Mobile Marketer explored the new Rolex advertising campaign appearing in April’s W Magazine that lets consumers get information and deals from the brand, as well as enter for a chance to win $1,000.00. I like how print magazines are trying to integrate into relevant mobile user experiences.

When I think of Rolex, I think luxury, quality and style. But I also think of an older demographic, that sticks to print. So I’m glad to see Rolex taking a step in a fresh and innovative direction. If print becomes more interactive in various ways, it could become even more interesting than a purely digital magazine. (see my previous post about a video player embedded in an issue of Entertainment Weekly) Hopefully, other luxury brands will follow and increase mobilized print ads in consumer publications.

The ad itself relies on pure image recognition. The way it works is that readers can snap a photo of the ad, send the pic to an email address and get more information as well as an entry into the cash sweepstakes.

Moving forward, print publications could offer readers a companion mobile app to make the interactive experience even easier. A magazine app could just require the user view the ads and use image recognition via the users device as opposed to emailing it. This would also allow the magazine to harvest valuable demographic info. Finding out exactly who is reading the ads would be a great pitch to attract new advertisers not previously considered.

Making print ads interactive (regardless of the method) is a good way to inject print magazines with more life and prop up the whole publishing industry.

Mobile Marketer had a feature on Jumptap, a company who delivers mobile ads revamped their mobile ad network. Jumptap is taking mobile ad personalization to a new level. They’re giving consumers the ability to tell brands what they want, when they want it. Mobile users will be given the ability to manage their own profiles for a more personalized brand experience.

This is the key to the future of advertising – letting the consumer specify what they want and delivering relevant ads. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts addressing ad personalization, why not target consumers with a product they are likely to buy?

In addition to serving the consumers, this gives advertisers the ability to serve better ads. Targeted spots will be more enjoyed and appreciated when they’re given to the perfect audience.

Additionally, consumers can reveal demographic information in exchange for special offers, coupons, deals, or less ads. In return, advertisers get valuable stats on their audience and consumers get even better results from their mobile user experience.

Google introduced a new service for searching with gestures for Android 2.0 and above. This gesturing could evolve into some pretty cool uses and mobile user interface design opportunities.

Basically, users scrawl a letter (or “alphabet gesture” as Google Labs calls it) on the touch screen to bring up a contact, app, music file or bookmark from a list of hundreds or even thousands on your Android phone. The mobile user interface eliminates the need to type in certain cases.

While the gesture feature is currently for searching only, this opens up lots of possibilities for interesting mobile user interface design possibilities for Android. The API could be opened up so that anyone writing Google apps could make use of ‘common’ gestures.

Universal gestures could be explored that could be used across any app.

Imagine that there’s a ’send to the Google cloud gesture’ and a piece of content you’re interacting with could automatically be sent to the appropriate cloud service. For example, you receive a document, gesture it, and it ends up stored in your Google Docs. Or the ability to gesture a phone number on a site and save it in Google voice would make interacting with Google cloud services easier.

I’m happy to see Android evolving and opening up the door to explore more touch based user interface design options. It’s a good time to experiment before rigid standards make their way into the mobile user interface design community.

Verizon continues to blend their product offerings through a converged mobile user experience. InteractiveTV Today had a post detailing the variety of FiOS TV features that will soon launch. There are some cool elements that also have practical real world use - a good example of a multi-screen experience.

I was particularly interested in the news that Verizon will soon release software that will let viewers to use their WiFi-enabled smartphones as a remote control. Through a remote access service, Fios TV subscribers will be able to use their mobile to review, change or add recording requests, delete recorded programs, browse and search TV and video-on-demand listings, and set parental controls.

Mobile devices are so much more sophisticated than the typical remote – it’s a great use of mobile technology.

This opens up a host of possibilities to bundle Verizon TV and mobile services together - building consumer loyalty and expand Verizon’s reach. A good example of this might be Verizon suggesting new content purchases based on shows or music you’ve watched or programmed to record. By utilizing one device as an extension of another, new user experiences are possible. For example, when watching FIOS TV and you see an ad for a show you want to watch, you don’t have to interrupt your viewing experience on the television. You just use your mobile phone to set the show to record.
Other features include an enhanced Interactive Media guide for FiOS TV as well as “bidirectional sideloading”—which allows viewers to use their TV to access digital files from mobile phones attached to their PC’s. There will also be an interactive TV application that allows you to watch free samples of premium channels with the option to order as well as various widgets, like the football widget that displays statistics alongside a game.

I’d love to see more social tv features. For example, notify when my friends are watching tv, let me know what they’re watching, let me invite them to watch something with me, etc.

Stop the presses! Sort of…Entertainment Weekly is running a CBS video ad in…their print magazine. InteractiveTV Today had all the details and I was pretty blown away. Not just about the technology – which is amazing – but the idea that online is now going print instead of the other way around. This concept is a great juxtaposition of print and digital. 

The way it works is that the video player insert is a flexible, thin, plastic screen on two pages, activated when opened (like musical greeting cards). The ad has 5 channels with 40 minutes of content. Readers can change the channel by pressing buttons embedded in the print ad. It’s launching “Monday to the Max,” a campaign for CBS’s comedy and drama line up along with a promotional tie in with the new Pepsi Max. (Pepsi Max is billed as “the first diet cola for men” with ginseng and lots more caffeine than regular Pepsi.) 

The Entertainment Weekly issue won’t be out till Sept 18th but is already generating a lot of buzz. The CBS/Entertainment Weekly ad will only appear in LA and NY subscription copies - no newsstand sales - so copies are sure to be scarce. I’m looking forward to more uses of this technology which might have the added benefit of giving the struggling print industry a shot in the arm. Magazines could have unique tie-ins or exclusives with a show or movie. From gardening to news to sports publications, the possibilities are endless.

Looking forward, it would be interesting to use this technology to go further into print, broadcast and mobile convergence. Perhaps readers could have access to a ‘trial’ episode teaser clip of the show. (with appropriate cliff hanger ending, of course) In order to continue the program, you’d need to buy a subscription or pay a fee. 

Or maybe the reader would be directed to a website to sign up for a free promotion to continue watching, yielding valuable consumer information. It would be great for consumers to be able to choose where and how they continue watching the show with availability across numerous platforms. 

Also, short-form episodic content - like mobisodes or webisodes – could be available exclusively through a video player in a print publication. Theoretically, this could drive up subscriptions and test the waters for the show to eventually become a “traditional” television show or feature film. 

CBS says the video player insert, made by a Los Angeles company called Americhip Inc, will be able to withstand the binding processes and mail delivery to arrive ready to go.

InteractiveTV Today had a blog post ahout a new augmented reality platform called metaio World that is hitting the major mobile platforms including iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, and Symbian. This is good news for the mobile world – as platforms become more widespread, tons of possibilities are opening up to design more engaging mobile user experiences and immersive mobile user interfaces. 

The platform allows users to link personal content – like Twitter messages, photos, etc - with any real-world location. Content can then be viewed by others who happen onto that location. Using Twitter is very clever as users are much more likely to use the service if it’s tied to a well-known social media platform. I’d like to see even more social media integration – users who happened upon a comment or animation would be able to look up contact information for the creator on LinkedIn or Facebook. 

Integrating the time element would also be a feature that has real world benefits. For example, if a nightclub event starts at 10 pm, information would only be available at certain times of day. Club goers could have the ability to examine current data versus data from months past to tell if the club is hot or on its way out. 

3D components open a ton of possibilities - imagine taking avatars from other virtual environments (Sims or Second Life for example) and using them in the augmented environment as a gateway or link to the actual virtual environment.

There are also retail opportunities if users are given the ability to purchase virtual goods for their character. An example might be messages left outside of a trendy clothing store. Shoppers could receive free or discounted virtual goods based on the stores current clothing line. Virtual shopping might translate into real world purchases and benefit the story, justifying the cost of an AR campaign. 

As you can see, this is just the beginning and I’m eager to see where mobile design and augmented reality will take us, particularly related to mobile user interfaces.

Best Buy is the latest retailer to jump into the rapidly expanding Augmented Reality pool. Adverblog had a post on the new “Best Buy in 3D” campaign. Users can take Best Buy’s Sunday paper insert, weekly retail publication or in-store circular and use it (with a webcam) to experience the advertised products in 3D. 

Using one-dimensional paper and a traditional advertising delivery system is a great way to transition “old school” consumers* into the new technology. (Yes, they’re out there and they have way more disposable income than the kids)  

A mobile component would be a natural fit for the Best Buy shopper. Instead of wandering the aisles or waiting for a less-than-knowledgeable sales clerk, consumers could use their mobile device to take a picture of merchandise or a QR code to immediately bring up additional information. Some great extra features to help you make an immediate purchasing decision could include: 

• 3D models
• Consumer Reviews
• Tutorials or Videos
• Additional purchases to compliment a purchase of that item.

Additionally, with GPS, the extra features could be tailored to the section you’re standing in. For example, if you’re in the video game department, you get video game specials. 

Also, with a “smart” feature, the application would remember that 3 months ago you made a specific purchase at the store and suggest additional items to buy. For example, buy ink for a printer. 

I would love the ability to tag a product so I receive a notification when it goes on sale or hits a certain price point. (For example: Notify me when this monitor is $250 or less/Notify me when this washing machine is available in red) 

Clearly, augmented reality is not just for selling stuff and it’s going to blow up like crazy in the coming months. I just saw that multi-platinum Grammy winning rapper Eminem is on the cutting edge with his “Eminem Augmented Reality Competition” Could education be the next frontier for Augmented Reality? What industry do you think will jump in next?

Ah…revenue. The often elusive component of really cool free services. But looking at creative ways to generating income is also becoming pretty cool as mobile technology takes off. In a recent article, MobiADNews explored some interesting possibilities by looking at a patent application that could be used with Google Voice.

The patent describes features such as an auction based ad selling system, caller location determining ad selection, category ad choices and the ability to charge advertisers by how much of the ad is actually heard. 

I have a few ideas about creative ways to capitalize on ringback advertising. While Google gives you free service, you get: 

• Gentle reminders. Use transcripts to target a don’t-you-dare-forget event (Mother’s Day, anniversary, birthday) and offer specific contextual voice ads. A reminder coupled with a coupon or special offer would probably be appreciated more often than not. 
• Relevant content. A call from your girlfriend might include a florist ad, a call to your doctor could show specials at your pharmacy 
• Recommendations. Google could integrate the ads with Google checkout. For example, if Google remembers you’ve purchased movie tickets, Google Voice could present ads to buy tickets on Thursday afternoon for the Friday release of a new film.
• Special offers. Movie tickets purchased through Google Checkout trigger special discounts on related merchandise or buy-one-get-one coupon at the snack bar.
• Targeted product information. The video games you are interested in trigger popup reminders about game release dates and nearby stores that carry them. 

 Of course, the ultimate goal should be to add to, not compromise, the mobile user experience.

I’m a fan of mobile user experiences that have real world benefits. This week, Fast Company had a story on unique applications that are, quite literally, life savers. The American Heart Association and Bayer are leveraging vital medical information and devices to make them more accessible and easier to use.

A University of Alabama professor has received a $50,000 grant from the American Heart Association to develop a program that will use the Wii remote to teach CPR. The mobile component is vital – imagine being at a major public event like a baseball game. If a person goes into distress, precious minutes could tick by as a doctor is located and makes his way through the crowd to reach the patient. Now everyone with a mobile device can quickly access this program and start treatment till the pros arrive. 

Just a quick look at the Heart Association’s websites shows a huge host of information that is vital for healthy living. Making this available in a creative way might encourage more people to pursue a healthy lifestyle. 

The next real world app mentioned in the article is a great idea for kids struggling with diabetes.Bayer has created Didget, a blood-glucose meter that plugs into the Nintendo DS. Regular monitoring wins points which kids can spend on in-game items. Again, the mobile component for this is great – kids could access and use at school, on the soccer field or anywhere they need to make sure they are in the right range. 

I’m wondering if these devices could be paid for by insurance carriers? To look at this on a global and altruistic level, a society of healthy people is a better society. And if mobile user experiences help us get there, then bring it on!

I watched a video of the first public demonstration of the Siri Search Interface presented at the D: Conference. Siri is a search engine billed as a “virtual personal assistant” for the Apple iPhone or computer. “Not another search engine!” you might be thinking, but Siri is different in a smart way. 

Instead of passive information, users get actionable results. For example - searching for a movie currently in theaters will presented by Fandango (a Siri partner) with the ability to immediately buy tickets. Another example “Find direct flights from Chicago to San Jose” yields flight results. Siri’s results are based on partnerships via APIs. As Siri secures more of these partnerships, they’ll evolve into an extremely useful search perfectly designed for the mobile user. 

I’ve always felt that voice interaction was a missing piece of the mobile device puzzle so I was thrilled to see that a portion of the demonstration including searching via the users voice. I predict that faster devices and better speech recognition will lead to two way voice interaction – a user will be able to search hands-free while multitasking or driving and have the results read instead of just displayed. Interacting with the results would be another huge step forward. Imagine searching for a plumber and be able to filter your search based on voice. Via your voice an intelligent search agent could select the top 3 plumbers, call them for you, and ask them to call you with their availability at a specific time.

I’m a big fan of voice interaction and how it can be inserted into existing technologies, gadgets and devices. I’ll be posting more about this feature and my thoughts on how it will impact the future of the mobile industry. As a matter of fact, this post was dictated with MacSpeech Dictate (and edited afterwards).