mobile | Internet Marketing Blog

Google's e-commerce fail. The Nexus One in stores soon.

Google's approach to selling the Nexus One may have been noble. But it didn't work. Four months after launching a web store for its top of the line smartphone, Google is pulling the plug.

The Nexus One will be available in stores worldwide over the next few months, when Google will kill its e-commerce site. According to the search giant, the world wasn't ready for a wholly digital approach to purchasing cellphones. They certainly weren't ready for the pricetag.

by Meghan Keane 14 May 2010 21:52pm 5 comments

Mobile commerce, not advertising, may just finally bring "The Year of Mobile" everyone's been waiting for

Looking at current earnings, the mobile ad market is wildly overvalued right now. Only $416 million was spent on mobile advertising in 2009. Meanwhile, Google recently paid $750 million for AdMob and Apple shelled out another $250 million for Quattro Wireless. What gives?

Well, Google and Apple made those investments based on how much they think the mobile market will be worth in the near future. But a lot of people think that mobile will never reach the potential that mobile optimists are predicting.

One of those people is Gilt Groupe's chairman Kevin Ryan. Speaking at an event in New York this week, Ryan expressed skepticism that brands — and consumers — will flock to mobile advertising. The comments are interesting because his own company, which sells luxury items at steep discounts, is part of a mobile segment that is poised for massive mobile growth — digital commerce.

by Meghan Keane 11 May 2010 22:53pm 2 comments

Multichannel accounts for 43% of Argos sales

Argos is showing other multichannel retailers how it's done, with its multichannel sales reaching £1.9bn in the last financial year.

According to the company's results (pdf), multichannel accounted for 43% of Argos' sales, and justifies the company's investment in services such as reserve and collect.

by Graham Charlton 04 May 2010 09:37am 2 comments

Election 2010: app review

Having taken a look at the Labour and Conservative iPhone apps recently, I have come across an app that is potentially useful for all voters, not just the party faithful.

The Election 2010 iPhone app is the work of Stuart Sharpe, and it provides a wealth of information about the election.

by Graham Charlton 29 April 2010 09:04am 0 comments

AdMob: Google's diversification strategy with the Android is making gains on Apple's iPhone

Apple's iPhone may be known as The Jesus Phone, but Google's diversified approach to selling smartphones appears to be paying off. According to AdMob's March Mobile Metrics Report, Google's Android operating system is quickly picking up market share in the smartphone market.

by Meghan Keane 27 April 2010 22:01pm 0 comments

Sony looks to win over viewers for Karate Kid through mobile gaming

Film studios are getting a lot more comfortable with digital and social media as means of marketing their upcoming films. It's not really by choice. Evidence is showing films that generate digital buzz pre-launch have much better luck at the box office.

Sony Pictures, for one, is looking to mobile to make headway with viewers in the lead up to the premiere of this summer's Karate Kid. Together with Universal McCann and youth marketing specialists Trigger, Sony created a game to target potential audience goers and encourage them to share info about the film, out in June.

by Meghan Keane 16 April 2010 22:32pm 1 comment

TripAdvisor: mobile site review

Travel review site TripAdvisor launched the full version of its mobile website recently, having already tested the concept with a beta version.

I've been trying the new mobile site out...

by Graham Charlton 12 April 2010 09:41am 7 comments

Steve Jobs says iAds will do something novel — make mobile ads work

Today Steve Jobs announced what Apple has been working on since its reported $275 million acquisition of Quattro wireless in January — a mobile ad network. The new network, called iAd, promises to give advertisers what they've long been wanting from digital advertising — rich media experiences that engage consumers.

And thanks to Apple's proprietary hold on iPhone apps, it may just deliver.

by Meghan Keane 08 April 2010 22:56pm 2 comments

Gap unveils its new iPad shopping experience

Publishers have been hard at work getting products ready the iPad (and charging for them) for the past few months, but the deluge of iPad friendly publications and games has been met with silence from one sector — retail.

This week, Gap has launched a new app that shows how retailers can take advantage of the new platform — and how well free applications can thrive in the new space as well.

by Meghan Keane 08 April 2010 17:52pm 2 comments