that answer is not obvious to consumers, their products just are not going to successfully compete.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/sJIup3nOsps/12166.html

February 22, 2012

Tim Hortons Cafe Bake Shop is using a mobile site to get the word out about its popular RRRoll Up The Rim contest.

The contest awards more than $58 million in prizes to loyal coffee drinkers. The company is also using mobile this year to offer users another channel to participate.

Tim Hortons claims to be one of the largest publicly-traded restaurant chains in North America based on market capitalization.

The RRRoll Up RouletteTM online game was inspired by our classic RRRoll Up The Rim game that has been played in our restaurants for over 25 years, in which guests literally roll-up the rim of their coffee cups for a chance to win a number of prizes that range from a food prize all the way to a new car, said Glenn Hollis, vice president brand marketing and advertising at Tim Hortons.

The online contest is something we have offered over the past several years as way to provide our guests with additional ways to win, he said. This year, we wanted to make it easier to play online and therefore introduced the mobile component.

The mobile component is simply an extension of the online game, in that it provides guests who are on the go the ability to use their mobile device to spin the roulette wheel for a chance to win great daily and weekly prizes, receive points and a chance to become eligible for an extra day of play.

Mobile contest
Consumers who buy a medium, large or extra-large hot beverage have the opportunity to instantly win prizes including 40 new cars, 100 Panasonic 3D TV packages, 1000 Coleman camping packages, 5000 Panasonic digital cameras and 25,000 $100 Tim Cards.

Consumers can access the mobile site by entering m.rolluptherimtowin.cominto their mobile browser.

Users can spin for a chance to win daily and weekly prizes.

Additionally, consumers can receive points and earn badges and post them online.

To play, users can sign in if it is their first time playing or register for an account.

Consumers can onlyplay once per day.

Getting the word out
Tim Hortons is promoting the RRRoll Up Roulette online game in all of its U.S. restaurants, the companys Web site and through online advertising.

In addition, the company is reaching out to its Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

The viral component to the online game also lets users share their earned points and badging on their Facebook wall and Twitter feed.

Mobile is a key pillar within the company’s overall digital strategy, Mr. Hollis said. We know that the penetration of smartphones is growing exponentially and they are becoming an integral way for people to communicate and absorb information.

As a company it is important for us to understand this and leverage it to help guests engage with the brand in ways that make sense to them, he said.

In late 2011, we launched a mobile site for our main Web site timhortons.com and increased the functionality our TimmyME store locator app to enable guests to more easily gain access to information such as nutritional info and their Tim Card balance. This app in now available for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/P-19_z3ipPA/12169.html

February 22, 2012

Name and city and state of marketer
Route 66 Harley-Davidson, Milwaukee, WI

Name and city and state of agency or marketing services firm
7 Media Group, Oklahoma City, OK

Campaign/program name
12 Days of Christmas

Duration
December 12 24, 2011

Call to action
Consumers were encouraged to text the keyword RT66 to 55678.

Objective
Route 66 Harley-Davidson wanted to maintain its visibility with current customers and add new customers and revenue through a holiday promotion.

Strategy
The goal for 7 Media Groups services for Route 66 Harley-Davidson was to promote products and increase sales to existing and new members of their mobile club.

Call to action
Membership in Route 66s mobile club was promoted through its social media campaign, in-store marketing and previous customers of the dealership.Members then received daily alerts offering a 20 percentdiscount on a different merchandise item each day.This increased customer awareness of the merchandise inventory and drew more customers into the store during a time of the year when sales are typically slower.

Results
The dealership had a significant increase in sales of the specific items discounted during the campaign period.For example, the sale of T-shirts purchased on T-shirt Day was over 250 percentmore than a normal day. High-dollar items also saw increased sales.On Helmet Day, the number of helmets sold with the 20 percentdiscount equaled the number sold for the entire previous week; and on Leather Jacket Day, seven leather jackets were sold at the 20 percentdiscount, representing a 16 percentincrease over jacket sales the previous week.These numbers also represented an increase in dealership traffic.

Lessons learned/ Strategy quote from brand executive
“The 12 Days of Christmas campaign provided Route 66 Harley-Davidson increased sales, increased dealership traffic, and an increase in its mobile club membership,” said Nick Edwards, marketing manager for Route.

“This promotion continued the success of its mobile marketing that previously helped drive traffic to sponsored events, expanded membership in its mobile club, and increased entries in contests,” he said.

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/YcMSBJYHBKo/12164.html

February 22, 2012

The Dole mobile ad

Dole is running a mobile advertising campaign that not only builds up its mobile database, but also encourages users to join an online community that promotes the company’s line of salad products.

Dole is using the mobile ads to encourageusers to join its Salad Circle online community program. The campaign is running in places including the IMDb and Elle mobile sites.

Email marketers focus a lot on relevance, or getting the right message to subscribers, said Mike May, head of insights at Real Magnet, Bethesda, MD.

But part of relevance is getting a message in the right format as well, he said. Tagging subscribers who sign up through mobile helps email marketers measure the size of their mobile audience and deliver messages in the right format.

The other way mobile advertising can help an email database is that the brand can take advantage of more points of customer interaction that way. Some brands live more through advertising than they do on their own Web sites, particularly consumer-products brands.

Mr. May is not affiliated with Dole. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

Dole did not respond to press inquiries.

Mixed bag
The Dole banner ads, whichfeature actress Felicity Huffman the company’sspokeswoman read, Join the salad circle exclusive offers, recipes and more.

When consumers tap on the ads they are taken to a mobile landing page where they can enter their email address to sign up for Dole’s Salad Circle,an online community that lets users find Dole recipes and interact with the brand.

Here is the page where users can enter their email addresses

After users enter their email address, they are taken to Doles mobile site at http://salads.dole.com.

Consumers can filter recipes by category including preparation time and seasonal items.

Users can also learn about Doles salad kits, salad blends and line of slaw products.

Dole is using its mobile site to also ramp up its social media efforts with links to the companys Facebook and Twitter pages.

Dole’s mobile site

Additionally, users can enter to win a trip to Monterey, CA that includes $1,000, hotel accommodations and a meal with Ms. Huffman. Users can also win prize packages that include Dole products.

Email entry
This is not the first mobile initiative from Dole involving its salad products.

Last year, Dole began a digital campaign that promoted its salad products via mobile bar codes and social media (see story).

By promoting an online community via mobile ads, Dole is able to generate buzz about its product.

Using email as the first step in getting users to a mobile site is a smart move from Dole because it lets the company build up its database.

Email and mobile are increasingly being used togetherand Dole is an example of a smart consumer-packaged goods company to realize the potential of the two digital channels.

I am sure Dole’s Web site is world-class, but most of its reach comes through ads, Mr. May said.

Using those points of contact to turn brand impressions into subscriber data can boost the ROI of advertising by coupling its brand impact with a direct-response component, he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/1GEg7BDlQqM/12162.html

February 21, 2012

State Farm is providing users with individual feedback about their driving habits and offering tips on how they can drive more safely via a new Android application.

The Driver Feedback app is available for free download in Googles Android Market. Additionally, the app is also available to iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users.

Driver Feedback is already available on iOS and by making it available on Android, it provides a larger audience the opportunity to benefit from the application, said Eli Winn, manager of enterprise Internet solutions at State Farm, Bloomington, IL.

We continue to expand our mobile offerings focusing on providing useful tools and functionality for our customers, she said. This app aims to make drivers aware of their specific driving behaviors, encourage improvement, and reduce their overall crash risk.

State Farm Insurance claims to have 17,800 agents that serve 81 million policies in the United States and in Canada.

Safety first
The Driver Feedback app uses the devices accelerometer to measure three essential driving behaviors acceleration, braking and cornering.

When users activate the app, at the end of each trip they are provided with a score and a log of potentially dangerous driving activities.

Additionally, if the app detects risky driving behaviors, it provides users with tips on improvement.

Via the app, drivers can record trips and receive feedback on their driving performance.

The app also features a map that illustrates where potentially dangerous driving activities have occurred.

There is also a trip completion notification that lets users send a text or email someone when they have safely completed their trip.

State Farm is a leader in mobile insurance capabilities, Ms. Winn said. We continue to listen to customer feedback and provide tools and capabilities that utilize new technologies.

This allows us to provide the best possible customer experience with our mobile offerings, she said.

Teen safety
State Farm also believes that the Driver Feedback app is a good tool for parents teaching teens how to drive.

Both teen drivers and parents can receive non-biased driving feedback and the app helps parents educate users on driving safely.

We want our customers to have 24/7 access to State Farm by allowing them to retrieve information and transact with anytime, anywhere, Ms. Winn said.

By increasing our mobile capabilities, our customer can interact with us through our mobile applications and our mobile Web site at their convenience, she said.

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/KNyIX6cIkqE/12152.html

February 21, 2012

Lifestyle Family Fitness has rolled out a mobile site to let busy gym-goers find the nearest club or browse a class schedule on the go.

The company tapped Mad Mobile to execute the mobile site. Users can access the Lifestyle Family Fitness mobile site by entering m.lff.com on their handset browser.

Technology is a trend in the fitness industry that will only continue to grow, said Chuck Downs, vice president of marketing at Lifestyle Family Fitness, Tampa, Fl. Creating the mobile site was one step in putting fitness in the hands of gym-goers.

We know schedules are busy and sometimes fitting in a workout is a last minute decision, he said. We want to make it easy for a mom on-the-go to get the information she wants fast.

The mobile site allows anyone to pull up the group fitness schedule, find club details and more, quickly with clear readability thats what our members asked for and we delivered.”

Lifestyle Family Fitness operates more than 30 state of the art fitness centers.

Mad Mobile powers mobile Web and mcommerce sites for brands such as Pier1 Imports, Lenovo, Suzuki, Hunter Douglas, Kansas City Steaks, Mattel, Panera Bread and Major League Baseball.

Mobile fitness
In addition to a mobile site, Lifestyle Family Fitness also has an iPhone application.

The mobile site helps users find the nearest Lifestyle Family Fitness location and try out the facility for free.

Users can also browse a class schedule to see what time their favorite fitness classes such as Zumba, Strength Movement and BodyPump take place.

The mobile site also incorporates social media aspects such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

This lets users engage with the company beyond just the mobile site.

Additionally, there is a click-to-call function that lets users either contact membership sales or member services.

The Lifestyle Family Fitness mobile site provides quick access to class descriptions and class schedules based on location, said Ryan Kelly, vice president of sales and marketing at Mad Mobile, Tampa, FL.

It also offers users the ability to interact with LFF via social media channels as well as sign up for a free trial, he said. Mad Mobile worked with LFF to implement a fast and intuitive mobile site which will help the brand stand out in the highly competitive fitness industry and serve increasingly demanding consumers.

Outreach
Lifestyle Family Fitness is using a digital strategy to get the word out to members and guests about its new mobile site.

The company created a banner ad on its Web site and is also pushing messages through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Gartner has predicted that by 2013 mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common Web access device so it is important that brands offer consumers unique and engaging mobile experiences, Mr. Kelly said.

Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/7ZsBEZbaO1U/12150.html

February 21, 2012

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Has Target forgotten that consumers dont like to pinch and zoom?
Targets new mobile advertising campaign which aims to offer consumers coupons for the companys in-store groceries would have been more successful had it been optimized for mobile.
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Mobile app revenue growing but support needed from Google, developers
Total mobile app revenues from pay-per-download, in-app purchase, subscriptions, and in-app advertising will soar over the next five years, growing from $8.5 billion in 2011 to $46 billion in 2016, according to a new report from ABI Research.
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Google Offers builds mobile database via mobile ad campaign
Google is building up its Google Offers database via a new mobile advertising initiative within Pandoras iPhone application, pointing to the the company’s growing commitment to take a spot at the top of the mobile deals space.
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Fox rolls out Family Guy app to boast fan engagement
Fox is letting Family Guy fans buy ringtones and wallpapers, as well as engage with the shows characters via a new mobile application.
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Article source: http://feeds.mobilemarketer.com/~r/homepage-news/~3/67zdj-Teqb0/12157.html