BRANDING UNBOUND

Samsung's Killer 'Instinct' Gets Web Series Shot By Phone

A South Korean cell phone wants to capitalize on the Great American Pastime.

ADWEEK is reporting that Sumsung is targeting the 18-34 demographic for its hip new Instinct smartphone with a three-part web series providing a virtual tour of three Major League Baseball stadiums - shot using the phone's built-in video camera.

Working with Break Media, the company behind the user generated video site Break.com, Samsung will take "Ballpark Invasion" to Fenway, Wrigley and AT&T parks.

As Keith Richman, CEO of Break.com parent Break Media, tells the pub, the effort "provides the opportunity to integrate a core brand message, leveraging the actual product [the phone's video capability], which we really haven't been able to do before." 

Read all about it, here.

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ESPN Launches Mobile X Games Channel

Call it EXPN - and it's coming to a cell phone near you.

ESPN and MediaFLO have launched a dedicated channel to bring the X Games  coverage to mobile consumers, via AT&T Mobile TV and Verizon's Vcast service, according to RCR.

We're talking 31 hours of live coverage during the big four day event, which begins July 31.

It's no surprise. In BRANDING UNBOUND the book, I look at how many brands, including Hershey's have used mobile promotions tied to the X Games to target hip young guys at the intersection of extreme sports and mobile.

Read all about EXPN, here.

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Traditional Media Still Central To Digital, Mobile Campaigns

Readers of BRANDING UNBOUND the book and blog will not be surprised to hear that a new study on integrated marketing finds mobile's just fine - as part of a broader media mix.

The Direct Marketing Association survey is finding that corporate marketers don't view marketing in a an either/or vein - rather, they see digital (including mobile) as complementary to traditional media.

Marketing Vox is reporting that according to the DMA, 81% of respondents in the survey said they expect an increase in email use, and the mean expected change in media use was 4.21 on a 1-5 scale (with 4=increase by 0 percent to 10 percent).

Other digital media forecast to see higher use include (in order) search engine marketing, new media, campaign URL/PURLs, online video, banner/popup ads, and mobile (which, 3.49, was expected to see increases in spending that rvals live events, direct mail, custom publications direct response broadcast, telephone, direct response print and catalogs).

Yet in terms of overall budget allocation, the lion's share is still aimed at offline communications, with email being the only digital category to break into the top three, and search engine marketing ranking fifth.

"Even as marketers are bringing more digital media into their integrated campaigns, traditional media remain a core component of the marketing mix" Yoram Wurmser, Ph.D., DMA research manager and author of the report, tells Marketing Vox.

"Digital media ranging from the firmly established email to the nascent mobile marketing channels are complementing - not replacing - direct mail, telephone, events, and direct response broadcast advertisements."

It's all for good reason. Mobile as an ad venue in and of itself is a bore. But as an response mechanism to messages in other media - print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail and so on - it knows no peers. See how Coca-Cola, Warner Bros., MTV, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and other brands are doing mobile right, start here.

Fo more on the DMA study, click here.

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Fiat Drives Dealer Traffic With Mobile Web Site

Mad.co.uk is reporting that AKQA has helped Fiat launch a mobile site that enables users to search for the location of Fiat dealers and call them, read car details, find the latest offers and finance deals, and browse a gallery of images.

I first posted about the site back in November 2007, but now the project is getting its first mobile ad campaign in the wake of its recent Bluetooth campaign, which offered wallpapers, ringtones and videos, as BMW and others increasingly turn to mobile for a marketing edge.

I have to say, though, that few auto brands have been as aggressive in mobile as Daimler, as I explore in depth in BRANDING UNBOUND the book. You'll want to check it out, starting here.

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'Batman: Dark Knight' Advergame Debuts

Gotham's coming to gamers, wherever they may be.

I posted back in February about Glu Mobile's new mobile advergame for "Batman: Dark Knight," the new movie starring Christian Bale as the caped crusader, which swings into theaters this Friday.

Now, various news services are reporting that the game has finally hit the street in anticipation for the movie's premiere. The Washington Post reports that Glu & Warner Bros. are also releasing 31 different mobile wallpapers, 14 voice tones, four music tones and eight animated screensavers.

In BRANDING UNBOUND the book, I look at how Warner Bros. first substantively turned to mobile as a marketing channel for "Batman Begins," and found instant success.

We'll see if "Dark Knight's" new mobile curious do the trick again.

Same bat channel, new bat time.

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Watchdog: Junk Food Marketers Turn To Mobile To Circumvent TV Rules

A consumer watchdog group is accusing junk food brands of using mobile advertising to circumvent strict rules for marketing to children in the UK.

The Mirror is reporting that the group, called Which? contends in a new report that Coke, Pepsi, Kelloggs, McDonald's & Burger King are marketing through mobile offerings such as free ringtones or games as part of food or soft drink promotions.

Cases in point, according to the group: Fanta's recent mobile game, which was sent to all entrants of its "Want it, Win it" competition - and Kelloggs' free ringtone as part of its Zoo Keeper contest.

Julian Hunt, an industry group Food and Drink Federation spokesperson told the Mirror the report was "sloppy and misleading."

Hmmm. Here in the states, I myself have seen mobile games using Cartoon Network trivia questions to promote Kellogg's products. Now, does this circumvent U.S. rules for marketing to kids? Hard to tell. I'm not even sure there are rules yet for web and mobile promotions - which is probably the point of Which's report.

In BRANDING UNBOUND the book, I argue that we as marketers have responsibilities in how we protect consumer privacy and how we market to kids - no matter the medium.

Without sounding alarmist, I wonder if the food industry should stop and take a look at existing television rules and simply apply the spirit of existing laws, if not the letter.

A little food for thought.

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Talkster Launches Group Calling Feature On Facebook

Facebook may soon be the talk of the town - literally.

Marketwatch is reporting that Toronto-based Talkster has launched Talkster Phone Party, which brings Facebook users an easy way to make free Talkster long distance, international, and group conference calls, directly from their Facebook profile pages.

According to the pub, with Talkster's Phone Party on Facebook, people can set up their calls from their Facebook profile page, select the friends they want to call, and even add other phone numbers from outside Facebook to be included in a group party call.

Talkster, an advertising supported telephony company that delivers mobile voice and text communications to online communities, will use advertising and special personalized offers to cover the cost of the calls.

"With Talkster's Phone Party you can bring up to five of your Facebook friends together for a free chat," James Wanless, Talkster co-founder and COO tells Marketwatch. "Setting up the Talkster calls with other Facebook users all over the world is as simple as selecting them from your friends list, and with Talkster there are never any long distance or international calling charges. Because you may not be comfortable sharing your phone number with some of the people you have in your friends list, Talkster never exposes your personal phone number."

It remains to be seen how cumbersome these ad-supported calls are, of course. Sitting through a 30-second spot as you try to make a phone call - and forcing everyone else to do the same in a conference call environment - could get old, fast.

(Update: A Talkster rep tells me a single 10-second (or less) ad is played while the call is being connected. From there, the caller has the opportunity to opt in for an SMS coupon after the call - but it's purely optional).

But for a certain demo, this might may perfect sense - and makes Facebook a kind of phonebook for the digital age.

Read all about it, here.

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Washington Post Launches iPhone-Specific Mobile Site

The Washington Post wants a piece of your pocket.

Marketwatch is reporting that washingtonpost.com has launched an optimized version of the site for iPhone users.

Which is fine in itself - but it gets cooler.

According to the news service, a new send/share feature allows washingtonpost.com news, articles, and content to be easily shared on popular micro-blogging and social networking Web sites like Facebook, MySpace or Friendfeed.

"As our mobile audience continues to grow, we are constantly thinking about how to provide the best experience for readers wherever they are," Jim Brady, Executive Editor of washingtonpost.com, tells the pub. "By adding these new social media sharing capabilities we are offering a much greater level of interactivity for readers and also allowing our content to fluidly circulate through the other networks our readers use."

The Post uses solutions from Crisp Wireless - which has created mobile solutions for Gannett, NBC and other news organizations - to power this new offering.

Read more, here.

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Will SMS Be John McCain's Secret Weapon?

When it comes to use of text messaging, Obama wins by a landslide.

As I posted back in March, the Obama for America's HOPE Campaign was awarded the 2008 Golden Dot for Best Mobile/Text Messaging Campaign.

The Golden Dot awards are presented by the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet, part of the Graduate School of Political Management of The George Washington University, at its annual Politics Online conference.

The mobile effort, which is powered by Distributive Networks, enables users to simply text the word HOPE to OBAMA (62262), or register online at http://www.barackobama.com/mobile. They can then receive news and updates on events, download campaign images and ringtones, and even provide their feedback or questions directly to the campaign via text messaging.

Yes, the ringtones and images are as cheesy as the candidate.

So how did John McCain outdo him? He didn't.

Turns out that in a nation of rabid text messaging, the McCain campaign doesn't even have a text messaging component, according to Adotas. Worse: according to the New York Times, McCain doesn't even know how to go online to use what he reportedly once referred to as "a Google."

Hell, even Hillary Clinton and John Edwards had text campaigns.

It's no small matter.

As Adotas reports, a University of Michigan and Princeton University study found that using text messages to remind voters to get out and vote increase voter participation by 4% among young voters.

In a squeaker, McCain may find himself wishing he was more in touch with a text crazed electorate.

Read more here.

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Mergers & Acquisitions: Mobile Marketing Firms Losing Ground To Social Networking

Is mobile marketing already passé?

There are some indications VCs may think mobile marketing is yesterday's news - or not quite ready for prime time.

MediaPost is reporting today that in the first half of 2008, VC firms and investors pumped nearly $1.5 billion into social media companies (including those involved with social networking) and almost $760 million into advertising networks and exchanges, according to New York-based Petsky Prunier.

LinkedIn alone saw traffic jump nearly 150% from May 2007 to May 2008 - helping to spark interest in the social media sector. And Cox Communications' $300 million acquisition of ad network Adify was the largest interactive advertising deal of the first half.

Compare this with mobile, which has slowed significantly - accounting for just $80 million in investments, compared to $291 million last year.

"(Mobile) was the largest recipient just two years ago," Scott Wiggins, managing director at Petsky Prunier, tells the pub. "As investors were perhaps hoping that 'if you build it, they will come.' But the infrastructure hasn't facilitated its use."

Will iPhone 3G help out? Don't count on it. Wiggins tells MediaPost that even the new iPhone won't spur investments in mobile marketing concerns in the short term.

It may come as a surprise, but I applaud the news. Look: Most investments would involve mobile advertising networks or technologies - which bring the brrr to borrring.

As I write in BRANDING UNBOUND the book, true mobile marketing - the kind that involves using mobile as a interaction mechanism to commercial messages in other media (print, broadcast, outdoor, direct mail, online and so on), aka, the exciting stuff, doesn't cost much at all, and can be implemented by just about any brand.

Which means there's no real reason for VCs to get involved - except maybe in forms that distribute content or maybe something like branded apps.

Let's see what first half 2009 brings to that.

Read more here.

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