“The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed.”
— William Gibson

Coupons have long been one of the most reliable tools in the brand marketing toolbox to promote sales—and consumers can’t seem to get enough of them. But the transition from paper to mobile devices has been challenging, and one of the root causes is actually found in the venerable laser scanners that are part of most store checkout systems. These were designed decades ago to read the light pattern reflected from barcodes on printed coupons. But the backlit, reflective polarized glass of smartphones actually makes an on-screen barcode image invisible to most laser scanners. So we need new ways for smartphones to send information to point-of-sale (POS) terminals—crossing what I like to call the “last inch” barrier. This need has given rise to a game of “chicken” being played out right now between smartphones and retailer systems, and it’s going to be very interesting to see who swerves first. [...]

With the proliferation of mobile devices in the hands of savvy shoppers, there are now more opportunities than ever to engage with a brand. The downside is that there are also more opportunities for a consumer to have a poor experience. Some brands know how to truly optimize the mobile experience.
Here, I’ll share my top 5 experiences where a mobile device has trumped either an in-person or web experience.

1. eBay (iPhone) has been around since the emergence of the dotcom and their site shows the wear of the years. I’m guessing a separate team went off and designed their iPhone experience—focusing on the key features of what most customers are doing with eBay and it pays off. I can do what I’d expect to and all the surrounding noise is gone. Voila—bid, buy and sell. [...]

The promise of Big Data Analytics—compiling and crunching the massive data sets being generated by the explosion of digital technologies to yield insights that provide a competitive edge—has been a hot topic for the past few years. It’s grown to the point that respected analytics professionals are developing whole sets of predictions for what 2012 will bring in that one area.

In an Everywhere Commerce world, marketers are faced with a dilemma: to invest heavily in the people and technology needed to put Big Data Analytics into action in the hope that high-impact insights emerge from the effort, or to focus on consumer insights, logic, strategic thought, and measurement and optimization of individual channels and activities. [...]

Roll up for the Mystery Tour! RI’s first-ever mobile marketing exploration of Japan is taking shape for spring 2012. In December we sent RI mobile strategist Derrick Lin, who has lived and worked in Tokyo and speaks lovely Japanese, to begin planning a week-long exploration of Japan’s mobile marketing and commerce world. We’ll be taking up to 12 clients and are happy to answer any questions you might have. For more details, please click here or contact Derrick (dlin@resource.com). Here is Derrick’s first report:
December, 2011:

It is a great time to be in Japan. Not just because it is the season for the unforgettably delicious bluefin tuna (hon-maguro) or because the country is bouncing back from the tsunami at an amazing pace only months after the disaster. It’s also because you get to witness the daily evolution of an already impressive phenomenon, the mobile lifestyle in Japan. [...]

If you are responsible for your company’s online sales, you probably know the pressure that comes with heightened expectations—online sales have become more than a blip on the radar for many companies and accounted for 8% of total retail (11% non-grocery) in 2010 (“U.S. Online Retail Forecast, 2010 to 2015,” Forrester Research, Feb. 28, 2011). With forecasts of continued double-digit growth for at least the next two years (ibid) seeming conservative relative to the strong growth witnessed over holiday 2011 (comScore reports the 2011 holiday season pulled in $35.3 billion for online retailers, a 15% increase over 2010), you may feel you embody the saying “no rest for the weary.” [...]

iCitizen 2010: Go With the Flow was a sold-out event. iCitizen was packed—with people, energy and information. By all accounts, this year’s event was our best ever.