This is a guest post by RJ Bardsley, Vice President, Racepoint Group.
In a recent story in the Wall Street Journal, reporters Scott Thurm and Yukari Iwatani Kane explore the reality of how much data some of the most popular Android and iPhone apps actually share. The article starts off with a quick look at Pandora, the adorable, hugely popular music app. It turns out that Pandora shares demographic, location and personal details to eight different trackers.
I guess it’s naïve to say this is shocking – consumers in the North American market have given up a lot of privacy since the dawn of the Internet age in return for mobile and internet experiences that make our lives easier, more connected, more fun or just a little bit more interesting. The reality of apps sharing data is that it will enable marketers and content publishers to create a more personalized (and ergo a better?) experience for users. What does this mean? Well, basically it means that if you’re downloading and using a lot of apps, you’re choosing your own mobile “adventure” without even knowing it.
Today the “adventure” is still in its early phases. Your phone doesn’t change colors, tones and layouts based on what you chose to listen to on Pandora. But that scenario is not out of the realm of possibility. That’s the cool side of it. The uncool side of it is that you could say marketers are actually spying on consumers – especially when data is collected without notifying the user.
Where is the happy medium? People have been searching for that since machines first started collecting data. The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) offers some guidance in a Code of Conduct. The MMA is a strong advocate of consumer privacy standards, but the organization is strictly voluntary and has no power to enforce anything. As a consumer, you could turn off almost all the applications and features that collect and send data from your phone, but then you’d be left with a pretty boring piece of plastic and glass.
Should mobile brands move cautiously where privacy is concerned? A survey of Wall Street Journal readers (an interactive part of the above-mentioned article) reveals that most consumers (66.5 percent) feel that apps should always tell users when they’re collecting data. That seems to indicate that having a privacy-friendly image for your app or device would be beneficial. That said, Pandora doesn’t seem to be suffering.
“The Foursquare integration has two key components. First, Gowalla now lets you broadcast your check ins on not only its app, but Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook Places and Foursquare as well. Gowalla even lets you earn Foursquare badges and Facebook Deals through the iPhone app. As an added bonus, Gowalla also pulls in Foursquare Tips whenever you check in.”
This begs the question, why not just use Foursquare? Parr goes on to explain his theory on Foursquare’s reaction:
“Gowalla did not work with Foursquare on this integration; it was all done through the API. That leaves the real possibility that Foursquare could throw a big wrench into Gowalla’s plans by blocking its rival’s use of the API. The threat posed by Gowalla 3 is real; that alone could force Foursquare’s hand in the name of competition. It would also create a firestorm of controversy.”
In order to succeed in the market, Gowalla will have to differentiate itself from Foursquare and other mobile check in applications (like Facebook Places), encouraging the user to exclusively check in with their application.
Perhaps, Gowalla feels this integration will allow users to broadcast one check in across multiple apps, with just one touch to the Gowalla mobile app. If that’s the Gowalla game plan, it’s pure genius.
Yelp, Facebook Places, Groupon, Foursquare, Gowalla, Scavenger, Living Social.
These are just some of the location-based social networks, applications and companies that are making a large impact in people’s behavior and purchasing decisions. Overall, these applications and networks allow people to check-in to certain locations, write tips and reviews for businesses, restaurants, etc., obtain discounts through special deals or group purchases, and see where your friends are checking in and what they like and/or don’t like.
So far, these networks and applications provide some, but not all, of these capabilities, and are very popular. However, there isn’t one place where users can go to have all of this functionality. It’s not a question of if all of these features will converge – it’s a question of when, and who will be the one to do it first and best?
While Facebook has an enormous user base, it’s functionality doesn’t really allow you to get tips and reviews from people you aren’t ‘friends’ with about a nearby restaurant, etc. It is also currently more focused on telling friends where you’re going then on the deals and discounts that other applications have fund success with.
Yelp and Foursquare and others have had great success with tips and reviews, and is very useful for users on mobile devices that are trying to find a nearby place to grab a bite to eat. Meanwhile, Foursquare’s badge system has been growing steadily and can result in check-in addiction.
Then, Groupon and it’s long list of clones have popularized the daily deal, basically providing users with 50 percent off whatever deal is offered that day. It’s easy for people to make a purchasing decision when it arrives in their email every morning, and Groupon’s & Living Social’s mobile apps are a major selling point. However, their deals require a level of planning (timing, location, fine print).
So who is going to win? It’s tough to tell at this point. Which of these applications and networks do you enjoy using and find the most helpful?
Today Ben Parr of Mashable reported that Disney has partnered with location-based mobile app Gowalla to help visitors further engage with their two flagship theme parks – Disneyworld and Disneyland – via mobile check ins and stamps.
This is a significant partnership for Gowalla who is often left in the dust behind mobile check in dominators Foursquare and Facebook Places (I wrote about the launch of Facebook Places back in August, you can read the full post here).
Parr describes some of the details of the partnership and agrees, this is a monumental deal for Gowalla. He writes:
“ . . .Gowalla and Disney have created literally hundreds of stamps for rides and locales within the two parks. Everything from the fireworks show to “Finding Nemo-The Music” offers a stamp or pin that can be earned by checking in. This is a major win for Gowalla; Disney is the world’s most-recognized entertainment brand, and any form of promotion by Disney should drive new users and extra attention to the location-based service. It’s struggled to keep a high profile in the face of stiff competition from Foursquare, which raised $20 million earlier this year, and Facebook, whose Places feature recently got a new deals platform.”
Joshua Brustein of the New York Times reported that Gowalla currently has 600,000 users as compared to the 120 million people that visited the Disney theme parks last year. Brustein accurately comments, “Gowalla’s user base would skyrocket even if it converted a miniscule proportion of Disney’s users into new users.”
Why haven’t Foursquare or Facebook Places announced these types of partnerships? According to a post on Gowalla’s corporate blog an incredible amount of time and human resources went into customizing this mobile platform. The blog post reads:
“We’re launching over 100 new featured stamps within Disney Parks today, with over 100 more expected by the end of the year. Each featured Disney stamp was painstakingly rendered in pixel form by Gowalla with the guidance of the Disney creative team — bringing you an experience that is truly 100 percent Gowalla and 100 percent Disney.”
Congratulations to Gowalla on teaming up with the most recognizable entertainment brand on the planet. Naturally this announcement will breed intensified competition from competitors, but for now, Gowalla is at the happiest place on earth.
Here at RaceTalk we’re huge fans of the ABC comedy Modern Family, so imagine my delight when discovering a social media platform (and iPhone app) called PHILO has created a way for users to check-in to their favorite TV shows.
According to Mashable, PHILO describes itself as “Twitter and Foursquare for TV fans.” Users check-in to their favorite, participating TV shows to declare their allegiance and to win badges and physical prizes.
Like this idea? PHILO isn’t the only player in the game. Competitors Get Glue and Miso also offer similar check-ins and all three platforms provide the ability to link your updates to Facebook and Twitter.
This comes as great news to people who may not use Foursquare or Gowalla because they feel checking in to hotels, restaurants, airports, etc compromises their physical safety. Checking in to a television show allows you to proudly display your fandom, without giving away your physical location.
Shows that have already hosted check-ins include: ABC’s Modern Family and Dancing with the Stars, as well as NBC’s Community and Chuck.
What are you waiting for? Plop on the couch and check-in!
This week USA Today’s Bruce Horovitz reported that McDonald’s has taken their social media strategy to a new level of engagement by planting their own, branded farm via Facebook’s incredibly popular application, FarmVille.
For the past24 hours, McDonald’s sponsored FarmVille’s first-ever branded farm. For the full day Thursday October 7th, users who interacted with the McDonald’s farm were rewarded with virtual prizes to decorate their personal FarmVille empires. Rewards included items like virtual, McDonald’s branded hot air balloons.
Why FarmVille you may ask? How many FarmVille users could there really be? Answer? 18 million.
McDonald’s director of media, Anja Carroll, told USA Today, “This is all part of a larger social-media strategy. It’s difficult to ignore the sheer volume of the audience that FarmVille brings.”
McDonald’s is a superb example of a company taking their Facebook activity beyond their corporate page and continuing to strategize new and effective ways to target their ideal audience. I’m lovin it.
Back in April I wrote about Jeff Pulver’s 140 Character Conference that was taking place in New York City. I praised the conference and its attendees for providing advice on social media best practices live from the event. The live tweeting was so impressive I felt like I was there in the auditorium.
Yesterday, I actually was in the auditorium as Pulver brought his traveling conference to Boston for the first time. The conference began at 9:00 am and went until 6:00 pm with over 61 speakers on the roster. Each group that took the stage had 10 minutes to share how Twitter and/or the real-time web have impacted their goals professionally and personally. Below, a few highlights from the day:
Jeff Pulver, @jeffpulver – Check out Pulver’s opening remarks to kick off the day:
John Daley, @Boston_Police – Daley, deputy superintendent for the Boston Police, shared that the department is using Twitter to broadcast vital, public safety information to the city of Boston and their broader Twitter followers. The police see Twitter as an effective way to disseminate critical information in real-time. Daley also noted that citizens have begun reporting crimes to the police via Twitter. They tweet updates and photos, typically of crimes they consider “too small” to dial 911. Who knew!
C.C. Chapman, @cc_chapman – C.C. is on a mission. A mission to give dads who blog as much power and recognition as the infamous “mommy bloggers.” During what was by far the most animated speech of the day, C.C. shared his personal quest to force consumer brands to recognize fathers as a key sales demographic. Marketers, pay attention. The dads have wallets too.
Patrick Larkin, @bhsprincipal – Larkin is the principal of Burlington High School where he is trying to bring the school into the digital revolution. In addition to teaching a Web 2.0 class to his students, Larkin is working to educate families on the importance of digital education for students. During his panel, Larkin said, “We need to teach our children to use social media. Without that, the diploma doesn’t mean much.”
Amanda Palmer, @amandapalmer – Palmer, best known as part of the musical group the Dresden Dolls, shared with the audience that, “I was able to ditch my management and my record label to launch an album all via the internet.” She went on to say how her Twitter followers have been incredibly supportive and a resource she didn’t realize would be so critical. She said, “Life is becoming easier, faster and cheaper as we harness the power of social media.” Rock on, Amanda!
Georgy Cohen, @radiofreegeorgy – Cohen is the managing editor of web communications for Tufts University and has one of the best understandings of the power of social media that I have encountered. Not only does she see the value in active social media platforms for the university, but she is consistently engaging with students, staff and alumni to build meaningful relationships. Cohen hit the nail on the head when she said, “We have to be in the ‘now’ because our brands already are, whether we are or not.” I was also impressed by Cohen’s decision to harness the strength of content creation and launch a Tufts website called Jumble (their mascot is the Jumbo) to aggregate all of the best content created by students, staff and alumni. For colleges and university seeking social media best practices, look no further than Tufts.
Chris Brogan, @chrisbrogan – Brogan, a high profile social media player, author and the president of New Marketing Labs, spoke to the group about Twitter and other web applications simply serving as a platform for larger goals. In one of the best quotes of the day he quipped, “No one ever asked Hemmingway what kind of pencil he wrote with. Don’t ask me what blog platform I use! That’s not the point.” View Brogan’s entire talk here:
For more information on the speakers at the Boston 140 Characters Conference, check out my live updates @MollyGaller on Twitter or the #140conf hashtag.
At the close of the event, Pulver said, “This conference is not a tech event, it’s a life event.” Thank you, Jeff Pulver, for a superb day that reminds us all that the next big thing could be just a tweet away.
In a post by Matthew Ingram for GigaOm, Twitter CEO Ev Williams shares that mobile use of the free, micro-blogging service has grown 60 percent since April. Williams also announced that Twitter has 145 million registered users, a 40 percent growth in overall users since April.
Given Twitter’s immense popularity it is no surprise that the company has seen a steady rise in user numbers, however what is interesting is the number of users who first activate the service on a mobile device. Presently, 16 percent of all Twitter users activate via mobile.
For that reason, Twitter has its own iPhone application and recently launched an application for the iPad. Several outside vendors have also launched mobile applications for Twitter.
Williams said on the Twitter corporate blog, “We quickly understood that we were doing users a disservice by not having a great client on each of the major mobile platforms.”
He went on to say, “As we had hoped in April, these clients are bringing more people into Twitter, and, even better, they are attracting and retaining active users. Indeed, 46 percent of active users make mobile a regular part of their Twitter experience.”
For businesses considering putting resources behind a mobile application, let Twitter’s success be a reinforcing pat on the back that you’re headed in the right direction.
MTV’s public health campaign encourages young people to get routinely checked for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The Associated Press reports, “MTV says the idea is to remove the stigma attached to getting checked out for STDs.”
While this is a nice idea in theory and I applaud MTV for fully integrating mobile into their campaign outreach, I think most people, no matter how much they typically share via Foursquare, are unlikely to publicly broadcast their appointment for STD screenings.
This Foursquare partnership would be more successful if it was linked to MTV’s political campaign, “Rock the Vote” which encourages young people to register to vote and make their voices heard. If they offered a badge for checking in to a voting location, I think the response would be tremendous.
What do you think? Can MTV leverage Foursquare for such a person declaration?
This week Facebook announced the launch of a new feature – Facebook Places. Much like the mobile application Foursquare, Facebook Places will let you “check in” to your current location via Facebook on your smart phone. It will display your location updates to all of your Facebook friends.
You may find yourself asking – doesn’t this same application already exist with Foursquare, Gowalla and others? Why yes, yes it does. However, the Facebook Places application is also going to allow your friends to check you in to places, whether you like it or not.
Of course you can alter your Facebook privacy settings to disable the ability for other users to check you in, but the Facebook default settings will indeed allow your friends to check you in.
Facebook Places does allow businesses to “claim” their venue and provide updates to users who check in via the application (exactly like Foursquare).
While it may seem Facebook is simply duplicating an application that already exists by another provider, what the real concern is here is how Facebook is increasingly making moves to become a one-stop-shop for online and mobile activities.
For example, more people upload photos to Facebook than competing photos services like Kodak Gallery, Snapfish or Shutterfly. Facebook also has the Marketplace application which aims to compete with Craigslist. Businesses now consider their Facebook fan page as vital, if not more, than their company website. The addition of Facebook Places is another intentional move to gobble up competing online players.
Can Facebook extinguish enough competitors to ultimately become the singular destination for online and mobile sharing? What do you think?
