4G is a myth

A new CNN Money article reinforces what we've all heard...4G is a myth.



Wireless carriers are using 4G as a club in their advertising wars, but can they deliver? Have they delivered? No. And no.

Let's look at what 4G actually is: "The International Telecommunication Union, the global wireless standards-setting organization, determined last month that 4G is defined as a network capable of download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps). That's fast enough to download an average high-definition movie in about three minutes." NONE of the new networks meet this standard.

Sprint launched a network called 4G first, then T-Mobile. Verizon is poised to launch later this year and AT&T is said to launch next year. These networks have theoretical speeds of a fifth to a half that of the official 4G standard. The actual speeds the carriers say they'll achieve are just a tenth of "real" 4G.

The reason for calling the networks 4G? Undoubtedly advertising and PR. Once one network claims 4G the others cannot simple ignore it and must keep up in the eyes of the consumer. On the bright side, these new networks will be faster than existing, just not quite what they are being called.




Speed your business up. Email Ballyhoo today and view our SMS campaign management platform.

Music video shot exclusively on iPhone 4

This music video in Seoul, South Korea was shot entirely on the iPhone 4 using every day items as steadying devices. The song is about a trendy street in Seoul, which is actually the most technologically-advanced street in the world.

Click here to see the ABC video.

Runner's World double-dips with their app

A great app strategy for a magazine? Provide a genuine, valuable service to your readers and your advertisers. Runner's World has done just that.

The Runner's World app is called Shoe Shop. The app offers guides the user through choosing a shoe by helping select their foot type, what type of shoe needed, and then provides a list of shoes by photo. Sounds simple and it is! It's brilliantly simple while giving the user everything they want and nothing more.

The list of results is shown by plenty-large-enough, bright photos and more information about an individual shoe can be found by easily clicking on an arrow. The information pops up over the shoe photo and just as easily disappears without any need to navigate to another page, keeping the experience streaming and enjoyable.

After selecting a shoe the user is offered three buttons: "email," "find online," and "find nearby." The "email" button instantly puts a photo of the chosen shoe and email about the shoe into a newly-composed email the user can send to anyone. The "find online" button quickly reveals a list of online retailers where the chosen shoe can be found. Finally, the "find nearby" button swiftly calculates the location of the user and leverages the NearbyNow network to show local retailers that carry the chosen shoe.

There is not a lot of flashy design with this app, which is why I love it! It offers exactly what it promises with no fluff and nothing in the way. This provides a true tool for users/readers and this provides a great platform to help many of their shoe advertisers further the reach of their products. View the photo gallery below for iPhone screenshots.

Want to build an app? Email Ballyhoo Mobile. Our talented team will work hard to build a SOW exclusively for you at no cost.

Mobile payments probably closer

During yesterday's Web 2.0 Summit, Google's Eric Schmidt talked about a new "unannounced mobile device," which has also become known as the Nexus S (or Nexus 2) built by Samsung. While discussing the not-so-secretive phone, he did confirm the device would include a Near Field Communication chip. Google believes this will redefine how we think about location. As we all know, location has been the hottest mobile topic lately.

NFC (Near Field Communication) allows a device to be swiped to make a payment, such as this:



With this NFC chip and the Android Gingerbread Operating System, mobile device users will be able to tap into a location point (known as Google Places) and pay with their mobile device. This is Google's threat to banks since the payment made is in lieu of credit cards or cash.

Eric Schmidt and eBay CEO John Donahoe have both predicted that mobile phones will replace credit cards. As far as I'm concerned, I hope they do! They less I need to carry, the better.

At Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing, we've talked a lot about NFC. Questions about how it could work for you? Give us a call!

Android Gingerbread promotional video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vskBjYc745g&fs=1&hl=en_US]

Quick mobile payment discussion video:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBsafnwlUxs&fs=1&hl=en_US]

Toys R Us Keeps the Fun Coming!

Toys R Us has joined the ranks of Starbucks and Target by launching mobile barcodes that can be scanned right off your phone. Target was the first in the US to launch this and Starbucks is still testing in specific locations. Starbucks has even released a location-limited mobile app that acts as a refillable Starbucks card.

Toys R Us, however, has produced some gold! For the iPad, they released a FREE Great Big Christmas Book application. For iPhone and iPod, they released a Toy Story 3 Memory Game.

Next, they produced a fully capable mobile version of their website and a mobile app that is essentially a version of their website.

Finally, they allow consumers to sign up for special deals and alerts via SMS.

What's nice is that Toys R Us didn't instantly produce all of their mobile offerings just to specifically enhance commerce. They produced fun things just like Toys R Us should.

Two Great Mobile Uses in Print Media

The team here is always big on sharing great uses of mobile, be it by one of our many clients or not. Since, well, 1999 print media (namely newspapers) have been the sluggish when it comes to keeping up with technology. So we always keep our eyes peeled to see which publications are doing anything with mobile. This week I encountered two that did a great job!

The first is Surfer magazine. On the insert there was a subscription offer, as there always is. This one was different because it instructed the reader to text in to subscribe. So I tried it. After texting in, I received a bounceback message asking me for my name, mailing address, and shoe size (a pair of sandals was gift with purchase). I did this and promptly received a message letting me know a bill would be sent to my address in six to eight weeks. Nicely done, Surfer! I actually subscribed on-the-go when I would not have otherwise remembered to visit them online when I got home or, worse yet, mailed something back in. (Graphics are the first three in the gallery below.)


The second is another great example in the Philadelphia Inquirer. I've seen this publication use 2D barcodes before; this time it was to promote the downloading of their new football iPhone app. The technical interaction was simple: snap a photo of the 2D barcode with a QR code reader and instantly be linked to the download page for the app in the iTunes store. (Graphics are the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th in the gallery below.)

[gallery]


For more quantified success stories, check out this blog at Mobile Marketing Case Studies.

Very Cool On-Star App - See Commercials Here

Mobile gets better every day!

Mobile Web is the Norm for College Kids

How's this for a quotable? "More undergrads have a mobile web device than a desktop." This includes smartphone, tablets, and mobile game consoles.

According to eMarketer, "the 'ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology' by Shannon D. Smith and Judith Borreson Caruso for the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 62.7% of US undergraduates surveyed had an internet-capable handheld device. That number fell about halfway between the 83.8% who had a laptop and the 45.9% with a desktop PC."

Our clients often ask us what numbers like this mean to them. We remind them that there are droves of college students graduating every December and May with pockets finally full of cash that they are ready to spend. And they are loyal. If you have no previous relationship with them, then you're already ten steps behind one of your competitors who does.

Instead of being the retailer who waits too late, build that relationship while it's still easy. So few businesses are genuinely proactive in the relationship building that most end up having to resort to price slashing. Ever notice how there are advertisers who say "I don't advertise" until they are closing? Then they have a "Going Out of Business" media blitz and, guess what, everything sells! Same mentality applies when thinking about new mediums and strategies.

For college students, both purchases made and intent to purchase numbers are rising in regards to mobile web-enabled devices. (See both graphs below.)


Another myth often perpetuated in the retail industry is that college students don't wield any spending power until they graduate, which is just plain silly. Anyone with a child, sibling, or friend knows that kids have tremendous sway over where their parent's dollars are spent.

According to Retailer Daily, a fresh report reveals that collegian numbers are at an all time high. "The 10th annual 'College Explorer Study' indicates close to 16 million students ages 18-34 will enter college classes this fall, an all-time record and up 6% from about 15 million in fall 2009. Their collective $306 billion in buying power is 13% more than roughly $270 billion last year."


If you're a retailer looking to build deeper relationships with college students and spending power, look to mobile. The playing field is thin right now meaning you can win more while spending less. Contact Ballyhoo and we will recommend proven strategies that our clients have found successful time and time again, all over the country.

Ads for Ads Starting to Appear

As we've predicted, the in-app advertising market will continue to grow and bring more marketers into the mobile realm. We're now starting to see some ads targeting marketers. In this example, WeatherBug is boasting about how many mobile handsets an ad on their network will reach.

This may seem obvious and simplistic to write about but this does an interesting thing for the in-app ad market. It puts this market significantly more on par with radio, tv, and newspaper...the traditionals...in the eyes of the average marketer and agency buyer/planner. This is another big shake in the paradigm shift the marketing world is experiencing by continuing to make it easier for marketers to plan for and place their dollars in a mobile world and ditch the older mediums.

The traditional mediums (namely radio and tv) need to be aware of this. Ignoring it or worse yet, bucking it, will be the same as newspapers ignoring the web. And we've all seen how well that worked out for them...


Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing offers Bulks SMS, Campaign Management Software and Platforms, Short Code Leasing, Mobile Website Creation, and Mobile App Development. Started in 2008, we now have offices in Jacksonville FL, Denver CO, and Philadelphia PA. Contact us here for a free review of how we can help.

Mobile Will Drive More In-Store Sales This Holiday Than Actual Salespeople

The following information comes from a Mobile Marketer webinar just a few weeks ago. Mickey Alam Kahn, editor in chief for Mobile Marketer, gives a great video overview of the article and webinar. As Mickey says, "No longer can you avoid having a mobile presence during the holidays." Read below to find out why!

Consumers are turning to the mobile web and applications to research products, read reviews, and compare prices according to Ogilvy, an international advertising and PR firm. According to Gretchen Sheiman, partner and director for CRM at OgilvyOne Worldwide, if people "can get access to reviews and all the data that is out there that is more trusted than salespeople, they're going to turn to mobile."

According to a Steve Madden executive, more than 10.5 percent of his company's total web traffic comes from mobile devies; this represents 250 percent growth over just the past six months!

The footwear brand sold 7,856 products in that time frame via mobile, generating $520,866, with an average order price of $83.70.

InsightExpress predicts that research and purchases completed on mobile devices will continue to increase. Joe Liuzzo, senior director of marketing and mobile research at InsightExpress, said that "people are going to take advantage of small snippets of time to browse retail web sites and look for deals before they buy...and sites that are prepared and mobilized will be providing a good experience and encouraging repeat visits. The sites that are not optimized to be viewed on a mobile device are going to face a setback when they finally go down that path."


As we blog more about this topic, stay tuned for successful strategies in launching holiday-based SMS campaigns.

Schaumburg Honda Steps Up!

The gang at Ballyhoo Mobile loves when we see a local company step up to the in-app advertising plate. Sure, login to your ESPN app and you will see Kia advertising on the brand level. But today I open the ESPN Chicago app and see a local dealer with banner ads.

Better yet? The entire process was executed excellently. The banner ads had just the right look and amount of information. Then they led to a great click-thru experience. The splash page menu was easy and quick to use.

So, "Bravo," Schaumburg Honda! You've done a great job stepping out of the box and doing it well.

Success in Politics

Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing has donated services to Jim Bailey in his pursuit of becoming the mayor of Jacksonville, FL.

Jim's campaign management team has made great use of SMS so far, a la Obama's campaign usage. They are signing people up for SMS alerts and sending out campaign announcements via SMS. They understood that a huge part of the voting population does not want another email, much less the kind most politicians send which is overloaded with info. They want to receive bullet points, headlines...and if they want more information about a certain topic, offer them a "click here" link.

I will write frequently about Jim Bailey's use of the Ballyhoo Mobile SMS services as his team is innovative and continues to create new initiatives!

Mobile Marketing in Philadelphia

Philly embraces mobile to send city-based offers such as food tours, history bus tours, ghost walks, etc. They do a great job with push messages and keeping the offers brief and relevant.




Ballyhoo Mobile is a mobile marketing company with a physical presence in Jacksonville, FL, Denver, CO, and Philadelphia, PA. We work with our clients mostly on SMS advertising, mobile coupons, mobile website development, and iPhone (all smartphone) application development.

Mobile Ad Spending Up 80%!

Some forecasts are projecting US mobile ad spending to finish the year up 79+% to reach 743 million dollars. That puts it smack dab in mainstream digital. Spending is then projected to cap $1.1 billion in 2011 and $2.5 billion in 2014.



The combination of more smartphones and widening demographics and user stats is forcing marketers to pay attention mobile. Mobile is now seen as a critical third screen to be on and be on with a specific strategy and with regularity. Video, display, and messaging are all ways to do this and they are all growing in use.



At Ballyhoo Mobile, we help our clients affordably take advantage of these opportunities through cutting-edge profile managing software. This allows marketers to manage mobile, social, email, and more all through one concise platform. Email us and find out more!

Complete Bombardment: 2D Barcodes and Smartphone Apps

Well, Ballyhoo Mobile has been talking about 2D barcodes for a while now. Recently I wrote about how the use of 2D barcodes experienced a 700% increase in just part of 2010. I've posted pictures of 2D barcodes being used on billboards, in print, and on the web.

Over breakfast this morning, a short 30-minute window, I encountered an astonishing EIGHT aggressive uses of the smartphone to either increase brand awareness/loyalty or drive direct sales.

In reading The Philadelphia Inquirer I came across two 2D barcodes uses and an article on the cover of the business section about smartphone dominance.

I moved on to The Wall Street Journal and noticed the article "Y U Love Texts, H8 Calls" on the cover of their Personal Journal section.

I then browsed a recent GQ to find a Snickers promotion allowing consumers to text a code from inside a Snicker's wrapper to a short code, which then donates one meal to fight hunger.

At the same time I have The Today Show on in the background. At the moment, they were highlighting "outrageous holiday gifts from Neiman Marcus." Before ending the bit, they take a large amount of time to share details of Neiman Marcus' new iPhone app. This had all taken place inside 20 minutes and it was then that I decided to snap photos of each encounter and write about this mobile marketing dominance of my morning.

In true marketer fashion, I quickly moved from print to the web and hit CNN. Perhaps my eyes were now peeled for more examples, but I instantly noticed a banner ad for CNN's new Election App AND a banner ad for Sephora's new iPhone app.

Below please find both photo snapshots of the print examples and screen shots of the web examples. Being in the mobile marketing industry and owning a mobile marketing company, this was a fun morning for me!

Let mobile marketing live long and strong!

Mobile Marketing Companies

There has been a lot of talk lately from marketers about struggling to find a mobile marketing company. As mobile got hot, companies seemed to come out of the woodwork and it is difficult to weed through them. Some companies are simply resellers of other short codes that aren't actually theirs. Some traditional advertising outlets (tv, radio, print) are trying to package the service with what they already sell, which is the most powerful way to use mobile, but most of these sellers have no clue how to actually harness and implement mobile marketing in even the most basic sense, SMS marketing much less mobile websites or app promotional strategies.

So in looking for a mobile marketing company, there are a few traits to keep an eye out for:

1. Look for a company whose leadership actually has a background in marketing and not just technology. What this means to you: you're not going to work with people who only talk about software and capabilities. Capabilities are great! And we have them all! BUT, more important is to talk about ROI, revenue generation for your business, the end user's (your customer's) experience, and how you're going to improve sales/brand recognition/etc.

2. Look for a company that maintains its own short code. What this means to you: You have a better chance of always getting the keyword you want. And they keyword is hugely important! The short code number itself has been proven to be irrelevant. The keyword is what makes your message, whether you're promoting a sale or event or brand, etc., stick in the consumer's head and help drive them to your desired reaction.

3. Find a company that has sales people exclusively dedicated to your account AND where you can always reach the owners. What this means to you: Besides the obvious of having more accessible people, mobile marketing is still the wild West. It is often that the founders of the company, given that you abide by points 1 and 2, have the most insight into how to actually successfully use mobile marketing as a tool.


At Ballyhoo Mobile, we have a passion for mobile and work at a feverish pace to drive results for our clients. It's for this reason we have clients that sign on with us year after year. We go the extra mile to ensure a great return on investment and we'll do the same for any client we take on.

SMS Drives App Downloads

Yup, we've said it for a long time! Building an app is a small percentage of having an app. The key is getting people to download it and often telling them to "find" it in the cluttered app stores is not sufficient.

A strong way to drive app downloads is by using the trusty ol' short code and keyword strategy. Rather than asking people to remember your app and find it, let them text in to a short code and have the bounceback message contain a direct link to the download.

Worried about different handsets needing different apps? Send the texter to a landing page with a link to different apps in different app stores. Want a great example? See the one the NCAA sent out just today!

Facebook Creativity

Everyone on the Ballyhoo Mobile Marketing team is a fan of business ingenuity, whether or not we were the purveyors. Today I came across a neat persuasion device by the band Disturbed on Facebook. They have a group photo on their front wall, but it's scrambled. In order to see it, you have to "Like" the group...then it instantly clears up.

It's not mind-blowing creativity or astounding technology. To the local business, that is great! It means it is the small sort of "something different" that they could incorporate in their own page. Think about an even more focused business use: a local company could create a coupon that cannot be viewed or printed until someone likes their page...then they suddenly get the deal. Great reinforcement for becoming a fan!

Before "Liking:"


After "Liking:"

L...B...S

Everyone is talking about Location Based Services and, just as it was and is with SMS, no one knows exactly the best approach. In fact, we are still working on tightening up LBS for our clients at Ballyhoo. As I constantly research successful LBS promotions, today I came across a great one from American Apparel. Below is an excerpt from the article on Mobile Commerce Daily:

"During the promotion, Grindr users in New York City who logged into the application received a pop-up message displayed on their iPhone, iPad or BlackBerry.

The message said that American Apparel had a one-day 20-percent-off discount on Sept. 13.

Users who clicked on “more” were brought to a landing page that included store locations – clickable to maps – store hours and phone numbers – clickable to call – and further information about the promotion."

Knock, knock...

Who's there? HTML5 is here...in a big way. If you have not seen The Wilderness Downtown project, you're missing out. Heads up: it only runs in the web browser Google Chrome. IF you have Chrome or your system can handle downloding it, this is worth seeing.

Click here to download Chrome.

Click here for the Wilderness link.

Once on the page, enter an address with which you're familiar. Then sit back and enjoy. Abnormally, you will see new windows open and close but don't move or close any.


After viewing, think about the business implications. You could show different segments of a live concert at Red Rocks or view a friend in the Chicago Marathon while viewing pieces of the race, as well.