I hardly watch commercials on TV anymore, since we skip through a lot of them using our DVR. This has had the unexpected result that when we do watch a show live, more commercials actually seem entertaining to me, I suppose due to the lack of over-saturation from TV ads.

And of course half the fun of watching the Super Bowl stems from seeing what great new campaigns are being launched.

Increasingly, Superbowl ads, and TV advertising in general, will feature a mobile component: Nearly 60 percent of mobile users planned to look at or use their mobile device during the Super Bowl, according to a survey from Velti and Harris Interactive.

So, how will we engage in these “Second Screen Experiences”?

Get your QR code scanner ready

I’ve observed an increase in the use of QR codes in TV commercials. While QR codes are everywhere these days, I feel a 30 second commercial is often not enough time to whip out your smartphone and scan the code in time. But special offers, QR based coupons and exclusive timed deals may have some folks ready to “quick draw”.

• To me, QR codes are more suited to static / printed media.

Apps

I would predict that there will be a host of apps advertised or mentioned in Superbowl TV commercials, perhaps too many to open and interact with. From the NFL’s official superbowl app to Domino’s Pizza’s “Pizza Hero”, there will be many apps to interact with.

• Will there be time to watch the game anymore?

Mobile Ready Web Sites

Having mobile enabled web sites will be a big advantage for second screen advertising, as few people will be using laptops as their “Superbowl Second Screen” of choice. It is far more likely that smartphones prevail in this category.

• For brands advertising during the Super Bowl, a mobile ready web site, with flexible content layout optimized to smartphones will be a huge plus.

Messaging and Social Media

I feel text messaging and pusgh notifications will be used sparingly by brands, as the annoyance factor could be quite big. However I see push notifications as being central in the use of Social Media apps, and I think much of the interactive “Did you just see that!!!” conversions will happen on Facebook, Twitter, SMS and the like.

• I hope SIRI can cope.

In 2011, Nielsen found that Super Bowl ads including social media tags that directed viewers to a link on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube were more 33 percent more memorable for viewers. “Advertisers are seeing second-screen opportunities as a natural move to drive engagement in the moment of big-screen advertising – especially when it comes at such a premium as the Super Bowl,” said David Hewitt, Atlanta-based global mobile practice lead at SapientNitro. “Adding an interactive component on smart phone or tablet both extends the time spent, gives consumers an opportunity to participate, and leverages a more cost-effective and measurable channel to continue the brand conversation.”

Read the Full article at mobilemarketer.com

In our home, we’re in that 86% refered to by Jim Hanas (link to the full article below) – we watch TV, read our iPads and connect with friends via social media and sent text messages on our iPhones. But we have yet to formally socialize our TV preferences or experiences.  (Go to Wikipedia for a good overview of Social TV.)

Jim briefly describes five apps that are already shaping social TV.  If you’re into co-creating, sharing and wanting to interact with others about your viewing habits and preferences, download one of these apps.

And, another biggie for marketers.

It’s easy to understand why 2012 is shaping up to be the year of social TV. Consumers are turning to the so-called second screen like never before. A 2011 whitepaper prepared by Yahoo/Nielsen reported that as many as 86 percent of viewers use mobile devices while watching TV. While many think that number might be high, it signals a trend in consumer behavior that cannot be ignored. Broadcasters and marketers are feeling the heat of both risk and reward. Risk if they do nothing and cede the second screen to Twitter and Angry Birds; reward if they find a way to deliver companion experiences, drive engagement–and expand ad inventory.
Read the Full article.

The possibilities are unlimited! For an overview, watch this:

App markets are still new, yet there is already a lot of noise.  That’s all great, as it shows how significant this market has become in such a short time.  Just as Websites became a must have for businesses, service providers and advertisers after 1995, apps are becoming a must have for businesses, institutions, content owners and curators today.

The 6 points Peter Baldwin lists below for giving your app a leg up, reflect absolutely our experience in designing and developing apps for clients.  (Link to Peter’s full article below.)  And, I add a 7th point to Peter’s list.

1. Focus on Product

The best way to get your app noticed is to build a unique and engaging product.  Content is still king. As Peter says, “focus on product” is another post or two!

2. Allow Users to Engage Other with your App

These days, more developers are using social media as part of the app as a major key to its success. Your customers’ word-of-mouth multiplies your network a hundred times over without costing you a dime, so be sure to put mechanisms in place that allow users to talk about the app and share experiences with friends

3. Get Media and Blogger Attention: Make it Simple

Media attention and especially reviews of your app can really help to spread recognition. To get that kind of attention, though, you have to have a solid app to begin with, a great story around your app, and it absolutely must be easy to talk about.

4. Continue your Marketing Efforts

The important thing to remember is that app marketing windows are perpetual, meaning you should establish marketing vehicles that you can trigger at your discretion over long periods of time. That means plan, plan, plan.

5. Use Analytics

Become a student of the Android and iOS category rankings (e.g., entertainment vs. games). Each category has its own nuances for determining “top” rankings, so be sure to evaluate each one.

6. Prepare for Success

Think of your app as a brand that will enable you to leverage brand extension opportunities. Build your apps to welcome future cross-promotion opportunities, rather than intrusions on the user experience

And I would add

7. Design, Design, Design.

Presentation of the product.  Look and feel matter. Branding, imagery, and an aesthetic eye help make an app attractive and invite engagement.  Quality features contribute to good user experience.  (UX).  The design of the icon,  a searchable app name with good key search terms are really important considerations.

6 Ways to Give Your App A Leg Up on the Competition: Since the app stores themselves control which apps are elevated and highlighted, how can you ensure your app gets time in the spotlight and the attention it deserves? Here are six tips drawn from experience. Read the Full article at mashable.com

• Industry-standard e-book formats or proprietary, protected files?
• Android or iOS?
• Cloud-hosted files or local storage?
• Standalone apps or “Newsstand”?
• Creator-friendly terms or restrictive EULA?
• Format integrity or media evolution?

Apple’s iBooks Push Raises 6 Big Questions About The Future Of E-Publishing (via FastCompany)
Last week, Apple made headlines with iBooks 2.0 and iBooks Author, the company’s next big moves into textbooks and self-publishing. When players like Apple go wading into the marketplace with game-changing announcements, there’s a tendency to believe that all the outstanding uncertainties have been resolved.

But in the fast-evolving e-book space, that’s far from true. Apple, Amazon, Google, and the various corporate content owners are huge and influential, but when they are all battling each other over fundamentals of the market, it’s consumers, creators, and publishers who have control.

Technorati Tags: ipad, iOS, Android, tablets, digital publishing

Exciting Work!

It’s exciting to be designing and developing the 2012 World Appreciative Inquiry Conference smartphone and iPad app.

Why is it exciting?  Appreciative Inquiry underpins our culture here at Polymash.  We belong to this professional community.

This statement describes who we are at Polymash.  With our clients, we seek to discover the best of who they are and what they do.  We enter into a co-creative process of bringing client content and aspirations to life.  Our work product is mobile web strategies and app development, transforming static content to dynamic,  with an aesthetic eye for design.

Global Conference

The global AI  conference is held every two years.  This year will be the first time in Europe, in historic Ghent, Belgium.  Two years ago, it was Kathmandu, Nepal.

The conference attracts a global community of thought leaders, practitioners, business people, academics and students who share their experiences, learnings, aspirations, developments and desires in this field of Appreciative Inquiry.  It is a real melting pot of people and disciplines, all of which add up to high energy and creativity to generate innovative possibilities.

Conference Theme

The theme of the conference this year, “Towards a new economy of strengths, scaling up the power of AI” is perfectly in sych with the extraordinary shifts our world is experiencing.  Increasingly, we are valuing our co-creative capacities to search for the best in people, our organizations, our structures and relationships.

We are discovering and celebrating our own power, our own voices, what we are passionate about and are willing to take responsibility for.  Technologies,  collaborative practices for life-giving expression are enabling the conversation and collective force for good to extend further, broader and deeper.  Our sense of mutual reciprocity and interconnectedness continues to expand and amplify.

Contribution and Connection

By developing the 2012 Appreciative Inquiry Conference app,  we’re proud to be contributing to a conference that will enrich those present and will be a source of sustained connection serving long into the future.

Watch this space for updates and follow the blog at 2012 World Appreciative Inquiry.

You have until January 31st to register at the early  bird rate.  See you there?

Website Magazine just published some predictions of how mobile marketing will be an increasingly big factor in advertising. The most interesting opportunities for brands come from the closer integration between mobile devices and everything else electronic. For example, you may have started to notice TV ads that incorporate QR codes  where smartphone users scan the QR codes to get more information. Or brands that offer their own mobile app with built in loyalty programs where users can unlock deals by scanning QR codes, rewards and coupons, or by using their mobile device to unlock GPS based deals when visiting the store.

As the New Year begins, resolutions and predictions are out in full-force, and many observers are expecting the biggest year yet for mobile advertising. Below are a few predictions from global content delivery network Mirror Image Internet that may help your online and/or mobile advertising plans.

• Advertisers will use HyLoMo (hyper-local mobile) technology to offer consumers more engaging advertising options. The advertising options will be directly relevant to consumers, based on device type and user behavior, and will include interactive coupons and games.
• Interactive TVs will be an important part of an advertiser’s marketing strategy. Because consumers will have the ability to make purchases and interact with ads from their living rooms.
• Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets will interact more with home devices. And, therefore, will provide advertisers with new avenues to promote and sell their services. This will result in a shift of marketing dollars to online mediums because advertisers will rely on connected devices to reach target audiences.
• More consumers will use smart devices in real-time to find deals while they’re out shopping. This will result in advertisers taking advantage of geolocation detection to reach customers closer to the point of purchase. This will directly impact the way marketers and brick-and-mortar stores interact with consumers. 
• The growth of online videos will put a strain on websites. According to ComScore, U.S. Internet users watched an average of 20.5 hours of video online in November 2011, a total of 40.9 billion videos – more than 20 billion more videos than in November 2010. With the growth of this number in 2012, there will be an increased strain on websites, which will lead TV networks and video providers to look for new services that can deliver rich content faster and remain competitive.

True, it can be a faster and cheaper way to get into the app store and/or onto your customer’s Newstand shelf (we talked about this in Put Yourself on the Shelf), but there’s a possible cost associated with such an approach.  Of course it depends on your objective for being in the app store, but if high visibility and sustainability are important to you,  then quality matters.

As Adage.com reports “Magazine and newspaper apps’ quality seems to be the most important factor in their success with consumers, according to the first annual “The State of the App” report from McPheters & Company’s iMonitor service, drawing on iMonitor’s evaluations of 3,000 apps from publishers around the world.

Findings from our Polymash survey of mobile usage among professionals validate the same response:  quality comes out on top of what users value most in apps.

Moreover, iPad owners are a pretty sophisticated and tech saavy bunch which translates into high expectations when it comes to the apps they choose to download.  These customers naturally expect to see a certain level of design elegance rub off when you move your content to an iPad.  If they don’t, they are likely to be disappointed and may never come back.

Apple Store Approval does not Necessarily = A Quality App

It is surprising, given Apple’s standards, that apps amounting to little more than conversions or a wrapper with a bunch of files that looks no more sophisticated than the contents of a file folder manage to slip through the app review process.

So just because you made it through Apple’s gatekeepers doesn’t mean your app will satisfy the expectations of tablet or smart phone users.

Quality Content Deserves Quality Design

Besides, if you have high quality content why not present it in a high quality way?

There was a time when great words on a page were enough to reach people.  Yet in today’s fast paced world with short attention spans words alone may not be enough to get your message across and keep people coming back for more.

The iOS devices showed us communication and design are inextricably linked.

How are you leveraging the best of the communication tools and technologies available today to communicate in a way that maximizes the impact of your ideas and your words?

For a free consultation on how you can transform you rcontent into an exceptional experience on mobile devices and take your place in the app marketplace contact us.

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and heartfelt thanks to everyone
who has made this year fun, engaging & rewarding

But the opportunity created isn’t just for those with traditional publications.

If you are a content owner of any kind – author, blogger, information product owner, etc. – this may well be your entry point in the app store.

Wired.com reported this statement from a press release by Ryan Marquis, Pixel Mags founder and COO: “We quickly started to realize just how big of an impact Apple Newsstand was having on our business when on the morning after launch, I received a phone call from our server company wondering if we were under attack,” said Ryan Marquis, PixelMags’ founder and COO, in a company’s press release.

With the release of Newsstand came an incredible surge in subscriptions to digital magazines.  Another Wired.com article sites examples from Conde Nast’s surge of  268 percent spike to  PixelMags reported 1,150 percent growth increase in the first week after Newsstand and iOS 5 debuted on Oct. 12th.  The article goes on to say: “Without a doubt, Newsstand increases the visibility of subscription-based magazine and newspaper apps, which often get buried under the onslaught of games, social media and photo apps that tend to dominate the App Store’s charts.”

And that is exactly why this is a significant development for content owners.

Don’t just think magazine, think about the wonderful content you deliver to your customers on your websites, blogs, and in your information products.  Apps based on great content, not flashy interactivity are a whole new delivery channel.  Combine elegant design with your content and package it as an app and you deliver a superior experience of your content.  Content intensive apps now have a place because they have a context end users can understand.

The magazine app format, and its dedicated Newstand marketplace, are an opportunity to deliver not only magazines, but also other periodical or subscription based content. Like it or not when people think app they typically think games or utilities because until the iPad launched that is what made sense.

Until now the kind of content delivered on websites and in webinars would too easily got lost in the app store.

Why?  Because the natural form for this content – a magazine-like app – had no dedicated category that would make sense to potential customers.  The context to find and browse through such apps did not exist.  And the Adobe Digital Publishing suite give us as app developers a fantastic way to deliver this kind of content directly to the Newstand.

The iOS 5 Newsstand changed all that.  A simple change in context boosted subscriptions to apps already in the app store significantly.  What might a content rich app do for your business?  Your readers may keep your content in their bookmarks, RSS feeds and e-mail in-boxes.

Maybe it is time for your content to find a place on your readers Newstand, too.

Do you wish you could say “we have an app for that?”  Contact us to learn more about how you can transform your great content into an app and take your place on your customers Newstand shelf.