Mobile Goes Social and Vice Versa
- by Mark Walsh @markfwal, July 14, 2009
The growing crossover of social media and mobile was highlighted by a pair of separate moves Tuesday involving Research in Motion and Facebook. For its part, RIM has launched MyBlackBerry, a new community site where BlackBerry users can trade views on BlackBerry apps and share tips and tricks relating to the device.
According to TechCrunch, RIM also aims to use its social network to handle customer questions or complaints related to the launch of BlackBerry App World, its app storefront.
It says the site can also be personalized based on which BlackBerry model a users owns, someone doesn't see a lot of information about the Storm if they have a Pearl. The move stands in contrast to Apple's longstanding disdain for online groupies, who nevertheless have launched scores of sites devoted to the company and its products. In this case at least, TechCrunch suggests Apple may want to take a page from BlackBerry.
Separately, mobile app testing and development company DeviceAnywhere said Tuesday that Facebook is using its platform to trial new apps. Its technology allows Facebook and other companies to do live testing of apps on thousands of different handsets across 30 wireless networks. Facebook, which says it has 30 million users in 50 countries, already has customized mobile apps for devices like the BlackBerry and iPhone. With testing underway, more could be on the way.
The social network has also just begun offering its SMS service for T-Mobile customers in the U.S. The feature lets users get text alerts when they receive Facebook messages, wall posts, friend requests, and other types of updates.
Three years ago I was working at an Interactive agency. I remember all the hubub exploding on blogs about mobile marketing, mobile advertising, yada yada. The problem was there weren't enough end users playing with mobile apps to justify costs. One year ago I remember being at a different big anonymous agency, talking to a neighboring city's creative leader about how he wanted to make his office the "mobile leader" for the company. Even at that time it was a dream that was being held back by the general public's reluctancy to embrace apps as a ubiquitous part of daily life.
Looking back, I don't blame our clients for their hesitancy in diving into what was then expensive mobile application guesswork. Sure, the bold brands were early to stake their claims in mobile marketing before the rest, but the PR value doubtlessly added to the final effort's overall worth.