Famed electric guitar maker Fender is partnering with T-Mobile and HTC to market a new Fender co-branded myTouch 3G wireless handset. The new phone, which will be available on Jan. 20, is designed to look like a Fender guitar with a sunburst-finish-inspired design. The phone will come pre-loaded with several music-oriented applications including Guitar: Solo and Musical Light, and it can accommodate more powerful headphones and includes space to hold 16 GB of memory for songs. "The focus and purpose of this [partnership] is to look at music enthusiasts and musicians who need a mobile device," Mark Van Vleet, senior vice president of business affairs for Fender, tells Marketing Daily. "We wanted to make sure they had a great device to experience music on their terms." To showcase the device, T-Mobile has enlisted Eric Clapton to appear in an ad showcasing a personalized myTouch phone. Following the lines of the company's previous celebrity-filled myTouch ads, the new ad showcases Clapton using several of the phone's applications, including one that simulates a guitar fretboard. As Clapton uses the phone, scrolling through music and showcasing concert video, the phone rings and a notification appears that blues legend Buddy Guy is calling. As Clapton takes the call, a voiceover asserts that the Fender Limited Edition is "not just a phone. It's a collector's item." "Fender has always had a great relationship with Mr. Clapton," Van Vleet says. "This is something T-mobile and Fender talked to him about. It's something he uses and has practical implications. He felt it was something he wanted to get involved in." The device will also ship with several pre-loaded songs, including Clapton's hits "Layla," "Rock N Roll Heart" and "Wonderful Tonight" as well as songs from Avril Lavigne, Wyclef Jean and Brad Paisley. The companies will also market several accessories for the phone, such as Fender branded shells, a Fender carrying case and Rock Dock, a docking station equipped with speakers.
Verizon Wireless on Friday reduced prices on its unlimited voice plans as part of a broader overhaul of its service plans aimed at boosting mobile data use. Starting Jan. 18, Verizon customers will be able to get unlimited voice for $69.99, down from $99.99. Unlimited voice and text will cost $89.99 a month, and prepaid versions of the new unlimited plans will cost $5 more each. Verizon is reducing the overall number of plans from 40 to six single-line plans and eight family-share plans to simplify the process of selecting an option. The carrier is also streamlining its mobile data packages by organizing them into three groups according to type of device. For 3G smartphones, which offer Web browsing and applications and span and include BlackBerry, webOS, Android and Windows Mobile platforms, Verizon will offer a $29.99-per-month unlimited data plan. The minimum $9.99 plan required for smartphones (for 25 MB of data) has been extended to mid-tier 3G multimedia phones, while customers with regular phones can choose between the $9.99 and $29.99 plans, or pay $1.99 per megabyte. Verizon and the other major carriers are counting on rising mobile data use, from Web surfing to video-watching, to drive wireless growth in the coming years. The U.S. wireless data market increased 27% to $11.3 billion in the third quarter, with Verizon and AT&T accounting for 80% of the growth, according to industry research firm Chetan Sharma. While the new pricing and plans could spur increased data traffic, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam said the carrier's network is equipped to handle any surge. "There has been a lot of speculation about usage caps," he said. "We don't feel we need to worry about that at this point." The service plan revamp comes as Verizon prepares to roll out its 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network in 25 to 30 cities this year and nationwide by 2013. Responding to Verizon's price reductions, AT&T Friday afternoon said it was cutting its unlimited voice plans for regular phones to $69.99 to match its wireless rival. And with its unlimited texting plans unchanged at $20 monthly, the combined cost of $89.99 for voice and text would match that of Verizon's new unlimited voice and text package. AT&T smartphone customers, including iPhone owners, will have the option to get unlimited voice and data for $99.99 -- down from $129.99. Unlimited texting would cost another $20. The changes will go into effect Jan. 18, the same day as Verizon's.
Appolicious.com was started last September to help consumers navigate the rising tide of iPhone and other mobile applications. Building on features like expert and user reviews and ratings, the site is now adding "curated" pages that allow anyone to list their five favorite iPhone and Android apps. The goal is to attract enthusiasts and experts to highlight their top apps in self-defined categories ranging from astronomy to karaoke. "It's all about finding 'what is a really good app for X category,'" said Appolicious founder and CEO Alan Warms, who himself has posted a list of his top five apps for kids during family trips. With more than a 120,000 iPhone and Android apps to date, the site is focused on adding new tools to help smartphone users pinpoint just the right app within in a given topic, he added. The new section kicks off with categories including shopping, small business productivity, gossip, movies and the World Cup. Users can also search apps by specific terms or keywords. After setting up a profile page that provides some background information, curators list their favorite apps, explain the rationale behind their selections and post any related links or tweets. A saved search feature also allows users to see what other apps a curator has viewed. In addition to curated apps, Appolicious is also launching a new directory of iPhone app developers that allows businesses to connect with that community more easily. The directory offers developers free listings that include a profile page with basic company information and listing in one of 20 categories. Developers can also opt to pay for featured listings, ensuring first-page placement and listing in multiple categories, and can take out banner ads in the directory. It debuts with about 25,000 developer listings. Appolicious in December raised an additional $1.5 million from Apex Venture Partners. The firm had previously provided $500,000 in seed capital.
Yahoo doesn't plan to be left out in the cold when it comes to capitalizing on the upcoming Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In addition to launching dedicated Web and mobile sites for the Games, Yahoo is setting up an entertainment center in the host city to run promotions and events. The Olympic site from Yahoo Sports features extensive coverage of the event led by writers Dan Wetzel, Charles Robinson, and Martin Rogers. Yahoo has also lined up a team of ex-Olympians as contributors including 1998 figure skating silver medalist Elvis Stojko and 1996 gold-medal gymnast Dominique Dawes. The latter will host a daily video recap of top stories and preview upcoming Olympic events. Yahoo will also have its own custom-built studio in Vancouver. Other specialized content will include "Fourth-Place Medal," an Olympics blog authored by Yahoo Sports editors Chris Chase and Greg Wyshynski. The mobile site, which debuts February 9, will provide the latest Olympics news, including medal counts, live results and athlete profiles. Through its "Fancouver" entertainment center, Yahoo will offer Olympics visitors a free Wi-Fi lounge, photo booth, live video streaming "fan-cam" and games and giveaways. Yahoo is also running a sweepstakes in which fans starting Jan. 25 can submit their favorite winter sports photos for a chance to win prizes ranging from digital cameras to a trip to the U.S. Freestyle Skiing Championship at Squaw Valley, Calif. in March. Acura is co-sponsoring the Olympic site, while Visa is sponsoring the medal count, athlete pages and mobile coverage as well as offering discounts in the Yahoo Sports Store. Yahoo isn't the only Web portal providing coverage of the Vancouver Olympics. With its longstanding ties to Winter Olympics broadcaster NBC Universal, MSN has claimed the title of "official U.S. online home of the 2010 Winter Olympics." Following up their partnership on the Beijing Olympics last summer, the two have again launched NBCOlympics.com on MSN, promising live video streaming and more than 1,000 hours of on-demand coverage courtesy of Microsoft's Silverlight media player. The Silverlight player also offers related data including results, statistics, bios, and rules.
The lead character in AMC's "Breaking Bad" runs his drug-dealing enterprise from a revolting RV. To promote the third season, the network is going with a much plusher vehicle. Next month, a truck with a 90-seat theater -- replete with stadium seating and high-def screen -- will begin a coast-to-coast journey to plug the series. Tabbed the "Breaking Bad Screening Lab," the promobile will offer a seven-and-a-half-minute sizzle reel aimed at people who have missed seasons one or two. "Everybody felt very strongly that the show was the most powerful tool we could use," said Theresa Beyer, AMC's head of promotion. "Once you see even a bit of it, it's very difficult not to get totally caught up in the vortex that is Walter White." In the Emmy-winning series, the captivating White (played by Bryan Cranston) is a teacher diagnosed with advanced cancer, who becomes a crystal meth kingpin to secure financial security for his family. Leading up to the March 21 third-season premiere, the road show will stop in 12 markets, from Miami to Los Angeles. AMC is aiming for the attraction to engage people for about 10 minutes -- with the video, some interactive gimmicks and brand ambassadors handing out opportunities for a free iTunes download. "The medium of live pays back in a big way," Beyer said. DirecTV and Sony Pictures Television have signed on as tour sponsors. Both will have signage on the promobile and elsewhere at a Web site. Sony, which is a producer of the show, will promote the second-season "Breaking Bad" DVD and Blu-ray version. The six-week tour is a supplement to a more traditional and wider-reaching media plan for the new season. Beyer expects about 200,000 people to stream into the mobile theater. There will also be innumerable impressions generated from what is effectively a traveling billboard as the truck covers thousands of miles. The trek will begin Feb. 6 with a stop at a DirecTV-sponsored event in South Florida to coincide with the Super Bowl. There's a stop further north at the site of the Daytona 500 NASCAR race. Later, the truck pulls into Albuquerque, N.M., where the series is set. The Daytona 500 stop offers a ripe setting. The show targets 18- to-49-year-olds and has a male skew. About 60% of NASCAR fans fall in that age range, and about 60% are male. Still, the "Super Bowl of NASCAR" can be a cluttered environment, with a host of promotional stunts surrounding the event. But Beyer, the vice president of activation and promotion, is undeterred. "The great thing about a mobile tour is, 'Yes I have competition at a Daytona 500, but it's not as if people are seeing eight commercials back to back," she said. "I kind of have share of voice." AMC, part of Rainbow Media, would not comment on how much it is spending on the effort. But the fuel costs alone on a 53-foot metallic mastodon going coast to coast might take up a full marketing budget at some networks. The truck AMC is using is one of several with a theater-on-the-go available for rent. Other entertainment companies have used them, too. "Breaking Bad" has garnered multiple Emmy awards. Cranston won best actor in a drama series twice.
Three bridal magazines folded between October and November of last year: Conde Nast's Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, and InStyle Weddings. Coincidentally, Get Married Media, a TV and online source of wedding information for brides, jumped into the print realm with the launch of Get Marriedmagazine in October. Crazy? Brave? Victim of bad timing? The magazine also touts itself as the first bridal pub to use Microsoft Tag, Microsoft's own barcode technology, alongside editorial content and advertisements. Thirty-two small, colorful Microsoft Tags were added to the inaugural issue. Get Marriedoffered advertisers free tags on full- and half-page ads in the premiere issue. A one-year subscription to the mag (four issues) costs $14.96. To take advantage of content housed within Microsoft Tags, users must first download a free application at gettag.mobi to their mobile phones. Once downloaded, users snap a picture of the barcode -- and additional content, like videos and photos, spring into action. Brides-to-be can further research a product, save Tags to view at another time and buy products from their phones. The Microsoft Tag Reader is compatible with numerous mobile platforms, including Apple iPhone; Blackberry 81xx, 83xx and Bold; J2ME based handsets; Symbian S60 3rd Edition; and Windows Mobile 5 and 6. "We are definitely filling a void in the marketplace by bringing a tactile and fresh experience to a new generation of brides who seek wedding inspirations on TV, online and in print," said Wendy M. Corenblum, a spokeswoman for Get Married & GetMarried.com. "Get Married magazine is more about an interactive relationship with brides, combining traditional print with the interactive world. With the Microsoft Tags, brides will be able to get instant entertainment and connection to videos, Web site, photos and information directly on their mobile phone. Each tag will expand on the content found in the magazine via video, image gallery, or a direct link to our Web site or an advertiser's Web site," continued Corenblum. Many magazines and brands are now using some form of barcode technology; Coca-Cola even placed bar codes on cans that unlocked mobile content.Get Married already has an online and TV audience. We'll see how the audience takes to print.
This week has been a heart-wrenching week for many people around the world. Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world, was practically destroyed by a series of severe earthquakes. One must search long and hard to find the silver lining in a tragedy such as this. Although, the silver lining in this tragedy already seems to be the world's response with money and aid. Nothing pulls a community (even the world community) closer during harsh economic times than working together to help our brothers and sisters in a vital time of need. The opportunities to help the Haitian people are numerous, but one technique stands out to me as the "ultimate participation opportunity" for Gen Y. But before I reveal what this brilliance is, we must first identify the problem that existed in Gen Y's willingness to give (and I don't mean the earthquake). The problem: how can a charity make itself easy to give to? The cause itself rarely is enough. And although Gen Y gets a bad rap as an apathetic generation, we are not. We have a better understanding than most generations when it comes to viewing the world as "one big community." But, often times, charities aren't meeting the "needs" of those it asks from. No one writes checks, and even online giving isn't doing the job for Gen Y. The fast-paced, multi-tasking nature of Gen Y often is a hindrance when it comes to charitable giving. The Red Cross figured it out (or at least I'm giving it credit for figuring it out). It is allowing mobile phone users to simply text the work "Haiti" to 90999. By doing this, it has cracked the code to Gen Y giving. The good people of Gen Y average 740 texts per month, according to a study conducted by Participatory Marketing Network and Pace University. Now Gen Y (and everyone else) can type in 10 characters into their mobile devices and affect a tragic situation in another part of the world. That, my friend, is what technology, marketing, and ingenuity is all about. As marketers we all know that Gen Y uses alternative forms of communication (although they really don't seem that alternative anymore). But the Red Cross should serve as an example of an organization that puts lightning in a bottle. The right process met the right generation at the right time. Here's hoping that this program has continued success. God knows that Haiti needs it.
Before launching into the usual critical blather, a word of real importance. The mobile industry is providing a quick and easy way to make SMS donations to the Red Cross effort in Haiti. Through the mGive service, you can give $10 via your phone bill by texting "Haiti" to 90999. According to reports nearly $1 million was raised in the first day. The full details are at the Red Cross site. Go ahead and donate. I'll wait... . As news from Haiti comes first to many of us via our mobile devices, it calls attention to the feature and interface arms race that currently is going on in mobile news. In the app space especially we have providers like CNN, Guardian, and Time magazine making relatively late entries, but with very interesting ideas. One mobile developer told me recently that the news providers know they are entering a cluttered market, so another me-too scroll of headlines just won't do. Mobile represents an opportunity for news to reverse the polarity of Web history and distinguish rather than commoditize brands. As with marketing, content on the mobile platform has the chance not only to "extend" itself into another medium but to confront its functionality in people's lives. I know it's becoming a tiresome mantra of mine, but I think mobile gives publishers the chance to do something few of them embraced on the Web: repackage content as more of a service that people value and can distinguish from competition. There is money to be made here. The Guardian announced yesterday that its new $3.99 app had been downloaded almost 70,000 times in its first month. Here is a good example of rethinking news presentation for a mobile format. Guardian really embraces the multimedia possibilities on a smart phone by bringing its audio programming to the surface in the top-level menu. The in-car mobile user can just pop the phone in a cup holder and let the app become a stream of interviews and news stories. In many sections the usual headline scroll is accompanied by a lateral scroll of thumbnails that drop you into the image galleries. The really cool innovation here is a pop-up window on every story that can cross-link you to related subjects. Having this quick ability to drill into subjects is invaluable to the mobile user, who is more ready than we think to immerse himself in mobile content that's really of interest. Time magazine may not have had to contend with other news weeklies in the app store, but they were colliding with brands like AP Mobile and USA Today that were more identified with breaking stories. That publisher's decision to go with an image-based index of major stories and headlines was a good one. Time's app is just a bit more colorful and enjoyable an entry point to the news. This is an approach the main Web site probably would not dare do as a default mode, but is possible and compelling on mobile. The potential for brand advertisers in an image-centric content presentation are obvious as well. A lot of the recent news apps are trying to stuff enormous amounts of content into a small frame, and so we get top-line lateral menus through sections, and bottom menus of key functions and features cluttering the experience. These elements are still in the Time app, but the large lateral scroll of images and headlines in the main window clarifies and simplifies the experience. As a branding vehicle for Time Warner, the design emphasizes the publisher's magazine legacy, and particularly its history of great imagery in pubs like Sports Illustrated and Life. One of the interesting things about a new medium is the way in which it can leap-frog backwards to retrieve and revive strengths from long-ago media. TV in the early fifties got much of its creative energy from vaudeville, not just radio and film. There may actually be good news in mobile for print. Speaking of visual appeal, NBC has rolled out a fascinating interface for its affiliate TV stations. My NBC Philadelphia app presents the news as a wonder wall of different-sized images that pop up news stories or "So Philly" comments submitted by users. Again, the experience brings a fun factor to news triaging. This highly visual presentation of information can eliminate the siloing of content from community and even from advertising. In this app the ads are tiles. The purple Y! of the Yahoo ad floats among the stories and comments. Arguably, these tiles could use an "ad" label, but it does give the sponsor a different way to be a part of the experience. To their credit, someone over at Time Warner must be thinking hard about mobile, because Time's sister brand CNN remains the most impressive TV news presence on mobile. It simply does a great job of getting key facts to users faster than just about any other news source. The stories all have bulleted top-line summaries so you can laterally scroll through the top news stories and grab the key details of the breaking news very efficiently. Users have complained that there should be a continuous ability to drop into the live TV feed. Now, the live stream only becomes available when CNN decides there is a breaking story. I am sure there are cable re-usage issues at work here somewhere, but the goal obviously is to have the TV experience always available. What really interests me about what CNN and some of these others have done is their focus on usability and communicativeness. We really are seeing content providers winnow down their own properties to essentials. The Web was about infinite content inventory, and it gave us both editorial and advertising overkill that eventually became commoditized. Mobile has to be about the right content presented in the most efficient way. There is a call to discipline here that may well get us away from that dubious term "content provider" -- and more towards understanding publishing as a real service, a tool for everyday life, a brand with an identity and (wait for the mobile tie-in) a distinct voice.