RIM is known as the choice in devices for the suit-wearing demographic.
Sure, other devices offer the same features (if not more), but there’s something about specifically having that large brick-shaped Blackberry on your belt that screams “I’m a professional!”.
But the problem is that a Blackberry still looks like a Blackberry.
That is to say, people love the classic BB design (which hasn’t changed much), but some consider Blackberrys, dare I say it, BORING when it comes to form factor.
That’s why RIM decided its time to think outside the box for a change- but where to go from here?
With the multimedia-oriented folks already jumping ship for the button-less iPhone, the high-end geeks already drooling over flip out keyboards on Windows Mobile and Symbian handsets, and the younger messaging crowd going for the celebrity endorsed SideKick and similar devices, where was RIM to go to find a relatively un-tapped new design for their signature messaging devices?
The answer was to go backwards, so to speak. The flip-phone is one of the most classic designs in cellular voice technology, and still remains one of the most popular design choices in mid-range phones.
The concept is simple - flip phones are popular because they are convenient. A small device when not being used opens up to a larger device for keys and screen size. Therefore, RIM decided to cram their latest Blackberry device into a flip phone shell with their 8220 “KickStart” handset.
Crackberry.com has an exclusive first look video that can be found here.
Now, I would just like to point out that there have been smartphones crammed into flip-phone bodies before (Such as the Windows Mobile powered HTC Star Trek or Motorola MPX200, or the Palm OS powered Samsung i500 , etc), however the design never caught on and was considered somewhat of a failure.
I prefer not to call the Blackberry a Smartphone, however what makes RIM think that this design will succeed when real platform OSs failed before it?
After watching the crackberry.com video, I think the answer is that RIM actually thought this one out more. The OS actually takes all the things that make the Blackberry great and integrates it into the flip design (such as scrolling through messages to read on the outer screen, etc).
With all the Blackberry fans out there, this one could actually take off and hopefully seed a whole new generation of flip-styled smarter devices. That, in my opinion, would be fantastic!
Well fellow MoPocket readers, you will be happy to read that I just survived my first earthquake… and I am a bit shaken up (no pun intended). IDK about you, but the first thing I like to do when I am in a car accident or some other event that is upsetting, I like to call home and chat with my dad and apperently I am not the only one. No big surprise here, but after the 5.4 rumble, the phone system was maxed out.
Phones are somewhat working at this point, however the California Office of Emergency Services has issued a request for people in Southern California to cut back telephone use in order to free up the lines for emergency calls.
Spokesman Kelly Huston says the telephone system has been “maxed out” because of the volume of calls from people checking on their friends and relatives.
Some people apparently are dialing 911 for general information about the 5.4-magnitude quake. Huston said people should not do that.
Its been a long time since MOpocket has hosted a Carnival Of The Mobilists and we are honored to be able to host this weeks 134th addition. MOpocket has been down for a while but is now up and running with new writer and Webmaster Mordy Gilden as well as your usual old favorites.
While its the middle of the summer and people are off relaxing and not doing their normal work routines people have still found some time to post some great mobile related posts and I look forward to sharing them with you all here.
Along the Carnival I have posted pictures from a great post I found on How to Beat Carnival Games. An issue some of you might come across over the summer months
Lets start with the new-commers!
NEW COMERS
Joining the Carnival for the first time is Shaun Zelbers Mobile Open Blog with an interesting post which provides a starting kit for .mobi (or mobile internet) development. The post also goes into important considerations when thinking about the Mobile Internet in general and I look forward to discovering more mobile web development applications and tricks via this site.
But you cant get to the Mobile web without data and joining the Carnival for the first time as well is Ari Zoldan and his blog Going WiMax. In the world of iPhone and mobile applications its easy to forget about broadband issues but Zoldan is one of those Wimax experts that makes thinking about broadband (in this case WiMax) fun. His insight is clear in this post regarding Clearwire’s WiMAX testing and Acquirement of IDT’s spectrum. But I would peruse this blog some more to read its amazing content.
Sachendra Yadav muses upon a notion I have always agreed with, namely that the mobile phone’s “contact list” is already the worlds largest mobile social networking platform given the very nature of what it is. Sachendra tells us about a company called Zyb, a mobile platform that enhances your phone book into an even more social networky platform.
Mobile Content
Over at Martin Sauter’s (hey how are you man!) WirelesMoves blog, Martin gives a little ditty on when the Small Screen Becomes Big and the pro’s of using your mobile phone for content reading instead of the good old newspaper and magazine. He is asking for other peoples personal experiences when they have preferred their phone to other reading materials.
The first half of 2008 took the mobile industry by storm.. Nokia+Trolltech+Symbian, Android, BREW+Flash, Adobe Open Screen, LiMo
devices.. As the dust settles, Research Director Andreas Constantinou at Vision Mobile looks at how the mobile landscape is shaping around 7 centres of gravity.
Venture / iPhone
From Mobhappy we have a very important post reminding application developers that its not all about the iPhone. (Hey Carlo, I did not see you there :-))
This is a hard one as we really came down to two but the post of the week goes to Andreas Constantinou’s post on the New Mobile Landscape.
Next Week
Next weeks carnival will be at my friend Paul Ruppert’s Mobile Point of View blog (which apparently is celebrating one year!). For those of you that have not yet read it or have gotten to know Paul do so, immediately! He is one of the quiet thought leaders of this space.
However, a look at their 10-k filing form reveals a few interesting insights into what Palm has been up to behind closed doors…
Tidbits such as:
“During February 2007, Palm acquired the assets of two sole proprietorships focused on mobile computing and media devices, one a developer of user interface environments and the other a developer of email software applications. “
along with a handful of other oddly un-named similar acquisitions has raised a few eyebrows in the industry.
What is Palm up to? Feb of 2007 is a while ago already… Did they have some grand plans that fell apart, or are they planning something so HUGE that it isn’t finished yet?
We’ve all heard the whispers for years; cell phones may cause cancer. The last scene of Thank You for Smoking always comes to mind when I hear this… When the mobile phone lobbyist joins the monthly meeting of the “MOD squad” (MOD standing for Merchants of Death which includes big tobacco, firearms, and alcohol).
Not personally knowing much about electromagnetic fields, I tend to leave the conclusion to the experts. Most research studies have concluded cell phone usages has no link to brain tumors or other adverse health defects, however Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute has sounded the alarm on this topic.
“Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn’t wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later,” Herberman said.
Herberman suggests we use our speakerphones or hands free devices more often and try to limit our public cell phone use, in order to limit others’ exposure.
But my question is, can our society live without our phones? Mobile phones have become such an iatrical part of everyday life, I am not sure people could walk away from the devices that not only serves as their alarm clock, but also a map, a mini computer, and the main connecting point to all social contacts. I think mobile phones are now engrained so deeply into our society and everyday behavior that walking away is not an option. Our society would be lost without the constant connection.
My post last week about Chase Banks Mobile Text-2-Win campaign has created a bit of conversation on and off the web.
Its a text message campaign to win US Open Tennis tickets.
For those of you that do not remember I praised Chase for stepping up to the mobile marketing platform but criticized the campaign for its lack of interaction and conversation.
After sending the text message “WIN” to “CHASE” and loosing you basically reached a dead end. No mention of Chase’s mobile services are even mentioned. My past post is much more informative.
Well looks like someone from Chase read the post. The text message reply which once read
Sorry, try again tomorrow. No purch reqd. For a sure way to get tkts go to chase.com/tickets. Quit? Txt STOPWIN. Help? Txt HELPWIN. Other chgs may apply.
Now reads
Try again tomorrow. No purch nec. Quit? txt STOP WIN. Help? Txt HELPWIN. Other chgs may apply. Chase Mobile - Text UR account. It texts you back. Chase.com/mobile.
Now they got my attention! What is this Chase Mobile> If I have a Chase account I may try this out? But what do I text? My account number? hmmmmm I do not know how I feel about that. But anyways, its goo to know people are listening.
Would have been nice if the website they provided was linkable to a mobile webpage.
And why did they get rid of explaining the other way to win tickets? I still that they should have added a “text back your zip-code to find out where the nearest Chase bank is and ask them how else you can win tickets.” That would be cool. And would justify a two text return. And also a good way to collect information.
This weeks 133rd Carnival of the Mobilists is hosted over at the blog of Vision Mobile, a market analysis and strategic advisory firm in the wireless sector that I personally would like to learn more about.
Anyways, the Carnival is full of a variety of iPhone goodness (including a post from MOPocket). So go on over there and check it out!
Tune in next week when MOpocket hosts the Carnival of the Mobilists right here! Its been way to long!
To learn how to submit a post or host a Carnival of the Mobilists make sure to visit the Carnivals homepage here.
Palm has had better days.
Once leading the pack in mobile computing, Palm of late seems to be clinging to life by resigning itself to the ranks of hardware manufacturers like HTC.
Palm fanboys lamented the day Palm announced it had embraced Windows Mobile in their lineup of devices, and after the Foleo fiasco, many enthusiasts gave up any hope of Palm re-emerging as the undisputed king it once was. Some speculated this was the beginning of the end for Palm as we know it.
Palm is not going out without a fight, however.
The release of the wildly popular Centro breathed some new life into the Palm OS by breaking free of the average Treo design, and making a device that was more attractive to a younger crowd- choices of colors, a slim and polished body, and it more than made up for any lack of new features with a $99 price tag on release.
But, this didn’t mark the end of the Treo line of handsets. Last week, Palm released the Treo 800w, a Windows Mobile 6.1 handset with all the fixin’s:
GPS, EVDO Rev A, 128Mb of ram, WiFi, a sharp, high resolution (320×320) screen, and despite being almost as thick as the older Treos, the curved new stylings and button layout of the Centro.
It’s interesting to note that the Centro runs Palm OS, and is geared towards the low-end younger crowd consumer, whereas the Treo which runs Windows Mobile is geared towards the advanced user / corporate professional.
What is Palm trying to say about its own OS?
Are they going to make any Palm OS based Treos anymore?
Are they destined to become merely hardware engineers for other platforms?
And if so, will they be able to compete with HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and all the others already creating devices with identical OSs?
Well, I played with a Treo 800w, and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality, despite the fact that HTC already has devices on Sprint with similiar features.
There is hope…
As a general practice regarding phone reviews I never start sharing my opinion until I have lived with the phone in the wild for at least a week. WIth the iPhone 3G I could have started commenting at launch with their launch strategy (thank goodness I went to an ATT store instead of the Apple store because apparently my plan needed a lot of upgrading).
But I could have also have started commenting by the end of the second day after my second recharge. But, I held back, thinking to myself that I am just overusing the phone because of all the new features. After day 3 and 4 and reading review after review I realized that the battery life of this device was indeed a problem and a big problem at that.
While the tips are “commonsense” issue’s to a phone guy like me, to the average user they are pretty daunting.
Here are Apple’s iPhone 3G “optimizing” recommendations with my comments:
Turn off 3G: Using 3G cellular networks loads data faster, but may also decrease battery life, especially in areas with limited 3G coverage. To disable 3G, from the Home screen choose Settings > General > Network and set Enable 3G to Off. You will still be able to make and receive calls and access cellular data networks via EDGE or GPRS where available.
This is why I upgraded to 3G, to remember and reenact the iPhone’s lovely EDGE experience. As I understand it, one of the reason why the iPhone did not come out with 3G originally was because of problems with battery power. What changed here? Or did Apple just rush out a product to stay ahead of the iPhone-like competition. I will tell you this, turning 3G off has vastly improved my battery life. But, sometimes I yearn for that faster speed. So I go and get a little naughty and turn it on for a specific action or so. But to continuously turn it off and on again is a real pain. If they are going to tell me to turn 3G on and off they should not have made it 3 pushes and slides away. It should be more automagic. Essentially, My 3G iPhone is 3G no more.
Minimize use of location services: Applications that actively use location services such as Maps may reduce battery life. To disable location services, go to Settings > General > Location Services or use location services only when needed.
This is true. I was excited about the GPS (Location) feature of the phone and used it throughout the day, as anyone else would, to find directions from where I currently was or to Geo-tag pictures I have taken. While doing this I could literally watch my battery bar fade. Now, if I am traveling long distances or doing stuff where I know I wont be near an electrical socket in the next three hours I just avoid opening up LBS services all-together… which kinda of defeats the point of a “location” based service.
Fetch new data less frequently: Applications such as Mail can be set to fetch data wirelessly at specific intervals. The more frequently email or other data is fetched, the quicker your battery may drain. To fetch new data manually, from the Home screen choose Settings > Fetch New Data and tap Manually. To increase the fetch interval, go to Settings > Fetch New Data and tap Hourly. Note that this is a global setting and applies to all applications that do not support push services.
Yes, this was recommended for the iPhone 2G or iPhone 1.0. I personally had it fetching every 15 minutes for mail and my iPhone would last for the better part of the day. So far with 3G turned off this has not been a problem. Nevertheless, this is a disturbing recommendation for what is supposed to be the all purpose always on portable computer.
Turn off push mail: If you have a push mail account such as Yahoo!, MobileMe or Microsoft Exchange, turn off push mail when you don’t need it. Go to Settings > Fetch New Data and set Push to Off. Messages sent to your push email accounts will now be received on your phone based on the global Fetch setting rather than as they arrive.
Wait didn’t the above optimization hint tell me to fetch data less frequently? Also if I should turn off Push then why would I pay 99 bucks a month for MobileMe or use my iPhone an an Outlook enterprise device. Even without 3G i noticed that the Push was draining my battery a bit even on EDGE. By the way this also means turn off all of MobileMe’s other “push” capabilities for Calendar and contacts
Auto-check fewer email accounts: You can save power by checking fewer email accounts. This can be accomplished by turning off an email account or by deleting it. To turn off an account…
Well one thing is for sure, whatever account your left using will not be a Push email account and should only be checked every year or whenever they come out with a new iPhone. Because if you have multiple E-mail accounts thats your problem. Pick one, your others are not important.
Minimize use of third-party applications: Excessive use of applications such as games that prevent the screen from dimming or shutting off or applications that use location services can reduce battery life.
I am sure this is exactly what the people who built those applications want to hear. Way to support them Apple. If I cant use them as much why would I pay $9.99 - $19.99 for an application I want to or need to use as part of my mobile lifestyle. So much for this revolutionarily open 2.0 platform. If you make me decide extra applications on a phone versus the ability to call my wife, while tempting, I will always prefer the latter.
With All these limitations why am I paying an extra 30 bucks a month for unlimited data?
Turn off Wi-Fi: If you rarely use Wi-Fi, you can turn it off to save power. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and set Wi-Fi to Off. Note that if you frequently use your iPhone to browse the web, battery life may be improved by using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data networks.
Ah! Thats why! But also, how more confusing and burdensome can they make that for the average user? Turn off Wi-Fi so that your phone is not constantly scanning for Wifi networks thus draining the battery. But, Oh! using Data services on WiFi saves battery life. Searching for Wifi is a battery drain, doing all your data stuff on WiFi keeps the iPhone’s juices going longer. At least the ability to turn off and on Wifi is one push less than turning of 3G
Turn off Bluetooth: If you rarely use a Bluetooth headset or car kit, you can turn off Bluetooth to save power. Go to Settings > General > Bluetooth and set Bluetooth to Off.
This also is very true. The battery last much longer when you do not use bluetooth. Problem is, myself and many other savvy iPhone users do you use Bluetooth and would find, like i did, a suggestion like this to just be annoying. Maybe its a good thing they have not yet opened up the iPhones bluetooth for other purposes.
As I was reading this list, my always insightful wife cut me off saying “Basically, pretend its not an iPhone.” And that, it seems, is Apple’s own solution to their big battery problem.
Even if these tips are commonsense and work they just do not match the reasons why someone is supposed to buy this phone: WHy didn’t they just say:
Always be near a wall-socket or car charger: If you are near an electrical outlet you can also plug in and power up. Or to be Eco-Friendly try a solar charger.
Use as a paper-weight: Because just using the iPhone in its off state to make sure the fan doesn’t blow the papers of your desk doesn’t use any power at all.
In an earlier post-iPhone 3G Friendfeed post, Rubel amusingly quips “As the iPhone begins to resemble and be used like a computer, we will have to contend with challenges like crashing and battery life.”
This is true, but only if you focus on the glitz and glitter. Its important to point out that Apple is only making 3G, WiFi and GPS (Location services) on a phone popular. But other phone makers and carriers have been doing this all over the world (and even here in the States) for some time now.
MOpocket writer Mordy Gilden’s HTC Titan running Windows Mobile off the Sprint network has all the abilities the iPhone 3G does in terms of infrastructure, it runs tons of applications and, as Mordy pointed out to me this past Sunday (as I learned my old iPhone car charger was not compatible with the iPhone 3G) it will run all these services and last at least a full day if not longer.
There are many other phones out there with 3G, WiFi, Push, frequent data-syncs and whatever, that do not have these problems. Mordy complains about having to charge it every night, I worry about getting mine through the day.
Some reports are coming out saying that the iPhone 3G beats the competition in terms of battery life over 3G. These tests indicate talk time and not other phone usages.
But that is not really the point. its very much not like Apple to join the fray of building inferior (if they are inferior) products. And then have to make battery usage explanations like this? The iPhone 3G has been anything but Apple’s usual clean cut stylish goodness. Usually, they let everyone else try to surpass them while the technology and market is not ready. Then, when they see the magic formula they pounce. Its not like Apple to release a product till it works well. Apple fanboys know that and respect that.
Also, even if other 3G/GPS/WiFi devices are only marginally better in battery life, as some places are reporting, at least the other phones have replaceable batteries!
So I am sorry to say this, but the fault lies entirely with Apple. I am sure they will come out with a solution like, for example, a new better battery that they will replace for 39.99. In the meantime I think my iPhone playtime is over and its time to go back to Nokia.
Apple may have introduced the rest of America’s common (non-Sprint/Verizon) users to 3G. But with great power comes great responsibility. So far they are giving 3G a bad taste.
This post is about a company that has used Mobile Marketing in a wonderful way. Its also about pushing the envelope. Chase Bank has long been a sponsor of the US Open (Tennis not Golf). Last year they had a very interesting marketing campaign in which you could win free tickets by simply using their ATM Machine’s (I know the ‘M” in ATM stands for “machine” and I am being repetitive). Anyways, a lucky withdrawer simply needed to pay attention to his or her receipt. If there was a blue tennis ball in the logo then you just one free tickets. If it didn’t then you just won your own money (and a surcharge if Chase was not your bank).
From a marketing perspective Chase was ingeniously tapping “incentive marketing” while creating an interaction with Chases most used service, that being ATMs. It forced people to GO TO a Chase location, possibly even walk into a bank, possibly even converse with a Chase employee and possibly even see all the things that Chase has to offer.
This year Chase is going the incentives marketing route again but this time via what appears to heavy mobile play. An interesting choice do to all the hype around mobile technology and commerce as of late and Chase’s advertisements showing text message account alerts. But thats just my way of telling you that Chase has a functional mobile play for a latter point. As I was saying, from June 9th to August 9th all over New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, ads on top of taxi cabs, on bus shelters, on payphone kiosks, on billboards and in the subways Chase advertisements are drawing your attention (in text speak) to send the text message “Win” to the shortcode “CHASE (24273) for a chance to win free tickets to the Open. The exact reading being something like “Tennis ne1?” or “Cu @ the Open” followed by a much smaller print saying
“You could win US Open Tickets.
Text ‘Win’ to Chase (24273) Now”
Chase will immediately text back entrants to notify them if they’ve won or lost.
First off, I have to tell you that I have seen these advertisement for a while now but for some reason the text speak threw me off and I ignored them. I thought it was an advertisement for technical data base enterprise solutions mumbo jumbo. Nevertheless, adding the numerical value to the Shortcode “Chase” is a sure sign that the interactive marketing people at Chase have done their homework. The numbers without what they spell-out no would not be remembered. And just saying “Text ‘Win’ to CHASE” would have been to confusing. Text win to Chase what, I might ask? What am a chasing? A leprechaun? An Elephant on safari? The American dream? But they did it right and they deserve a bravo for that.
As to where these ads appear I found it a little troublesome. The first place I saw this add was while driving down the NJ Turnpike at 70 miles an hour. This is where I first ignored the signs as a tech advertisement. When I began to realize what they were saying (my interest sparked by catching the word “Text” and the semblance of a shortcode) I did not have enough time to take out my phone and remember what or how to text even though I slowed down to 60 miles an hour to try and do so (do not try this, I am a texting expert). Simply put, put these banner adds where there is a lot of standstill congestion. In NY its not to hard to fine. And it will give people something to do.
The adds on top of taxi cabs work for the most part, when you are standing in front of a parked one that is. But by the time I saw the advertisement and told myself ‘lets do it this time,’ the cab was already 5 blocks away. Once I got into a cab that had the advert on top and I stopped to take a minute to text but, in typical New York fashion, the cab driver told me to more or less get in or out of the cab. I was hoping to see an advert for it on the new TVs they have in the back of cabs now-a-days but no luck. Thats when I would have time to do this.
Finally I began to come across the ads on the subway platforms and trains. Finally I whipped out my phone, opened the text message app…entered the short code, entered ‘Win” but alas no cell found cell signal underground (a problem soon to be solved).
The subway stops and payphone adds work just fine although… if you have a cell phone that you are going to send the text message from what do you need a pay phone for
Chase also is also providing information about the ticket giveaway on ATM screen messages, in brochures at bank branches and with statement inserts. So, advertisements at Chase banks do exist but I have not noticed as many and, unlike like last years ATM campaign, there is nothing about the text messaging incentive campaign that drives me to a Chase bank to look at them.
And that is what I am getting at here. My main wonder about the campaign has nothing to do really with the placement of their advertisements. Although if they used more keywords other than “Win” they could track which ads were more effected, and that would be interesting. Nevertheless, for the most part they work, eventually. My wonderment is what, beyond product placement, does this text message campaign do for Chase?
Its important to point out that the text-to-win campaign does not stand alone. There is a chance to win Open tickets by opening a Chase Free Checking account with direct deposit with a minimum $500 deposit or depositing $15,000 into an existing savings account or brokerage account. Additional tickets to the Men’s and Women’s finals, semi-finals and quarterfinals are also available for larger deposits. But that is a far cry more demanding than the from the ATM withdrawal of yesteryear.
The mobile medium and text messaging are part of the New Media way of marketing… its about using the tools to create conversations and interactions that in the end draw people toward your brand physically and/ or digitally.
According to Chase spokesman Michael Fusco the promotion is a great way “to highlight our mobile banking service, Chase Mobile.”
Other than the fact that it is a mobile campaign that uses the shortcode “Chase” lets see what he means.
When I texted ‘Win’ to CHASE (24373) I got the following message:
Sorry, try again tomorrow. No purch reqd. For a sure way to get tkts go to chase.com/tickets. Quit? Txt STOPWIN. Help? Txt HELPWIN. Other chgs may apply.
Lets break down this text message for a second.
“Sorry, try again tomorrow.” - Ok I get it, I lost.
No purch reqd. - Purchase what? I do not have to purchase a ticket to win a ticket? Thats good.
For a sure way… - By the time I am in front of my computer I have already forgotten this and probably just went to the US Open website to get tickets. The webpage in the text is not even linkable (which is a good thing since I doubt it will bring me to a mobile webpage. And there is nothing about the making a deposit way to win…. get me while I am out an about and near a Chase bank. Not when I am home on my computer… unless I can open a checking account online and get free tickets that way. Winners, by the way, will also be directed to Chase.com/tckets to redeem their prize.
Quit? - Now, I know that they have to put this in their text as part of Mobile Marketing Guidelines but still it begs the question What am I quitting? I thought I was just entering a text and win contest are you going to send me more information (aka SMS spam) on what Chase can do to my phone? Damn straight I will quit.
Help? Again I realize that this is needed to comply with MMA guidelines. So I was curious. I did it. I texted ‘STOPWIN’. Here is what I got [my comments in brackets]:
Chase: Reply text to enter.[Didn’t I already do this and was told to try again tomorrow?] Questions? See Rules/FAQ’s at chase.com/tickets. [Again, not linkable] Quit? Txt STOPWIN. Other charges may apply. [What? To quit?]
The point here is not to chastise their use of text space, which is not perfect but gets by ok. Hey I understand that 160 characters is a limited amount of space. The point here is to express wonderment at how Chase is using a tool with such great possibilities of marketing interaction-ability without any other types of interaction or conversation concerning Chase products or banks. While they are creating conversation in the sense I am talking about how many people are really going to make the connection to Chase’s mobile offerings? The only web reference has no mobile web link and the reply text message provides no opportunity for any other Chase goodness to come about where I am standing with the phone in hand. After texting in to win nothing about it is, in a sense, mobile.
A text message campaign should always be interactive and ubiquitous. It should always have something to do with where I am and the fact that I am mobile. In the end it should pull me into a willing and deeper interaction and conversation and tie in together the brand and brand product. It it must do this organically.It must be organic. It must not be about the company or the product but about the user and the product. It must let me share, interact and act upon or comment upon if I want to. If it is not something that I can act on or follow through on immediately wherever I am with my phone then it is a dead message. And text-to-win will soon become a novelty that that will ware off.
While the campaign itself is a hint or, as Fusco put it a “highlight” of Chase Mobile service, no other mobile tie in is apparent and their is no mention or pull toward a conversation of Chase’s Mobile Banking offerings. The bank is, however, promoting its mobile banking options through a $70 million campaign begun this year that includes television commercials pitching Chase Mobile and texting for balances and transactions. Perhaps I do not watch enough television but its has bin a while since I have seen one of those ads. Hopefully, from now till August they have a more than just 3 second announcement at the end of the text to win campaign.
Do not get me wrong, I think its wonderful that Chase is using a Text-to-Win strategy. And they are doing a great job of getting me to text them wherever I am for the chance to win something. I am just disappointed that that is all it is. That after that nothing happens. The the return message is static.
Unlike their ATM-to-Win campaign (which included anyone who could use an ATM machine and did not require a deposit of 500 dollars to a free checking account) the Text-To-Win message does not draw me into Chase. It seems more like a dead end product placement for my phone, a sort of “hey look at us, we are hip, we get the new technology sort of play.” Which is fine and a step in the right direction. But, with the ATM campaign I had to walk into a Chase. After getting the (loosing) text message I simply put the phone in my pocket and go about my day. A missed opprtunity.
I just wish it could have been more and better tied in all that mobile marketing and the wonderful stuff that Chase Mobile has to offer (its really is a great and innovative product).
This post is already to long but if anyone asks in the comment section bellow I would be happy to share some thoughts as to how else they could have leveraged this. How about, for example, texting in your zip code to get the nearest Chase branch to inquire on more ways to get a free ticket. Or better yet allowing people to reply to the short code via a mobile devices many upload-able media ways.
In the meantime I will leave it with this: Mobile marketing is not a good stand alone strategy… as an always on technology it works best when it is tied into other new media and social marketing plays. Its not about putting all of Chase services on a phone or Chase using a phone. Its about how Chase can best leverage the mobile medium for an already existing product or campaign in order to drive more interest and interaction with Chase. In this case Chase leveraged the mobile phone for their already existing US Open Product placement. After that the conversation and interaction stops, which is a shame since Chase has so much more, on the mobile end, to offer.
By the way, if you are a winner then everything I just said above goes right out the door. With the exception of winning, I am not pulled into Chase any deeper. When I unscrewed a Coke cap to look underneath it to see if I am I winner at least I got to partake of the refreshing sugar water beverage if I was not. With my loosing text message I am only left with a kind of negative feeling since I did not win and was left with nothing else to do but the sterile assurance that I can by tickets or get more info at Chase.com/tickets if and when I get in-front of a computer. With that the campaign ends. Doomed to the static product placement grave that is the “erase this message” option. Not a good place to end a “conversation.”
RIM is known as the choice in devices for the suit-wearing demographic.
The answer was to go backwards, so to speak. The flip-phone is one of the most classic designs in cellular voice technology, and still remains one of the most popular design choices in mid-range phones.
Recently, we speculated that 
