Bluetooth marketing - a thin line between INTERESTING & INTRUDING.

Opt-in bluetooth proximity marketing has become all the rage overseas as the newest way to connect with potential or existing customers. This form of advertising has been in use for quite some time in Europe, as well as various other overseas locations. It has now reached the shores of US, & few companies are already in their startup phase.

Its so cool! i loved it. isn't it exciting? it may be but for how long, and who would like to receive Spam from all the stores in one vincitity bombarding with their promotional coupons or announcements. I would run out of that area if it happens to me. Though it seems to be exciting technological tool to attract consumer, but it should be used wisely. No company to be credited by a consumer as the company who pushes Spam mails. A great example of the smart of this bluetooth technology is shown by VOLVO!

They use the same technology, but the idea is to create a brand experience for the customers visiting their showroom. Free Videos, Technical info, Test Drive booking, Downloads, etc is sent to the users cell phone with bluetooth capability, but not even a single time it seems like and alien intrusion- (see the video & decide for yourself)

Opt-in bluetooth proximity marketing still in its infancy and the risk of spoiling brand image with a spam is very high, unless executed in a smart way. With an objective to enhance customer experience & not to push sales.

how bigger can mobile marketing become?

Mobile is no more limited to a 3.5 inch touch screen phone with mp3 capabilities & what not. Its no more a mobile phone,but it is a 3.5 inch wizard loaded with unimaginable capabilities. From online streaming of videos to Social networking, from high quality gaming to making presentations you can do it all! Phones are your new navigators, personal assistants, gaming tools! Day is not far when Xbox, PS or Wii may come up with mobile phone loaded with gaming capabilities!

Smartphone unit sales almost tripled from 2004 to 2005, and increased by 50% in the first half of 2006 over 2005 , reports In-Stat. In another research suggests that Smart phones will comprise 9.3 percent of mobile phones sold in 2009! It is the closest way a marketer can get to a consumer. No other medium is as personally engaging. Hurray!!!! again a whole new toy for the marketers to play with.

One area that has caught marketers eyes is Mobile Search Marketing, though it is still at a very nascent stage, its evolving rapidly as more 3G cellphones erode the market. Industry analysts have forecasted humongous growth in MSM. For 2007, mobile industry-watchers predicts $1.7 billion in revenues & have estimated $11 billion by 2011, making it a promising frontier to look out for!

The search engines are naturally interested in extending their ad platforms to the cell phone. In early September, Google began allowing its Adwords marketers to create mobile ads to run on the networks of cellular carriers in Germany , UK and the United States. Microsoft & Yahoo are also exploring opportunities into this frontier.

Wow! isn't it too much for a small device called mobile phone. I sometimes wonder how microscopic can we go in pursuit to enhance brand experience & gain consumer's attention. I am sure, at this point of time earth is the best place to be in

Google rocks yet again!

Google adsense goes to video! is it a boon or a curse? Whatever it may be. time will tell. But for now this venture seems to be very exciting & huge. Small advertisers will now be able to broadcast commercials on Internet. Even larger brands can customize the content & seek to deliver it at the right place & at the right time through various behavioral analysis. Looking at the capabilities this video has & taking a cue at the popularity of google's text ad format' video adsense is sure to rise way above sea level & change the scenario of the industry

The distribution of this program seems to be limited to publishers who serve a minimum of one million video streams each month. & for those who don't youtube is at the rescue, but this comes at a cost (revenue share)

A win-win situation for all ! mainly for Google Inc.

Halo3: unbelievable - AKQA

i was confused. I wanted to write something that excites me. i was emotional as this was my first post on my whiteboard. I asked myself, what excites me? answer i got was - everything. few days passed in this confusion... but today i found my answer. It was culture crash at students common where i felt stars had come down from the sky, just to talk to me! it was AKQA effect! recently awarded as 'digital agency of the year' i had been dreaming about AKQA!!! i had read about them, had seen their work on yell.com, coke- wayne rooney viral & the happiness factory, the phenomenal Axe click.

They have done it all and yet in quest of conquering! By what i have seen and read about them, i believe people at AKQA pushing themselves to a new height with every task. This is with regards to Believe: Halo3. i have never seen such unique work for a game. the halo3 website www.halo3.com gripped me to the core! the 360 degree view was mouthwatering i felt i was the part of that event. It captured all my sensory with splendid post production & superior eye for minute details was a treat to my eye after a long time! i feel, i am just out of the war!

I am glad i made a good start with my whiteboard. its also because am extremely excited to see the AKQA team & in fact talking to them!