Getting Social Integration Right! A Few Posts To Ponder…

Brands Defining Their Role in the Purchase Process and the Cycle of Courtesy

• Brands have quickly realized the need to become part of the natural communication within social media.
• Reciprocal suggests depending on each other for “real” assurances and direction.  Brands must enable reciprocal occasions; ensure relevance and respond to see results.

What Social Media Should Be…Collaborative

• The purpose of social media is to communicate, understand people and how they see your offerings . Social media should also support collaboration, but to do so, requires a very different mindset and almost humble positioning.

Understanding The Convergence of Mobile and Social via Photos

• Snapping a mobile picture allows us to capture a moment, share a memory and create an endearing connection.
• The convergence of mobile and social media makes sharing these occasions effortless.   Intensifying our wish to share…a reciprocal process. Our excitement for sharing a bit of our world is combined with our curiosity to see what everyone is up to.

Emotion, Expression and Experiences …Why I think we love Pinterest

• In 2012 we hope to see brands imagine the possibilities. People are keen to be social adventurers, always exploring, hoping to discover and anxious to share “found” treasure with their connections.  Emotion…I think this is one reason why Pinterest has quickly captivated our attention.

Understanding The Convergence of Mobile and Social via Photos

This article first appeared on Technorati

“Social Media is a perpetual celebration of Life… Mobile is it’s Pulse”

I was recently asked, “When was the last time you looked at a brand on mobile?” Immediately, I thought of a picture that was snapped and shared.  A MINI Cooper with a Red Bull can attached.  The image was snapped via mobile and uploaded to Facebook. Next…viewed, commented on and re-shared on Facebook. Once again, each step, via Mobile.  The convergence of mobile and social is now! Brands have learned to trust people with their image, but are now tasked with using “original” content and enabling incredible people-to-people connections. Nothing supports this idea more clearly than photos.

Snapping a mobile picture allows us to capture a moment, share a memory and create an endearing connection. The convergence of mobile and social media makes sharing these occasions effortless.   Intensifying our wish to share…a reciprocal process. Our excitement for sharing a bit of our world is combined with our curiosity to see what everyone is up to.

A moment as Sieci is “Changing Colours” via Martina Ruini [iPhone] shared via Facebook

When you see a great photo, you feel closer, more caught up with the image than with text.  Images open up your heart and tell a bigger story. Martina captured a beautiful moment with her iPhone. Immediately uploading her magnificent image to Facebook, Martina initiated a response from friends creating an emotional moment for everyone to share.

A look at photo sharing via iPhone

1,307,857 iPhone photos reveal how, when and where iPhone users take photos. Infographic via Visual.ly

Source: Dear Future Astronaut NY

Phenomenal Photo Sharing

Artist Erik Kessels has created an incredible exhibit that features one million images and photos we uploaded to Flickr, Facebook and Google within a 24 hour period.   Extraordinary Image Credit: Erik Kessels via Foam.org

We are curious…

We love conversation and comments. We want to be heard and understood. Photos create a message that is not lost in translation and instantly inspires a reaction.  Within mobile and social, brands must enable the voice of people. Images offer an ideal way for brands and people to connect.  Recent updates to Facebook photos allows you to add captions and location details to photos immediately. Most are taken and uploaded via mobile.

• On average people are uploading more than 250 million photos on Facebook every day.

• More than 350 million active users now access Facebook through their mobile devices

This week at the GSMA Mobile Asia Congress, Facebook’s VP for partnerships and corporate development, Vaughan Smith, spoke about their expectations for mobile.  “We expect our next billion users will come primarily on mobile”.   It is likely that photo sharing will become an important element of Facebook’s mobile growth scenario.

Other photo sharing sources

Skylines analyzed over 24 million photos that were posted to Twitter between October 22 to October 29, shared through Instagram, Twitpic, Twitter’s own photo sharing service and Yfrog.

So, when was the last time you looked at a brand on mobile?  Have a look at the number of photos uploaded to Coca-Cola’s Facebook page.  How many do you think were taken and shared via mobile?

For more:

Image The Future

Convergence of Mobile and Social Media

Mobile Ads…Convergence and Constant Connection data via @eMarketer

Preparing for seamless and constant connections…

Mobile devices have become a life-tool and tablets have definitely captured our attention.  We know that tablet users engage for longer periods of time and consume the largest share of videos ads.  Tablet owners are also more likely to shop online and are actively seeking new content and richer experiences.

We know that mobile users anticipate opportunities to interact. During shopping occasions, they simply must have the comfort of “social support” and support is within easy reach via their mobile device.  Already, immediate and direct access to “more” is expected.  Also, people are using mobile devices while watching television, structuring a personal route to their favorite connections for social viewing. These key details demonstrate the idea of “constant”.

The ability to connect with people at the most appropriate time and place… and with substance is a reality. Creating mobile occasions that extend brand experiences requires almost intuitive messages. So, how do we begin?

• Create mobile occasions that extend brand experiences by actively involving people within the dynamics of the brand’s message
• Support social connections by creating emotional triggers and immersive experiences

Goal: Extraordinary Relevance

This type of content may need to come from non-intrusive learning.  Mobile connections will need to be managed and mobile data will need to be extracted, filtered and immediately put-into-play.  An approach that is certain to support seamless experiences and far more relevant encounters.

Suggested Insight: eMarketer Webinar: Mobile Advertising and Marketing—Key Trends and Benchmarks

Related articles

• Everything IS Mobile…Convergence (pallino1021.wordpress.com)

Mobile…a Process and a Reason | Featuring an Infographic from @microsofttag

This article first appeared on Technorati

The most significant disruption to advertising and marketing is a process, not a platform…

As our ability to connect continues to evolve, so does our perception of messages and what “is” appropriate content.  What has changed? We want to control content and connections, effortlessly sharing and defining our role within a reciprocal process, which did not exist when brands ran the show.

It’s not just the way we connect via Mobile that is driving this change; it’s the “reason” we are connecting… more often, and for longer periods of time.

Mobile devices have become a Life-Tool!

We depend on mobile devices to keep us connected in case of an emergency; navigate our direction, keep our fantasy team in the game and make the right choices.

This morning, I sent an image (shoes, of course) to my daughter.  She called to tell me that she had received it. In conversation, Maggie mentioned that the image was a bit too small to see via her mobile phone, “But wait…I have my iPad right here, yes they are perfect”!  What is interesting, last week she mentioned that she really doesn’t pick up email anymore and never via her mobile phone, just her iPad.

“Just too much to respond to, and email is old news.”  

What is more interesting, less than five feet away she has a brand new touch-screen PC…with dust on it.

We are becoming more reliant and trusting of our mobile device for real-time information, especially within immediate response situations.  In many cases, our mobile device makes the difference in “what we do next”.

The demand for mobile information is extreme. Immediate and direct access to “more” has become an expected ever-present service

As we now live an immediate-aware life, brands must become a part of this new process and/or define an intuitive reason to connect.  Also, it is important to remember that a very different type of usage…requires a very different protocol for measurement.

Infographic presented by 2D barcode service Microsoft Tag.

The Role of Mobile in Africa and South Asia

This study offers a wonderful look at Mobile as a life-tool. Findings support the global areas that need mobile solutions most.

Mobile access to social media has forever changed the way decisions are made.  Social media is a normal part of life  for most of us. But, in Africa and South Asia mobile is transforming lives.

Great insight from Movirtu and TNS Global

Related articles

• Movirtu to open up mobile phone numbers to developing world (digitaltrends.com)

What Could Be Next For Netflix

What were they thinking? Raising their rates like that? How could they?

Those are some of the questions you, or your friends and acquaintances, must have been asking of Netflix. What could be in store for the future?

Are they trying to eliminate, or at least decrease, the use of dvd’s? (We hope so!) Trying to force people to choose one-or-the-other? Streaming video or dvd, but who would pay for both? There are too many choices out there with iTunes, Xbox 360, Hulu and the others. Heck, BitTorrent is even an option. At our house, no great preference really, we don’t watch network television, except for news. Political news seems best delivered by Jon Stewart, so we wait to watch online. We don’t care which channel we use…as long as it is NOW! Honestly, the only reason we would ever use a DVD is when we absolutely could not get the content we wanted digitally.

Maybe Netflix is posturing for something down the road. Some big deal or merger. Will they expand content and get social? Are they preparing for an increase in shipping costs (for dvd)? Is there concerns over legislation or future bandwidth caps and metered broadband services (for livestream)?

All of these questions come to mind while pondering this recent move. Will the second quarter earnings statement shed any light on the future. We will just have to wait and watch and see.

As long as we don’t have to watch on dvd when it arrives in the mail…and we can livestream it!

Of course we love DISRUPTION and all of this is subject to change if Apple buys Hulu! Apple flirts with $400

Image: Netflix

2011 Emerging Global Trends Report…Almost There

It is  almost complete. We’re just putting the final touches on it. You know…dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Well OK, maybe more like finalizing data, double-checking sources, adjusting the color palettes and scrutinizing fonts.

Our 2011 Emerging Global Trends Report is just around the corner. Wanted to give everyone an update on the progress. There is an unbelievable amount of information in this comprehensive intercontinental document.

We have divided the current report into  six segments (Mobile, Social, Video, Measurement, Collaboration and Business) with case studies and observations added throughout. It is bursting with facts, statistics, projections and interactive content. In fact, every statistic and image/video is hyper-linked to the original source.

At just 10.21 Euro…you can’t afford to miss this mind expanding report.

What’s next for the Angry Birds?

The power of just silly fun.

Angry Birds won “App of the Year on the Apple Platform” at the GSMA Mobile Awards earlier this year and last night offered their five word speech at The Webby Awards.

What’s next for the Angry Birds? Location-based integration via Magic Places. Rovio seeks to add an interactive element to the game.  Triggering new content,  levels and characters via NFC-enabled phones in real-world places.

Angry Birds wins Best Mobile Game at the 15th Annual Webby Awards

500,000 Apps|Bringing Apple’s App Store Data Into View

On July 10th 2008, Apple had just 500 apps ready for Apple Store‘s  launch day.  Three years later, Apple has approved no less than 500,000 ways to connect, purchase, entertain, inform and pass time!

Regardless of your perception of mobile web or app based interaction, it is increasingly clear just how important mobile devices have become.   For some a ‘life tool” and an absolute mobile source of all that we need.

Real-Time Creativity for Lasting Connections!

PSFK has created The Purple List.  A collective space for sharing ideas by asking questions of many different types of creative thinkers.

I found this question, asked by Grant Hunter, to be an ideal example of what is really motivating change within the way brands communicate and the future of what was once called marketing.

The question: Newsjacking and real-time creativity – which brands have successfully caught the trending wave?

My response:

It takes authenticity, conviction and flexibility to create truly compelling interaction. Dialogues have to be absolute; offering service, resources or in some way enable people-to-people connections.