February, 2010 Tufts University is now accepting YouTube videos as an application supplement for undergraduate admission. The video application provides students a chance to share themselves with admissions. Applicants may post videos to showcase their talents and abilities in addition to submitting a traditional application.
February, 2010
ScanLife, an app for scanning barcodes, now has the ability to read all types of barcodes including 2D tags for mobile tagging and now UPC and EAN codes for price comparisons. The popularity of the application stems from mobile providers preloading the application to the phone prior to use.
February, 2010
North Face launched a location-based mobile marketing campaign that will target consumers near a location that sells North Face merchandise. This is not the first mobile campaign for North Face, who launched an iPhone weather app designed for skiers and snowboarders last year. At this time, text alerts will only be received by consumers who have previously opted-in for North Face promotional messages.
February, 2010
Kodak updates its Time Square display in New York City, and allows users to upload pictures through the Kodak website for the opportunity to be displayed on the big screen. Once the picture is approved, a code is emailed to the participant. When the participant is ready he or she can text the code to activate the screen and display the uploaded image.
February, 2010
Pizza Hut, who partnered with Songwhale Agency in Pittsburgh, ran a contest during the month of April in 2009 to promote their pizza and pasta dishes amongst area competitors. Participants could text in to win free pizza for a year or receive perks such as a free large pizza or soda for simply passing along the message to friends. The contest was promoted via television with a text-in code and keywords. Results show the contest had 12,000 entrants within the first two weeks and 3,000 of these participants texted-in while viewing the television spots.
February, 2010
The NBA has been providing fans with an on-the-go option for game viewing through their NBA League Pass Mobile program. Currently, the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards game is being promoted via the NBA League Pass Mobile to encourage viewership through the mobile and online program.
February, 2010
NBC’s coverage of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver has drawn over 54 million mobile page views, beating the number of page views from the Beijing Summer Olympics by 19.6 million. Mobile video streams are up from 301,000 in 2008 to 1.3 million in 2010. Television coverage has also drawn in 164 million viewers in the U.S. alone, with 8.22 million viewers tuning in on Sunday to watch the U.S.A. vs. Canada hockey game.
February, 2010 Snickers targets young adults with their newest mobile app and game. In preparation for the FIFA World Cup this summer, the game is centered around soccer and is supported by point-of-sale in store.
February, 2010
The New York Times partners with social media site, Foursquare, to provide readers with recommendations regarding nightlife, food, travel and entertainment just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
February, 2010
The Academy Awards has made The Oscars an interactive experience this year to capture a younger and broader audience. In addition to to an iPhone application that allows users to make predictions and compare them to their results, for the first time in history, The Oscars was broadcasted live on the Academy’s Facebook page receiving more than 170,000 unique visitors.
February, 2010
One of Google’s “search stories,” “Parisian Love,” originally created and posted on Youtube as a viral marketing campaign to promote the brand, will make its way into the Superbowl this year. The compelling nature of videos is an example of Google’s ability to form an emotional connection with its user.
February, 2010
Point Inside is offering an advertising program through their new indoor mapping app called, Smart Map. The app will feature an interactive map of malls and shopping centers. Ads are viewed through consumer interest in a particular store, making promotions and deals more relevant to their specific interests.
February, 2010 Heinz brings innovation and authenticity as it launches the “It has to be Heinz” campaign. Emphasizing new packaging and dedication to consumer needs, Heinz introduces “Dip and Squeeze” via Facebook, Twitter and Heinz.com as simple and convenient ketchup on the go. The packaging can be dipped or squeezed and holds three times as much ketchup as the original foil packet.
February, 2010
Blockbuster and T-Mobile are collaborating to offer On Demand movies on the new T-Mobile HTC HD2 phone. Consumers who participate can pay to view any movie offered in the database with no monthly subscription. The partnership also extends to mail subscriptions to Blockbuster’s On Demand program, kiosks and in-store promotions.
February, 2010
Loopt, a location-based networking site that allows users to connect with friends or find things to do in their area, is adding more incentive to advertise with their soon-to-launch pay-per-person program. Advertisers will only be required to pay for the number of people who visit their business because of Loopt. Loopt will track the ads and visits by checking the GPS or location-sharing of the user.
February 2010
Sprite teams up with hip-hop superstar, Drake, to launch a new campaign titled, “The Spark”. In March, the microsite will allow users users to remix and perform mash-ups of Drake’s hit song “Forever”. In addition an iphone application will be released which will allow users to remix tracks and save them as ringtones on their phones. The mission behind the campaign is to empower it’s users creativity through the brand.
February, 2010
American Greetings launched a 12-day Twitter contest just in time for Valentines day. The contest, called “Follow the Love” involves a series of questions to which users come up with creative answers. The best answers are selected daily and the winner is given gift cards to be used on the site.
February, 2010
The Salvation Army’s campaign for donations during the holidays was a success with a 53.3% click-through-rate to the donation form from their mobile email. By using online methods to gain donations, this Salvation Army campaign was more cost-effective and easier to reach on-the-go mobile users. “We need to appeal to users when and where they are receiving these opportunities to donate,” said Phillip King, president and CEO of Artez Interactive in Toronto, Ontario.
February, 2010
Purdue’s College of Technology, with partnership from the Association of Information Technology Professionals, will host a seminar on March 9th to teach individuals and/or companies how to create their own iPhone, iTouch and iPad apps to support their programs or businesses. The seminar will be led by Apple Consulting Engineer Steve Hayman, who will show attendees the intricacies of popular apps and how to make them work for their own business. More information can be found on Purdue’s College of Technology Calendar of Events.
February 2010
BMW launched an online community, the MyBMWClub, exclusively for BMW owners and invited guests in China. BMW recognizes that there is a strong customer base, and that the competitve landcape continues to grow. MyBMWClub is an online community that allows users to share their passion for their “Ultimate Driving Machines”.
February, 2010 Google Buzz is the company’s new social network created by combining features of popular networks including: Twitter, Yammer, Foursquare, Yelp and others. Buzz is a stream of status updates, photos, videos and links, and brings social media directly into Gmail users’ accounts.
February, 2010 Ace Hardware targets their on-the-go consumers with their newest mobile website. Available on all web-enabled phones, their site allows their customers to explore the latest promotions, find the nearest store and connect via social media.
February, 2010 Wonder Bread is targeting families and their healty choices with its newest iPhone app. The app allows consumers to create over 100 different sandwiches on their iPhone. They can then learn the nutritional value of the sandwich they created.
February, 2010 Square targets small businesses with an iPhone app and small plug-in device that takes credit card payments via mobile. By simply registering on Squareup.com, consumers can take and make payments from their iPhone or iTouch. Check out the video explanation.
February, 2010 Target launches a Facebook campaign to give back just in time for the Super Bowl and Valentines day. The “Super Love Sender” sends interactive NFL- and Valentine-themed greeting cards. Before creating a card, users select from five charities including: Kids in Need Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Salvation Army, United through Reading Military Program, and United Way to decide how they think the $1 million should be allocated.
February, 2010
American Greetings and Mogreet will join together to create a new greetings service for mobile phones. Greetings will use American Greetings content along with video and music. There are currently over 500 mobile greetings available to choose from. ”For years, the industry has tried to bring to market a mobile e-card solution that was easy-to-use, reliable, and offered a genuinely compelling entertainment experience. With the help of Mogreet, we’ve finally done it,” says Michael Waxman-Lenz, senior vice president and general manager of AmericanGreetings.com. For more information about this new service, visit CNN.com.
February, 2010
Clickatell, a mobile messaging solutions company, published their “2010 Valentine’s Day Mobile Marketing Guide” for businesses hoping to capitalize on the money spent during the holiday. Bizcommunity.com reports that over 1.06 billion text messages were sent last Valentine’s Day and that the average amount spent this holiday will be around $103 on Valentine’s Day merchandise. Pieter de Villiers, Clickatell CEO states, “This Valentine’s season, the most popular forms of social media, SMS and Facebook, will help retailers generate more awareness and buzz about brands, products, services, and special offers instantly and effectively.”
February, 2010 Old Spice launched the “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign with an emphasis on rebranding via social media. In an effort to reach men 18-25 with a new face, Old Spice created buzz with the ad-gone-viral, “The Man Who Smells Like the Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” The campaign also includes a heavy Facebook presence with features including polls, viral videos, and “swagger” as well as a recently improved interactive site.
February, 2010
Cars.com found their placement of a Super Bowl commercial a success, as they generated around 6,500 mobile application downloads in one day. “About 30 percent of our mobile content is coming from the iPhone, and we have folks that have an iPhone that look at our mobile site, but we wanted to also give them the opportunity to download an app,” said Sharon Knitter, senior director of consumer products at Cars.com, Chicago. The website is now ranked at number 12 in free apps for the lifestyle category, immediately behind Amazon.
February, 2010
Comscore and GSMA have recently released the first metric standard for mobile advertising in the United Kingdom. The metrics will be gathered by collecting browsing rates of the major UK mobile carriers through opt-ins by a small group of mobile subscribers. Along with Comscore’s participation, the GSMA will also be working with the Mobile Marketing Association and Internet Advertising Bureau.
