mobile | Internet Marketing Blog

Five reasons publishers are getting ahead of themselves with the iPad

Revenue starved publishers are getting excited about the iPad. Even before Apple's latest product had a name, magazine conglomerates were discussing their plans to deploy tablet-friendly versions of their publications on the device. This week, we're learning some of the details of Condé Nast's plans for the iPad.

And while it's great to see traditional publishers taking some initiative in a burgeoning digital space, there are more than a few reasons to think that many of them are jumping the gun at the chance to charge for content on a new device. Here are five.

by Meghan Keane 01 March 2010 22:01pm 5 comments

Q&A: LBi's Ewen Sturgeon on the Bigmouthmedia deal

As announced yesterday, LBi and Bigmouthmedia merged to create 'Europe's largest digital agency' in a deal worth £100m.

I've been speaking to LBi's Ewen Sturgeon, CEO UK & EMEA, to find some more details about the merger, and ask about trends in the sector in the coming year...

by Graham Charlton 26 February 2010 09:25am 5 comments

Voucher Cloud: iPhone app review

Voucher Cloud is an app developed by Invitation Digital that allows users to get discount vouchers straight to their mobile, as well as locating nearby businesses with special offers.

It's an excellent idea, and one which removes the need to print out vouchers to use discount codes offline. So does the app measure up?

Voucher Cloud app

by Graham Charlton 04 February 2010 09:32am 10 comments

SMWNY: When will location-based services stop being fads and start getting real?

Twitter is over three years old and many people still don't get it. Just last week, The NewYorker's George Packer called it “crack for media addicts.” But will real-time oversharing services make it into the mainstream?

At The Future of Space and Time talk during Social Media Week in New York on Wednesday, panelists from the tech world noted that conditioning larger audiences to share their real-time info and location will be necessary for such technologies to truly take off.

And for advertisers, this could be the key to actually serving those relevant ads everyone's always talking about.

by Meghan Keane 03 February 2010 17:54pm 0 comments

Foursquare and Bravo try to bridge the digital divide — one check-in at a time

As television audiences shrink, the networks are suddenly very interested in partnerships that bridge the digital divide. That might help explain why a big brand like Bravo TV would announce a partnership with a tiny startup like Foursquare today. And it might just work.

Starting this week, Foursquare will start awarding its users with badges that have Bravo themes when they visit over 500 locations associated with the network. The announcement is just one of many partnerships Foursquare has been quickly announcing, and it is just the kind of thing that networks need to do if they want to connect their television audiences with digital and real world products.

by Meghan Keane 01 February 2010 17:55pm 1 comment

Google's makes mobile search ads more useful with the introduction of a link

This week Google has brought marketers one step closer to actually tapping into the holy grail of local, mobile advertising with the simple addition of a hot link. Starting Thursday, Google search ads can include click-to-call links.

The look and feel of the ads won't change much, but letting users click on search results gets them one step closer to spending money at those establishments, which is why local businesses are getting excited about mobile advertising.

by Meghan Keane 29 January 2010 01:28am 1 comment

Hello iPad, goodbye Kindle?

Apple's big announcement came and went this morning with more than a few surprises and disappointments (including a name that has made some women less than happy). But one unexpected announcement — a price point at less than half expected estimates — leaves a question unanswered. If the iPad only costs $499, is this the end of the Kindle?

Apple is certainly gunning for Kindle territory. After presenting the odd juxtaposition of Steve Jobs standing in front of a Kindle today, the Apple founder took a jab aimed directly at the heart of Amazon's e-reader business.

by Meghan Keane 27 January 2010 22:58pm 2 comments

Online retailers see fraud as a major threat - report

57% of merchants see online fraud as the greatest threat to their business, while they expect to lose an average of 1.8% of their income to fraud.

This is one of the findings from Cybersource's 2010 UK Online Fraud Report, which surveys consumers and retailers about how fraud affects their business and shopping habits.

by Graham Charlton 26 January 2010 13:42pm 3 comments

Yoox.com: mobile site review

Italian fashion retailer Yoox.com runs online stores in Europe, North America and Japan, with a global average of 5.9m monthly unique visitors.

I recently came across the Yoox.com mobile site, which looks to be a good example of how to do mobile commerce. I've been taking a closer look at the site...

Yoox mobile

by Graham Charlton 26 January 2010 12:10pm 0 comments

Augmented reality [AR]: The technology is now market ready

Location sensing within mobile devices is reaching a new phase of development and distribution. This new phase, now commercially available for augmented reality developers, delivers powerful local search solutions.

by Tina Whitfield 25 January 2010 20:23pm 4 comments