Monthly Archive for February, 2009

The Future Is Bright and (Literally) Clear

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on February 20, 2009
in Industry News
. 0 Comments

Perhaps one of the most eye-catching products to debut this year (as still early yet) is the transparent design of the LG-GD900 mobile phone from LG Electronics.  The mobile phone had its coming out party in Barcelona during the GSMA Mobile World Congress (an event attended by 3Cinteractive’s Vic Shroff).

While most of its advanced features are unknown, the mobile device itself is 13.4mm-thick with 7.2Mbps HSPDA.  The biggest feature is the world’s first transparent keypad that softly glows when the slider is open.  The body of the device has a polished silver finish, so the keypad gives the mobile phone the appearance of being made from glass or crystal.

LG-DG900 from LG Electronics
The LG-GD900 with transparent keypad (from LG Electronics)

A Bluetooth headset is in the works from LG that will match the clear design of the mobile phone. The LG-GD900 is scheduled for release during the second quarter of 2009 and those advanced features are scheduled to be unveiled at that time.

3Cinteractive Provides Voting for Hooters Calendar Girl of the Year

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on February 17, 2009
in Inside 3Ci and Marketing
. 2 Comments

The “Hooters Calendar Girl of the Year” contest from Hooters of America, Inc., powered by 3Cinteractive, gave Hooters fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite Hooters Calendar Girl. 3Ci created approximately 160 unique keywords that were issued to Hooters Girls in the calendar. These keywords were found on the on pocket calendars distributed with the Hooters Girls’ Calendar and contained the keyword, which restaurant patrons would use to vote for their favorite Calendar Girl. Each vote counted towards the naming of one of the Hooters Girls featured in the 2009 Hooters Calendar as “2009 Hooters Calendar Girl of the Year”.

Participants in the campaign were eligible to receive a free wallpaper of the Hooters Girl they voted for as well as a subscription to exclusive alerts. While only one vote per mobile number is allowed, some of the Hooters calendar girls have generated over 200 unique votes in just two weeks, demonstrating not only the restaurant’s popularity but also the ease of use of mobile marketing.

Be Aggressive: If You Want Their Mobile Number, Give Something Away

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on February 13, 2009
in Inside 3Ci and Marketing
. 0 Comments

It’s no secret that the most effective marketing campaigns are the ones that are viral in nature. Viral campaigns, viral marketing, these trigger immediate interaction from the consumer in the way of purchases. With the cost of direct mail and the over-crowding on the Internet, what is the best way to trigger interest in your brand? By using mobile marketing to be aggressive.

While the method of delivery has changed over the years, one thing has remained constant: everyone loves to get something for nothing. From the drop-ins at a client where you deliver the nice pens with your name on it to the sleek black laptop bag with the four-color logo at a tradeshow, we love free things. So why not leverage this feel-good tactic using mobile?

Mobile marketing is a quick way to generate the buzz needed for something to go viral. Mobile couponing via SMS is a way in which you can get people talking about your brand and you can differentiate yourself from competitors in your space. Regardless of whether or not you are the established player or the upstart, being aggressive with a mobile marketing campaign can offer you a way to acquire new customers and to retain those customers.

So where does the free component come in? If you are a retailer, it can be a BOGO (buy-one-get-one) with a coupon only obtainable via SMS or a GWP (Gift-With-Purchase) or even PWP (Purchase-With-Purchase) text offer. It can even be a free item in the case of a restaurant – one free soda with purchase, or even just one free soda, no strings attached (other than a consumer opt-in). The free element is what will help take the mobile marketing campaign viral: since the motto, “If it’s free, it’s for me” is universal, people are certain to forward these texts to their friends and family, who will then share it with their friends and family.

You can use the database you generate in order to reach out to those opt-in consumers with daily or weekly offers, deals that, in turn, the consumer will forward to their contacts. With the recession, consumers have limited dollars to spend and they are more likely to spend their money where the deals are. Aggressively using mobile to make such consumers brand aware and deal conscious is a way to offer value, go viral, and to build your mobile database all in one campaign.

Mobile Marketing Gaining Strength Despite Downturn

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on February 10, 2009
in Marketing and Trends & Research
. 0 Comments

The past few months have seemed to be nothing short of disastrous for mobile marketing.  The economic downturn that led to the current recession is certainly not friendly to the market outlook, let alone to falling advertising revenues and a decrease in handset sales.  The recent GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona served as a showcase of how simple and elegant a mobile marketing solution can be.

Mobile marketing in this downturn makes sense when you consider the idea of more people having access to mobile phones than they do to the Internet. Yes, the rallying cry for mobile dominance over the PC has been sounded for years, but we are seeing the proof of concept.  Marketing campaigns utilizing SMS can reach more people than a banner ad or a PPC ad accessible via a PC.

You also have the added comfort of knowledge in that consumers elect to receive or opt-in to get your marketing message on their mobile device.  This extensive, qualified reach (as well as the lack of a prevailing, incumbent player) has attracted the interests of Nokia, Google and Yahoo.  Mobile marketing may still only be a small part of most marketing budgets, but it is growing in influence and is proving itself with value and results.  Mobile may prove to be the one marketing medium that flourishes in the downturn.

Employee Profile: Jonathan “Ainsworth” Boyle, New Media

Published
by
Michelle Stone
on February 2, 2009
in Inside 3Ci
. 0 Comments

Jonathan “Ainsworth” Boyle, often referred to as “Dr. Ainsworth” in the halls of 3Cinteractive, should be familiar to readers of our newsletter and blog as editor, author, and new media marketer. His start at 3Ci came on the services side of the office, setting the foundation for his new media role.

Jon started at 3Cinteractive in June of 2007 as a Client Services Manager. He soon moved into New Media, blogging about the company and the mobile space while building up the company’s marketing materials. From there, Jon moved to being 3Cinteractive’s main demo and presentation resource. The combination of experiences gained at 3Cinteractive have put Jon in a position to work with the new and existing client base in a way that helps to them get the most of their mobile programs.

Not only does Jon take a client’s existing goals and leverages 3Cinteractive’s technology to maximize their return, he also possesses a keen understanding of the breadth of applications for mobile. This knowledge makes Jon a valuable. He’s able to educate a client on the other uses for mobile that could help their business.

“For example,” says Jon, “a client that comes in focused on acquisition may not realize that mobile could be a great retention or service tool. A customer that comes in just wanted to send out alerts may not realize that their clients might want to respond to initiate simple interactions.”

Jon further illustrates how understanding the variety of ways in which mobile technology applies to a marketing campaign positively impacts a client’s bottom line. “Now that the consumer marketing is reducing spending, the knowledge of a complete system to acquire and retain customers is extremely important,” he explains. “The intricacies of the ideal implementation could mean the difference between an overwhelming success and another budget cut.”

Jon is a graduate of George Washington University, majoring in Sports Medicine, and is also an entrepreneur and a patent holder. It’s this combination of Jon’s industrious spirit and 3Ci’s culture and business model that has helped Dr. Ainsworth contribute to 3Cinteractive’s success.