For instance, take TV or even the Internet; there are those who swear that gathering around the computer and playing games or watching streaming video brings parents and children together, while others decry that technology continues to drive generations further apart. Personally, I believe that it all comes down to moderation and that the situation differs from family to family. However, it is interesting to note how marketers are starting to tout texting (especially text2win) as something for all audiences, young and old.

Consider the family-centric rhetoric used in a press release concerning this week’s mobile campaign for Snikiddy® Snacks:

“Snikiddy® is the first All Natural snack food to go completely text while offering prizes, taking family snack culture and health to the next generation. Using a no ballots and no paper approach, winning anything from an iPad to a Jamis Bike, Grocery Gift Cards or Backpacks with cool gear and useful stuff, Snikiddy® snacks reaches kids and parents with healthy snacks and texting as the common ground.”

The release also claims that the brand’s use of text2win will put it ahead of other natural food companies by speaking directly to its tech-savvy, green-minded audience (because if you’re green, you’re more likely to text?) and giving consumers the opportunity to engage with the brand by entering contests using the tools that are already such a daily component of their lives.

“Snikiddy is loved by the entire family and so is texting,” says co-founder Mary Schulman. “When you walk into a Whole Foods or other grocery stores, and see the Snikiddy® call to action, you can immediately text in your entry.”

Like any text2win mobile opportunity, participants send an SMS message containing a given keyword (snikiddy) to a short code (23000). After entry, contestants receive a confirmation message generated by Snikiddy® and its partner Red Fish Media. Red Fish collects the data, handles alternate means of entry, qualifies contestants, and alerts winners, all via text. Snikiddy® is also using its SMS presence to send out mobile discounts/coupons to its subscribers.

As of this writing, and since this platform apparently just launched (the text I received said “You’ll learn about sales, special offers, and promos!” Note the use of the future tense), I can only imagine what sort of offers Snikiddy®  will send its customers. However, I’d like now to ruminate on how you could make the text2win experience something that is truly for everyone in the family. Is it possible? After all, texting seems like a very personal, individual operation.

Perhaps Snikiddy® envisions parents passing their phones to their children in the grocery store to let them enter a contest to win a new bike (some babies get to play with their parents’ iPads, so why not hand over your Android to a precocious three-year-old?). However, I think an even more interesting idea would be a contest or sweepstakes that gets both parents and children involved as simultaneous participants. For example, what if Snikiddy® held a contest asking for silly/creative mobile-photos of kids and their parents enjoying one of its products, like the company’s “Baked Fries” (the shape lends itself well to walrus-faces, unicorn-jousting, etc)? In this way, the family members participate together in the mobile space. Furthermore, why not offer prizes/rewards that both children and their guardians can get behind? For instance, returning to my silly-fry-picture idea, the prize could be an iPod for the kids, and something equally tempting for the parents (maybe even another iPod). In this way, Snikiddy® would bolster its reputation as a “family” brand while rewarding the joint-participation of children and their parents (and encouraging everyone to stay invested in the company).

… Too bad Snikiddy® does not have any specific offers yet to showcase its mobile-savvy. Still, at least they did send me a confirmation text immediately after I signed up. I wish them the best of luck (although if I see any silly-fry pictures being posted on the site, I’ll expect a thank you… you have my number, Snikiddy® ).

Here’s the primary image:

Needless to say, the thing that caught my eye was the barcode prominently displayed across Alicia Keys’ chest. Hoping that there was more to this advertisement then a tongue-in-cheek “check me out” joke, I looked to the copy. Sure enough, the instructions were to “Scan this shirt to fight AIDS.” However, since my little Matrix cannot join in any Smartphone games, I was glad to find that texting “Alicia” to the shortcode 90999 would lead me to the same mobile opportunity… which is pretty un-inspiring.

After sending in the keyword, I was sent a text asking me to confirm my $10 donation to KeepAChildAlive by sending another text that said “YES.” The trouble is… I know absolutely nothing about this campaign or the organization at this point in time as an end-user. All I know is that this charity has something to do with fighting AIDS in Africa and has Alicia Keys as a sponsor. In other words, isn’t it a bit early in the process to take my money?

OK, time for a little “psychology of persuasion 101″ lesson on conversion funnels (e.g. getting someone who is interested in AIDS charities to make a mobile donation):

“A site [or mobile call-to-action] must figuratively hold a visitor’s hand and lead him through a pre-determined thought process” (Kesler, 2010).  While on this journey, companies should use design elements and copy to persuade users that the benefits of their actions will far outweigh the costs. As they move through the funnel from awareness, to interest, to desire, users should feel their motivation to act grow. At the same time, companies should address any nagging-doubts the user will have regarding the wisdom of their actions. However, the “Buy Life” campaign fails to do much more than repeat its own slogan.

Rather than sending me a text that immediately demands I hand over money, “Buy Life” should instead treat me more like a guest, and welcome me to the cause, or at least thank me for what I’m about to do. I appreciate the space limits of SMS messages, but one additional line of text would be well-worth it if it makes me feel like this donation is something I want to do, rather than something that is expected of me. Charitable behavior is still a choice; it should be ”rewarded” by a little encouragement. Furthermore, the print ad in WIRED doesn’t give me any sort of background information on the organization, or tell me how my money will be used. Therefore, I assumed that the mobile content would shed some more light on this, or at the very least point me to an online site that would. However, “mGive.org/T” leads to the eye-burning teeny-tiny legalese of the foundation’s Terms and Conditions. No compelling stories of human suffering, no media demonstrating how these donations make a difference, not even any additional pictures of Alicia Keys, Usher, or other celebrity-spokespeople. In brief, nothing that makes me want to “Buy Life.”

Conversely, examine the “Donate” page on the Join(RED) Website. There are four short paragraphs on the site that describe the reach of the AIDS virus, give a little background information on the organization, a reassuring call-to-action, and donation instructions. Moreover, there are pictures of smiling children (given a new lease on life by this charity) and the language is far more emotionally evocative than “confirm your donation”:

“You don’t have to be a large corporation or a governing body to donate to the Global Fund inspired by (RED). Anyone can do it. There are millions of dollars at work on the ground in Africa thanks to individuals who donated.”

Perhaps the barcode (read: Smartphone) experience is different and fancier. However, if this is the case, I would almost prefer that the shortcode experience not exist because I found it so disappointing. The lessons here are simple, if you have a mobile call-to-action, make it worthwhile… and if you bother to include a way for people with “dumbphones” to participate, don’t offer them an experience that makes them feel second-rate because it is so poorly designed and impersonal.

I’m sorry, but “Buy Life” is not inspiring, it is vague… and I’m not a guy, so the chance to scan a barcode running across Alicia Keys is not much of a perk, either  

Constellation Wines is planning to pull out all the stops (corks?) with its new mobile campaign that the company hopes will put its wines at the center of consumers’ holiday party-planning. According to its Website, the company partnered with Augme Technologies to spread the word about the interactive campaign which utilizes QR codes and SMS keywords to draw shoppers to the brand and encourage repeat purchases. I came across the ad by clicking on a link in the bi-weekly e-newsletter I receive from BevMo!, although the company claims it will also be using “free-standing” newspaper inserts to promote its revamped mobile outreach.

However, before I analyze the mobile experience itself, I feel I should take Constellation Wines to task regarding its promotion of this mobile opportunity. In truth, I only saw the link because I was looking for “mobile” somewhere in the myriad of ads that get sent to my e-mail inbox. It will be interesting to see what sort of public response this particular campaign receives as, so far, these promotional efforts seem to me pretty weak. For example, I do not know many people nowadays who carefully read each and every newspaper insert, if at all. Most members of my generation (that read the paper), simply remove them, flip through looking for great deals on new electronics, and then chuck the whole stack into the recycle bin. I think a more effective adverting approach would be for Constellation Wines to place its promotional materials directly in those places where people go to purchase wine, in order to create an actual physical proximity between the brand and consumers. Furthermore, in order to reach its younger constituents (who have the wherewithal to host holiday gatherings), Constellation Wines should partner with regional wine bloggers and enthusiasts (of which there are hundreds) to send out calls-to-action regarding using the Constellation Wines mobile platform to plan the perfect holiday party. Around this time of year, there are countless publications (both mainstream and Internet-based) that offer tips on entertaining guests, and, as I will later discuss, I believe the angle Constellation Wines has chosen for its mobile offerings is worth promoting in that regard.

According to David Apple, chief marketing officer of Augme Technologies, “This campaign [will] provide consumers with a suite of intelligence to generate customized results based on their individual party-planning needs – right at the peak point of decision-making [...] Constellation Wines is a lifestyle brand and usually revolves around a social event [...] This mobile experience provides a deep level of engagement to educate consumers about everything they need to make a proper decision.”

To participate, customers simply text HOST, WINE, CHEERS or PARTY to the short code 30333 to get a link to the company’s mobile site (they can also reportedly scan a 2D bar code).

The highlight of the mobile site, and the experience most heavily promoted by Constellation Wines, is a “party-planning calculator” that gives users personalized recommendations concerning how much (and what type of) wine they should buy to satisfy the needs of a party as dictated by its length/duration, the number of guests, and the consumers’ budgetary restrictions. To prolong the consumers’ relationship with the Constellation Wines brand, mobile-users can also sign up to receive promotions from the company and share their results on social media networks like Facebook or Twitter.

The idea is that the calculator will help you avoid mistakes when planning your next party, especially if you are an “amateur” wine enthusiast. “You want to get it right,” says Mr. Apple (oh, how I wish his name was ‘Grape’).  As someone who has previously had to coordinate events/parties (both professional and personal), I immediately could see the appeal of this type of mobile opportunity. As a drink choice, wine is rarely cheap, and in an economy like the one facing us, you want to make sure you get your money’s worth when purchasing food and spirits for your guests. Although you do not want to appear miserly by skimping on the drinks, you also do not want to be left with eight open, half-drunk bottles of wine at evening’s end (it does not keep very well). Therefore, I like the idea of using the “calculator” to guide my planning efforts, and the notion of having access to this tool when I most need it: in my pocket when I’m out at the store considering which wines to purchase for my upcoming soiree.

Up to a point, the “WineHost” mobile site delivers on its promise. In addition to the party calculator, the site also offers quick access to food and wine pairings (important, detailed information), which might be useful for “amateur” hosts, and a prominently displayed call-to-action regarding signing up for additional promotions. I like how straightforward every process on the site is; it requires very little effort on the part of the user to interact with a majority of the provided content, and one never feels overwhelmed by what the screen displays. For example, the food and wine pairing sections operates like a decision tree: first, do you want the guide to suggest a food to go with a wine you’ve selected, or vice-versa? Next, the screen displays a limited amount of options, which I found much more preferable than having to scroll through a long list of data (due to the small dimensions of my Matrix’s screen). Similarly, when asked to directly enter content into the site’s calculator or on similar pages, no more than 5 fields required filling in, which is again great for people who are wary of spending 10+ minutes hopping around on a mobile site. Therefore, I’m tempted to say that as an end-user, I am very satisfied with the WineHost’s design and functionality. However, as someone with a marketing background, I have to question whether Constellation Wines is truly being served via this platform.

Concerning the platform’s branding, there are very few elements to tie the WineHost directly to Constellation Wines. Although the wines that are ultimately all recommended are managed by Constellation, a user would never know this unless they were familiar with the company’s diverse beverage portfolio. The site features a burgundy background and calligraphic-typography which, although it communicates a warm, elegant feeling, is completely divergent from Constellation Wine’s own crisp, blue, be-starred brand. I can see this disconnect being potentially problematic in two ways: one, the mobile WineHost in its current incarnation does nothing to inspire brand loyalty. This is a shame because, as I admitted, the party calculator is actually quite an innovative mobile tool. However, if it is not associated with Constellation Wines, what are the chances that I may return to this company for my future wine wants? Furthermore, by not announcing its connection with the Constellation Wines brand, is the company running the risk of having consumers think them deceptive? For instance, if consumers get weary of the calculator suggesting the same five brands for every occasion, might they not grow suspicious, do some research, and “discover” the partnership between Augme Technologies and Constellation? And would this revelation then lead them to think (incorrectly) that Constellation was trying to in some way trick them into purchasing these wines? *shrugs* Just a thought.

In all, I will raise a glass to the design and effectiveness of the WineHost as a unique mobile offering, but decline to mention its lackluster promotion and branding during the toast. Cheers!

However, there are also times when I hate Target… usually around the Holidays. This is because the normal efficiency the store staff displays throughout the year tends to go out the window around November. Communications break down, and hardly anybody knows what products are in the store, or how to find them elsewhere in the Target-verse if they are sold out. That’s why when I read online that Target had revamped its mobile platform to offer consumers more “ho-ho-ho” (holiday cheer) and less no-no-no! (mutual frustration/hatred between shoppers and staff), I was curious to learn more and try it out for myself.

There are three ways in which mobile users can shop on-the-go with Target: the company’s mobile site (m.target.com), iPhone and Android applications, and text alerts. Since I am she-of-the-dumb-phone, the fancy applications are not an option, but here are my thoughts on the other two opportunities:

m.target.com

The mobile site’s uncluttered design earns two thumbs up, and displays well even on my phone’s little screen. The main navigation menu runs along the top of the page and only includes five primary sections (home, products, lists, stores, my Target), while the remaining cyber-real estate is occupied by some clean graphics inviting me to sign-up for the “Christmas Deal Feed,” “Find a Gift,” “Shop the Christmas and/or Toy Catalog,” or to check out the “Season Surprises” (from top electronics brands). I like that Target’s mobile site offers portals directly to content well-suited to its target users: busy holiday shoppers. Each mobile page showcases holiday-themed search and browsing capabilities (like suggesting gifts for multiple age groups), and every product page includes photos, ratings/reviews, and (Hallelujah, it’s a miracle!) availability and aisle location. Furthermore, the “my Target” section enables registered-users to streamline part of the shopping process by creating/managing their own lists via their phones. Also, the inclusion of electronic-centric “season surprises” is a smart decision that takes into account that customers using their mobile devices to access the Target platform are obviously tech-literate and may be in the market for some new gadgets.

In addition to these larger, holiday-esque graphics, the screen also displays two button-links: Daily-Deals and the weekly Target-ad optimized for mobile browsing. In this way, Target effectively markets coupons that are compelling and urgent, as its “daily deals” are available for one-day-only, but are further incentivized by the promise of free-shipping. Hence, Target uses its mobile site to simultaneously spur and reward its consumers’ impulse-buying behaviors. Furthermore, the Target mobile site’s store locator is a receptionist’s dream because it lists the store hours and services in addition to mapping its location and providing driving directions. Plus, these listings are regularly updated by Target to provide consumers with information regarding special holiday hours (it would be interesting to see if less people are calling Target these days with that classic question). According to an online press release, “Target is the first national retailer to offer a scan-able mobile coupon program,” redeemed by cashiers who scan the bar code on the phone’s screen at checkout. To sign-up for the program, one simply texts COUPONS to 827438 (TARGET). Apparently this program has been so successful that Target has doubled the number of offers mobile users receive each month. However, although I wanted to give this a try, I was told my first coupon would arrive “within two weeks of sign up.” OK… so much for convenience. I’m not sure I understand why Target would make consumers wait two weeks for their first mobile coupon, especially during the onset of the Holiday Season when consumers are playing the retail field for the best deals they can immediately access.

SMS Text-Alerts

Unlike my misadventure in non-bar-code-scanning, I had more luck with the SMS portion of the Target mobile platform. After signing-up to receive the text alerts for the “Daily Deals,” and “Hot Holiday Items” (using the shortcode “OFFERS”),  I received 7 offers within a single “daily deal” promotion. I was very impressed to see that Target had included this many options to choose from, as it really increased the likelihood that I would find something I wanted to buy (as it happens, there were three offers that appealed to me, but I could only select one). I definitely look forward to receiving more “daily deals” in the future.

However, the real surprise came when I flipped through the print version of the store’s holiday catalog… and discovered a lot of QR codes. Whether these codes actually work is a question that someone else will have to explore. However, I would like to point out something smart that Target has done with these codes that I have not seen other companies do: it explains what you’re getting right in the copy of the ad, and how to access the additional content if you cannot or do not want to scan the QR code. For example, on page 22 of the catalog, featuring “Gifts for Her,” there is a QR code that customers can scan to access fashion tips from Nina Garcia (of Elle magazine and Project Runway fame). There is also a short link (Target.com/NinaGarcia) that you can enter on your Internet-enabled phone to unlock the same video. Sure, the video did not look great on my Matrix, but the more important thing (for me, anyway), was that Target even gave me the option to see what all those QR-friendly phones could (plus, the video loaded in about 30 seconds, thanks to device recognition). Therefore, although Target does offer high-tech mobile experiences like QR codes and its apps for iPhone and Android devices, it also offers dumb-phone users a satisfying slice of its mobile-platform pie.

‘Tis the Season

Finally, an interview I found online between Mobile Commerce Daily’s Giselle Tsirulnik and Target spokesperson Molly Hanus Koenst, reveals that the big-box retailer is planning even more holiday-themed content for its mobile users, to give them an edge during that retail-sporting-event commonly known as “Black Friday” and its new partner, “Cyber Monday.”  According to Koenst, “two days before Black Friday, store-specific maps will be available on Target.com that guests can send to their mobile phone to help better navigate the store and quickly find the items on their list [...] Target guests will [also] have access to Black Friday deals via their mobile device on Thanksgiving Day.”

Pass the turkey and the iPhone, please?

According to some of the lecturers we’ve had in class, there are possibly half-a-million apps in the iPhone store, which makes it very difficult for consumers to find your app unless they already know about it. Yet, in spite of this obvious need for companies to distinguish themselves in the marketplace, thousands of apps go unnoticed every day. This makes no sense to me. If you spend $10k to make the application in the first place, you would hope that your company would also set aside money for you to promote it, otherwise how are consumers to know it’s available?  Companies should not treat their “mobile experiences”  as just another form of advertising, but also as a product/service. After all, people pay to use it, you paid to make it… so why not tell everyone about it? And why not tell them using exciting, LARGE copy?

While hunting for this week’s test-subject, I flipped through magazines like WIRED, TIME, Popular Science etc. and, for the first time since… ever, I paid attention to the ads. However, 9 times out of 10, when companies wanted me to use my mobile device to access “special content” or really engage with their marketing, the call-to-action was printed in diminutive type and sequestered in the bottom right-hand corner (where my thumb gripped the page and obscured the “mobile ad”). So here’s my next nugget-of-wisdom: If I don’t know about your product, I’m not going to use it.

Print-ads aside, organizations that promote their mobile strategy online also need to give some thought to the ease with which consumers can learn about the ads, find the information they need, and sign-up for the content in question. Take, for example, this week’s mobile-star: Entercom Communications and their partnership with the Vibes Mobile platform. According to MobileMarketer.com, Entercom stations can now “create interactive mobile campaigns, including text-to-vote, text-to-win and text-for-offer, which engage listeners through sweepstakes, prizes and special offers.” Curious, I visited Entercom’s Website expecting to find more information regarding their “engaging” new mobile initiatives, and proceeded to spend the next seven minutes clicking through the drop-down menus searching for a heading vaguely related to “mobile” or “phone.”

Selecting the “Innovation” tab leads you to a spiffy-looking site that has a rotating carousel of options. The copy describes the intersection between radio and emerging technologies… including portable media, as represented by an “iPod” graphic. Still nothing about “mobile,” but I sense we’re getting closer so I click on the “Check out some of Entercom’s most innovative audio on-demand content:”

WEEI SPORTS RADIO NETWORK.

I’m assuming this has something to do with Entercom’s “most innovative audio on-demand content.” Happily though, I finally have found a button that relates to mobile: “Get Alerts Sent to Your Phone.” Not quite what I had in mind, but for the purposes of this assignment, it will do. At last I am taken to a page that clearly outlines the type of mobile content I can receive from WEEI sports radio by texting various keywords to the shortcode: 850850. The most attractive option for me would be to receive alerts when WEEI is holding contests or offering Half-Price Deals, as this is time-sensitive content that would be useful to know instantaneously. 15 seconds after sending the message, I receive a “Thank-you” text letting me know what to expect and how to cancel the messages in the future. Within the next hour, I receive an SMS coupon code for Bruins’ Merchandise, good for 48 hours.

In my opinion, this is a successful mobile experience (assuming of course, you can find it). It’s easy to use, simple to understand, provides good feedback when you sign-up for (or subsequently cancel) the service, and delivers exactly the type of content it promises. Furthermore, as displayed on the mobile-alerts page, WEEI has a diverse menu of offerings that can be tailored to a consumer’s particular needs. Rather than forcing consumers to sign up for all alerts, WEEI instead presents them with a choice of content. This “freedom-to-choose” ensures that the station’s user-base only receives alerts concerning previously-identified relevant information, rather than a flurry of SMS spam. Unfortunately, finding the link which leads to this mobile opportunity, as described above, is not an easy task. While locating the mobile strategy on the station’s Website is straightforward enough, accessing the content from the Entercom Website involved nearly 5 clicks (and that’s if you knew what you were looking for). Therefore, my next observation would be to caution companies  that consumers can stumble upon your mobile opportunity at any number of navigational points, so make sure their “conversion path” is straight, narrow, and leads directly to where they want to go.

Similarly, while surfing the site of another Entercom station, Seattle favorite 100.7 FM The Wolf, the link for “mobile” was once again quite tricky to find (it’s under the drop-down menu labeled “Listen”). Hence, while I applaud Entercom for its mobile efforts and so-called “innovative” practices, such tactics are ultimately wasted if listeners are not aware of their existence due to poor placement of promotional links or other copy. This also seems especially crucial for an industry like radio, which I imagine is turning to the mobile market in the hopes of retaining its audience and reaching out to the next-generation of listeners. Nevertheless, based on my experiences with these two Entercom stations, even if you have great mobile content to offer, if nobody knows about it, you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s like going to a party and not introducing yourself; I don’t care how sparkling your personality, not many people are going to chat with you until you say “Hi,” take their hand in yours, and set them at ease with a nice, BIG smile.

“Pocket is the New Backpack: This semester, get your study materials on any computer or phone. Free.”

A fairly clever slogan, granted, but past experiences with mobile opportunities (especially on my remedial, little Matrix), have taught me that mobile marketers should avoid hyperbolic statements that incorporate the descriptor “any computer or phone.”  Hello, mobile opportunity of the week! Time to put Study Blue to the test.

Clicking the link provided in the email, I’m taken to the Study Blue Website, where I am invited to create an account (-it’s free, the site reminds me). I enter my name, password, education level, and college, and we’re off… First, what is Study Blue? According to the advertising copy, the company offers study tools that will increase my efficiency as a student by enabling me to create and upload class-related notes and flashcards from any device that connects to the Internet, including my phone. It is interesting to note that although the email I received stressed the mobile-friendly nature of Study Blue, I had to hunt around for the “Mobile” link, which is at the very bottom of the main page in 5 pt. font.

Suddenly, Study Blue is no longer for any phone: “Your notes and flashcards are on your Android or iPhone.” Whoops,  Study Blue assumed that all college students have Smartphones, so they created an app to make my “study world” go more mobile. But wait, not all is lost! “Limited support is also available for Blackberry, along with other mobile operating systems.” OK, how limited? Well, they don’t really tell me. Instead, they take me to an FAQ page and make me hunt for the answer myself. Pop quiz, Blue, what can you do to make the user experience better? Take me directly to the information I need; don’t test my scholarly abilities to locate the necessary details, that is not very convenient. Study Blue goes on to say that it’s “confident the site will function on most browsers on today’s smart phones.” Pop quiz #2: There are many phones out there that are not, in fact, Smartphones. So, as I suspected, the argument that Study Blue will give me access to my notes and flashcards from any phone is egregiously (SAT word) INCORRECT. No gold star for you, Blue.

Needless to say, accessing www.studyblue.com on my Matrix is horrible. This is because I am not accessing a mobile Web page, but instead trying to open the regular Study Blue Website on my little screen and having to scroll every which way to get anything done or to even read the log-in screen. However, in the spirit of “Learn By Doing,” I borrow my friend’s Android phone: the Samsung Fascinate and give Study Blue a re-test.

On a Smartphone, I’ll admit Study Blue is pretty cool. It enables students to study their notes without having to dig through their backpacks and flip through page after page of scribblings to find the right material. The site is fairly easy to navigate, with an attractive layout that displays very well on the Fascinate. In terms of the payout, I can appreciate the concept of Study Blue: you’re sitting on the bus to school, you have 5 or 7 minutes, why not pull out your Smartphone (assuming, of course, you have one) and study a few terms and theories? I can see especially why this would be a useful tool for an engineering/science student like my friend, the materials engineer. After all, IF Study Blue envisioned tech-savvy, scientist-type students as its target audience, I can understand the reasoning behind building a Smartphone-centric mobile strategy. For instance, you could argue that students pursuing degrees in the engineering, medical, or scientific fields are more likely than other students (*cough* communication majors) to own devices that serve multiple functions like telephone, personal computer, and organizer due to the analytical nature of their programs. Furthermore, as these particular fields of study require the memorization of a staggering amount of formulas, terms, and other data, I can see where true “mobile studying” would be very useful. Finally, the service does indeed appear to be, in all ways, “Free.” What student doesn’t like that?

However, having admitted Study Blue‘s strengths as a potentially useful mobile tool, I have to question its promotion. The email stated I would have access from any phone, then it turned out it was only Smartphones, and really the only experience that the company has created specifically for mobile is its iOS App; as far as I can tell, there is no similar App for the Android platform. Therefore, in order to improve the consumer experience, I would advise Study Blue to be more precise in their mobile promotions; do not promise a unique mobile experience for any phone, when in reality, the only “unique” mobile experience you’ve built is for the iPhone. In this way, the company will not end up with an audience of frustrated students. Furthermore, it would also be interesting if Study Blue really took advantage of a Smartphone’s hardware capabilities. For instance, wouldn’t it be even more useful if Study Blue enabled users to turn their Smartphones into microphones? In this way, students could record lectures, which Study Blue could then transcribe into written notes from which the student could make flashcards for later study. Hence, if Study Blue actually delivered on its thesis, I think the app/mobile experience could move to the front of its class and really distinguish itself from the other “kids.”

Now, whether you’re an acolyte or skeptic of “armchair philanthropy,” it cannot be denied that people have used it enough during recent crises to merit attention. For example, concerned citizens “mobilized” to support the Haitians after the 2010 earthquake, using their SMS-enabled phones to raise more than $30 million (14% of all efforts)  for The Red Cross and other relief organizations in just the first 10 days. However, a majority of these campaigns have been very “reactive,” only occurring ex post facto. Furthermore, there haven’t been a lot of opportunities for smaller non-profits to grab a slice of the mobile-fundraising pie… until now. Enter a new “text-to-donate” service, as yet unnamed, born of the partnership  of Obopay Inc. and Benevity Social Ventures, Inc.

Users interested in this service can donate to any registered charity by texting a keyword to a shortcode number preassigned by Obopay. Or, if you don’t have a specific charity in mind, you can donate to a “cause portfolio” like “Kids.” Donors are then directed to a mobile payment site where they indicate how much money they’d like to give away. After the transaction is completed, users receive electronic tax receipts. The new service is unique in other ways. Specifically, users are no longer limited to donations under $100, and the money is transferred much faster (it does not take 90 days to process the transactions).

Inspired by the Mashable.com article that led me to this service and curious to see whether I would enjoy the “slacktivism” experience, I flipped open my phone and texted “HEALTH” to 48510. As the service is still brand-new, there is only a limited number of “cause portfolios” currently set-up to receive donations; I chose HEALTH because funding health research is very important to me (one might even say it’s a matter of life-and-death).

The SMS portion of the experience worked perfectly. About 15 seconds after sending the initial text, I received a message from Obopay, inviting me to complete the transaction on their mobile site. I was able to access the link, and after about 45 seconds, the mobile page loaded… and it was too big to fit my screen. Therefore, in order to fill out the form, I not only had to type everything on my keypad, I had to tab around to double check what I was typing. Therefore, I would say that this was something that could have been improved with more testing. However, I also have to admit that using the Obopay mobile site was the best experience on my “dumb-phone” I had yet encountered. The site was functional, and well-designed in the sense that it displayed only the basic, necessary elements. Moreover, I really appreciated the “progress messages” I received after completing each step of the process; as this was a monetary transaction, this visual feedback made me feel that what I was doing was secure. Unfortunately, all of these positive feelings were soured when it took over 10 minutes to process the donation. As someone with very limited time and money to spend on the mobile Web, I did not enjoy staring at my screen for nearly a quarter of an hour, waiting for Obopay to confirm my donation.

In all, I really like the concept of this new text-to-donate service. It could be incredibly useful in helping a myriad of local non-profits reach out to their donor base through the seemingly ubiquitous mobile market. However, as with the majority of mobile opportunities I’ve tested, this one is likely to be a winner mainly on Smartphones…. but perhaps that’s for the best. After all, it’s logical to suspect that those with deep enough pockets for the latest Smartphones would also be in a good position to use their mobiles (and their wallets) to do some “social good.”

* Post script (10/24): I don’t know what it says about Obopay that they finally processed my donation, only to have Bank of America put a hold on my card because they thought it looked like “suspicious activity” *

Upon navigating to the Ping.fm Website, I was told Ping was a simple and FREE service that makes updating your social networks a snap. OK, sounds good. To join Ping, you have to sign up by entering your email address and a password. First red flag issue: Firefox tells me it cannot verify the connection is secure. And we’re off to a rollicking start!

After creating a log-in, the next step is to manage your social networks by selecting which ones you use. For the purposes of this assignment, I selected networks to which I thought it would be worth having “instant” access: Twitter and WordPress. After granting permission for Ping.fm to post to these networks, I was left to my own devices… the Website didn’t tell me what I should do next. When in doubt, click the link to your dashboard. Under the “Services/Tools” section, I discovered that mobile is only one way to access Ping; they also had options for Skype, GTalk/Jabber, and something called the Seesmic Web. However, I decided to click the link to their Mobile App (WAP): “Access a mobile version of Ping.fm from your cell phone or other mobile device. Just point your mobile browser to “m.ping.fm” to start posting immediately.” I did, and five log-in attempts later, I gave up and went back to the Website. What’s one thing Ping.fm can do to improve their service? Have a “Help” or “Problems Logging-in?” option available on their mobile site. If I can’t access my account, I can’t use the service.

However, there is more than one way to “Ping” a Lolcat… so I explored my ability to “Ping through SMS.” I entered my phone number and waited, expecting some kind of “Welcome to Ping!” text. I never got one. Suggested improvement #2: Better feedback for members (like yours truly) unaccustomed to using their phone for these types of things. It doesn’t have to be a long missive of how-to’s, just a simple text letting me know that my number has been registered and that Ping is the one that will be using it. After all, sending my personal mobile number out into cyberspace is scary. I want to know where it went.

“Use SMS to Ping your messages! US users simply send a text message to (918) 814-4042 and we will post your SMS text messages to your networks. Standard SMS/text messaging rates apply.” I typed a tentative “Hello World?” to the number and sent it off. I would have preferred some sort of short code, maybe 7464 (PING), but I ended up saving the number to my contacts. Again, there was no feedback; I had to check the Website to see if the post went through. It did! In fact, you can see it below this blog post, which brings me to my next Ping quibble: I didn’t realize I was posting to both WordPress and Twitter. I had expected Ping to ask me to specify which network to post on, but it never did. This is problematic because content that is appropriate for Twitter (144 characters) is not fantastic on WordPress (micro-blogging vs. blogging). Therefore, my next suggestion would be to use some sort of shorthand within the text to indicate which site… oh, they have that here. In that case, it would be good if they could mention that somewhere in their instructions. Again, it would be an additional line of text, but very helpful for first time users.

The “payoff” that Ping.fm offers users is the ability to update their social networking sites all from a single dashboard, and I have to say, that is a very nice service. Not only does it reduce the number of bookmarks that I have to scroll through each morning, but it also saves me the effort of having to navigate and log-in to every site. Furthermore, in regards to posting Twitter updates, I have to say that I am very likely to use Ping.fm in the future. This is mainly an issue of cost. Using Ping via SMS is much cheaper and less time-consuming than navigating to Twitter’s mobile site on my phone. However, I cannot imagine using my Matrix to compose a full-length blog post on WordPress.com. This is because I simply do not have the patience to type 800+ words on a QWERTY phone keyboard. I’d go mad. I can understand where such a feature would be useful on a tablet PC or the iPad, but on my little cell phone, I really don’t see the need. The only time I could ever imagine doing something like that would be if I was working as a reporter again and only had my cell phone to use in transmitting a story to my editor.

In all, Ping.fm is a nifty little tool that lives up to its promise to be free and convenient. However, it could make itself even more indispensible by providing first-time users with more feedback that not only makes them feel like using Ping.fm is fast, but also secure.

My primary goal in testing the capabilities of PayPal Mobile via SMS texting was to compare it with the “check-capture” application. Specifically, I wanted to discover if I would be satisfied conducting my business through simple SMS, or if the experience would leave me wishing for an iPhone so that I could scan and deposit my checks rather than having to “settle” for the SMS transactions. By the end of my personal experiment, I definitely found myself lusting after an iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or any other “smarter” phone than the one I currently have.

Granted, the SMS process is relatively simple. First, users activate their phones by clicking the appropriate link and creating a mobile PIN number. PayPal then sends the mobile phone a confirmation number… although on my phone even this initial step took nearly an hour and seven attempts to complete. Once you’ve activated your phone, you can then use text messaging to complete various basic banking functions. For example: to check your PayPal balance, text “bal” or “balance” to 729725 (PAYPAL). They will then send you a text back with your balance. This was a very straightforward process, and was much more pleasant than spending five minutes listening to every option of the Bank of America customer service line before being able to complete the same function. Sending money via the SMS involves the same steps: Send a text to 729725 (PAYPAL), specifying the amount and the recipient’s phone number or email address. For example: Send 10 to twjeffrey@comcast.net.

Although I preferred using the PayPal SMS to the Bank of America voice-menus, I still found it much more difficult than using PayPal online. This was primarily due to the fact that I’ve seemingly lost the ability to memorize data like multiple phone numbers, which is a key component to using the system. Instead, I’m accustomed to interacting with PayPal’s graphic-user-interface on a more traditional, visual level. Consequently, in order to use the SMS system, I had to look up the contact information of the user with which I was trying to transact, write it down, and then return to composing the text message. After the difficulty I had activating my phone in the first place, this only further frustrated me. Therefore, I attempted to access the mobile.paypal.com Website, as it was the only other feasible option. I found this experience even more tedious, as every link I tried to open “timed out.”

In the end, both approaches had their disadvantages. The SMS text system required a higher-level of user engagement than I expected (or wanted, as I was looking for a more convenient experience), and the mobile Website (although visually attractive) ran very slowly and ultimately did not work. Furthermore, because accessing the Web on my phone is an additional charge on my bill, I would be very unlikely to use the mobile site in place of the SMS system. To improve upon the PayPal Mobile experience, I would recommend further testing of the system, as it was the functionality of both the SMS and the mobile Website that proved disappointing; neither worked very well (or at all) on the Pantech Matrix.

Nevertheless, in spite of my poor experience, I admit there are many reasons why PayPal Mobile would seem to be a great idea. Primarily, it saves people the time and hassle of running to the bank, ATM, or computer to deposit and withdraw funds from their accounts. This is turn gives them more time to conduct other business. This is especially important for people who may use banks that do not have a large number of ATMs or locations readily available. In this way, they are not only spared the challenge of having to hunt for an ATM, but also the expense they may have incurred depositing funds using another Bank’s machine.

However, as the cnet.com article points out, it still takes PayPal anywhere from 6 to 15 days to clear these funds and make them available for use (at least in regards to “captured checks”). This is still significantly longer than most ATMs/Banks that promise to credit the amount if the deposit is made before 8 pm of that day.  Moreover, the fine print pertaining to using PayPal on any mobile device cautions users that data and messaging charges may apply. Therefore, to say that using PayPal on any platform independent of a “traditional” personal computer reduces the risk of incurring bank fees is not entirely accurate. Ultimately, like with most applications and mobile Websites, users have to determine if the benefits they receive from these services outweigh their costs. I can now say with confidence that if one owns a Pantech Matrix they would be better off finding an ATM or waiting until they got home to log onto PayPal.com.