In the past, marketing communications have largely interrupted otherwise valuable media-based experiences (e.g., that Chia Pet ad in the 80’s which interrupted your enjoyment of Jack Tripper’s comedic fumblings).

The emerging media paradigm, however, casts marketing communications AS valuable experiences in their own right (think Office Max’s ‘Elf Yourself’).

Add to this the idea that we’ve clearly moved from passivity to activity in our interactions with media over the last two decades (i.e., from passive receivers in a 3-4 network world, to active RSS-feed-establishing/YouTube-content-creating mavens).

(This move, incidentally, is consistent with my generation’s fascination with technology. TiVo, instant messaging, iPods; while fascinating to children of the 80’s and earlier, are largely unremarkable to younger consumers, who see technology as a given [the way we see toasters]…They seem only to ‘notice’ technlogy when it fails them.)

The upshot? I believe that we are headed for a NEW PASSIVITY in media; with the Googles/iLikes of the world anticipating what we want to consume (based, clearly, on our searches and tech-facilitated interactions with people, places and things) and serving it up for us in easy, non-intrusive, easily-configured contexts.

In the future, we’ll turn it on (whatever ‘it’ is) and it will just deliver loads of customized content (plus contextual ads and/or sponsorships, of course).

From passivity, to activity…to the ‘new passivity’.

To quote a line from one of my favorite superhero movies, “With great power comes great responsibility” and nothing typifies that quote any greater than the world of web 2.0. Thinking about starting a corporate blog? Well you better be transparent to your audience. Want to offer some sort of social networking application? Better ensure privacy is a top priority! And finally, in the case of Google, going to offer an application that touts you have a phone number for life? Well better make sure “for life” means “for life” and not “for a few weeks”.

Grand Central is one of Google’s most recent acquisitions. It’s a really neat service that consolidates all of your phone numbers down to one number that they provision for you. So for instance my cell phone area code may be (313), office may be (212) and home may be (732) however Grand Central will provide one consistent number based on an area code of my choosing and I can provide to those who I’d like to call me so that no matter what device I’m in closest proximity to, I’ll be able to make sure I can pick it up. Savvy user controls give me access to route whomever wherever whenever.

In August however the feel good telecom company story got derailed when Grand Central lost its ability to continue to serve approximately 434 users due to provisioning issues with a former number provisioner. No big deal, just re-issue those 434 new numbers.

Right.

Imagine if you’ve printed business cards, stationary, email signatures. Friends, family, etc. What a nightmare! And in true web 2.0 fashion, those 434 went to the blogs to voice their issues almost instantly tainting what I considered at the time a white hot service with unlimited potential.

A few months have passed, and Grand Central is back on track (can I stop with the puns?!). I was recently offered a beta via our very kind Google reps and so far so good - I like the service. I haven’t gone out of my way to evangelize my number however since the memories of the famed 434 remain etched in my mind.

I’ll give it a few months and report back with any updates/take aways from using Grand Central.

I love my BlackBerry to the point of obsession. Honest, I’m not sure what I’d do without it. Concurrently, as most of my colleagues will attest to, I’m very “active” on Facebook. So imagine the gleeful smile on my face when I was informed that RIM and Facebook announced a partnership at CTIA where a new Facebook app will be available for download today.

Apparently the app will allow users to get their news feeds and other notifications pushed directly to their devices. Additionally, users can customize their alerting preferences while Facebook services are also integrated into other parts of the device. For instance, in the camera application, users can tag photos on the device and upload them directly to their Facebook account. T-Mobile will be the first operator to offer the application embedded in the BlackBerry devices it sells, but Moskovitz said it will be available for download to any BlackBerry user later today.

While I applaud Facebook for continuing to expand their reach past their social networking competition, I’m even more excited for RIM as this plays directly into their push strategy. I’ll be following up this post with a UI review once I’ve downloaded the application.

It’s hard to go a single day without hearing the word “iPhone”. In fact, a Google search query will illicit 76,300,000 responses. Not bad for a product that’s yet to touch a retail shelf. And while I concede the iPhone will certainly be considered a revolutionary device from the context of form and function, I’m not sold on it being a revolutionary experience ; the purpose of the iPhone, at least in my opinion, and based on Steve Jobs’ transcripts from speaking engagements is more focused on the convergence of technology (iPod, phone, email, web). So while I appreciate the tangible beauty of the device, I ultimately categorize it as a souped up Blackberry. I hear the masses marching towards my office with torches as I type…

My point isn’t to bury the iPhone prior to its commercial release. I obviously welcome innovative thinking when it comes to technology. That’s why today, I’m overly excited at the prospects of AT&T’s most recent innovation: Shoot and Stream.

Shoot and stream is mocoNews marketing lingo for live video streaming from your mobile device. You want to know what true convergence is? Look no further than video streaming, where AT&T’s goal is to make their Video Share (their official name for the service) service accessible over any of the three primary screens that customers use most frequently: the wireless device, the PC and the television.

AT&T is formally offering utilitarian examples of their new offering, focusing on on-the-go deal makers. For example - a real estate broker who can’t meet face to face but wants to showcase a specific property to his/her client.

I think what AT&T wants to say however is Live Streaming will be the key that opens new doors to the world of User Generated Content. Now everybody has the potential to be a paparazzi. Blogging has become more personal with the flick of your phone. Channels will be created and YouTube could be forced to evolve very quickly if Video Share takes off, and I predict it will.

This is an exciting time for content and the mobile industry. The lull over the first wave of mobile content (ringtones, wallpapers, j2me games) is dissipating, and we’re going to have to brace ourselves for a mobile content/services tidal wave of giant proportions - MMS has finally arrived, and now with a Video Share rollout, the possibilities truly are endless.

Wireless users will go to serious lengths to avoid having to type in a URL on their WAP capable mobile devices as we all would agree, it’s a cumbersome process. With multiple keys per digit, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes while cursing the T9 Gods for spelling the first four letters of epson instead of ESPN.

Enter the Shotcode, a circular barcode originally used for the purposes of location based tracking. ShotCodes are designed to be read with a regular camera (including those found on mobile phones and webcams) without the need to purchase other specialised hardware. After installing the software needed to read shotcodes on your java enabled phone, you can “read” Shotcodes. Check out the following example below:

So a Shotcode essentially automates the process of pushing a URL and its content to your mobile device. Brilliant! Marketers have begun taking advantage of them - appending them to print and web campaigns.

But the coolest/most disturbing (depending on which side of the fence you sit on) application I’ve seen YET for shotcodes has to be this:

If anyone downloads the Shotcode reader for their mobile phone, please let me know if it scans!

Stumbled upon this today and thought it was amazing….

Google Earth now allows you to look at villages in Darfur that have been attacked and destroyed in the continuing campaing of ethnic cleansing. In addition to seeing the scale and scope of the horror, you are also shown photos of the people affected and their living conditions.  It’s an incredibly powerful way of being made to feel close to events in a far off part of the globe.

It’s also an interesting demonstration of yet another way in which Google’s ability to aggregate and present information can touch issues/areas you would never have thought of. Is there anything they can’t be a part of? Probably not.

See for yourself at Google Earth.

Today’s marketers are in a mad scramble to identify what motivates consumers. The first brand to get in their heads, wins. And with the marketplace being what it is – consumers in control, access to information a right and on-demand a given – the challenge is becoming evermore insurmountable.

I think you’ll all agree that the ‘right now’ consumer is embracing the functionality of technology and continually pushing the web’s potential. With blogs, podcasts, social networking, online video, and consumer led marketplaces. The corporate knee-jerk reaction to staying competitive is to offer these consumer-loved platforms on their sites to generate interest and loyalty.

Before jumping on the bandwagon and enlisting one of these technologies, it’s valuable to determine if it’s the right way to connect with your consumers. Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you should use it. Each of today’s most successful Internet concepts have had previous success in an offline form. Consider what has worked in the past to evaluate the probability of it working in the future. For example, if it wouldn’t have made a good radio show, then it probably won’t make a good Podcast.

Though in all this, don’t forget that there is definitely room for innovation. The right creative solution is rewarded and some risks are worthy – just stay on track and look to solve a problem your customers actually have.

Sometimes today’s commercials give us insights into where technology is heading. I would speculate that the appeal of the current HP ad campaign has less to do with the celebrity video testimonials and more to do with the idea that the sense of touch will play a role in how we interface with our computers in the future. Certainly the “art of possibility” is a strong variable in grabbing a viewer’s attention. Below is the Jay Z ad:

Cue Steve Jobs, who inadvertently steals HP’s thunder with the introduction of the iPhone, with the Apple “pinch” feature. Example below:

After drawing what I admittedly believe is a bit of a stretch in correlation between the two products, I couldn’t help but think about the HP/Apple relationship surrounding HP’s resale of the iPod that failed and whether or not we’ll see another round, only this time maybe a software license swap instead…

Über lifestyle automotive brand Scion will be marking a first in the virtual Goliath known as Second Life, by holding an “in-world” press conference announcing the debut of two brand new vehicles: the next generation Scion xB and the mysterious Scion xD, which has so far, successfully avoided the online fiascos centered around embargo violations that have plagued automotive companies over the past year.

While the debut of the vehicles will take place in the real world, at the Chicago Auto Show, Scion will also stage a simultaneous press conference on their Second Life sim, Scion City. The vehicles will be introduced via computer-simulated versions of the two all-new 2008 vehicles. To participate in the virtual press conference, media must be a member of the Second Life community and register at http://www.scion.com/secondlifemedia by 5:00 P.M. CT on Friday, Feb. 2.

It’s an interesting concept, I can’t help but wonder if Scion will hold a snazzy Second Life afterparty complete with virtual Red Bull and catchy techno spinning DJ’s. I kid, I kid…

When Steven Spielberg produced Minority Report, reporters and critics praised him for his detailed consultation of a think tank of MIT futurologists. Indeed, the film was an impressive glimpse at what the future could hold. One particularly discomforting scene is when Tom Cruise walks through a mall and is barraged with advertising messages completely personalized to him and his location in the mall. The voice of a man invites him by name for a Guinness as an image of several pints flash up on a wall. (See clip below.)

The scene is overwhelming and creepy, but is this what advertising may some day resemble?

Closest Thing to the Future: Japan?
We are not at this level of personalized location based advertising yet, but we are one step closer. If you were to visit Tokyo today, you could point a new type of cell phone at a building and receive information and ads about it from the Internet, such as room rates for a hotel, type of food served at a restaurant, or the hours of a museum. You could also use this phone to receive directions and track your movement towards a specific location. Say you wanted to check out a sushi place nearby, you could click on restaurants, point your phone in any direction, and be provided with a popup menu of choices in that area. You could then select a restaurant and follow the directions provided, while tracking your location in relation to the destination on the map on your cell phone screen as seen in the picture on the left. Check out an animated demo here.

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