Blackberry

Blackberry have always had a stronghold on the US market, but thanks to the increasing success of their Enterprise integration, as well as the explosive growth in the 16-24 age group thanks to Blackberry messenger (BBM), they now have a significant market share in the UK too. In fact, in the 13-24 age group, Blackberry adoption has increased by over 400% in the UK.

Whats more, not only are they exploring alternative form factors for their devices for broader appeal (e.g. The Torch is their first slider touch/keypad device), they are attempting to attract developers to harness their strengths and spread their services accordingly (e.g. BBM API set to launch Q1 2011). And to top it all off, early indications suggest their first tablet, the Playbook, is going to be a real winner.

Samsung

One thing Samsung have never struggled doing, is selling phones. They have consistently been in the top 3 manufacturers in the world, with significant presence in the US, Europe and Asia. They have always had great hardware, but their operating system selection has always been debatable. Unlike Nokia, when significant OS launches such as Android and Windows Phone 7 came along, they swallowed their pride and accepted they could increase their reach and reinforce their foothold in smartphone market share by embracing new partners.

They now have a delightful handset in the Galaxy S, which is selling phenomenal amounts globally, including almost 8 million in China alone. They have also been the second into the tablet foray with the Galaxy Tab, utilising the flexibility of Android to deliver a decent piece of kit. Samsung definitely on the ascendancy into 2011.

HTC

What can we say about HTC! Just a few years ago a relative unknown in Western markets, now, with thanks to a brilliant new brand identity and a hefty marketing strategy, its making a real splash in the smartphone market. Adopting Android appears to be the best move HTC ever made; acting as a vehicle to get their hardware into the hands of a whole new range of consumers.

The Desire HD is an object of utter beauty for example, and not only demonstrates the power of the Google OS, but the quality of hardware HTC continue to produce. Even though they don’t use their own OS, they add their own little touches with their Sense UI and services, which help establish a sense of familiarity in a world where the consumer doesn’t are about the brand of OS.

All in all, if there are 3 manufacturers to watch over the next 12 months, these are the guys!!

Amongst the hype of the PR machine surrounding mobile applications and technology, NME/Blackberry have quietly launched a competition that could show some of the biggest businesses in the world how ‘mobile’ should be done. Working as a partnership, the competition gives the key demographic the chance to win a Blackberry handset, as well as tickets to an NME gig.

Now here is where it gets even more interesting! Although you can answer the question and submit your details online, you can also join the NME blackberry group on blackberry messenger to submit your answer. The Blackberry market share in the UK is already quite significant, and is no longer just the email enterprise phone for business executives. Facilitated by Blackberry messenger, the RIM brand is now becoming a real force in the 16-25 age range (a demographic shared by NME). So, what is to be learnt from this competition?

• Incentivised – Using prizes that the consumer WANT to win, NME and Blackberry are able to collect rich audience data
• Permission Granted - With all this data collected in mind, the question is still posed “Would you like to receive marketing…etc” in a clear format. So although being brands that their audience WANT to engage with, they still demonstrate respect for their consumers by asking their permission to continue the conversation
• Natural Environment – The BBM element is a stroke of genius for two reasons. The first being the ‘environment’. With its rise in prominence in the youth market, Blackberry messenger (or BBM as it is known in short) exploits the prolific nature of SMS but in an instant messenger format (similar to that championed in the late 90′s/early 00′s by MSN messenger on the desktop). Because youths are participating regularly in this environment, it seems right that a brand should enter this space (with permission)!
• Value Exchange - The Value exchange at face value here is obvious. Participants have the chance to win prizes that are relevant to their interests, and at the same time, NME/Blackberry suddenly have data to a very valuable target demographic. But the BBM element gives an EXTRA value add for NME/Blackberry. You see, by building a blackberry messenger group of NME fanatics, suddenly that is access to a massive group of opt-in consumers who own Blackberrys and love NME. You just cannot buy data that specific! And what is EVEN BETTER, is that BBM is free to use (on a data plan), so NME can deliver targeted, relevant marketing messages to opt-in consumers for a stupendously tiny cost!

Imagine if NME bring out a native Blackberry mobile application. Suddenly, rather than spend thousands trying to market it, they have the audience data ready and waiting to send to ONLY the people it is relevant too. Magic.

Not quite.

You see, although HTML5 is demonstrating it can deliver a superb level of design and interactivity, especially with the recent Youtube mobile site, HTML5 relies heavily on the hardware and their respective browsers. You see, HTML5 will not just work on any mobile browser. Go run the HTML5 test on your mobile browser and see what happens. iPhone users using Safari will probably see quite a high score, however should they be using Opera Mini, they will not be pleased with the result.

Once again, this is another example of the mobile industry working at different speeds, and trying to oust each other. If you think developing an HTML5 mobile site is going to resolve the financial issues associated with developing cross platform mobile apps, you are very wrong. HTML5 is, without a shadow of a doubt, going to make the ‘WAP v APP’ argument a helluva lot more complicated, but in the mean time, don’t be blinded by the hype. When browser quality improves across the board, and network speeds and coverage improves, HTML5 will be a genuine consideration. In the mean time, its just a taste of whats to come.

WAP v APP rolls on…for now.

In fact, I can admit now (and I know one or two people who will pull me up on this) that I have been guilty of not thinking about value exchange before engaging in professional situations. And those people know I am sorry.  HOWEVER, asides from learning from my mistakes at a relatively early stage in my career, it has highlighted something which is in fact incredibly relevant to the marketing industry.

The words engagement, conversation, participation and social have been thrown around like some angry Gorillas and their faeces, but what the hell does it all mean?! My personal experiences and understanding always make me return to the concept of value exchange. In order for a citizen to accept and open communication with brands via a platform such as a mobile device, an understanding of the mutual expectations is vital.

Gimme some free stuff…please

Incentivisation is not a revolutionary new marketing technique, and it has a track record throughout the ages of driving conversions and catalysing consumer engagement. Always used to choose a cereal as a kid based on the best free toy? Buy your new TV based on the stockist that offers the best warranty? In offering an incentive, a brand can create what is often an ‘illusion’ of value with its consumer, but this works well in establishing an association with your brand and ‘adding value’. The consumer simply accepts that by buying your product, this is sufficient for an exchange of value. Obviously as a marketer, you will be more aware that alongside a healthy profit on the product, that you will have claimed valuable customer contact details for future sales leads.

Its more than free stuff

Sorry to disappoint, but although incentivisation creates a sense of unbalanced value exchange in favour of the customer, it is in fact very false. True value exchange is a much deeper concept, embedded within our understanding of the world and how we interact with it. The simple concept for brands and marketers to embrace is:

“Do not aim to deliver just the right message, but strive to evoke the correct response”

Consumer insight and market research can offer a remarkable level of understanding of your audience, but telling your audience what they want to hear is not the same as making an emotional connection and seeing a natural will to engage with your brand and its message. This emotional connection can manifest itself in an array of forms, but when the value exchange is optimised, the rewards for both parties will be evident.

Remember, its a telephone, not a megaphone!

Evoking the right response may not be immediate, but the value exchange does not have to be instantaneous. Establishing a relationship with a consumer involves highs and lows; iterations and reworks. When you demonstrate an agile philosophy towards communicating with your consumers, they will respect you a lot more for approaching them and trying to engage them in the environments that they not only already participate, but where you have asked their permission to join them.

My Definition of Value Exchange

So, what can we ‘define’ as value exchange? Well one thing to be clear on, is that peoples own definitions and understanding of value are quite disparate. What may seem a paltry exchange of value to one person, may be above and beyond expectations for another. Here are some things to consider:

• Respect - For me, demonstrating respect for your consumer can represent a significant amount of value. Respecting their personal space, data and preferences can establish or maintain an incredibly positive relationship. So ask their permission, don’t patronise them and treat them like human beings, and you just see what happens.
• Incentives - Although it may seem like I wrote off the idea of incentivisation earlier, giving your consumers that little bit more really does help. It does not however always have to be a free gift, or extended warranty. By listening carefully to what they want, marketers can match their expectations and go the extra mile, without breaking the bank. So make the incentive something the consumer actually wants, rather than something that makes the purchased product or communication that little bit more attractive.
• Involvement – Inviting citizens to contribute to or partake in an activity which is usually a closed space, can create an incredible amount of value in both parties favour. Creating the opportunity to submit suggestions on how to improve the business, or even ideas for the next marketing campaign can make the citizen feel like they are having a direct impact on the business (and this heavily ties in with the ‘respect’ bullet above). At the same time, the business has access to direct and honest information from the people that matter the most.
• Commitment before returns – As a business, you may need to accept that this year, you need to take a hit. By going the extra mile for your consumers (which could eat up a lot proportion of your marketing budget), it may make this year look a little less successful, but for long term stability and consumer satisfaction, it could be the break you need. Its all down to having the balls! Take the leap, or sit on the edge and wait for the cliff to give way? Consumer loyalty and trust is, in comparison, invaluable.

I hope this makes sense, as my mind notoriously sees things and inteprets them in ways that other find, quite frankly, plain stupid. I would love to hear what you think. What does value exchange mean to you? In your personal or business lives?

]]> http://mobsessed.co.uk/2010/07/exploring-value-exchange/feed/ 2 http://mobsessed.co.uk/2010/04/evidence-against-the-iphone-mobsession/ http://mobsessed.co.uk/2010/04/evidence-against-the-iphone-mobsession/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:14:50 +0000 Carl http://mobsessed.co.uk/?p=451

I have rapidly established a reputation for ‘iPhone bashing’, which is nothing to do with not owning a suite of Apple Products or disliking Steve Job’s hair. Oh no. For those of you that are not aware, my main ‘beef’ is with brands who do not consider other platforms simply because its a) too hard, b) too expensive/not as cheap as iPhone or c) just want to tick a box that says ‘We have an iPhone app’.

There is a wealth and breadth of great (and some not so great) operating systems out there that can offer brilliant, rich and engaging experiences for their users, that despite having a substantially larger market share than Apple, continue to be overlooked. For a long time I have wanted to put together a presentation to demonstrate this very point, but Ewan MacLeod of Mobile Industry Review has pulled it out of the bag.

When it comes down to offering consumer utilities or CRM extensions, it is important to closely consider which platform to employ, but whether you should even consider the mobile web before apps! The iPhone is just 4% of the UK mobile handset share, so can you really justify spending a vast amount of your marketing budget on an app that might reach only 4% of your target audience (assuming your brand is a national brand with a fair reflection of the British population). The most likely scenario is that you cannot.

As mobile moves from ‘bit-part’ to mainstream, the importance of understanding this audience, their handsets and how they interact with brands via their mobile will be of the utmost importance. Mobile ‘strategists’ and planners will, like social media this year, start cropping up at agencies all over the world, and become an integral part of the planning and creative process. And this here, this is your first free piece of advice, condensed into a succinct yet effective presentation from Ewan. Enjoy.

p.s. still need more convincing? Martin Wilson and Tomi Ahonen can offer further support

Major props to Rudy De Waele for the awesome preso.

Any thoughts will be included as part of my primary research for my Masters Unit, so would love your feedback

After a complete anti-climax of a press event from Nokia, their faces were well and truly rubbed in the dirt by Steve Ballmer and the Microsoft team. A technical hitch at the beginning of the presentation was the only speed bump in a smooth ride for the Microsoft team, whose presentation has been greeted with great aplomb. Windows Phone 7 is a completely new product from Microsoft that encapsulates a vast range of services and offerings focussed on the consumer (which Windows Mobile before it never seemed to grasp). Where did that come from?!

For me, there were several key USPs that make Windows Phone a very promising inclusion in the smartphone operating system wars.

• UI designed with UX – The UI behind Windows Phone is so heavily user experienced focussed, it goes above and beyond any other produced by Microsoft. Designed for the fast paced ‘at a glance’ lifestyle, it has gone lengths to redesign traditional and even the latest UIs to create a functional and enjoyable experience for its users. OK, so the UX market is dominated by the Apple iPhone OS, but until it embraces widgets and multitasking, it will fall behind.
• Multitasking – Multitasking is the main advantage that Android has had over the iPhone OS, and it seems with a decent UX, it could really challenge the market. Lets just hope it is glitch free as running multiple apps could create some headaches.
• Office for mobile – The Microsoft Office package is the worlds most common utilities packages for personal and business use, and it has received an overhaul for Windows Phone that promises to offer a whole new experience for its users, as well as ensuring a smooth cohesion between itself and the desktop counterpart
• Current service offering extensions – Windows phone will support Xbox Live and Zune in the entertainment arena, offering an opportunity for customer retention, as well as attracting new users with connected purchase decisions.

Microsoft has created a product to support the personal nature of the mobile phone. By taking into account the user experience, they have developed a UI that appeals to a users preference, offering relevant information that can be personalised to a seemingly ‘nTH’ degree. Only time will tell whether this is Microsoft’s fight back onto the mobile scene; all I know is that it is a major step back in the right direction.

For a good summary of the keynote, check out a break down here. Or for the official press release, click here.

The GSMA yesterday announced its first batch of Mobile Media Metrics, in association with all of the major UK MNO’s. 2 years in development, these statistics not only mark early signs of the mobile industry working together towards a common goal, but it also signals what we hope is the start of a swift adoption of mobile as a platform on which brands and businesses can target their varying audiences.

‘But mobile is common place in marketing already!’ I hear you cry.

Yes it is being employed, but is the quality and targeting of said work demonstrating not just ROI and all the other buzzword bullshit, but true engagement with its users?

O2 conducted a survey amongst senior marketers, which revealed that 58% said they would invest more of their marketing budgets in the medium once there was a better measurement of effectiveness, while 47% stated that better targeting would make them invest more in mobile.

What these stats offer is the opportunity to perform a detailed segmentation of the market, and create data that will allow marketers to produce effective, targeted mobile content that the consumer can engage with. And hell if they become more aware of the brand or it produces a conversion in the process, everyone is happy.

What we do not want to forget is true engagement induces trust in the consumer/brand relationship which can reinforce and even grow brand loyalty (a powerful tool in any marketer’s handbook). You don’t have to make your audience laugh! Try giving them something that will improve their lives!

So, let’s take a step back. Forget about augmented reality, apps using accelerometers and beautiful mobile websites with no bloody function. What is best for the user?

SMS is an immensely powerful advertising medium when used in the correct fashion, and provides universal access to any of the worlds 4Billion odd mobiles (if you can afford the data!). Yet we as agencies, brands and businesses are far too keen to jump ahead and utilise the very latest tech that 90% of the consumer base don’t even know exists.

Slow down mobile industry! Return to the core values of marketing and when formulating a strategy, take your time!

• Consider current marketing performance, the consumer, competitors and the core business objectives before setting marketing objectives.
• Define a customer value proposition using correctly defined channels (mobile may not even be applicable!) before defining the marketing strategy.
• And only when you have considered the consumer experience, can you even begin to consider implementing a mobile channel into the mix.

Mobile will continue to grow and develop as platform, so you need your finger on the pulse. Just because some CEO with a ghost writer has told you ‘2010 is the Year of Mobile’, cut through the crap and understand that mobile is already the world’s most powerful marketing medium.

You just need to know how to bloody use it.