Greg Verdino

Kraft helps you feed your family & America too

In many ways, 2008 was the "Year of the App" with marketers focusing at least some of their energies on cracking the code for delivering value and engaging consumers through applications of the Facebook and iPhone variety.  And so it is fitting that Kraft Foods (disclosure: Kraft is a crayon client) is rounding out the year with a couple of solid efforts in App marketing.  Both are good examples of how big brands can leverage new platforms to deliver beyond-the-box value.

Check out what Kraft is serving up.

Kraft iFood Assistant

First up, we have iFood Assistant.  Kraft is the first consumer packaged goods company to launch a food App for the Apple iPhone, tapping into Americans' increasingly mobile lifestyles and adding value in ways that are consistent with Kraft's brand promise and business objectives.

iFood Assistant offers more than 7,000 recipes for everything from appetizers to desserts, from healthy options to holiday splurges.  Most are consumer-rated and reviewed, and a bunch feature helpful video demonstrations, all resident right on the phone.  (Most similar Apps simply call up Safari and point you to the mobile web.)  Of course, iFood Assistant isn't all form, no function.  Its best features include the ability to create shopping lists, organized by supermarket aisle, and even find the nearest grocery store.  The result?  An easy way to use your iPhone to get food ideas, plan meals and shop smarter.

While today's iFood Assistant presents recipe and meal ideas from the Kraft Kitchens, it was built as an agnostic platform and Kraft plans to incorporate recipes, ideas and products from partners to provide iPhone users with a solid, general purpose grocery/cooking App that offers lots of utility and content in a single, well-designed package.

iPhone users can hit the App Store to download it, or visit Kraft's iFood Assistant page to learn more.

Kraft Supports Feeding America

If Facebook is more your style and you're looking to help needy families, Kraft has partnered with SocialVibe to launch Fill a Bowl, Feed America.  The proposition here is simple and the cause is a good one -- you install the Facebook App, register at KraftFoods.com or make a cash donation to Feeding America (Kraft will match your donations dollar for dollar), and in return Kraft buys up to 3.2 million meals for people in need.  This SocialVibe/Facebook effort is a smart social media extension of a larger charitable giving program that Kraft is supporting, to make a positive impact in the real world.

As I write this Fill a Bowl, Feed America has already generated enough support to fund close to 1 million meals -- help Kraft and Feeding America get to the full 3.2 million.

Want '09 predictions? How about 50 of them?

Yep, it's that time of year again -- time for the marketing bloggerati to polish up their crystal balls and make some bold statements about what you can expect in the coming year.  And you, faithful readers, scour the web looking for even just a few useful nuggets from your favorite bloggers and industry pundits.

Well, this year Peter Kim has done everyone the favor of gathering 2009 predictions from some of the sharpest minds in marketing and social media, and pulling them together in a single eBook that contains 50 or so clear-eyed, thought provoking ideas about what the next 12 months hold for media, marketing and the web.

As one of the contributors, I've had the opportunity to read everyone's predictions and can say for sure that you'll want to download a copy right away.  Lots and lots of good stuff -- from a great cross-section of the blogging community, representing a variety of different points of view.

If you want a flavor for what the eBook has to offer, check out these thought starters from Pete's 14 Nostadami (Pete himself contributes an intro and some takeaways rather than his own predictions.)

• "Although it is now cheaper to launch an initiative leveraging Web 2.0 technology - it requires qualified and passionate people to make them successful." - David Armano
• "You may not always start the year as a leader, but you can certainly finish it that way." - Rohit Bhargava
• "Intimacy touches emotion; emotion powers conversation." - Pete Blackshaw
• "Doors are going to close all over the social web. Why? Because the money didn't come the way people thought it would." - Chris Brogan
• "The tipping point has not only *not* been reached, but could still tilt *away* from Social Media." - Todd Defren
• "There's a lot of fixing that needs to be done." - Jason Falls
• "Dwindling budgets suddenly make low-cost social media look like the pretty girl at the ball." - Ann Handley
• "We're going to develop a set of better metrics to help guide, direct and validate 'commitment'." - Joseph Jaffe
• "The movement is rooted in a desire to have quality, not quantity, as people cocoon in the face of the economic crisis." - Charlene Li
• "After a pre-qualifying wrestling match..." - Ben McConnell
• "These will be cumulative events and interactions that will build brand loyalty for the companies that pay attention to them." - Scott Monty
• "The recession will force revenue results out of social technologies." - Jeremiah Owyang
• "Companies that focus on earning love will thrive during hard times, and kick ass when good times return." - Andy Sernovitz
• "Suddenly, being Facebook friends with your mom will seem less ridiculous than following 4,000 strangers on Twitter." - Greg Verdino

But these 14 soundbites only hint at the smart ideas contained in the full eBook -- so be sure to download the complete thang.

As for me, I'll most likely expand on some of my own predictions right here on my blog over the coming few weeks.  In the meantime, I'm sure Pete and the other authors would love to hear your feedback.  Feel free to drop a comment here or any any of the contributors' own blogs.

Twitter is my news feed

Even a few years ago, I got most of my marketing and business news from email newsletters and print publications.  After that, blogs became my preferred news source -- more perspectives, written by people living the news from the front lines (rather than by journalists commenting from the sidelines), served up in near real time by Google Reader.

But today, I get most of my business news and discover new marketing facts, ideas and opinions on Twitter. 

If you're a marketer and still wondering how to justify spending time on Twitter -- and building relationships with your peers and/or social media insiders isn't important enough to you (?!?!?!) -- you might consider that Twitter helps you keep your ear to the ground and serves up lots of information that you can use to do your job better tomorrow than you do it today.

In a distinctly Jaffe-inspired cavalcade of links, here are just a few of the things I heard first (and in some cases, heard only) from my Twitter network.

• The rise of social media and the democratization of content creation means, among other things, that everyone (no matter how small) can use the web to create and grow their own personal brand.  Lots of companies don't like this but, according to Forrester's Jeremiah Owyang, they had better get used to it. 
• Of course, companies can and should be tapping into the same social media tools to build their own brands too, assuming they can get it right.  Despite corporate America's efforts to establish some consistent blogging standards and best practices, most consumers quite simply don't trust corporate blogs.  To me, this says more about the general trustworthiness of the typical company than it does about the potential value blogging brings to the marketing mix.  Hopefully the folks who make corporate communications decisions will see it the same way.
• Now, if all this talk of blogging still confuses you, there's good news (or bad news, depending on your perspective) - you're not alone.  Most marketers are still social media beginners and have plenty to learn about how to participate in the conversation and how to measure the ROI of doing so.
• On the other hand, you shouldn't let the (perceived) lack of ROI keep you from trying your hand at social media marketing -- or at marketing through any of the other emerging channels we have at your disposal today.  One pizza chain has generated $1 million in mobile web sales in the past six months alone, and new data shows that even virtual world storefronts can be company revenue drivers.  Take that, haters.
• But even this doesn't mean that all is well in  Next Big Thingsylvania.  For example, even in Europe, 2008 wasn't the Year of Mobile and we still have a long way to go before mobile marketing hits it's stride.  Add this challenge to the list of stumbling blocks: when most people say "mobile marketing" what they really mean is "mobile advertising."  And that's a ship that will sink well before it sets sail (file under: square peg, round hole.)
• Wanna know what else doesn't work?  Viral marketing. Well, it works -- or at least it can -- but (repeat after me people) viral isn't a marketing strategy; it's one possible outcome of an otherwise sound campaign that's actually so good that people want to spread the word.  Viral is about people talking to people, and you can't cook it up in a Madison Avenue conference room.
• And speaking of things that don't work, Robert Scoble isn't a fan of Twitter's direct messaging functionality.  For those of you not on Twitter, direct messaging allows one user to send a private tweet to another user.  Scoble dislikes this piece of the service so much that he'd like to see Twitter do away with it altogether.  He's in the minority from what I can tell, but I kinda agree with him.
• So if direct messages don't work, how do you attract attention from a big time social media guru?  David Armano (a not-so-shabby social media guru himself, although you wouldn't know it from his mountain man beard and straw hat) thinks a new service called Bubble Comment might do the trick.  Bubble Comment let's you record and post a video message that will pop up, bubble like, on top of any web page.  It's freaky but fun -- it just might work...  Although I'm not sure what, exactly, has happened to Armano.  He used to be a nice Italian boy from Long Island.

So hey Twitterinos, what interesting, fun and useful facts did you learn from your Twitter friends this week?

PSFK dishes out good ideas in mobile

Trendspotting site PSFK is running a series of Good Idea Salons over the course of the coming few weeks, covering topics ranging from digital marketing and design to social media and collaboration.  These are intimate events where expert panelists talk candidly about what will really matter in 2009 and, if you're in NYC, you may want to check out one or more of the upcoming sessions.

The first Salon looked at Good Ideas in Mobile and took a deep dive into location-based services, why they matter, what the practical applications are, and what geo-location means for marketers.  PSFK has posted video from the event and it's well worth watching.

From the iPhone to mobile social networking, geo-location is a hot topic right now.  If you're not familiar with the term or just want to hear some expert opinions, I'd encourage you to watch the footage from the Good Ideas event.  If you're a geo-location whiz, you may want to skip to minute 23 (or so) and hear how the panelists see brands leveraging location to add value for mobile consumers.

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10 ways the mobile future will suck

When looking at the promise of new media channels, many marketers still seem to fall back on the square-peg-round-hole routine.  They attempt to force-fit tired, old ad models into next generation marketing opportunities that demand new approaches and, in doing so, alienate consumers and deliver questionable results for their companies.  You know probably already know what this looks like -- fake corporate blogs instead of proper and personalized blogger relations, MySpace homepage takeovers instead of direct engagement with consumer community leaders, the build-it-and-they-won't-come brand islands that many companies built in Second Life a couple of years ago, mobile banners and unsolicited SMS messages instead of value-oriented branded mobile utilities.  You get the picture.

And so with the carriers and mobile ad networks repeatedly declaring each successive year the "Year of Mobile," and most marketers struggling to understand how that can possibly be the case while simultaneously fearing that they're missing out on something, ekit CEO John Diamond points a finger at some current and emergent mobile marketing practices -- and predicts that mobile will get worse (much worse) before it gets better.  To my knowledge John isn't a marketer by trade, but he should know a thing or two about the global mobile marketplace.  His company provides international devices and services for travelers and recently launched a Travel Journal service that let's travelers easily track and share their whereabouts and experiences using a combination of a blog-like web platform, mobile technologies and geolocation.  Travel Journal is supported with opt-in, geo-specific advertising.  He could be part of the problem -- but instead seems to want to help marketers get it right, beginning with his list of 10 Mobile Marketing Predictions.

In truth, John's 10 points are less about predicting the future and more about painting some likely worst case scenarios for how marketers will abuse common mobile technologies like SMS and GPS to interrupt and alienate consumers.  It's mostly a list of 10 things not to do and, for better or worse (ok - just for worse), many of his points ring true.

Give them a glance and let me know what you think.  Does John get it right?  As a marketer, what are you doing in mobile to counter some of the downsides John explores in his list?

1) Mobile marketers will send spam-like messages to consumers' phones without getting permission to do so.

2) Mobile spam will be much more annoying than all of that email and blog spam.  Mobile spam feels much more personal.

3) Marketers will learn their lessons about message relevance in reverse... most likely after the fact.  There will be many examples of what not to do.

4) Mobile communications will be significantly cheaper for consumers willing to receive marketing messages.  For example: free TV on your cellphone...

5) Consumers will revolt against being tracked by GPS, particularly if there is no clear opt in/opt out option for tracking and receiving messages.

6) Tracked consumers will have their profiles sold to marketers.  Angry consumers will rally together and form class actions against such practices, and mobile marketing regulations will be enacted.

7) Media stories will name companies that spammed and tracked their customers, smearing the names of those companies and turning away potential customers.

8) Mobile spam filtering software will be a necessity.  It could be a new evenue stream for telcos or offered as part of a bundled service.  This will be a major service differentiator and major driver for switching carriers.

9) Mobile marketing will shift its focus from text messaging to mobile web with slick offers, presentation and relevance.

10) Mobile messaging will have to become more relevant given the limited real estate and high irritation factor.

Mobile ftw (my mobile marketing presentation)

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was putting together a presentation about mobile, and got lots of great input from some of you.  Well, tomorrow (or today, depending on when you catch this post) is the day I'll deliver that presentation to an auditorium full of marketers. 

My storyline? 2009 may not be the year of mobile but that doesn't mean marketers can't find smart, effective ways to innovate in the mobile channel.  But don't think that mobile advertising models that mirror traditional ad models will cut it.  Instead, focus on five key ways your brand can add value for mobile consumers.

What are the five key ways? Well, you'll have to check out the slides.  As regular readers know, my slides typically require voiceover -- but I think you'll still get the gist.  Besides, they sure are purty.

Mobile FTW

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: mobile gregverdino)

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Feel free to comment or contact me directly if you have any specific questions.

Next big thing? First, master the last big thing

It's the middle of September and we are in smack in the middle of marketing conference season.  As I write this, Advertising Week is in full swing and a number of other marketing, social media and new media events (including OMMA Global, Web 2.0 Expo, Blog World Expo, Inbound Marketing Summit and countless others, I'm sure) have all recently wrapped up.

And as is often the case with these types of events, I'm sure many of these have brought out the usual set of gurus talking about the next big thing to audiences of eager client and agency side marketers hoping to find out what it is, what it means and how to get a jump on the newest, shiniest object before it hits the Marketplace section of the Wall Street Journal.

So I figured I would write a quick blog post advising all the folks who leave these events with visions of shiny new marketing sugarplums dancing in their heads to take a deep breath, turn around and consider which of the 'last big things' they haven't yet used to the fullest of their potential.

Wait a second.  A so-called marketing futurist is telling us to back up and retread the ground we've already walked? 

In a word, 'yes.'

I've often pointed out that social media insiders need to remember that they are ahead of the curve and can't assume that the rest of world is as excited about (or even aware of) the latest, greatest presence applications, mobile social networks or any other new thing that the gods of Web 2.0 throw our way.  Outside the land of the bloggerati and Twitterati, it is still pretty progressive for the average consumer to have both a MySpace and Facebook profile, let alone an account on Flickr, delicious or StumbleUpon.  Mention ExitReality or even lifestreaming and your buddy is bound to call for back-up (ummm, pun intended.)

So I'd like to offer similar advice to marketers.  Stop fixating on the next, and start getting smart about the now -- or even the recent. Before asking what shiny objects are sparkling just around the bend, take a look at the many, many channels that are available to you today and ask yourself if you've done the best job of experimenting, optimizing, standardizing and internalizing the way you use the long list of the not-so-new to engage consumers.

For example, what does your organization do with the following channels?

• Blogging
• Podcasting
• Virtual Worlds
• Gaming
• Social Networking
• Online Community
• Mobile (think SMS, not QR Codes)
• Widgets and Applications
• Feeds (RSS)
• Search Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Behavioral Targeting
• Contextual Targeting
• Video
• Branded Content
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing

None of these things are really all that new, anymore.  At one time or another, every item on that list (and many others, of course) was buzzworthy.  They were the next big thing, or at least the new new thing.  And while most still get plenty of play in marketing circles, most don't raise nearly as many eyebrows as they once did.  Most probably wouldn't be handed off to your 'innovation' guy or gal, as they might have been even a year ago.  They're just more ways to connect with an increasingly multichannel-engaged consumer.

But be honest -- have you cracked the code on any of them yet? I don't believe many marketers have -- fewer still have mastered all of them.  But a lot of these very same marketers are already losing interest in the untried, in favor of the unknown.

What can you do better?  Which 'new to you' thing from the list above can you test (or better yet, turn into a vital element in your overall marketing mix) before you move along to whatever media or marketing innovation the so-called gurus are crowing about today?

What is your organization doing to master the Last Big Thing?

If 2009 will be the 'year of mobile'...

For the past several years, pundits and analysts (not to mention mobile ad networks and content companies) have been predicting that the 'year of mobile' is upon us.  Every year, marketers walk away disappointed that none of the forecasts were even close to accurate.

Nonetheless -- even if only on an intuitive level -- most of us understand and believe that the mobile device is becoming an increasingly important access point for consumers and we hunger for smarts about how to respond to this shift from the couch-top to the desktop to the laptop and, ultimately, to the blacktop.

And so I find myself preparing a presentation about mobility and what it means for marketers. 

I can cover anything from mobile content to mobile commerce, from presence to mobile social software to what the iPhone and Android will mean for consumers, manufacturers, carriers and marketers alike.  I could, but probably won't, talk about mobile as a paid advertising medium.

Now here's where you come in. The odds are good that most of you are both marketers and mobile phone users.  So I'd love to hear your thoughts...

How do you use your mobile device and how has this changed over the past year or so?

What do you consider to be the most exciting development in the mobile space?

What would you like to see brands do on the mobile platform?

What should they not do?

What's the one thing that you think marketers need to know about mobile?

You don't need to answer all of these.  In fact, you don't need to answer any of these directly.  I'd just love to hear your thoughts about everything that's going on in mobile, what you think is important and what you'd just as soon see die on the wireless vine.

Chime in.

Remedial help for Twitter n00bs

If you're still getting the hang of Twitter, have a friend who is a total Tweetard, or simply have trouble remembering some of Twitter's handy dandy mobile shortcuts, you might dig this Tweet Sheet made with 'mobile card' technology from  211(me). 

Check it, slap it on your mobile phone or website, and share it with your Friends and Followers.

Talking about mobile marketing (podcast)

As we kick off 2008, lots of marketers are chattering about the opportunities that exist for mobile as an advertising and marketing channel.  A couple of weeks ago I joined Buzz Marketing for Technology's Paul Dunay and MYXER's Jeff Sass (more about the guys at the bottom of the post) in a spirited discussion about the state of mobile and what marketers should be thinking about for the new year.

Listen to the podcast here (if you like what you hear, you can download the mp3 or subscribe to Paul's feed.)  The podcast is co-produced by MarketingProfs (and posted at the MP Dailyfix too), so you know it's gonna be good.

[Feed and email readers may need to click through to listen.]

About my co-participants:

The podcast is hosted by Paul Dunay, Director of Gobal Field & Interactive Marketing for BearingPoint and produces the Buzz Marketing for Technology podcast.  Paul has spent more than 20 years in marketing, creating buzz for leading technology companies such as Google, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Avaya and Cisco. He also has delivered work for American Express, Motorola, Genzyme, Novartis, Citigroup, Cendant and Ernst & Young. His unique approach to integrated marketing has been recognized as winner of the 2005 Driving New Demand award of the Information Technology Services Marketing Association (ITSMA) and as winner of BearingPoint's Best Overall Marketing Campaign award in 2004.

Jeff Sass is Vice President of Business Development at Myxer, the leader in mobile content downloads. Jeff has more than 25 years' experience in the technology and entertainment industries, with a major focus in the last 10 years in the Internet and mobile space. Jeff has also been the successful president/CEO of two Internet startups in South Florida and was a co-founder and CEO of mobile commerce pioneer BarPoint.com. He has also written and produced for film and television and has a deep understanding of the content business that is unique for a technology executive. He is a graduate of Cornell University.  You can text "Jeff" to "69937" (MYXER) for more info. Jeff has two personal blogs, his Sassholes blog at www.jeffreysass.com and the parody blog www.socialnetworkingrehab.com.