Microsoft Potentially Takes a Page out of the Apple Marketing Playbook
The Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is set up to be the most anticipated/coolest product that the company has realeased in some time. The problem is, right now, it is more of an internal excitement. Much like other recent Microsoft products, the company is bragging up the product to be revolutionary. And why not? All companies market their tech products this way...but what does revolutionary mean. Apple relies on making revolutionary seem simple. Is Microsoft's new revolution to use an Apple strategy?
How is Microsoft Marketing the Product?
The company has set up a community to generate buzz and encourage social participation in the online realm with Windows Phone Backstage. And so far they have created various videos that highlight the phone's features and app development. The pitch for the product is simple "A different kind of phone designed to keep your life in motion" - that pitch is aligned with the company's strategy to make mobile processes simpler. Doe this sound familiar?
It should. Apple has branded all of their products as simple, in coparison to the competition. Steve Jobs once said "I want Apple users to be able to do in 1 click, what PC users do in 2." Apple's bread and butter is catering to the user with simple processes.
Microsoft has launched their campaign for the Phone 7 and it is obvious that their market differentiator is "accomplish mobile phone tasks easier." The user interface is laid out in a simple format with what seems to be a 1 thing at a time influence. With most phone marketing campaigns promoting the infinite amount of applications and multi-tasking capabilities, Microsoft is throwing a change up by pronouncing the Phone 7 as simple and NOT time consuming. They do highlight the apps being designed for the phone but the # of apps highlighted is 5 and not 500.
Even though Apple promotes their products as simple - they compliment simple with "cool" or "cutting edge". So I expected Microsoft to do the same. Unfortunately so far, the phone is not looking cool or cutting edge. It does look simple, but no application or feature has blown anyone away, nor is it something you can't get somewhere else. The 5 apps they highlight are Netflix, Twitter, Flixter, Open Table and Travelocity. All recognizable brands, but these brands have apps for other platforms too like Apple and Android that pretty much give you the same features.
So let's go Microsoft. Show us what you got. They have made the phone simple, but now can they pull from Apple's marketing playbook and make it look cool or cutting edge? Only time will tell. I love that Microsoft if finally throwing some variation of a changeup... the problem is that sometimes a changeup is expected and knocked out of the park. Catch us offguard Microsoft and save your mobile future.
Solve Media TYPE-INs Turn Online CAPTCHA process into Marketing Genius
With the never ending growth of security in the online space, CAPTCHAs are vitally important in determining web users are actually human. In case you don't know what a CAPTCHA is, it is that little box that pops up in certain instances when you try to click to your next destination---- it asks for you to type the word you see in the box before advancing. Above you will find a picture of a CAPTCHA. Of course you know what that is, you see one every day and even though its intentions are good, nobody likes the inconvenience that comes along with the process.
Solve Media has come up with a solution. Now you can turn your Social Network security processes into brand marketing machines. The company brings you TYPE-INs - the ad alternative to CAPTCHA. To put it simple: TYPE-INs are making an annoying experience less annoying but jazzing it up a bit, while relying on the old learning idea - "writing it down, plants it in the brain"
Instead of simply seeing a word or phrase within the verification box, you now see an advertisement. The user still asked to type in the word featured in the ad box, but this time the word can be brand relevant, forcing the user to interact with the advertisement before advancing. Brilliant! I thought so at least. The first question that came to my mind was... all of those words in the CAPTCHA security verification boxes are so loopy and don't make sense... so how can a brand have words that make sense? and how many variations do they need to come up with in order to keep it secure? If they don't give a variety, does it make it easier for the security process to be hacked? I hope to get a response back from the company soon and I will be sure to post when I do.
Outside of all my security questions, I think this is a very cool idea and a great marketing tool.
TYPE-IN Idea for marketers
This tool is all about branding. The concept of writing/typing something in hopes of implanting it in the human memory bank can work - the question is what is the best strategy to ensure it does?
To me, it is all about weird, yet intriguing. There are times when I see a CAPTCHA that makes me stop and think - such as "whale girlfriend" (got this one the other day). That kind of phrase was so off key, yet intriguinly sensible that I stopped to think about it and have a laugh. If you are a brand it is all about delivering that experience without stepping outside of who you are. Therefore, if you are a bank, you probably don't want a phrase that says "robber candy" or something that is out of your cultural element. Stay within your brand boundaries but think of ad content that is pushing the limit enough to spark curiousity. It is okay to sound somewhat loopy in what is already a loopy situation. It will be very interesting to see how much this ad tool catches on in the social media security realm.
STILL UNSURE? Watch the VIDEO
Facebook Places - Intro Marketing Tips for your Business
Facebook places is an application that allows users to check in and promote their specific locations to the friends, family and favorite brands. There are already many applications that provide this service such as Foursquare, GoWalla, and Loopt just to name a few. And some of these applications already have a large scale of customers. So when Facebook announced that it was going to get involved in the location based market, critics scratched their heads as to how this would all play out? So instead of having an all out war with every location based service, Facebook decided to collaborate with them and provide "places" as a product that brings some of them together. Allowing places integration with other location based updates from other brands.
The whole concept of geolocation is to provide more transparency between friends that share their life experiences. Of course the other side of it is for business - if businesses know where their customers or potential customers are located that is a goldmine of marketing information with a lot of potential. This is an intro guide to marketing tips for Facebook Places.
Who Can Utilize Facebook Places?
Right now, Facebook places is available as an iPhone application and also via their website if your phone supports HTML 5 and geolocation. They are also rolling out the application to Android and Blackberry but there is no official date released yet. So iPhone users will have the first crack at Facebook Places.
Checking in
Much like the other location based applications, when you want to announce your location you choose to "check-in." On the Facebook app, tapping the "check in" button will prompt the app to map your location and provide the nearest business, landmarks, etc. around you. Once you check in, your location will be posted on your friends typical news feeds whether or not they have places enabled on their phone. Businesses will have yet another exposure channel with places, as friends check in's can lead on-lookers to investigate the location and interact with the brand/business.
What Can You Include with your Check-In?
You can include a few details with your check in:
The first being a friend tag. Much like tagging your friends in photos and videos, you can tag your friend in your update - showing that you are at this location with these people. This feature is important to marketers due to the group effect. If a person shows that they are checked in with many friends you may have more incentive to market to that person that someone who is checking in solo.
There is also a "People Here Now" feature that allows users to see who else is currently at and around their location. Seem Creepy? If so Facebook does allow users to turn this feature off if you don't want strangers seeing that you are around them. This feature will be useful for networking events. Marketers that attend these events usually have some idea of who else is attending but this feature will allow them to see and potentially interact with people they DIDN'T know would be there. This could open doors for networking in that a marketer can leave that meeting knowing with close to 100% certainty that they met anyone they HAD to meet.
What if I Don't Want to Broadcast it ... But Want to Check in?
Facebook has put a lot of time into ensuring this application upholds the highest levels of personal privacy wishes. Users are allowed to check in and not share their check in's with friends. They are also notified each time they have been tagged by another friend and are given the option of accepting or deferring that tag. You can completely remove the option of being tagged by going to settings and deselecting "Let Friends Tag Me." The application settings also allow the user to control who sees their location right down to the very person. You can customize your updates to be seen by friends, friends of friends, everyone (public), or just the people you specify.
Is this a marketers nightmare? No, allowing people the space to privatize their life is always a smart move for marketers, the trick is getting them to WANT you to see. Marketers will have to offer incentives to people in order to break privacy concerns. Just more motivation in my eyes.
Comments
Users can also leave comments about the places they are visiting. Foursquare allows "shout-outs" and this is no different. For marketers, the comments function is a good and bad feature. The good - a visitor loves the location and the services or activity associated with it. The bad - the user thinks the exact opposite and starts bad mouthing the whole experience. Basically marketers should figure out a way to control these comments like they control all their social conversation. Track the comments and offer customer service to those who need it in near real time and/or offer rewards to customers who give you positive word-of-mouth
Push Notifications
Push notifications can be turned on through settings to show the user when their friends are nearby. If I am hanging out at the Argo Tea Shop on the corner and my friend is a block away, some days I would never know. If both friends have Places, they can see that they are not far from one another and arrange to meet and say hi. Who ever said the digital age kills personal interaction? For marketing, become friends with your customers and when they are nearby, you have the option of offering them an incentive to stop by and visit. Like giving flyers away outside but waaaayyyy more cool and they feel more special as a customer because the message can be personalized. Be as personal as you can be and you improve your chances of winning that customer over.
Create a Place for your Business
Here is the link for you to create a "place" for you business. Highly recommended by us. It can't hurt? But make sure to check if you business is already within their location database. Create a Place for your Business
Facebook Has a Brief Guide for Advertisers
This guide will give you more detailed information on advertising with Places. Facebook Placed Advertising Guide.
A Few Points
****Check Back in a few weeks for more marketing tips with Places and an updated guide***
Google TV Will Win if They Take Advantage of Partnerships
In the past, Digital Fewsure was very optimistic for other Google products like the WAVE. We know...We know... We were wrong. Just 6 months after glowing with excitement for the Wave and claiming it will change email forever, we published a story about Why the Wave Failed. Our optimism was nothing more than tech-happy hype that Google placed in us. So will be the next product that Google releases we will be wrong about? Well it won't be Google TV.
Google TV is a new product set for a fall launch and is Google's first attempt at entering the competitive Television market. What makes this market entry different? PARTNERSHIPS
Through contracted deals with Sony and Blu-Ray, Google has partners that are ready to support their push for TV. The contracts themselves are the first aspect of the deal that gives Google TV and edge over past product failures. Sony will be releasing a TV that is dedicated to the Android platform that Google TV will run on and Best Buy has agreed to sell the product in their stores.
Let's do the math - Sony + Blu-Ray + Best Buy = Success. These 3 partners are leaders within their industry and when you combine them together with a new product that offers consumers something "cool" - you are bound to see some success in terms of mass market hype. Best Buy much like Apple, is known for making people want products that they don't need. Google TV is just that. So if the partnerships are deep enough that Sony and Best Buy are willing to incorporate Google TV within their own marketing, you can expect a line of customers to be anticipating this new "tech" product.
Whether or not it succeeds is is based off of marketing from Google and their partners. The primary reason for the fall of Google Wave in my eyes, was the lack of mass marketing it received. Outside of a online PR buzz, the Wave had very little wind at its back to push it forward. If the partnerships go well, not only will Google move their little engine of marketing forward but they will have the giant marketing engines of Best Buy, Sony and Blu-Ray on the train tracks as well. That's a huge gust of wind! Okay enough of the cheesy real-world comparisons.
Another winner in all of this could be the first to market Google box made by Logitech - The Revue.
Logitech is by no means a mass marketing gorilla, but they are another company that has a marketing budget that they may want to use on a GOOGLE-associated product. Logitech has nothing to lose in this deal, as this could be a big break for them in the digital converter market. Therefore, we expect Logitech to dump a lot of their budget into this project with some obvious help from Google along the way.
The only partnership loophole that Google has to jump through now is with the networks. Apparently these kind of partnership conversations have not been going that well, Google TV - Struggling to Find Partners. But we have reason to believe that one of the major players will bite before the Fall launch.
Since we have yet to work with Google TV, we ask that you forgive us if technical or usability problems burn this product to the ground. As long as Google lives up to its user-friendly identity, expect Google TV to be the next big product line for the company and NOT FAIL. Apple TV is set to compete with Google in the near future...it will be interesting to see how both differentiate from the other.
See you in 6 months we are writing an article about how to market your business on the popular Google TV platform.
