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It’s Hip to Be Square

February 27, 2010 in Games, Integrated Marketing, Mobile, Online, Social Networking by Lauren McCabe | No comments

FoursquareI am the “Mayor” of the Evanston Athletic Club here in Evanston, IL.  Never heard of me?  Well, you must not be one of the hundreds of thousands of people playing Foursquare.  Ok, even if you are, you probably still don’t know me, but if you are a marketer for Chicago Athletic Clubs, Lululemon, Nike, Les Mills Group Fitness Programs or any other fitness-oriented organization you should know me.

Why?  Well, as the “Mayor” of the Evanston Athletic Club, I’m self-identifying myself as the most frequent user of the gym through the mobile location-based-service (LBS) Foursquare.  I’m pretty much giving you information on where I’m going, how often and who I’m meeting up with.  That’s the beauty of LBS platforms like Foursquare.  It’s a consumer data oasis.  All it needs now is more people buying in.

I first learned about Foursquare last year at the MBA Media and Entertainment Conference at Columbia University.  Even after being one of Dennis Crowley’s first followers it did take me almost a year to really get into it.  What did I need?  More friends participating!  But now many of my friends, especially from my Medill IMC program, are getting into it.  And we’re not alone.

Already there are more people using Foursquare in the first year of its inception than what Twitter had on its first birthday.  Plus, A number of marketers like Pepsi, Bravo TV and Zagat guides are already jumping on the bandwagon by using the platform to reach the early adapters.  These marketers are reaching out to users when they “check in” to offer free samples of products and tune-in reminders.  For example, to promote the new movie Valentine’s Day, Warner Brothers reached out to Foursquare users who had checked in at one of ”Makeout Spots” locations listed on the movie’s website.

It’s examples like this that show how much of a gold mine Foursquare can be for marketers.  You are reaching an already engaged and interested fan.  The price of a coupon you can send to that person’s mobile phone is so worth acquiring that person’s loyalty. 

I’m still going to go to the Evanston Athletic Club to work out (I’ve signed a contract), but it wouldn’t hurt getting an occassional free massage or a free pair of yoga pants from Lululemon. (HINT! HINT!)

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iPad: iWow or iDud?

February 1, 2010 in Games, Mobile, Online, Television by Lauren McCabe | No comments

Funny or Die: Pee Wee gets an iPad

Since Apple’s highly anticipated unveiling of its iPad last week, there has been a lot of buzz about this “revolutionary” gadget.  Frankly, much of the discussion is just about that.  Is the iPad even revolutionary?  For some, including Pee Wee Herman and the folks at Funny or Die, they think that the iPad is nothing more than a glorified iPhone that can also be used as a serving tray.  But for others, including me, the iPad is a hint of what’s to come for media consumption. 

Sure, the iPad probably won’t change the media industry as quickly as how the iPod changed music years ago.  But what is sure to happen is how media companies start thinking about the content they produce and how they release it to consumers.  As the New York Times reports today, the iPad has its flaws.  One of its largest is the inability to play Flash, a key compenent for sites like Hulu.  However, with new devices like the iPad, the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, media producers will once again need to figure out how to get their content into the hands, ears and laps of media users before someone else does.

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Domo Attack!

October 20, 2009 in Games, Integrated Marketing by Lauren McCabe | No comments

Domo KunWho is Domo?  This cute, little (Japanese?) character has been popping up everywhere.  I’ve seen him promoted on billboards and coffee cups for 7-Eleven and now just read that he’s be featured on a new series of Nintendo DSi games.  Ok, now I understand the partnership with the convenience store chain.

But, not so fast.  Domo is not being advertised at 7-Eleven because of his new video game release, as you would typically think.  The partnership is just because he is who he is.  In fact, 7-Eleven makes no mention of the video game series in its press release.

To be honest, I really didn’t know who he was before writing today’s post.  But with some research I found that Domo has been exposed to American consumers for quite some time.  He was first introduced in :30 second station ID spots for NHK television back in Japan and then last year he was featured in two-minute shorts on Nickelodeon.  Target even sold Domo Halloween costumes in 2008.

The Domo invasion indicates not only the increased influence of Asian culture in America, but also the revitalization of video game character strength (even if 7-Eleven doesn’t want to acknowledge it).  The gaming industry has seen exponential growth with the introduction of popular gaming consoles (XBox 360, PSP, Wii) and games like RockBand and Guitar Hero.  It is with characters like Domo, Mario & Luigi and Sonic the Hedgehog that will allow the industry to realize additional revenue streams and make a larger attack on the marketing world.

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