Since it’s an area of personal interest to me, I decided to first focus on new moms. According to a 2012 BabyCenter survey¹, a new mom with an infant and a full-time job feels 158% more rushed, 67% more overwhelmed, 88% more stressed and 43% more deal driven than the average adult. In summary, we’re simply too harried and hurried to do much of anything (other than raise our baby) during our early motherhood. And, interestingly enough, it looks like our habits may not change that dramatically as our children age.

Based on a March 2013 study from Buzz Marketing Group² that surveyed moms with toddlers, tweens and teens, their media habits were close to mine. 83% don’t blog, but they do publish content to Facebook (67%) and Twitter (32%). 72% seek out their favorite brands on Facebook. If these moms are anything like me, they’re following brands that impact their daily lives — for me that’s Shutterfly, BabyCenter, Carter’s, Target and the like — and that provide practical, useful content and promotions. So how can media reach Mom as she goes about the business of raising her little one?

When examining media receptivity, we typically look at “A day in the Life” of our target. That said, here’s a glimpse into mine and where you may (or may not) find me — the ever-elusive yet highly profitable target of “Mom” – during the course of a normal (ha!) day:

My points of receptivity seem abundant, but let me tell you, they are slim — at least while my daughter is still so young and I am technically working two full-time jobs. According to that same Buzz Marketing Group study, the top three most important media are 1) the Internet, 2) TV, and 3) magazines. I concur.

Google is where I start every search on every topic related to being a mom, followed by BabyCenter, my trusted partner outside of family and friends. Another notable finding from the study: the majority of these moms are still consuming media in the traditional sense — like me. They’re not using iPads or e-readers or their computers or phones to take in their favorite shows or magazines. Though technology is becoming an increasingly influential part of life, the majority of moms still read print versions of magazines (73%) and watch television on a traditional screen (86%). If marketers want to meet us on our maternal turf, they need to start online, step over to broadcast and then land on print.

Now that we have a sense of the “where” and “when” of Mom’s media habits, let’s look at “what”: As a new mom, my media consumption is mostly utilitarian (search about the baby, check the weather, respond to an email, send a quick text) with a little extracurricular (Parents, Facebook, Pinterest and Viggle). I haven’t yet had to make the change to children’s entertainment on my iPad or smartphone, but when Charlotte is old enough, I’m sure I will get there — downloading apps for learning, keeping track of homework and coordinating busy schedules after school. Until then, I’m going to enjoy the “simplicity” of my technology. And, from what my initial exploration into the media habits of moms has revealed, I’m not alone.

At the end of the day, as you think about how your brand can reach moms, there are some key things to keep in mind:

• Know which kind of mom you’re trying to reach.
• Understand what’s important to her and how she goes about her day — always putting her child/ren first.
• Recognize the transformation of motherhood and how it alters her media habits.

Seven years later, an overzealous marketer named Gary Thuerk got his hands on a directory of ARPANET email addresses. ARPANET, a government-funded project that predated the Internet, was the largest computer network of email users at the time. Thuerk naturally assumed this was the perfect audience to receive an announcement about his company’s new line of computers. The list was printed and each address was painstakingly typed into the “To” field one by one.

“I knew I was pushing the envelope,” Thuerk told a journalist nearly three decades later. “We wanted to reach as many people as possible to let them know about our new product.”

According to Thuerk, this initial email campaign was successful. “We sold $13 million or $14 million worth,” he said. When asked how he felt about being deemed the father of spam, Thuerk replied, “I think of myself as the father of e-marketing. There’s a difference.”

Despite the claimed success of this first “e-marketing” attempt, Thuerk’s actions generated an instant backlash of complaints and a sudden roar for strict regulations and rules for email discourse.

Today, any smart email marketer will admit that sending unsolicited emails is like driving drunk through a police roadblock — you’re going to get caught. Since 2003, the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act has regulated and punished (monetary fines) by law those deemed to be guilty of email misconduct.

Ironically, these laws are actually weak and under-enforced compared to those of several other countries.  Many argue that the CAN-SPAM Act actually encourages spam due to the fact that the bill does not require permission from subscribers prior to sending emails.

Regardless of how closely you follow email laws and regulations in the U.S. or other countries, there is another force that will shut you down without blinking an eye: Spamhaus. Created in 1998 by self-proclaimed spam detester Steve Linford, Spamhaus monitors the majority of spam sent out on the Internet. Its block lists are used by the Internet’s key email service providers, corporations, universities, governments and military networks. As of May 5, 2013, the Spamhaus block lists are protecting the mailboxes of 1,775,783,000 users throughout the world.

Linford, who lives in a boathouse floating in the Mediterranean Sea, created the organization “to track the Internet’s spam operations and sources, to provide dependable real-time anti-spam protection for Internet networks, to work with law enforcement agencies to identify and pursue spam gangs worldwide, and to lobby governments for effective anti-spam legislation.” So far, so good.

The key to Spamhaus’ success is the fact that they have the power to block your IP and shut down your ability to appear in most inboxes. Once you’ve crossed them, the only way to regain “send” status clearance is to directly plead your case and beg to be taken off their block lists.

Thuerk was right when he said “there is a difference” between email marketing and spam, yet he managed to give birth to both at the same time. Email marketing was born with an ugly twin, and this is a price that all email marketers and email service providers (ESPs) continue to pay with every email sent. Each message that lands in an inbox is now received with intense scrutiny and must meet the standards of the recipients.

Today, relevant messaging to a receptive audience is king. Email marketers are armed with powerful tools that help us personalize, target, automate and send based purely on our subscribers’ behavior and stated preferences. There is no excuse for sending anything less than timely, relevant content. The landscape of email marketing has quickly changed from one-to-many to one-to-one.

As email marketing continues to evolve, we see that it has changed significantly from its first implementation. For those of us in the field, it’s important remember how closely we can resemble our evil twin. We must be responsible when using such a powerful marketing channel, and keep in mind the backlash that can ensue from misuse or less-than-honest intentions.

Sources:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9046419/Unsung_innovators_Gary_Thuerk_the_father_of_spam

http://email.about.com/od/emailtrivia/f/first_spam.htm

http://email.about.com/cs/emailhistory/a/first_email.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/09/business/spammers-can-run-but-they-can-t-hide.html

http://www.spamhaus.org

Upon this stunning realization, I sulked back to Atlanta and commenced a journey to purchase the perfect pair of tan suede ankle booties. I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat wondering how everything unfolded, so I will go ahead and tell you that – spoiler alert! – I did eventually find the perfect pair of tan suede ankle booties. However, the path to said purchase was neither direct nor easy.

Most of us know that the customer decision journey (CDJ) is a far-from-linear process that rarely follows the traditional purchase funnel used in years past. Although there are several interpretations of the modern CDJ, my team and I often use the McKinsey model to show our clients the more involved journey upon which consumers typically embark. While I know this decision journey well, a recent article from Google’s Think Insights triggered me to relive my personal journey to buy my much-needed tan suede ankle booties. The article also pushed me to consider the channels that impacted my decisions along the way.

I’m sure the suspense as to how I found these coveted tan suede ankle booties is killing you, so please read below for a quick summary of my decision journey and the channels that led me to find the best shoes ever.

• Trigger and Initial Consideration: As detailed above, my trigger was a feeling of shock over my lack of coolness. From there, I asked a girl at nearby café table where she’d bought her shoes, which led me to the Rag and Bone flagship store. While perusing the options therein, sticker shock and fear of commitment took hold. I decided researching online would be necessary before settling. And so my quest began.
• Active Evaluation: From Nordstrom to Piperlime to Zappos to Endless – Who knew there could be so many possibilities for tan suede ankle booties? Did I want zippers or fringe? Flat or heels? Pointed or rounded toe? The possibilities were as infinite as they were boggling. I needed some guidance from a trusted source: The blogosphere was clearly the most logical next step. After surfing a few friends’ blogs, I went to my favorite blogger site and LOW AND BEHOLD, she had tan suede ankle booties too!  Her shoes were made by Dolce Vita. I immediately went to the Dolce Vita website to pull the trigger but the coveted pair was sold out! Nooooooo! My angst quickly set in and I decided to return to the search another day. The following morning while commencing with my daily Facebook check, I was served an ad from Zappos. Although I typically do not pay much attention to these targeted ads, this particular one caught my eye as it showcased the most perfect pair of tan suede sling back ankle booties ever. (Yes, sling back. Amazing.)  Hallelujah, thank you Zappos! My search was over.
• Moment of Purchase: I immediately clicked on the ad to get more information on this fabulous pair of perfect-for-me tan suede sling back ankle booties. While the price point was bit high, the product reviews were extremely positive and the need to up my game for 2013 fashion trumped any feelings of buyer’s remorse.  To make matters even better, Zappos offered me free next business day shipping! Done and done.
• Loyalty: My excitement and satisfaction with my purchase were confirmed upon receipt of a friendly triggered email from Zappos congratulating me on my recent purchase. Congratulations indeed. Upon delivery of my shoes, I received another timely email from Zappos that encouraged me to leave a review of my recent purchase. I was so happy with my booties after the first day of wearing them that I gladly wrote a review.  Others clearly needed to know about the importance of having tan suede sling back ankle booties in their life.  The positive shopping experience and timely follow-up has moved Zappos to the top of my e-commerce consideration list.

The moral of this long story? The customer decision journey is anything but linear (even for what should be a lower involvement purchase, like shoes). Oftentimes, consumers have a narrow view of the brands or products available to them during their initial consideration phase. The immense amount of e-commerce options, blogs and social presences combined with the sophistication of paid search and retargeting can overwhelm shoppers with options that they didn’t know existed.  In documenting my own decision journey and reading the recent Google Think Insights article, I had a second realization: In addition to keeping our target consumer’s decision journey top of mind, it’s critical to consider which channels assist consumers in narrowing down their options and which ones guide them to their last interaction with a brand and, ultimately, to purchase.  Whether that be a targeted display ad, direct website visit, a product review or a triggered email, it is imperative to know our audiences and consider the channels that will be most effective in assisting them along their path to purchase.

Author’s note: If you now feel the need to own a pair of your very own tan suede ankle booties, please feel free to contact me directly for suggestions.

#1. Introducing Facebook-style mentions in status updates amplifies LinkedIn’s networking power. Users now have a new way to start conversations or respond to connections in real time as well as share knowledge with their networks. This feature, however, may not be applied to company pages. That said, here are a few ways business owners can better leverage this engagement feature:

• Highlight successful partnership stories of business customers
• Spotlight industry thought leaders or outstanding employees
• Share a great blog post written by a strategic partner
• Feature a company that provides great services and products

#2.  Acquiring mobile newsreader Pulse poises LinkedIn to become a content powerhouse. Pulse, a mobile app that enables users to create personalized news feeds from 750 content publishers, has 30 million members (and counting) in 190 countries. Incorporating Pulse is key for LinkedIn to transform from a resume database and massive professional network into a content curation hub. This move aligns with LinkedIn’s 2012 acquisition of SlideShare, which provides valuable content sharing and discovering opportunities for professionals.

#3. LinkedIn’s redesigned mobile phone apps create a more personalized, content-rich experience.

• The new design surfaces the most relevant and timely insights into users’ streams, making it easier to discover and engage in real-time conversations taking place across LinkedIn.
• “Top Stories For You,” a new tab residing above the content streams, tailors content to users’ interests, connections and posts from LinkedIn’s Influencers.

By expanding its linguistic capabilities to a total of 15 languages for both iPhone and Android platforms, LinkedIn is extending its global reach. This is a wise and strategic move — more than 60% of LinkedIn members are located outside the U.S.

These three updates are good news for brands overall, but they’re especially advantageous for the B2B community. After all, a whopping 85% of B2B brands consider LinkedIn to be the predominant platform to reach business-minded prospects and position thought leadership.

Leveraging LinkedIn, HP Style

HP became the first company on LinkedIn to achieve the milestone of 1 million fans. HP actively leverages LinkedIn to curate brand-relevant content, promote products and services, and reach and consolidate relationships with thought leaders, prospect customers, partners and employees. Their huge following — the majority of which is comprised of senior-level decision makers in relevant industries — is an invaluable asset to HP. Here are three strategic takeaways from HP’s leveraging of LinkedIn:

• Optimize content strategy to deliver the right messaging to a target audience. HP customizes messaging for segmented audiences ranging from small business owners to high-level IT executives.
• Actively post industry insights, product information and company updates. Instead of merely using LinkedIn as an employee recruitment platform, HP turns it into a thought leadership opportunity by sharing leading product solutions and insights on the future of technology.

Leverage the impact of company influencers to escalate thought leadership. Since HP CEO Meg Whitman began writing columns for LinkedIn’s “Influencers” series, the multinational technology leader has seen a huge upsurge in its following. Indeed, after just two columns, HP’s following increased by 29,000. Whitman is also part of LinkedIn’s Influencer Program, which launched last year.

I, on the other hand, completely accept and love that retargeted ads either remind me that I wanted to buy something or show me something that I didn’t know I wanted needed. What I love even more about hyper-targeted advertising is that it’s seriously going mobile. With geo-fencing becoming a mainstream technology, I’m frequently reminded via push notification that the Starbucks right around the corner from my office is still there and, Yes, I would love a latte right now, thank you! Personalized, targeted, location-based messaging lets me know about deals, stores and offers I may not have been aware of until my phone told me. On the consumer side, it’s like having a personal shopper/bargain hunter. On the marketer side, it’s a way to reach your target customer when he or she is near a location that sells your product. I’ve started to see a lot of diverse brands playing in this space and developing creative ways to reach customers on their smartphones.

My favorite campaign of the moment is an innovative, new geo-targeted Taco Bell promotion featured on Waze, the crowdsourced, super-popular navigation app for driving. They are testing a campaign where Taco Bell sends special offers to people using the app when they’re in the general vicinity of a Taco Bell. One of its best features: there’s no disruptive advertising to distract drivers. Instead, Waze built a solution that seamlessly integrates brands into the native experience. Every Taco Bell location is promoted as a “Branded Pin” to drivers as they approach them on the Waze map. If a Waze user clicks on the Branded Pin, they see custom campaign messaging. When a driver comes to a complete stop, a Taco Bell pop-up message promotes a restaurant location relative to the driver’s route. The coolest part? The ad unit isn’t just targeted to drivers based on their current proximity to a Taco Bell; because Waze users set their destination, the unit can also target drivers who will be near a Taco Bell further up the road.I don’t know about you, but I’m always open to knowing where the nearest Taco Bell is when I’m en route. More importantly, this example demonstrates the opportunity in the marketplace for advertisers to reach potential customers at all touch points. I’m excited to see how brands continue to innovate geo-fencing and geo-targeting to reach smartphone users on the go. Stalk away, brands.

Below, we’ve moved beyond the basics by sharing thoughts on how Twitter #Music is changing the social music scene for the better, and some ways the platform could be improved.

He Said

Service-agnostic (kind of)

By allowing individuals to preview songs using iTunes, or listen to full songs by connecting an Rdio or Spotify account, Twitter #Music is defining itself as service-agnostic (well, kind of). Unlike Facebook, Twitter has not shown a preference for a specific music service, and in this case, everybody wins (unless you don’t use one of those services).

Partner benefits

Giving users the opportunity to only listen to one song from an artist is a rather slick tactic from Twitter to increase the use of its partners’ sites (iTunes, Spotify, Rdio). Think about it: You listen to a popular track from an artist you’ve just discovered using #Music; if you’re a fan, the logical next step is to find more from that artist. If you’re a Spotify user, chances are that the app has already opened and is showing you more from that artist.

Down the rabbit hole

Everyone loves a good rabbit hole adventure — just ask Alice. Using data about who your friends follow, Twitter #Music opens up a never-ending trail of discovery to venture down. Rather than spending hours jumping from video to video on YouTube, you can be a little more productive and find countless new artists for your library.

Going viral

With the ability to embed tweets anywhere on the Web, there is endless potential for smaller artists to have their music “go viral.” For instance, let’s say a big name artist finds a new artist that is recommended based on what their friends listen to. They can then embed a tweet on their blog that features the track or simply tweet the track right from the Twitter #Music app. Review sites can also embed a tweet with the song, and so on and so forth.

Those who remix tracks deserve just as much credit as the original artist. They’re basically rebuilding the song. spoti.fi/16EiZ5q

— Lee Newton (@leesnewton) April 22, 2013

She Said

What’s up with separated experiences?

One of the biggest surprises of Twitter #Music’s launch is that it’s a separate experience from Twitter. Featuring its own mobile application and website, it essentially asks users to visit a completely different place to discover what’s popular on the social channel with which they were already interacting.

High failure risk

Launching a music discovery platform in competition with so many other discovery tools is high risk, and when social music platforms fail, they usually do it hard and fast. Remember Ping, Apple’s attempt to connect social media and music? If Twitter had chosen to incubate Twitter #Music as a service rolled into the existing platform, it could have given Twitter #Music the ability to grow in a successful social space where musicians have already established a high level of influence. Then, after Twitter #Music created enough demand and engagement with consumers and advertisers alike, they could have spun the service out into its own platform. Maybe they were trying to avoid a Netflix-style mishap.

Needs more social connectivity

For being the project of arguably one of the most social channels on the Web, Twitter #Music has a long way to go when it comes to improving the capabilities of social interactions on the site. It lacks context for featured music by showing us what is popular but not telling us what people are saying about it. It would increase the value of interaction with content if Twitter #Music could show recent tweets of people listening to the music, which would also aid in bridging the gap between Twitter and Twitter #Music.

Other social aspects of Twitter #Music could be improved too. Users have the option to tweet about the song they’re currently previewing, but they only have thirty seconds to do it before Twitter #Music moves on to the next preview and automatically closes the tweet box. Surprisingly, the service also doesn’t auto-fill the Twitter handles of people being tagged in tweets sent from Twitter #Music, making it more difficult for users to share what they’re finding with friends.

What’s Next?

We’re excited to see what’s next for Twitter #Music — especially how they’ll inevitably be monetizing their tap into the highly lucrative music industry. After all, 7 out of the 10 most followed users are musicians, and they have a combined total of 231.3 million followers. Twitter knows they have the power to amp up marketing efforts in the music industry beyond promoted tweets and accounts, and Twitter #Music is a direct product of that knowledge.

In the next few months, we’ll be releasing a longer-form discussion on music in the social space, so stay tuned! But for now, we want to know: What has your experience with Twitter #Music been like so far? Are you glad it’s a separate app and website, or would you rather have it rolled into the existing Twitter platform? Do you think Twitter #Music could ever be the service to disrupt major discovery tools like Spotify and Pandora?

For email marketers, it’s scary to see subscribers completely ignore email content and dump it straight in the trash without even thinking about opening it.  But it’s even more terrifying to see subscribers who have voluntarily signed up to receive your communication toss an email into the spam folder.  As an email marketer who is guilty of the above, I think it’s safe to say this behavior happens quite a bit.

Hence the power of the email preference center.

An email preference center might not be the sexiest thing in email marketing, but it is one of the most important tools you can use to deliver the most appropriate content to your target audience.  First, it makes subscribers happier, enabling them to control the type and frequency of the content they receive. Second, it makes email marketers more successful, allowing them to grow, retain and nurture their subscriber base — all while building brand loyalty and gathering valuable feedback about their email channel as a whole.

According to ExactTarget’s The Social Breakup, 54% of people unsubscribe (or move items to spam folders) because emails come to their inbox far too often for them to enjoy their value.  The company also discovered that 25% of people unsubscribe because the content wasn’t relevant enough to them.

Cue the email subscription preference center.

A good preference center is one that is thorough, well thought out and designed, and provides subscribers more options than they could have expected.  Powerful preference centers give subscribers choices as to when and how often they want to see your email in their inbox.  Email arrival can be designated daily, weekly, monthly, annually, etc., and even by time of day.  They also capture valuable information about a subscriber’s personal information, such as their birth date, zip code, city, state, etc.  And lastly, they can capture the likes, wants and needs of your subscribers, such as the type of clothing they purchase, the groceries they buy, and even the price they’re willing to pay for a hotel room or a flight.

Examples of powerful preference centers:

Fab.com

Homedepot.com

Shopittome.com

This might be a stretch, but preference centers almost serve as bond of “trust” between email marketers and subscribers.  It’s a warehouse of personal information that should only be used to provide the right content to the right subscriber at the right time.  Email marketers need to remember to treat the inbox like the home.  Think about it: You wouldn’t invite a stranger into your house, so why would you want an irrelevant email to creep its way into your inbox?  It’s your preference, and you’ll spam if you want to.

In a recent Time Warner Media Lab study, it was shown that second-screen apps drove ad engagement.  When people used CNN on a second-screen app while watching CNN on TV, their emotional response to the ads was 1.3X higher than those watching the ads on CNN alone.  The same study also found that brand favorability increased with the second-screen platform.  When people watched Conan on TV and used a Conan sync app, there was a 33% increase in brand favorability to the advertiser when compared to people who watched Conan on TV alone.

Viggle is a dedicated second-screen app that describes itself as “a loyalty program for television that gives people real rewards for checking into the television shows they’re watching.”  Essentially, Viggle users can use their smartphone or tablet to check in to a television show to earn points; these points can be redeemed for items such as movie tickets, music and gift cards, or they can even be converted into charitable donations.

The second-screen app is merely a year old and exists within a space that is still nascent, but it is emerging as a game-changer.  Viggle’s registered users reached 1.62 million in the fourth quarter, a 42 percent quarter-over-quarter increase.  January saw another 14 percent increase in users, which puts the company at 1.85 million registered users.  Viggle’s platform is also seeing increased loyalty from advertisers by charging them only when users engage with the ads, rather than using the typical CPM model.  Users are also rewarded points for ad completions, so they are more likely to complete the ad with the point incentive.  It’s a win-win platform for both advertisers and users.

Recently, I was watching a TV show that prompted me to tweet about the show with a hashtag of the show title to win a prize, so, naturally, I immediately got on Twitter via my mobile device and did just that.  Twitter is essentially an organic digital counterpart to TV programming.  Joel Lunenfeld, VP of Global Brand Strategy at Twitter, referred to Twitter as the social soundtrack for TV because 95% of all conversations about TV shows are happening on Twitter.  Nielsen and Twitter are even combining for a new metric in TV engagement — the “Nielsen Twitter TV Rating” metric — which will correlate TV engagement and ratings.  The metric has already been able to correlate an 8.5% increase in Twitter volume, which increased the ratings for TV premieres by 1%.  In mid-season, it takes only a 4.2% increase in Twitter volume to increase ratings by 1%.

According to Lunenfeld, brands are using Twitter in three main ways: brand taglines, leveraging existing conversations (on air), and campaign-specific calls to action.  Twitter recently published a report that found that brand recall scores and other intentional marketing goals increase when Twitter is integrated into advertising.  People are going to talk on Twitter, so brands should give them something to talk about.  Twitter plus TV opens up new and creative possibilities for brands to include viewers in a new genre of dynamic storytelling where the brands become the heroes.  As brands continue to align with both TV and Twitter, second-screen opportunities for consumers and advertisers will continue to grow.

According to a report from BI Intelligence, the second-screen industry will ultimately succeed for four reasons:

1. Usage is growing rapidly: 85% of smartphone users reported second-screen behavior at least once a month, over 60% reported doing it on a weekly basis, and 39% did so daily. Over 80% of 18- to 24-year-olds told Pew that they have used their phone while watching TV, and 60% of Americans with annual incomes above $50,000 use their phones while watching TV.

2. And mass acceptance isn’t even necessary: All that matters is that a significant minority of viewers develop this habit (especially if they are highly engaged viewers). In the U.S. alone, TV ad spending was $18.4 billion in the third quarter of last year — a $74 billion annual run rate. If mobile can carve out even a small share of that pile of dollars via second-screen channels, it would boost the mobile industry tremendously.

3. Second screen isn’t really a new activity: It’s a natural update to the old ways of engaging with TV, like the old office water cooler conversations about last night’s football game or popular TV drama. Moreover, second-screen behaviors were already popular on desktops and laptops before mobile came along and made it a lot easier to participate.

4. Second-screen apps and sites are bridges: They bring together the powerful but increasingly fragmented world of television media and the fast-growing but still undeveloped digital realm. For TV-centric advertisers and content producers, second screen provides a channel through which to test out digital strategies while still remaining tied to familiar territory.”

Viggle and Twitter are two big players in the second-screen game, but an increasing number of marketers and agencies are sure to capitalize on consumer’s multitasking behavior given the increased levels of engagement and brand favorability shown by using the capabilities of the second-screen platform.

Sources & Links:

http://www.viggle.com/about-us/

http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/14/viggle-tries-to-right-the-ship-after-failed-getglue-merger-revenue-rises-88-registered-users-up-42-for-the-quarter/

http://www.businessinsider.com/bii-report-heres-why-the-second-screen-industry-is-set-to-explode-2013-3

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/four-ways-to-grasp-the-potential-of-the-second-screen-020196.php

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/what-does-second-screen-mean-viewers-and-advertisers-148240?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=04-01-2013&utm_campaign=television_today

http://www.digiday.com/brands/brands-adopt-hashtag-strategies/

http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/brands-see-twitter-as-the-second-screen-to-tv/

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2257987/Optimizing-Second-Screen-Engagement-Lessons-for-Brands-From-Twitter

As most iOS users know, if you hold down an app until it starts shaking, and then drag and drop one app onto another, a pre-named folder is created. Apple tries to be helpful by “organizing” the apps into categories for you, like Lifestyle, Finance and Utilities. But I ask you, are these names truly descriptive of the folder in which the apps are contained? As a former disorganized app junkie with page-after-page of apps and at least three Lifestyle folders, I say no. I say “NO!” and I say – in my best infomercial impersonator voice – “There’s got to be a better way!”

So I sat down one Saturday and thought about how I’d be able to efficiently and effectively organize all of my apps. My goal was modest and, frankly, reasonable: to be able to find them when I need them. The solution turned out to be so simple and, I’m sure there was  a song about it on Schoolhouse Rock: VERBS! Who knew that grammar would even be relevant, let alone useful, as an adult?

Here’s how it works: Categorize your related apps into action verb folders. For example, on my iPhone, Pandora, Spotify, Songza and Shazam are now all in a Listen folder. Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Epicurious and AllRecipes are all in an Eat folder. I’ve even put my Yelp app in the Eat folder, because I know that I primarily use Yelp for figuring out where to go to dinner. I admit that this structure is not scientific – indeed, it’s completely open to your poetic license and judgment. That’s part of what makes it so great – and much more intuitive – than Apple’s method. You can essentially put any app in any folder you want; the goal is to make your apps easier to access. For me that means putting Uber (the car-service app), Eventbrite and Spotted by Locals in a Go folder. Get it?

To help you get started with this”radical” new system, I’ve detailed some of my folders and their contents below:

• Socialize: Twitter, Facebook, Vine, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Foursquare, Skype
• Style: Gilt, Nordstrom, Tory Burch, Sephora, Pose, Fab
• Watch: ABC, HBO, Netflix, Fandango, IMDb, YouTube, NBC, Videos, AMC Theatres
• Read: iBooks, Flipboard, Kindle, AP Mobile, The Week, BuzzFeed
• Save: Scoutmob, Groupon, Living Social
• Shop: Target, eBay, Amazon, Checkpoints, Shopkick, Ibotta
• Capture: Cinemagram, Vyclone, Switchcam, Pixlr-o-matic

Now go forth, my app-centric friends, and say goodbye to your Entertainment (too many) and Productivity (too vague) folders for good!

#apps #mobile

Our Top Ten List

1. Tesla joins NASCAR

Electronic car manufacturer Tesla joined in the April Fools’ Day fun by announcing its intention to enter the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Pending a fake agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy, Tesla teased that it would field a two-car team sponsored by the Department of Energy and Duracell. Noise levels (or lack thereof) were cited among the pseudo challenges the manufacturer would face. They countered this assertion by saying they would broadcast the sound of a retired Dodge Charger engine through the Tesla’s speakers. Now that’s electric.

2. Bacon Mouthwash

Scope was a few days ahead of the April Fools game with its announcement on Friday of their new mouthwash flavor, Bacon. Complete with a promo video, website and hashtag (#scopebacon), Scope wasn’t messing around this year. Their slogan? For breath that sizzles. So who would be their spokesperson? Jon Hamm?

3. The Skinny Skinny Jean

American Eagle proved to consumers that skinny jeans could indeed be skinnier with their new spray-on “jeans” in indigo or bright light. Finally, a pair of jeans so comfortable you feel like you’re wearing nothing at all (literally)! The retail brand debunked the joke the next day on their website, complete with an offer for $10 off any (real) pair of jeans.

4. Sony Animalia

Looking for a great gift for your family pet? Well, look no further: Sony announced on Monday that it would be launching a new line of products designed especially for “the other member of the family.” Called Animalia, the prank product line included a hamster workout wheel, M30 Kitty Cans headphones, and the K9-4K TV for dogs.

5. Birchbox Boxes!

The leading discovery commerce platform, Birchbox, sent out an email to subscribers Monday introducing the ultimate Birchbox: a box of boxes. For only $20 a month, subscribers could receive boxes in all shapes, sizes and colors to be utilized in any number of ways. Now that’s thinking outside the box of boxes.

6. Design*Sponge

The popular design blog, known as the “Martha Stewart Living for Millennials,” rebranded their site Monday with a specific audience in mind. Instead of appealing to the masses with their cliché design, cooking and entertaining advice, the site altered their logo, ribbon banners and “I Want To” link guide to offer readers advice on all things cat-related. This included practical topics such as cooking, dressing and traveling with cats. Cat*Sponge, indeed.

7. Twttr

“Can I buy an E, Alex?” Apparently on the new “Twttr,” it would you cost you five dollars per month to use the vowels A, E, I, O and U (but not sometimes Y). According to Twitter, this change would have the user’s best interests in mind. Hppy prl Fls Dy!

8. Google Nose

Always on the cutting edge of the Internet’s newest technology, Google launched “Google Nose” and – with it – the ability to transcend type, talk and touch to experience the aromas de l’Internet, if you will.  This faux feature boasted an “aromabase” of 15M+ “scentibytes” and a “don’t ask, don’t smell” SafeSearch warranty.

9. Ahoy Matey

Google didn’t stop at one prank this year. Much to the surprise of many users, when you looked up a location via Google maps on Monday, an antique treasure map replaced familiar roads and landmarks. Complete with a rounded telescopic frame and vintage filter, Google transported your view back into the days of buccaneers and buried treasure.

10. Mashable Troll Day

Mashable, the online community of more than 10 million social media followers, is known for their events aimed at savvy social influencers. With the desire to expand their reach to a community often forgotten, Mashable proudly announced a two-day conference at NYC’s Jacob K. Javits Center entitled “Troll Appreciation Day,” which would honor the unsung heroes of the Internet. Festivities were to include: Halo tournaments, neck beard grooming tips, free Mountain Dew and Puffy Cheetos, and lectures on “The Importance on Being First” and “Speling.”

Five Honorably Foolish Mentions

1. George Takei in Star Wars

George Takei, most known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the television series Star Trek, announced Monday on his Facebook page that he would be starring in the new Star Wars film directed by JJ Abrams. He obviously knows his audience, as fans were genuinely saddened (and some outraged) to hear he was not actually crossing genres.

2. RIP Grumpy Cat

The Internet (nay, UNIVERSE) got a scare Monday when YouTube channel SourceFed announced the death of the beloved Grumpy Cat. Complete with a touching video eulogy of sorts, the site mourned the death of the world’s most famous and lovable meme.

3. Vimeow

Video-sharing site Vimeo launched a new site catered exclusively towards the ever-popular cat video, appropriately titled Vimeow. The faux-site included a “litterbox” (aka forum), “patiently stalking followers,” and a mouse icon that was actually a mouse.

4. The New President

The White House announced via Twitter that they would be delivering a “special message from the President” on Monday morning. Had they been slightly more specific, viewers would have been prepared for the much smaller face that popped up behind the White House podium. The Internet celeb Kid President (a.k.a. Robbie Novak) wished everyone a Happy April Fools’ Day before marching away from the podium making rather un-presidential flatulence sounds and then getting stuck in the pressroom’s door. In summary, it was a typical day at the White House.

5. Black Hole

According to General Electric’s Facebook page on Monday, scientists discovered what appeared to be “the largest black hole in the known universe.” They even included LIVE footage. Waaait for it… Waaaaait for it….