Jack Daniels, JAGTAG Target Revelers

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a creative campaign that with the proper promotion can really go viral. I applaude the originality of the concept. Good luck, JD!

Drunk texting can be a good thing. At least, that's what Jack Daniel Distillery hopes.

The purveyor of the Jack Daniels brand of whiskey has launched a mobile marketing
campaign using 2D barcode service providers JAGTAG. Back Jack combines the aspects of different types of mobile marketing: It's kind of game-like, in that there's a bit of a plot. In a move sure to please parents, best practices practitioners, and those who uphold drinking laws, JAGTAG has age-verification technology that seems to improve on methods like the double opt-in process and parental credit-card verification. Updated data will available in real time. And mobile-specific video will help the ultimate strategy of engaging consumers.

The gist: The whiskey maker is petitioning for a national holiday based on the birthday of Jack Daniel the man and fans/drunks can sign the petition using their mobiles.

Consumers/imbibers are encouraged to take photos with their camera phones of any Jack Daniels-branded JAGTAG barcode their bleary eyes can see. Then they will receive the official campaign video and see how many others, as of that moment, have signed the petition.

The mobile campaign will be part of a greater marketing strategy that includes a 10-city tour of a bus that will purportedly deliver the petition in person to the U.S. Congress. Personally, I think consumers will be plenty engaged with their mobile phones, and that the bus smacks of Girls Gone Wild or a Duffman stunt from The Simpsons. (After all, Jack is a tiny bit more sophisticated than PBR beer.)

But the people behind the campaign seem on the ball. "For our Back Jack initiative, we wanted to engage fans nationwide to join our petition drive and add their signatures, and JAGTAG's technology enabled us to reach the largest mobile audience possible. By using JAGTAG mobile 2D barcodes, we can share exclusive content with the right audiences", Jennifer Powell, U.S. Brand Manager for Jack Daniels, said in a release.

-Mobile Marketing Watch

7 key trends mobile marketers need to know

NEW YORK – An eMarketer analyst revealed seven key trends that mobile marketers need to know during a keynote address at the digiday: Mobile conference. Noah Elkin, senior analyst at eMarketer, New York, offered up the following list of trends shaping the mobile marketing space:

No. 1
Mobile usage has become pervasive.

In 2008, there were 228.2 million mobile phone users in the United States, representing 75 percent of the population. In 2009, those numbers grew to 239.1 million, representing 77.8 percent.

This year, eMarketer projects 246.1 million U.S. mobile phone users, 79. 3 percent of the population, and expects those number to grow to 250.9 million (80.1 percent) in 2011.

No. 2
Mobile devices and platforms have experienced dramatic evolution.

“Mobile phones have become more advanced and significantly cheaper and significantly lighter,” Mr. Elkin said. “They have effectively become mini-computers that are connected to a whole platform and content.

“In 2007, the iPhone and Kindle helped redefine what a mobile device is,” he said. “They united hardware with software and put a universe of content in more accessible reach better than any of their predecessors, helping the industry take big step forward.

“That set the stage for the iPad in 2010, and the tablet category is also helping to drive the market forward.”

No. 3
The device market is shifting in favor of smartphones, and the U.S., is driving a lot of the demand.

In June, ChangeWave Research found the 16 percent of U.S. consumers planned on buying a smartphone in the next 90 days.

In terms of smartphone penetration in the U.S., in the second quarter of 2009 it was at 16 percent while in the second quarter of this year it had grown to 25 percent, according to Nielsen.

“We see this trend continuing to accentuate,” Mr. Elkin said.

Which platform will win the increasingly competitive smartphone race?

Globally Nokia’s Symbian OS accounts for about half of smartphone subscribers due to its dominant position in Europe and Asia-Pacific, but in the U.S. Apple’s iOS, Google’s Android and RIM’s BlackBerry are grabbing market share Nokia and are dominant in North America.

In the U.S., BlackBerry enjoys the largest market share (35 percent in the second quarter of 2010), but it is slowly but steadily dropping, according to eMarketer.

“BlackBerry users demonstrate a lack of loyalty to the platform, with only 42 percent of current BlackBerry owners would opt for another BlackBerry as their next smartphone,” Mr. Elkin said.

The iPhone has 28 percent of U.S. smartphone market share and Android is coming on strong with 13 percent.

“Android is the fastest-growing smartphone OS—its market share tripled over past three quarters,” Mr. Elkin said. “Android has nowhere to go but up.

“Keep in mind, though, that HP bought Palm, and Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 series is launching very shortly, so the current configuration may shift over the next few years,” he said. “Smartphone owners are voracious media consumers—they simply do more of everything: more app use, browsing, social networking, music, video and messaging.

“While smartphone users are a quarter of the population, they already represent more than half of key mobile activities.”

No. 4
Increased ownership of smart devices is driving mobile Internet growth.

U.S. mobile Internet users have grown from 50.9 million (16.7 percent of the population) in 2008 to 68.6 million (22.3 percent) in 2009 and 85.5 million (27.6 percent) this year.

That number is projected to grow to 101.1 million (32.3 percent) next year.

No. 5
Communication modes are undergoing a significant shift.

Among U.S. mobile phone users, in May 2010 65.2 percent sent a text message to another phone, 31.9 percent used their phone’s browser, 30 percent used/downloaded applications, 22.5 percent played mobile games and 20.8 percent accessed a social networking site or blog.

Social networks are fast becoming the primary way mobile users exchange information. Frequent social network access is linked to above-average mobile content consumption.

The nexus of mobile and social is increasingly about one key attribute—location. And, location leads to increased relevance for mobile marketing.

“The closer you get to a consumer, the more relevant an offer you can present,” Mr. Elkin said. “Location is very powerful data because it puts you in the palm of consumers’ hand near the point of purchase, which represents part of the future of marketing.

“Location-based ads and messages can prompt relevant actions, encourage consumers to take the next step, find out more information about a brand or product and make a purchase,” he said. “For consumers, sharing location is all about the value exchange.

“They expect to get something in return for sharing where they are and what they’re doing.”

No. 6
The base of mobile content users will continue to see strong growth.

The percentage of mobile gamers has gone from 45.6 percent in 2008 to 64 percent this year, and it is projected to rise to 72.8 percent in 2011.

The percentage of mobile video viewers has risen from 12.3 percent in 2008 to 21.7 this year, and it is projected to rise to 31.4 percent in 2011.

The percentage of mobile music listeners has gone from 12.9 percent in 2008 to 21.7 percent this year, and it is projected to rise to 29.2 percent in 2011.

“Mobile gaming, music and video revenues will more than double from 2010 to 2014,” Mr. Elkin said. “The ad-supported component will grow fourfold over that time—much quicker than paid content.

“It’s important to figure out the optimal balance between free and fee,” he said.

No. 7
Tablets are changing the face of mobility and computing.

EMarketer projects 12.9 million iPad shipments worldwide in 2010, 36.5 million 2011 and 50.4 million in 2012.

By 2015, Forrester projects that tablets will represent 23 percent of all PC sales, which will be more than either desktops or netbooks, trailing only notebooks.

Tablet buyers are wealthier, better educated and more connected than the average U.S. adult.

For marketers, tablets’ bigger screens promise more immersive experiences.

“The key thing for marketers is the combination of larger screens and the touch Web really shouldn’t be underestimated,” Mr. Elkin said. “There are much higher interaction rates for the Web and apps among smartphone owners, and on a bigger canvas we expect those deltas to go even higher.

“We often see double consumption and usage on touchscreen devices versus non-touch interfaces,” he said. “The mobile Web is becoming more app-like in appearance and experience, and the likelihood is that the mobile Web and apps will continue to coexist.

“As the industry pushes towards the HTML 5 standard, the Web is becoming more app-like, so there’s an increasing convergence between the appearance and experience.”

-Dan Butcher

Android will surpass RIM's BlackBerry this year

EDITOR'S NOTE: Here is a more bullish view on a report last week and posted on this blog 09/04/10.

Google's Android platform will inch past Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry operating system as the world's second largest smartphone platform this year--and will only keep growing from there, according to a new report from research firm Gartner.

Symbian, which is heavily backed by Nokia, will remain the world's top smartphone platform by market share through 2014, Gartner said, but Android is set for an astronomical rise. According to Gartner, Android will capture 17.7 percent of the smartphone market this year, slightly more than BlackBerry's 17.5 percent share. Symbian will remain on top with 40.1 percent this year, while Apple's iOS will come in fourth with 15.4 percent of the market in 2010.

However, by 2014, Gartner said, Android will be poised to overtake Symbian, commanding 29.6 percent of the market compared with Symbian's 30.2 percent. In 2014, Apple will have 14.9 percent of the market and RIM will capture 11.7 percent, Gartner predicted. Microsoft's Windows Phone will be relegated to sixth place behind MeeGo by 2014, Gartner said.

Gartner's predictions on Android are more bullish than ones made earlier this week by research firm IDC. IDC predicted that in 2014 Android will have 24.6 percent of the market and BlackBerry will retain 17.3 percent of the market. IDC also has Symbian still leading with 32.9 percent market share in 2014.

Android has benefited during its first few years from support from dozens of carriers and handset makers worldwide, and is in the process of expanding from smartphones to tablets. Meanwhile, analysts have recently turned bearish on RIM's long-term prospects, noting that the company faces diminished growth opportunities with both consumers and enterprise users.

-Phil Goldstein

SMS case study - Carrabba's Italian Grill

Consumers were asked to text the keyword AMICI to short code 82672. Carrabba’s customer appreciation group is called the Amici Club so this program was a natural extension of the existing loyalty campaign.

The first objective was to expand Carrabba’s Orlando test to the Tampa market so the brand could promote to multiple customer touch points at a time of the day when consumers are most likely to be influenced.

Additionally, Carrabba’s wanted to further engage customers and learn more about their interests while deepening brand awareness and technological advances.

Carrabba’s hoped to achieve a 5 percent redemption rate.

The target audience was men and women ages 25-54.

Each participating Carrabba’s location had the ability to grow their own database and select specific business touch points where they wanted to grow their sales. Each SMS campaign was positioned to promote the different ways customers can experience Carrabba’s through SMS.

Early dining (4-6), Late dining (8-10), Carside Carryout, Sunday lunch, and Happy Hour are a sampling of different campaigns that were used. Calls to action varied among each campaign that was used. Different offers were used to resonate with the customer and encourage repeat visits and increased traffic to restaurants.

Each restaurant selected 3-4 campaigns that were meaningful to them where they wanted to grow their business. Once complete, those campaigns were deployed out to their respective databases along with engagement texts.

This mix provided an opportunity to provide offers to customers to drive sales as well as engage and keep top-of-mind with customers. There were 443 participants, accounting for a 35 percent redemption rate.

Next, Carrabba’s will expand the test nationwide to create a greater presence in this category, which will launch through Carrabba’s customer appreciation group, Amici Club. The same mix will be used as this test through providing offers and engagement texts.

Jamie Miller, brand marketing manager at Carrabba’s Italian Grill stated “The SMS campaign allowed us to increase customer traffic to our restaurants in a manner that allowed for growth in specific segment sales that were exclusive to each restaurant.”

-Giselle Tsirulnik

Text-Messaging Helps NWF Raise Money, Awareness For Gulf Animal Victims

In June we reported here on Brandel's AdKing.com blog that the National Wildlife Federation had launched a mobile donation campaign to benefit creatures affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Today...the results of the text-messaging, or SMS, campaign that go beyond raising funds.

While the NWF declined to give exact monetary figures, it has seen a significant increase in year-to-year donations, thanks in part to SMS. The organization saw a 53 percent increase in July 2010 from the previous July, and a 48 percent increase in June 2010 from June 2009, according to Mike Ricci, Vice President of Mobile Solutions for Merkle, the marketing agency that ran NWF's fund-raising efforts for Gulf animals affected by the April 20 spill. He said that 35 percent of all money raised to help the creatures is due to the Text WILDLIFE campaign.

The campaign, in which donors are asked to text the keyword WILDLIFE to the short code20222, also shows how mobile fits into an overall digital marketing strategy, perhaps driving engagement on other platforms accessible by smartphones. Eighty percent of NWF supporter activity came from new donors opting into an email database. Social marketing techniques drove membership, with a 60 percent increase on the NWF Facebook fan page, from 15,920 on April 30 to 40,206 on August 15; a Facebook cause that has so far raised more than $109,000 with more than 1.2 million page members; and a 40 percent increase in Twitter followers between April 20 and August 15, from 20,234 to 34,000.

Its still too early to say just how effective text-messaging has been for the NWF fundraiser, which is ongoing. But consider the Red Cross SMS campaign, eight months strong, to help victims of last January's earthquake in Haiti. As we reported a few days ago, the Red Cross said it received donations via SMS from 3 million unique donors, of which 95% were first-time donors; in total, it helped raise $32 million in relief aid to victims of the Haitian earthquake.

Even if the NWF doesn't see this kind of money due to SMS alone, text-messaging is an important part of its overall strategy.

MMA: 60% Of US Adults Have Noticed Mobile-Response Ads, 39% Within The Past Week

EDITOR'S NOTE: There is no better time to get involved in Mobile Advertising! Visit our website for complete details on how you can offer SMS text message advertising or our new App4Ads, available with SMS, or without, for world-wide use! ~Susan Gifford DeLeon

In a new survey commissioned by Luth Research on behalf of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), it was found that 60 percent of respondents have noticed an ad that allows a mobile response, and 39 percent have noticed at least one within the past week.

The survey, entitled the “June 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing,” is the MMA’s monthly survey of U.S. adult consumers about their mobile marketing behaviors and opinions. The results stem from a “demographically representative sample” of more than 1,000 U.S. adult consumers and was conducted June 28 through July 2. The survey asked consumers questions about the usage of their mobile phone and some of its features, including the make of their device, their carrier, preferred mobile response mechanism and when they last noticed an that allowed a mobile response.

The results show that Apple iPhone owners and young adults ages 18-24 are the consumer groups most likely to have seen an ad with a mobile response option. The survey also found that 70 percent of mobile users who noticed ads with a mobile response capability saw them on TV, with desktop and laptop PCs being the next most common media channel, followed by radio.

“The Consumer Briefing shows that the mobile channel is a highly effective way for brands and others to obtain responses from U.S. adults,” said Peter A. Johnson, vice president of market intelligence, MMA, and author of the study. “This effectiveness includes extensive reach across all adults and within certain demographic groups, such as young adults and Hispanics. But brands and agencies should pay close attention to which media outlets offer the best mobile response opportunities.”

Other finding of the survey include the following:

>>Among those who noticed a mobile response ad on TV, one third responded. Asians, Hispanics and adults ages 35-44 were the most likely to use their mobile phone to respond to a TV ad.

>>Response was highest in the media outlets with the lowest ad awareness. At least half of those who noticed mobile response ads in the cinema, in a print newspaper, in a print magazine or through direct mail had responded.

>>Texting a keyword to a short code and calling a number were the top preferred methods of mobile response. Texting a keyword was most likely to be preferred by young adults ages 18-34, and adults ages 45 years and older significantly preferred calling a number.

>>Asian mobile phone users were most likely to prefer sending an e-mail response, while Hispanic mobile users were most likely to prefer texting a keyword.

IDC: Smartphone shipments to surge 55% this year

Smartphone makers have a reason to celebrate. Research firm IDC said it expects the smartphone market to grow 55 percent this year, a greater increase than its previous prediction.

IDC said it now expects handset vendors to ship 269.6 million smartphones this year, compared with the 173.5 million units shipped in 2009. The estimate is 10 percent higher than IDC had previously estimated. The research firm said the introduction of several new smartphones--including Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4, Research In Motion's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry Torch and the HTC Evo--caused it to increase its forecast. The smartphone market also will be crowded by more phones running Google's Android platform, IDC said.

Overall, IDC said it expects the wider handset market to grow 14.1 percent in 2010, or 1.5 percent higher than its previous forecast. Last year the market fell by 2.8 percent, according to the firm.

IDC also predicted that in 2014 Android will blossom from 16.3 percent market share today to 24.6 percent in 2014. Appple's iOS will drop from 14.7 percent this year to 10.9 percent in 2014. According to IDC, Symbian, BlackBerry and Microsoft's platform will still make up 60 percent of the market in 2014.

As Harry McCracken of Technologizer notes, however, these long-term predictions should be taken with a grain of salt. In 2006, IDC failed to predict the 2010 picture because it did not account for the rise of the iPhone or Android.

-Phil Goldstein

Why mobile is a must this holiday season

The huge potential of mobile will be realized this holiday season as brands go all in ramping up their multichannel marketing strategy during this crucial, challenging time of year.

Mobile calls to action featuring SMS keywords and short code or mobile bar code can make holiday-themed traditional media actionable and measurable. Savvy retailers can get the word out about holiday sales via SMS, the mobile Web and branded applications, while brands can use various forms of mobile advertising to achieve their holiday-specific goals.

“I suspect when we all look back—and we will—to try to understand when mobile moved from interesting to nice-to-have to the heart of an all-channel brand program, it will be Christmas 2010 we all nod knowingly and nostalgically about,” said Thom Kennon, New York-based vice president of strategy at Wunderman, part of WPP’s Young & Rubicam Brands.

“There’s simply a whole lot of consumer spending going on [during the holidays] and mobile is the hero touchpoint to reach and activate consumers at almost every moment of behavioral truth across their shopping, purchase and fulfillment journeys,” he said.

“[Consumers’] mobile phone is with them at every single moment from Halloween through to the January sales—get into their pocket and purse!”

During the holidays, consumers are bombarded with holiday-themed advertising of all kinds.

So how can a brand secure that real-estate ahead of and instead of its key competitors or other consumer alternatives?

The answer will range across a mix of consumer behaviors to trigger—everything from opting into SMS alerts, downloading a coupon application...sharing links with friends, and — here is where advertising is a no brainer — incorporating mobile, local and hyper-targeted keyword search into everything a marketer does this holiday season.

“Mobile media is a great channel to break-through the clutter,” said Maria Mandel, vice president of marketing and media innovation at AT&T Advanced Ad Solutions, New York. “It is unique because you can target your exact audience by demographic, contextual, behavioral and even location-based targeting.

“The holiday season is hectic for marketers and consumers alike — not only is it cluttered and competitive, but it is also a time when it is difficult to reach and connect with consumers.

“Mobile advertising and marketing can be used to effectively reach target consumers with the right offer at the right time and place.”

Store or product locators, discounts, shopping/wish lists, gift suggestions, product information or tips can be great mobile tactics to leverage.

Or even simply adding a mobile call to action makes radio, print, outdoor and in-store media work harder and makes it more trackable.

Mobile alerts, offers and coupons can be a powerful way to reach last-minute shoppers.

Mobile advertising and search can be effectively used to drive product awareness.

“Everyone is increasingly time-constrained — time is the most valuable thing they have, so any way they can save time is important, especially around the holidays when the time crunch is even more intense,” said Paul Gelb, director and mobile practice lead at Razorfish, New York. “Mobile has normally only one ad on a page, whether it is an app or a site, so it focuses more attention than other mediums where there is a lot of clutter.

“Especially for publishers that are looking to maximize revenue during the holidays, on mobile you have more exclusivity and attention-capture due to the lack of ad clutter in mobile media,” he said.

“Given the travel behavior of consumers during the holidays, mobile is an extremely valuable medium for consumers, given that they may not be in front of their TV or interacting with traditional media, but they always have their mobile phone with them.”

Consider how consumers are now using their mobile devices: as a shopping tool for price comparisons, to share purchases with others, as well as a way to consume media and entertainment.

“Fortunately, there is a wide range of mobile advertising opportunities within applications that support the shopping process,” he said.

The main reason that marketers need to include mobile media at holiday time is because that’s where the consumers are, on their phone checking prices....sending photos of a gift idea to their spouse for approval, talking about holiday shopping issues...and checking in from stores on mobile social networks...

“In many cases the consumers that spend the most time doing those activities are also the ones most likely to have more disposable income,” Mr. Lewin said. “Also, consumers that engage with your brand on their mobile devices are more likely to have a favorable brand impression, and purchase intent.

“All of this combines to make mobile media a must for the holidays,” he said.

Mobile advertising has proven to be able to drive brand consideration, intent to purchase or other relevant action.

After exposure to a mobile campaign, increases in purchase intent average five points and even up to as high as ten points for the best-performing campaigns, according to Dynamic Logic.

Like any other marketing medium, cross-promotion and a seamless transition for customers between the different retail channels is necessary.

Site promotion codes should work on all channels, but having special mobile coupons to increase adoption is becoming more common.

In fact, many are predicting a noticeable increase in the use of mobile coupons this holiday season.

This year, shoppers will be willing to spend more during the holidays than last year. However, they will still want to remain conservative in that spending.

A study conducted earlier this year by Harris Interactive, found that nearly half—46 percent—of adult Internet users who own a mobile phone are somewhat likely to try out mobile coupons.

Consumers are starting to get more comfortable with using their mobile phones outside of calls and texting and will be willing to experiment with relevant mobile offers that provide a clear value exchange.

“Also, since social and mobile typically trend close together, having a mobile site with share to social abilities and vice versa is an easy win,” she said. “Retailers can make a splash by thinking creatively about their brand and what the customer would want.

“If you go in with this strategy, the possibilities are endless.”

-Dan Butcher

SMS Isnt Just For Kids, 72% Of Adults Routinely Send Text Messages Too

A new survey out by Pew Research suggests American adults are just as addicted to text messaging as the younger generation, with the amount rising substantially over the past year.

The survey found that roughly 72% of adult cell phone users send and receive text
messages these days, up from 65% in September 2009. This still falls short of the 87%of teen cell users who text. The research shows teens text 50 messages a day on average, which is five times more than the typical 10 text messages sent and received by adults per day.

“Texting among adults has reached the mainstream and the charge is being lead by African-Americans, Hispanics and young adults,” said Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist and author the report. “Of course, none of these adult groups hold a candle to teens when it comes to texting, who swamp adults in messages sent per day by a factor of 5.”

For the results, Pew used data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults age 18 and older. Though the research pretty much tells us what we already knew, SMS has become the primary ubiquitous technology across any age group and any demographic. It's no wonder SMS remains the most used mobile marketing tactic around.

Android can now claim 25% of mobile Web

EDITOR'S NOTE: Although I consider myself an ardent iPhone fan, it seemed a natural transition for Android to pose a great challenge to Apple in the smartphone showdown. Their popular presence across multiple carriers with customized handsets *in addition to* their developer-friendly practices -- are helping Google realize great potential from their continuing efforts to soar through the mobile space.
~Susan Gifford DeLeon

Android has reached another major milestone today. Phandroid reports that Quantcast has just put up their new mobile web share numbers. Android saw its greatest gains since November of 2009, and is now up to a whopping 25% of the mobile Internet. That is a 17% jump from this time last year.

The iPhone's share is down to a still-commanding 56%. At this rate, it isn't hard to imagine Android catching up to iOS, if not eclipsing them, within the next year.

-Robert Evans