The Hyperfactory

Working for Kraft, The Hyperfactory developed iFood Assistant, an app that features recipes and a shopping tool. Initially, the app was only available as a paid app on the iPhone. But as The Hyperfactory refined the app, it also developed multiple versions, delivering the same user value on the Android and BlackBerry platforms. The paid version of the app ranked among the top 150 on Apple's download list. But the agency also built a "lite" version of the iPhone app, allowing Kraft to distribute it for free to reach a broader base of consumers.

While The Hyperfactory excels at building mobile apps and campaigns with a clear marketing goal, the agency is also known for using mobile as a tool to help its clients improve their businesses. For example, The Hyperfactory recently helped Lowe's begin the process of replacing scanner guns with iPhones. The idea is to let Lowe's employees use the iPhones as a roving in-store tool to help answer customer questions. Down the road, Lowe's also expects its employees to be able to help customers complete purchases throughout the store using the iPhones.

The team at The Hyperfactory routinely shares its expertise on the ever-changing nature of mobile at various industry forums, including events like IAB Mobile Marketplace and publications like Mashable. Stella Artois, Victoria's Secret, and Coca-Cola are just a few of The Hyperfactory's clients.

The Hyperfactory is a Meredith Xcelerated Marketing agency.

Full Article

A common trend in 2011, was the creation of retail mobile applications meant to serve as a utility and to cultivate loyal customers.

Here are some examples of noteworthy apps created in 2011, in no particular order.

Walmart has two new mobile applications designed to help shoppers make purchasing decisions and lay the groundwork for a more personal relationship with the retailer.

A brand-new Walmart iPad was launched and the retailer’s revamped iPhone app will be rolling out very soon. They are the first mobile products to be rolled out from the recently formed @WalmartLabs group, which is focused on creating mobile and social solutions that support a multichannel retail strategy.

“We want to make it very simple to engage with the Walmart brand and mobile creates a great bridge to move across various channels based on what is most convenient to customers at that time,” said Paul Cousineau, vice president of mobile products at Walmart.com, Brisbane, CA.

“We think that every one of our shoppers can use mobile to improve their shopping experience,” he said.

“We know that our customers are very avid consumers of our mobile capabilities. We’ve had strong adoption inside our customer base across all the platforms.”

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/11/10/walmart-introduces-new-apps-to-improve-the-shopping-experience

Specialty retailer Old Navy is upping its mobile efforts with an iPhone application designed to increase holiday sales and let consumers know about new products.

The Snap Appy app lets consumers scan products in-store to unlock season-themed surprises and rewards while shopping. Additionally, the app connects to the retailer’s mobile-optimized Web site to let users shop from home.

“As our marketing evolves, we’re focused on innovating and looking for culturally relevant ways to better engage our target customer, and best serve who she is today,” said Deborah Yeh, vice president of marketing at Old Navy, San Francisco.

“Old Navy’s new mobile app, Snap Appy, addresses our customers’ desire to have a shopping tool for their mobile-based lifestyles,” she said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/11/08/old-navy-bolsters-holiday-sales-with-in-store-shopping-app

Stop & Shop is expanding its pilot of an app that enables shoppers to use their mobile phones to scan, tally and bag their groceries to an additional 42 stores.

The Scan It! Mobile app was first introduced in August by the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. at three stores in Massachusetts for the iPhone. In addition to the geographic expansion, the app is also now available for many Android devices.

“Stop & Shop is pleased with the initial launch and the ease of use and convenience provided by the grocery industry’s first mobile shopping app,” said Judi Palmer, director of marketing and external communications at Stop & Shop New England. “The expansion to the additional 42 locations will enable the company to further quantify the value to shoppers as one of Stop & Shop’s primary goals is to help our customers save time and save money.

“The new app is being promoted to our customers via the circular, email, direct mail, in-store signs — print and digital — and greeters who will be at each store during the first two weeks of availability to assist our customers with downloading and trying Scan It! Mobile,” she said. “The interest has been extremely positive to date.”

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/10/27/stop-shop-brings-mobile-shopping-app-to-more-stores

Financial institution U.S. Bank and retailer REI have teamed up to make credit card approval easier and faster for consumers shopping in-store via an iPhone application.

The goal of the partnership is to increase the number of credit card approvals for REI’s Visa card as well as speed up the application process in stores. By promoting a download of the REI Visa app at the point of purchase, shoppers can instantly be approved for the REI Visa card and begin using their reward points.

“With the app, we want to move the process of loyalty cards to mobile and make it faster for consumers,” said Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer of the bank payment service division at U.S. Bank, Minneapolis.

“The app also moves the customer application process out of the service lane to more of an in-store experience that connects with the brand,” he said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/10/14/rei-u-s-bank-increase-loyalty-card-membership-via-mobile-app

Online retail aggregator and search engine TheFind.com is bridging mobile, Web and in-store shopping with an Android application.

According to TheFind, the company has been dabbling in mobile for two years and has tested both smartphone and tablet apps. In particular, its mobile efforts have geared towards Android devices because of the larger screen and user habits.

“There are two types of mobile shoppers,” said Ramneek Bhasin, vice president and general manager of mobile and tablets at TheFind, San Francisco. “Consumers are either looking for a specific item, or they want to browse catalogs and products on mobile devices.

“What we discovered is that Android devices let consumers shop by browsing because the larger screens engage more with consumers,” he said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/09/29/thefind-com-taps-android-users-to-spotlight-mobile-shopping

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s is driving foot traffic to its locations via a new application that helps consumers build projects at home and shop for products via their mobile device.

Consumers can shop Lowe’s inventory via the iPhone app. The app is currently available for free in Apple’s App Store.

“Empowering consumers with the ability to access information via their preferred means is a core tenant of our business at Lowe’s,” said Colleen Maiura, spokeswoman for Lowe’s, Mooresville, NC.

“We constantly evaluate how customers prefer to interact with Lowe’s brand and mobile is clearly a medium that’s important,” she said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/09/02/lowe%E2%80%99s-ramps-up-mcommerce-presence-via-iphone-app

Domino’s is showing that it is a force to reckon with in the mobile ordering arena via a new iPad app that lets pizza lovers customize and order their favorite pies.

The app, which was developed by Somo, lets British consumers order while on the go. Additionally, the app was also recently launched in the United States.

“Online orders account for an increasingly large proportion of sales and so mobile ordering methods such as the apps were the obvious next step,” said Nick Dutch, multimedia manager for Domino’s Pizza, Bedford, England.

“We originally launched our iPhone app last year and within just eight months, it had taken £10 million worth of pizza sales,” he said. “Hot on the heels of the iPhone, we launched our Android app in May.”

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/08/31/domino%E2%80%99s-pizza-takes-a-bigger-slice-of-mobile-pie-via-ipad-app

W Hotels is driving new and existing guests to its locations by letting them book rooms, order room service and get insider access via an iPhone application.

The company has integrated tips, fashion finds and incorporated a music platform with exclusive content. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

“The W global iPhone app extends the W lifestyle by providing value with exclusive music content, W Insider tips, fashion finds, trends and access to W Hotel’s The Store,” said a W Hotels spokesperson, New York.

“The app serves as a clear business driver for W Hotels as guests are now booking guestrooms and looking for content through mobile apps,” the spokesperson said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/06/13/w-hotels-transforms-guest-experience-via-mobile-booking-concierge-app

Groupon has rolled out an iPad application to expand its local deals offerings to a wider range of consumers.

Consumers using the iPad can buy deals near their current location and redeem them electronically. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

“Our primary goals for the Groupon iPad app were user engagement and delight,” said Julie Mossler, spokeswoman for Groupon, Chicago.

“We wanted to leverage the strengths of the iPad experience, the visual and tactile elements, and marry them seamlessly with Groupon’s strength – compelling local deals,” she said.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/05/04/groupon-bolsters-daily-deals-customer-prospects-via-ipad-app

Burger chain Five Guys Burgers & Fries has released a mobile ordering application for Google’s Android platform to increase customer touch points and drive more sales.

The restaurant partnered with OLO Online Ordering to create the app, which was built by Solertium, and uses OLO’s application programming interface (API) to let customers order a quick meal from virtually anywhere and pay for it online. Five Guys also launched text-message ordering and a mobile Web site with OLO alongside the release of the application.

“This was built on top of the Five Guys online ordering platform, which allows customers to place orders and pay online and have orders transmitted directly to the Radiant or MICROS point-of-sale system at the store,” said Noah Herbert Glass, founder/CEO of OLO Online Ordering, New York.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/03/10/five-guys-launches-mobile-ordering-app-for-android

Full Article

For the past month, readers have nominated their favorite companies, people, sites and gadgets once a day for each category, and from those submissions, Mashable editors chose seven finalists in each categories.

Final voting is now open and will close on Dec. 16. Winners will be announced on Mashable Dec. 19, and will be honored at MashBash CES Jan. 11, 2012, during the 2012 International CES convention at 1OAK, the hot new nightclub at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas.

Mashable is thrilled to announce the 2011 Mashable Awards Finalists:

Social Media

Best Social Network
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best social network.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Badoo
• Diaspora*
• Google+
• Tumblr
• Livejournal

Up-and-Coming Social Media Service
This category honors the readers’ choice for the social media service that is currently experiencing major growth but has not yet received massive mainstream attention. Services nominated for this category are not necessarily full-fledged social networks but must include social media as a core feature.

• Crowdtap
• Empire Avenue
• Banjo
• Trakt
• Chime.in
• Summify
• Paper.li

Must-Follow Actor or Actress on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the actor or actress who best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
• Ashley Tisdale
• David Boreanaz
• Alyssa Milano
• Sophia Bush
• Misha Collins
• Maite Perroni

Must-Follow Musician or Band on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the musician or band that best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Super Junior
• Girls’ Generation
• Adam Lambert
• Ricky Martin
• Kris Allen
• Snoop Dogg
• Lady Gaga

Must-Follow Athlete on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the athlete who best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Rafael Nadal
• Yuna Kim
• CM Punk
• Johnny Weir
• Shannon McIntosh
• Zack Ryder
• John Cena

Must-Follow Media Personality on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the journalist, author or TV news anchor who best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Andy Cohen
• Anderson Cooper
• Ellen DeGeneres
• Jimmy Fallon
• Rachel Maddow
• Salman Rushdie
• Brian Stelter

Must-Follow Business Personality on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the business personality or executive who best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Dave Kerpen
• John Heald
• Clara Shih
• Sonny Ganguly
• Avi Savar
• Bill Gates
• Kathy Ireland

Must-Follow Non-Profit on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the non-profit organization that most deserves to be followed on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• The Trevor Project
• Teach for America
• HRC
• GLAAD
• Joyful Heart Foundation
• One Campaign
• Fuck Cancer

Must-Follow Politician on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the politician who best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• Barack Obama
• Cory Booker
• Ron Paul
• Buddy Roemer
• Bernie Sanders
• Herman Cain
• Narendra Modi

Tech

Best Smartphone
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best current-generation smartphone model.

• iPhone 4S
• Samsung Galaxy SII
• HTC Thunderbolt
• HTC Sensation
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus Prime
• BlackBerry Bold 9900
• Motorola Droid Razr

Best Mobile Game
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best game designed for play on either a smartphone or tablet.

• Super Junior Shake
• Angry Birds
• Parallel Kingdom
• The Adventures of Timmy: Run Kitty Run
• Cut the Rope
• Pocket Legends
• Cows vs Aliens

Most Useful Mobile App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the most useful app designed for use on either a smartphone or tablet.

• IMO Instant Messenger
• Zocdoc
• eBuddy Xms
• Trapster
• Waze
• Mobile Inspector
• Wunderlist

Most Innovative Mobile App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the most innovative app designed for use on either a smartphone or tablet.

• TagWhat
• Mobile Inspector
• Shopkick
• Zaarly
• Vlingo
• #Gravity Social Client for Symbian
• Gigwalk

Most Useful Tablet-Based App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best app designed for use on a tablet.

• IMO Instant Messenger
• Trulia
• Slideshark
• Quickoffice
• Tripadvisor
• Houzz
• Flipboard

Best New Gadget
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best electronic gadget launched in 2011.

• iPad 2
• Nintendo 3DS
• Sonos Play:3
• Kindle Fire
• Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
• Sifteo
• Logitech Fold Up Keyboard

Business

Viral Campaign of the Year
This category honors the readers’ choice for their favorite viral advertising campaign launched in 2011.

• Eventful.com/AlanJackson
• Coca-Cola Where Will Happiness Strike Next
• NoH8 Campaign
• Occupy Wall Street
• Old Spice
• Kraft macaroni & cheese Twitter campaign
• Diesel Facebook/QR Code campaign

Most Innovative Use of Social Media for Marketing
This category honors the readers’ choice for the most innovative social media marketing campaign launched in 2011.

• Orabrush
• Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange
• Tower Heist – Heist It Back
• RadioShack #Kindofabigdeal
• Dominos Pizza
• Diesel
• Coke

Must-Follow Brand on Social Media
This category honors the readers’ choice for the brand that best uses Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr or other mainstream social networking sites.

• WWE
• The Young Turks
• Cirque Du Soleil
• Sega
• Carnival Cruise Lines
• DKNY
• CharityBuzz

Best Branded Mobile App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best mobile app created specifically by a brand for consumer use on either a smartphone or tablet.

• Robbie Williams App
• Super 8
• Domino’s Pizza USA
• KRAFT iFood Assistant
• Titan HTSE
• GEICO BroStache
• Glee by Smule

Best Social Good Cause Campaign
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best use of digital or social media in a non-profit, philanthropic, cause-focused or corporate social responsibility campaign.

• Be a STAR Alliance
• Joplin Tornado Info
• Feed it Forward by Restaurant.com
• Your Man Reminder
• The Trevor Project
• AT&T Texting While Driving
• It Gets Better

Digital Company of the Year
Editor’s Note: Originally, we had defined this category “the top traditional (non-digital) company that has excelled in the digital space in 2011.” After considering the nature of the nominations, we broadened the category to include traditional, non-digital companies as well as agencies that are heavily utilizing digital in their operations.

• Progressive Insurance
• WWE
• Dominos Pizza
• engage121
• Likeable Media
• Possible Worldwide
• Big Fuel

Breakout Startup of the Year
This category honors the readers’ choice for the top startup company in the digital space that has experienced impressive growth or mainstream attention in 2011.

• Manilla
• Punchtab
• GetGlue
• Twilio
• Taskrabbit
• Zaarly
• Codecademy

Entertainment

Game of the Year
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best game that has a social component launched in 2011.

• WWE ‘12
• Zombie Lane
• FIFA Soccer 12
• Battlefield 3
• Uncharted 3
• Batman Arkham City
• Modern Warfare 3

Viral Video of the Year
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best or most-memorable viral web video launched in 2011.

• “eHarmony Video Bio” starring Debbie
• “Friday” starring Rebecca Black
• “Nyan Cat” starring Nyan Cat
• “Mr. Simple” starring Super Junior
• “Super Bass” starring Sophia Grace Brownlee
• “Talking Twin Babies” starring Ren and Sam
• “Webcam 101 for Seniors” starring Bruce and Esther Huffman

Best Music Service or App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best online music service or app.

• Tracksfor.com
• Fit Radio
• Rhapsody
• Spotify
• Pandora
• Grooveshark
• Rdio

Best Online Video Streaming Service or App
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best service or app for consuming streaming of commercial media and entertainment.

• YouTube
• Boxee
• NHL Gamecenter Live
• Netflix
• Hulu
• Vevo
• HBO Go

Most Social TV Show
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best broadcast or cable television show that utilizes social media in an innovative, memorable or integral way.

• WWE Raw
• Pretty Little Liars
• MTV Roadies
• Attack of the Show
• Supernatural
• Bones
• The Glee Project

Best Social Movie Campaign
This category honors the readers’ choice for the best digital media campaign for a major or independent motion picture launched in 2011.

• The Muppets
• Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows
• Red State
• The Big Lebowski Facebook Release / Milyoni
• Rise & Shine: The Jay Demerit Story
• Senna
• The Inside Experience

Thank you for your nominations. Congratulations to all the finalists!

Voting is now open! You have until Dec 16 to vote for your favorite finalists to win. Good luck!

Click here to vote!

Full Article

Mr. Handley is not affiliated with Cartier, but agreed to comment as a third-party mobile expert.

Cartier did not respond by press deadline.

Race against time
When a consumer clicks on the banner ad in the New York Times mobile site, she is brought to a Cartier landing page where she can press play to watch the video or click to enter the Calibre collection page online.

The first part of the series was released this past summer and featured a well-dressed man who breaks into a vault in the basement of a hotel to retrieve a briefcase.

The video ends with the man, who wears the Calibre watch the entire time, opening the briefcase to reveal a chrome “XXI” piece that he places into its watchface.

The watch gears begin to move and the rest of the video presents the Cartier Calibre in various views.

The video currently being advertised in the New York Times mobile site is the Cartier Calibre Episode 2.

It begins with the same man catching a glimpse of a woman who walks by a door. He chases her through what appears to be a desert and into a building that contains larger-than-life watch gears and twisting staircases.

The number XXI is featured in many places throughout the building’s interior. The video ends when the man reaches a room in which the floor is the moving gears of a watch and the woman is on the other side.

The watchface floor transforms into the Calibre and is featured as the ending shot, followed by the phrase, “mechanics of passion.”

Cartier has not yet released the third episode.

Right timing
Cartier likely had the right idea to use a banner ad on the New York Times mobile site to promote the video since the site is frequently visited by on-the-go, affluent consumers.

Indeed, other luxury marketers such as Tiffany & Co (see story) and Ralph Lauren (see story) have leveraged the New York Times’ mobile platforms to advertise their newest collections.

The video is mobile-optimized and only about a minute long, making it ideal for busy consumers.

Mobile video episodes are expected to help increase sales this holiday season (see story), which may be why Cartier is pushing the video via the optimized New York Times site.

Indeed, mobile video is a viable way to engage consumers and lead them to further branded sites.

Cartier does this in two ways. Consumers have the option to skip the video all together and just visit the Calibre mobile site, or they can click through to the site after the video ends.

The Calibre mobile site is split into multiple sections, where consumers can click on design, collection, movement, films and make your move. “Make your move” is a different campaign that is also centered around the watch.

By linking consumers to the mobile-optimized collection page, Cartier may likely increase sales.

“Some luxury experts have said that luxury brands don’t need the consumer to follow through and carry out an action via mobile, as long as the brand and experience has taken place then the job has been done,” Mr. Handley said. “But I disagree.

“I think that every brand regardless of category needs to ensure that they follow through to mobile-optimized experiences,” he said.

Full Article

Also as an annual feature we showcase the "Hottest Launches" for 2010/2011 from Samir ("Mr. Magazine") Husni of the University of Mississippi's Magazine Innovation Center.

We do hope you will join us on December 5 at New York's Grand Hyatt to support those people who have made our industry innovative, successful and intriguing!

21 Most Intriguing People in Media

Dan Roth, Executive Editor, LinkedIn

Lewis D’Vorkin, Chief Product Officer, Forbes Media

Dawn Ostroff, President, Condé Nast Entertainment

Josh Tyrangiel, Editor, Bloomberg Businessweek

Josh Quittner, Editorial Director, Flipboard

Bob Kaslik, Senior Vice President, Interweave

Mike Beller, Vice President, Source Interlink’s Mediaworks

Geoff and Derek Handley, CEO and Co-founders, The Hyperfactory

Matt Bean, Associate Vice President, Mobile,Social & Emerging Media, Rodale

Liz Schimel, Executive Vice President Digital, Meredith

Jon Haber, Chief Innovation Officer, OMD

Michael Bloom, Chief Digital Officer, Wenner Media

Marie Jones, General Manager, Allure.com

Florent Peyre, VP Strategy and Business Development, Gilt Groupe

Steve Palm, CEO, NewBay Media

David Carey, President, Hearst Magazines, and
Michael Clinton, President/Marketing and Publishing Director, Hearst Magazines

Paul Caine, Chief Revenue Officer, Time Inc., and
Karen Kovacs, Publisher, People

Desirée Rogers, CEO, Johnson Publishing

JoAnne Kao, Director of Sales, SourceMedia

Jeff Giesea, CEO and Founder, BestVendor

Evan Ratliff and Jefferson Rabb, Co-founders, The Atavist

HOTTEST LAUNCHES OF THE YEAR

Athlon Sports
Editor: Charlie Miller
Publisher: Ron Harrison

Bitayavon
Editor: Shifra Klein
Chief Financial Officer: Shlomo Klein

Carson/Untitled
Editor: Alex Storch
Publisher: Alex Storch

Dash
Editor: Maggie Murphy
Publisher: Brett Wilson

Emerge
Publisher: Emerge Media Group

HGTV
Editor: Sara Peterson
Executive director: Jeanne Noonan Eckholdt

Lucky Peach
Editor: Peter Meehan/Dave Chang
Publisher: David Chang

Mask The magazine
Editor: Michelle Jacoby
Publisher: Kimberly Cabral

Peloton
Editor: Paige Dunn
Publisher: Brad Roe

Rebel
Editor: Kevin Whipps
Publisher: Rick Cabral, Tim Halmekangas, Michael Kelley

Road Iron
Editor: John Sullivan
Publisher: Joe Teresi

The Social Media Monthly
Editor/Publisher: Robert Fine

Treats
Editor-In-Chief/Publisher: Steve Shaw
Editor: Rob Hill
Art Director: Eric Roinestad

Vegas/Rated
Editor: Melinda Sheckells
Publisher: Ryan Doherty/Justin Weniger

Where Women Cook
Publisher: Kellene Giloff
Editor: Jo Packham

Hottest Editor of the Year:
Maggie Murphy, Dash magazine

Hottest Publisher/CEO
Stephen Duggan, Athlon Sports

Hottest Design Director of the Year
Eleftherios Kardamakis, HGTV magazine

Hottest Reinventions of the Year
Parade magazine
House Beautiful

PEOPLE TO WATCH

Aaron Cunningham, Crain Communications
Allie Townsend, Time Inc.
Sara Rossi, Meredith Corporation
Kristen Hayashi, WIRED
Nicole Ferraro, UBM TechWeb
Krystle Kopacz, Atlantic Media Group
Tammy Tibbetts, Seventeen.com
Nicholas Walter, UBM Electronics
Amy Jaick, The Economist

Full Article

"In today's rapidly evolving marketplace, Brand and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) leaders are constantly searching for partners who can create and deliver innovative marketing solutions across a wide spectrum," says Martin Reidy, President of Meredith Xcelerated Marketing. "Increasingly, they are looking for companies with a global reach, too. MXM possesses the optimal mix of services and innovation to benefit clients on a global scale thanks to our investment in iris, and our new branding reflects the capabilities we've developed over the last five years."

Creation of the Meredith-Iris Global Network
The investment in iris Worldwide gives MXM a global platform to serve its many blue-chip clients, and further enhances its ability to provide customized marketing solutions across multiple channels and markets. In addition to its strengths in advertising, digital, print, public relations and CRM, iris Worldwide brings expertise in retail/shopper and experiential marketing to MXM's growing mix of expertise.

Iris Worldwide serves a diverse range of global clients including Shell, Microsoft, Sony Ericsson, Unilever, adidas, IHG, Heineken, Volkswagen and Philips. Privately owned and founded in 1999, iris Worldwide employs nearly 800 people with offices in London, Manchester, Amsterdam, Delhi, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Miami, Mexico City and Atlanta.

Examples of iris' work include a traffic-stopping 3D projection mapped onto the façade of the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York during the holiday season; and creation and promotion of the official mascots for the London 2012 Olympics.

Stewart Shanley, Global CEO and Co-Founder of iris, said, "This is going to offer clients a real alternative to the traditional agency network model and one that is fit for the ‘always on' world we now live in. This network is built around the needs and interests of consumers. Meredith possesses expertise in content and in the creation of ‘value-add' communities built around consumers. We are bringing these skills together with our creative expertise to give the best and brightest clients in the world all the tools they need to get closer to their consumers."

The investment in iris Worldwide will not have a material effect on Meredith Corporation's financial performance in fiscal 2012.

"The creation of the Meredith-Iris Global Network further expands Meredith's international footprint as well as our ability to serve our domestic clients by pursuing global opportunities to strengthen their consumer connections," says John Zieser, Meredith's Chief Development Officer. "We continuously seek new opportunities to align our businesses with market leaders throughout the world."

Creation of Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM)
A leading multi-disciplinary organization of best-in-class services, MXM provides clients with in-depth knowledge, resources and expertise in core areas including loyalty, analytics, mobile, campaign management, social and digital.

MXM's heritage lies in its more than 40 years of experience in creating custom programs and customer relationship marketing platforms. Over the past five years, MXM has added expanded marketing capabilities in key areas with the acquisition of leading agencies The Hyperfactory (mobile), Genex (digital), New Media Strategies (social media), Directive (database analytics) and BIG Communications (healthcare). MXM now has more than 700 employees and works with more than 50 brands, including Lowe's, Kraft and Chrysler.

"This new market positioning showcases our commitment to a truly integrated client service engine, one in which clients have access to unparalleled category expertise, along with an agency structure that can oversee all aspects of digital strategy," says Reidy.

About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation is the leading media and marketing company serving American women. Meredith features multiple well-known national brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Family Circle, Ladies' Home Journal, Fitness, More, EatingWell and American Baby – along with local television brands in fast-growing markets. Meredith is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness and self-development. Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms – including print, television, online, mobile, tablets, and video – to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners. According to the Advertising Intelligence Reports (AIR) survey of more than 1,500 agency and marketing professionals, Meredith is the nation's "Highest Rated Media Company."

Additionally, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing (MXM) uses its many assets to create powerful custom marketing solutions for many of the nation's top brands and companies. MXM has significantly added to its marketing solution capabilities in recent years through the acquisition of cutting-edge companies in areas such as digital, mobile, video, database, healthcare and social marketing.

About Iris
Iris is an award-winning independent, global creative agency that delivers marketing campaigns for clients like adidas, Sony Ericsson, Sony, Philips and Reckitt Benckiser.

Over the past 12 years, iris has diversified to offer specialization in all disciplines, from management consultancy, CRM, direct and digital to advertising, PR, experiential, retail and sponsorship. It is the blend of these skills that allows the agency to deliver ‘Extraordinary Ideas' – solutions that provide competitive cut through by being interesting, valuable and part of popular culture.

Launched in London in 1999, iris is one of the fastest growing micro-networks in the world and today has over 800 employees working across 13 countries.

Full Release

Accompanying Geoffrey on the panel will be Stacy Chagnon, Senior Marketing Manager at Microsoft and Chuck Martin, CEO of Mobile Future Institute and author of The Third Screen. Up for discussion will be how mobile devices are opening up new possibilities for customers and suppliers—and how the best companies are taking advantage of the technology.

Click here for the full agenda.

Dubbed the "Publishers Annex," the group will develop white papers and participate in road shows and event demonstrations targeting the larger publishers that generate at least 10 million monthly page views from mobile devices.

The model is based on what Mojiva cites as the success of the similarly structured Creative Alliance group of providers that did road shows for agencies on mobile advertising in L.A., Chicago and New York. Mocean says it will issue a quarterly document crafted by the participants in the Annex. The Annex also will solicit case studies from publishers who work with the group so the examples can be shared at events.

Nine companies have joined the Annex: AirKast, Applico, FreeRange Communications, Golden Gekko, The Hyperfactory, Polar Mobile, Trilibis Mobile, Wapple and Zumobi. The dedicated Web site at PublisherAnnex.com helps facilitate connections between the members and publishers.

The publisher/developer can submit an RFP, receive proposals, and then get advice from Mocean on monetization strategies for the new app or site. The group also says it will help train the publisher's sales force in selling mobile media.

There are additional solutions that providers can apply to be included in the Annex, but Mocean says it intends to keep this a select group of proven partners.

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"Mobile publishing and application development is one of the biggest opportunities the industry can embrace right now -- the better the mobile sites and apps, the better the audience engagement and opportunity to monetize," said Dave Gwozdz, CEO of Mocean Mobile. "The Publisher Annex will provide the guidance that large-scale publishers need to fully capitalize on the mobile opportunity worldwide."

The Publisher Annex, which is best equipped to develop solutions for publishers experiencing more than 10 million page views per month from wireless devices, offers a group of the most innovative mobile web and app developers, along with experts in mobile monetization. The launch members comment on the impact this initiative will have on the industry below:

• "As one of the largest mobile app networks with over 900 customers made up of Fortune 1000's media companies, AirKast is excited to be part of Mocen Mobile's Publisher Annex. We see this as a great initiative to bridge the gap between the world of mobile publishers and advertisers." -- Larry Leung, CEO
• "Applico is glad to be working with Mocean Mobile. The Publisher Annex will provide a much needed resource to many companies and it goes hand-in-hand with Applico's mission to bring our clients into mobile with ease and efficiency." -- Alex Moazed, President and CEO of Applico
• "FreeRange360 is pleased to be partnered with Mocean for this shared opportunity to engage our potential audience and further contribute to the overall impact on traditional advertising, marketing, and media streams." -- Jon Maroney, CEO
• "Mobile is the world's fastest growing industry, with new technologies, solutions and companies appearing every day. In such a landscape, finding and working with the best partners is crucial for success. Golden Gekko, as the global leading mobile web and app developer, is very excited to be part of the Publisher Annex network. Mobile is a huge opportunity for the publishing industry, and to offer easy access to best of breed partners for mobile initiatives will be a great advantage for everyone involved." -- Miguel Banuelos, Director of Accounts - US, Golden Gekko
• "It's great to see a company like Mocean Mobile pulling together various parties across the ecosystem to help make publishers' lives easier. As we know, consumers need great mobile destinations with great content, and Mocean Mobile is helping make this happen by providing a seamless process to publishers." -- Geoffrey Handley, co-founder and CMO, The Hyperfactory
• "Polar is excited to work with Mocean Mobile on the Publisher Annex. As a long-standing partner, we look forward to evangelizing great mobile technology for content producers." -- Marlon Rodrigues, Director of Alliances at Polar Mobile
• "Today's consumers are incredibly mobile-savvy. Marketers and content providers who've launched mobile programs have seen their customer engagement and retention rates improve, thus resulting in increased revenues. With Publisher Annex, those new to mobile can also take advantage of this emerging, high-impact channel." -- Ted Verani, SVP of Sales and Marketing at Trilibis Mobile
• "Mobile web publishing is going to the next level and the Mocean Mobile initiative is key to the ongoing growth of the industry. We are delighted to be part of Publisher Annex, which we believe will be hugely successful." -- Rich Holdsworth, Wapple, CEO

Publishers who are interested in being part of the group or learning about mobile monetization from the Publisher Annex can contact: avale@moceanmobile.com or visit www.publisherannex.com

About Mocean Mobile
Mocean Mobile created the first technology platform that streamlines publishers', developers' and app stores' mobile revenue opportunities by giving them the ability to serve display ads to all mobile devices including smart phones, tablets and netbooks. Mocean Mobile integrates with the top rich media providers to ensure that publishers have capabilities to run the most engaging and comprehensive creative ad units on their mobile sites. By integrating with the majority of 3rd party networks and agency side ad servers like DART and Atlas, Mocean Mobile combines state of the art direct sales campaign management with ad network mediation for the mobile world. Created in 2009, Mocean Mobile is led by a team of advertising and media veterans from Google, DoubleClick, Yahoo, and AdMob, with more than 100 years of collective experience in online and mobile advertising and technology. It operates under parent company Mojiva Inc., which has a total of $35 million venture funding from Pelion Venture Partners, Shamrock Capital and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments.

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The panel will be moderated by Mort Greenberg from NAVTEQ, and Geoffrey will sit alongside Paul Gelb, Mobile Practice Lead at Razorfish; Angela Steele, CEO of Ansible and Devaraj Southworth, VP of Online & Mobile Product Strategy, Enterprise Growth at American Express.

For the full agenda of the Mobile Media Summit, see http://www.mobilemediasummit.com/2011.

5 Brands That Understand Moms

Moms love brands for myriad reasons, but first and foremost, brands have to make great products. If the brand creates the right experience around the product, it will have the beginnings of a great relationship with mom. What is entailed in creating a great brand experience? It can be anything from supporting a cause to offering great tools and information to creating something that touches an emotional chord to being a brand that brings you just plain fun.

1. Johnson and Johnson
For 125 years, Johnson & Johnson has made products that moms trust. But how does it keep itself relevant with today's mom? It understands that you don't have to fill your brand messages with content about the brand in order to connect with today's social mom. Providing a service as it has with these two tools will create a long-term relationship. Its free Text4baby mobile app delivers on-the-go health information for new mothers and the first year of baby's life. The text messages are timed to the baby's birth date so the information is always pertinent and right at her fingertips. And for the mom who is a blogger and wants to showcase her favorite charity, J&J has created a simple to use widget that allows her to show her support of multiple non-profit organizations.

2. Target
First of all, Target offers a variety of deals, offers and discounts both on its website and through its owned social channels. And it always presents the information in a clean and clear way, which busy moms appreciate. But the reason Target is on this list is for its total commitment to mobile. Moms can shop without carrying around cash. Through the Target mobile app, Moms can checkout purchases anywhere, find offers/discounts, and update gift registers. She can get exclusive offers via text messages, check prices by scanning the barcode right from her phone, create shopping lists, and even create mobile gift cards. Target understands convenience and great tools that help her get things done that are high on her list.

3. Gerber
Aren't we all Gerber babies? Since first launched in 1928, the Gerber baby has been an iconic symbol for healthy babies. To keep up with this generation of babies and their moms, the brand has created numerous mobile apps from the birth app to track sleep, feeding and even a mobile scrapbook to a pregnancy calendar app to track your weight and record appointments. Long known for care and nutrition, Gerber's Start Healthy, Stay Healthy app is filled with tips, quizzes and information for keeping baby healthy. Gerber really understands moms hunger for content and information, especially when it comes to raising a healthy and happy baby.

4. Crayola
How can you not love Crayola when even its Facebook page rules of engagement are fun: "Use your manners. Remember that little eyes could be viewing what you write." They understand moms want to instill in their child a sense of caring for the world at large, and to encourage their imagination and ideas. It's using solar panels to provide power to make the crayons, using recycled plastic, and planting a tree for every tree used to make the pencils. And the PopArt Pixies are an interesting twist where moms are portrayed as avatars that have created all kinds of fun craft ideas a mom can do with a child. Brands often forget moms love to have things they can do with their kids. Plus, you have to love a brand that fully discloses that you might have to wash your child's clothes a couple of times to get the Colored Bubbles out.

5. Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods has so many wonderful applications and tools to offer moms. Who wouldn't love the My Recipe Box, where the recipes you choose can be exported out into a shopping list and it's organized by category? A fabulous companion piece to the recipes is its YouTube Cooking School for those who like a tutorial. Kraft is getting very creative by listening to the moms and the Twitter chatter to identify trends and ideas for new products and recently launched a social plug-in called Smiletagging for bookmarking sites that make you smile. It understands moms love a few smiles and a bit of humor to brighten the every day.

Remember, your content has to live in multiple places as moms are channel agnostic and choose different platforms for different tasks. And if you really want to "get it right," invite a few moms in to ideate with your marketing team. They'll have plenty of great thoughts and ideas to share!

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During the “From Mobile to Mobility” keynote session, executives said each interface plays different, location-based and contextually relevant roles. Knitting this experience together for publishers, advertisers and consumers will be the next great challenge.

“I think the number of devices and users has increased,” said Geoffrey Handley, cofounder of The Hyperfactory, New York. “The key thing is the number of brands that understand that their consumers are inherently mobile.

“It’s about catering to their consumers and the actual notion of what mobile is,” he said. “I think the key thing is that mobile's not a standalone.”

“Our role is to help consumers know that there is mobility.”

Different experience
According to Mr. Handley, brands should not take a PC experience and just dump it on mobile.

Mobility is about continuing connectivity and delivering contextual engagements.

“I think that’s what a lot of brands are forgetting,” Mr. Handley said. “It’s about delivering the contextually relevant touchpoint.

“Contextual planning in a world of mobility is critical,” he said. “We're at that point where we're about to head into the right direction."

According to the executive, last year's buzz word was strategy.

“It's not about strategy per se,” Mr. Handley said. “The strategy should be about mobility.

“Let’s look towards mobility,” he said.

Mobile facts
Evan Neufeld, chief marketing officer at Ground Truth, New York, presented the latest metrics of trends shaping the mobile industry.

For example, 81 percent of Americans own mobile phones. Forty percent of mobile phones are now smartphones.

Additionally, mobile commerce spend is expected to grow three times more by 2015 and mobile search is expected to grow by four times by 2015.

Although Apple's iPhone and Google’s Android is leading the smartphone pack, there are still a decent amount of users on BlackBerry devices.

In addition, Windows Phone 7 is rapidly growing.

“We’re still going to see platforms coming into play,” Mr. Neufeld said.

The executive also said that when it comes to offers and mobile coupons, there is a lot of room for improvement.

Brands must also optimize offers and other forms of content specifically for mobile to present a seamless experience for consumers.

“Consumers prefer using mobile Web browsers to downloadable mobile applications,” Mr. Neufeld said. “We see a widespread adoption of HTML5 and companies building cooler slicker interfaces.

“Apps versus Web usage will continue to be driven by content type,” he said.

Final Take
The Hyperfactory's Mr. Handley

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Some background
Kraft Foods’ Comida Kraft has been connecting with Latin moms for about 10 years and started with a Web site, then the email newsletter and magazine.

Following digital trends in consumer behavior, the company next launched a mobile Web site, an SMS club and complemented that with YouTube and Facebook pages.

The mobile site for Comida Kraft includes all of the recipe content from the Web site, but adapted to the mobile channel.

The Comida Kraft mobile club is an opt-in SMS program where people receive bi-monthly text messages with relevant content such as new recipes and event alerts.

Comida Kraft also uses SMS calls to action within its magazine to connect readers with additional content.

“We know that the Latin consumer reacts very well to our content,” Ms. Cameron said. “We also know that Latin consumers over-index in their mobile usage so we teamed with the very charismatic chef Alfredo Oropeza for this ‘Share Your Latin Flavor’ effort.”

Share Your Latin Flavor
The Share Your Latin Flavor program launched in May. Comida Kraft worked with The Hyperfactory, a Meredith Integrated Marketing agency, for the effort.

The campaign includes Web, social, mobile, TV and print.

The mobile program features a mobile hub with access to all recipe and video content. It also allows users to sign up for the SMS and email database, “Like” Comida Kraft on Facebook and share the site with friends via SMS.

The mobile site

“We know this audience over indexes in mobile and social,” said Geoffrey Handley, cofounder of The Hyperfactory, New York. “We also know a lot of social stuff is happening through mobile.

“But not too many programs use mobile in a social context.”

One of the objectives of the program is acquisition—to bring consumers into the email and SMS database. Joining the database unlocks an exclusive portion of the hub, where consumers can access recipes and video content available only to them, only on mobile.

The SMS communication

Another objective is to bulk up the Comida Kraft Facebook fan base.

Mobile banners and SMS calls to action in print were set up to drive traffic and acquisition.

Mobile banners

There is also a mobile redirect in place, which is set up to receive traffic from otherwise digital channels such as TV spots and Facebook posts.

As a result of the campaign, mobile site traffic increased 135 percent from May to June 2011.

Additionally, Comida Kraft was able to nearly double its Facebook fan base from May to present.

“Overall, having a 360-degree campaign really pays off,” Ms. Cameron said. “You have to give options to the consumer.”

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“The iPhone’s will allow our employees to check inventory availability, access how-to videos and use Lowes.com in the aisles of our store,” said Lowe’s spokesperson Abby Buford. “We will continue to add functionality to the devices over time, but this will allow for a simple and seamless transition between customers and employees. [The Hyperfactory, Lowe’s lead strategic mobile agency, helped the Lowe’s team develop key functionality in this application and also the recently-launched, much-lauded Lowe’s Consumer Application.]

“Our goal is to make home improvement simple for customers and our employees,” she said.

Multi-functionality

Lowe’s, Mooresville, NC, operates more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Several retailers are arming store associates with mobile devices, including Lowe’s competitor Home Depot, which started giving employees handheld Motorola devices last year.

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Consumers are expressing interest in shopping on mobile devices, especially when it comes to tablets. (Though at this point, it’s pretty much an iPad-only game; even Google, whose Android software competes with Apple’s, launched its new Catalog app on iPad first.) The National Retail Federation found that nearly 40% of college shoppers and 30% of K-12 shoppers with tablets say they plan to use them to purchase products for school this year. That’s a greater percentage than those who said they would use the device to compare prices or conduct product research, according to the survey of more than 8,000 respondents.

But with smartphones, it’s a different picture. Consumers are less enthusiastic about making purchases: Nearly 20% of K-12 shoppers and 17% of college shoppers say they will make purchases with their smartphones. But more than 30% in both camps saying they will compare prices with those devices.

For mobile commerce, online retailers are definitely leading the way. In 2010, eBay reported nearly $2 billion in gross merchandise volume from mobile. The company expects to double that to $4 billion in mobile sales this year.

“The area of [mobile-]commerce is definitely growing, but most retailers are still heavily invested in stores,” said Mr. Handley. “Mobile provides a quick win when it aids retail.”

Here, Ad Age highlights retailers’ mobile apps and strategies for back-to-school and beyond.

TopShop
U.K.-based retailer TopShop has teamed up with SCVNGR, a location-based mobile gaming app, in an effort to get shoppers into its stores this season. Beginning Sept. 5, anyone near a store can play using the SCVNGR app. Players choose the reward they want, such as a 20% in-store discount or a shopping spree, and complete challenges like taking a picture of their favorite back-to-college outfit at TopShop in order to earn points toward the reward.

Finish Line
Earlier this month, Finish Line unveiled a new app that gives shoppers access to real-time inventory at the store nearest them. Users can check to see if an item is available in the style, size and color they’re looking for. Transactions can be completed on the app, but it also uses geo-tracking to provide store information and directions from the user’s location.

Wet Seal
The teen retailer is taking a different approach to mobile this back-to-school season by offering shoppers a free Android phone (with a new two-year plan plus data) just for coming into a story and trying on jeans. Talk about a traffic driver.

Amazon Student
Launched just in time for the back-to-school shopping season, Amazon’s new app allows students to check prices and comparison shop by scanning barcodes. Users can also scan the barcode of an item they no longer want—think books, games, movies and electronics—to find out its trade-in value, redeemable for Amazon gift cards.

Google Catalogs
This free app for tablets enables shoppers to browse and interact with catalogs. There are all the expected bells and whistles—find products in store, buy online, watch related videos—as well as some cool extras, such as the ability to create collages, search for products across different catalogs and add a retailer to a favorites tab for immediate notification when a new catalog hits. Launch partners include: Anthropologie, Bloomingdale's, Crate and Barrel, L.L. Bean, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, Williams-Sonoma and others.

E-Textbooks
College bookstores beware. A bevy of apps have popped up that allow students to compare prices on new, used, electronic and rental textbooks by scanning a barcode. Students can also rent or buy directly via the app. Chegg, CampusBooks and Kno are a few of the companies playing in the space. And why not? The National Association of College Stores estimates that the average full-time student spends $483 annually on course materials.

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The Waterfront Auckland Mobile Destination launched in July 2011; with 70% of all mobile handsets in market having the ability to connect to the mobile internet, a rich, utilitarian mobile site that caters to a wide range of handsets was necessary to reach the largest possible audience. The goal was to provide people with interesting, informative content in an easy-to-use and, in turn, cost-effective manner, and because the site renders a rich experience for each individual handset, the Waterfront Auckland program provides very deep engagement, particularly for high-end devices such as the iPhone, for which the site is rendered in HTML5.

Centered around the Wynyard Quarter as an initial touch point, both local and international visitors are able to use this tool. This includes maps, dynamic news and event information, bars and dining and an exciting range of guided audio tours covering maritime & fishing, art, heritage, urban design & sustainability and Maori.

In addition, potential visitors can get a taste for all the great things that Auckland Waterfront has to offer wherever they are in the world, as well as "Like" specific events, sharing them on their Facebook profiles.

Find out more about Auckland Waterfront: New-look waterfront pulls in the crowds

The following is an excerpt from Deloitte's analysis:

With games receding as a realistic option for brands seeking to advertise on mobile, the other option is to provide utility apps. Kraft’s iFood Assistant is a good example of the type, having been downloaded by around half a million consumers. Kraft’s app provides recipes indexed by ingredients, meal type and preparation time as well as a shopping list feature and instructional videos.

 

In our view, iFood Assistant has been successful because it bundles together a number of characteristics that have driven success for other brands:

• The app harnesses the power of network effects, allowing customers to upload and share their own recipes, improving the experience for all users
• The brand is prominent throughout the content, driving brand awareness
• The app acts as a loyalty programme, offering coupons and discounts
• The app gathers invaluable data on user habits and allows for targeted recipes and coupons to encourage repeat usage
• The app uses the hardware features of the device to offer enhanced experience (in the case of iFood Assistant, a GPS store finder)

The latter is very important. Mobile apps represent an opportunity for users to fully engage and experience a brand, thanks to specific functionality available on smartphones, for example: touch screens, accelerometers, microphones and GPS. In our view, companies should consider whether they can develop an app that creates value for users using these functions, rather than just creating a stripped out version of their website or mobile microsite.

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Beck's creates a worldwide virtual gallery

At the launch event for the Beck's Green Box Project, brand manager Andy Logan reminded the audience that this is the 25th year of Beck's Art Labels, and of the fact that the beer brand was the first to use green bottles instead of the standard brown. In continuation of both its connection with the arts and its self-consciously pioneering spirit, Beck's Green Box Project is an international augmented reality commissioning programme, which seeks to enable hundreds of digital works of art over three years.

The resulting commissions will be viewable via the Beck's Key app, which uses GPS and visual markers to display the creative contents of the two metre-cubed green boxes. The app also allows users to search for their closest Green Box and receive updates about the artists involved, creating what Beck's has billed as 'the world's first global networked augmented reality gallery'.

British fashion photographer Nick Knight, who is co-curating the project, expanded on his enthusiasm for augmented reality: 'This feels like a new art form; the juxtaposition between the world we see and the world we're going to be allowed to see through the technology.'

To mark the launch, a 200-foot high digital sculpture by Belgian artist Arne Quinze was unveiled on top of the Statue of Liberty in New York and 30 further pieces of art have been commissioned from different creative disciplines. The commissions span seven cities and the artists involved include UK food scientists Bompas & Parr, US illustrator Sage Vaughn and Toronto-based opera trio Austra. These initial exhibits, Logan explained, are 'a call to action for as many independent thinkers as possible' as Beck's seeks to commission hundreds more digital artworks, conceived by members of the public, throughout 2012.

Matt Hardisty, strategy director for Mother London, who worked on the project, commented on the marketing potential of the distinctive green boxes: 'We are trying to represent a different kind of gallery, but from an advertising point of view this is also a different kind of billboard - they will be situated in these areas for between two weeks and two months.'

www.becks.com

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“In Andy Lark we have the newly appointed CMO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and former CMO of the $35B Enterprise and Public Marketing unit of Dell. In Geoff Ross, a gutsy entrepreneur who against all odds created 42 Below Vodka as a bold aggressive international brand in a sterile sector leveraging viral media before the advent of viral media. Claudia Batten is at the forefront of creating disruption to the marketing model as founder of revolutionary crowdsourcing agency Victors & Spoils: one of AdAge’s Top 10 Agency to Watch List of 2011.

“The last of the Kiwi line-up is Sarah Robb O’Hagan, one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in Sports and AdAge’s Women to Watch 2010. Sarah is an inspirational marketing leader in charge of one of the most iconic brands in America as Gatorade President North America and Global Chief Marketing Officer, Sports Nutrition for Pepsico.

“Joining these world class New Zealanders we have two international visionaries in brand and digital media. Marc Mathieu is Unilever’s newly appointed number two global marketer, recognised both as an entrepreneur and global branding expert. Marc was previously Global Brand Head for Coca-Cola and has a passion for social change. Nihal Mehta is a veteran of mobile and social marketing; a Top 10 NYC Game-Changer and an AdAge ‘Top 20 Marketer in their 20s’, and currently a co-founding general partner at the mobile seed fund ENIAC Ventures.

“A cross section of the good and the great, each of these people have a history of achieving amazing things in the world of marketing and pushing the medium forward.

“The winner will be announced August 1st 2011”. The six finalists are:

• Anna-Claire Clendon (Auckland)
• Keren Phillips (Auckland)
• Jen Corbett (Auckland)
• Brooke Anderson (Wellington)
• Carmen Vicelich (Auckland)
• Scott Wright (Auckland)

THE HYPERFACTORY-HANDLEY GLOBAL MARKETING SCHOLARSHIP

The scholarship aims to create a powerful alumni of leading lights in the future of marketing and give them unprecedented access to the conversations of the smartest marketers at the world’s largest brands—like L’Oréal, Kraft, Nestlé and AB InBev—in a global setting.

Scholarship recipients will meet leading marketers at game-changing companies at both ends of the spectrum, from corporations to start-ups. In addition to understanding how leading brands engage with their consumers, Hyperfactory scholars will be able to take a look “under the hood” at some of the world’s leading marketing, content and digital enablers such as Apple, Google, Time Warner and Facebook. Additionally, there will be introductions and exposure to those start-ups, entrepreneurs and catalysts that the Handley brothers feel will be the next to change the future of marketing.

Full details and application guidelines are available at www.thehyperfactory.com as well as the scholarship’s Facebook page.

ABOUT THE JUDGES

Andy Lark: Newly appointed CMO, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (from July 1 2011) @kiwilark
Andy is the newly appointed CMO for Commonwealth Bank of Australia, having just led Dell’s global marketing for its Enterprise and Public group – a $35B business unit. Since returning to Dell three years ago he has held a variety of roles including CMO for the Enterprise group, vice president global communications and branding; and, vice president, Dell.com – the world’s largest eCommerce site. Andrew is recognized as an innovator in social media and pioneered Dell’s award-winning social media programs. Outside of Dell, Andrew has held a number of directorships of public and privately held companies and today sits on the boards of Xero – a leading Web-based accounting platform, N0.8 Ventures – New Zealand’s premier technology venture capital firm; and the advisory board of Prof Gary Hamel’s Management Innovation Exchange.

Claudia Batten: co-Founder Massive and founder Victor and Spoils @ClaudiaBatten
Claudia Batten is co-founder and COO of Victors & Spoils, the world’s first advertising agency based on crowdsourcing principles. A corporate lawyer specializing in contract and technology law by trade, Batten attained a strong background in the legal precepts that shape the ever-evolving technology industry early in her career. Through this she developed the techniques that make for an effective modern company in the digital space era. 

She followed up her successful legal career by joining the founding team at Massive, a first-of-its-kind network for video game advertising. Within three years, Massive had bloomed into a full-scale advertising network which sold to Microsoft Corporation in 2006. Batten continued with Massive through the acquisition, serving as director of partner development, and played an integral role in helping the company scale the network.
 
The launch of Victors & Spoils in the autumn of 2009 made instant waves in the industry, marking the advent of a new era in regard to the perception of crowdsourcing within advertising. Batten established the agency with ad industry veterans and alums of acclaimed agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, John Winsor and Evan Fry. The agency launch was groundbreaking, opening doors for industry creatives around the world. Victors & Spoils now works with CMOs at Fortune 500 companies and continues to turn heads as its clever output reaches the mainstream.

Geoff Ross, Executive Chairman Ecoya
Geoff was the founder and CEO of 42 Below Vodka (sold to Bacardi in late 2006) and the author of the best selling book “Every Bastard Says No”. He is also Executive Chairman of Ecoya Limited, an NZX listed body, bath and home fragrance company. Prior to 42 Below, he was a Managing Partner and Board Member of DDB Advertising for two years and was a Client Service Director and Management Team Member for Saatchi & Saatchi in Wellington for eight years. Geoff is also a board member of the Melanoma Foundation and advisor to Air New Zealand’s “Grab a Seat” initiative.

Mark Mathieu, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Unilever
Marc is a visionary who believes in the power of movements. Whether it’s a specific movement—such as fair trade, the triple bottom line or the social media revolution—or movements as a whole, Marc frequently explores movements in context of the cultural shifts they can ignite and the business impact they can have, both globally and locally, often anchoring the discussion within the world of branding and infusing it with his many years of marketing expertise. Marc brings with him the experience of large FMCG companies such as Danone and Coca-Cola, where he was last head of Global Brand Marketing and developed the company’s platform for sustainability: “Live Positively.” Marc is a founding member of Sustainability 50, a leading peer group organization of Fortune 500 Chief Sustainability Officers. He is also a Co-Founder of The Hoop and on the advisory board for Green My Parents.

Nihal Mehta: Mobile Entrepreneur, Investor and Advisor @nihalmehta
With over 12 years’ experience in innovating marketing technologies through several successful startups to date, Nihal Mehta is a noted expert in the emerging adoption of mobile technologies for media properties and consumer brands. Named a Top 10 NYC “game changer” in the 2010 New York Enterprise Report, one of 20 RCR Wireless News “mobile movers and shakers” in 2008, a BusinessWeek “m-Commerce Baron” in 2006 and named one of AdAge’s “Top 20 Marketers in Their 20s” in 2005, Nihal is currently CEO and co-founder of LocalResponse, Inc. which helps brands and businesses reach consumers across aggregate location-based services. Prior to LocalResponse, (which pivoted from buzzd, a leading real-time city guide), Nihal founded ipsh!, one of the first full-service mobile marketing agencies in 2001, which he sold to Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) in 2005. Nihal is also a General Partner at the world’s first venture fund focused on mobile startups, ENIAC ventures, and is an active angel investor with several successful exits including Admob (sold to Google), Greystripe (sold to Valueclick), and Movoxx (sold to Adenyo). Nihal graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Philosophy and a BSE in Computer Science.

Sarah Robb O’Hagan, President Gatorade @SarahRobbOh
Sarah Robb O’Hagan is Gatorade president North America and global chief marketing officer, Sports Nutrition, PepsiCo, which owns the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines, each of which generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – make hundreds of nourishing foods and beverages for consumers in more than 200 countries. With nearly $60 billion in revenue, PepsiCo employs 285,000 people worldwide.

Robb O’Hagan assumed this role in January 2011 and is responsible for the North American Gatorade business and the global brand management of Sport Nutrition. In this new role, O’Hagan will assume responsibility for the marketing and operations of the entire Gatorade business in North America and will lead the development of sports nutrition on a global scale, including the launch of Gatorade’s G Series in several markets in 2011.

Robb O’Hagan joined PepsiCo in June 2008 as chief marketing officer, Gatorade, where she oversaw the business’ strategic direction, product innovation, and consumer, shopper and sports marketing communications. In this role, Robb O’Hagan led Gatorade’s transformation from sports drink company to sports performance innovator, which included the launch of the brand’s G Series – a line of products that delivers fuel, fluid and nutrients to athletes before, during and after physical activity. Before joining PepsiCo, Robb O’Hagan worked for Nike, Atari Interactive, Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand.

Geoffrey and Derek Handley @therealhandley, Co-Founders, The Hyperfactory
Geoffrey and Derek Handley are the co-founders of The Hyperfactory and the creators of the Scholarship program.

ABOUT THE HYPERFACTORY

The Hyperfactory (www.thehyperfactory.com) powers businesses and brands through the mobile medium. As the most-awarded and most established specialist, it is consistently setting new standards of excellence through two divisions:

• Agency: Powering brands through integrated mobile strategy, creative, media and innovation.
• Technology: Powering businesses through planning, integration and deployment of mobile technology, regardless of the platform, protocol or device.

Founded in 2001 by New Zealand brothers Geoffrey and Derek Handley, The Hyperfactory is a wholly owned subsidiary of Meredith Corporation, the leading media and marketing company serving American women. Recently recognised in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Annual 100 Brilliant Ideas & Companies issue and with a history of winning more industry accolades and recognition than any agency worldwide, clients include Kraft, Intel, Nestlé-Gerber, Coca-Cola, BlackBerry, Microsoft, Taco Bell and AB InBev. Headquartered in New York, it employs over 100 of the world’s best mobile technology and marketing experts and supports and delivers globally through its network of offices in Auckland, Sydney and Hyderabad.

THE HYPERFACTORY CONTACT

Contact: The Hyperfactory diane.lee@thehyperfactory.com.
Released by Network PR (Clare England), clare.england@networkpr.com, (09) 306 5808 or 021 615 915.

What Makes Mobile Unique?

Users on the web are notoriously distracted and hop around from page to page. Mobile users are distracted even further. Their devices are buzzing with push notifications from their apps, text messages and emails are constantly popping up on the screen. They might be standing in line at a grocery store, waiting for a movie to start, in a taxi, in an elevator or walking down the street. These scenarios — and mobile use in general — are defined by three key factors:

1. Pockets of Use. Picking up their mobile device is a secondary task. They’re just trying to fill up a pocket of time while doing something else. Users have just a few moments to check their phone or look up a piece of information while they’re completing a primary task (waiting in line, elevator, etc.).
2. Perpetual and Inherent Distraction. Traditional web users may face distraction from email, chat and the infinite number of other webpages they could be on, but when those users land on a page, they typically stick around until they become bored or want to check out some other piece of information on the web. Mobile users, on the other hand, face perpetual off-device distractions — use of their mobile device is secondary. Byrne Hobart, founder of investment research firm Digital Due Diligence, observes that mobile marketers are “writing for an audience that’s in the middle of something else.” They might be waiting for their subway stop, their floor on an elevator, their line to be called at Whole Foods, a friend to show up at a restaurant. Point is, the number of off-device distractions for mobile users is limitless.
3. The (Very) Small Screen. Mobile devices have tiny screens — they simply do not fit a lot of content. It’s critical that marketers keep this in mind as they write copy. What will fit onto a user’s screen without scrolling?

Mobile Is How We Live and Communicate

When creating mobile content, keep in mind what it represents. For many users, their phone is the headquarters of their lifestyle. It’s a connection to friends, family and coworkers. It’s a locker for nostalgic photos and texts from last night that probably should be deleted. Users personalize the background, download apps that fit their needs and look up information on the go. For many users, their phone is the first thing they see when they wake up and the last thing they see when they go to bed. It’s by their side 24/7, and it’s their connection to the world.

Marketers — and everyone else — should keep this in mind as they create content for mobile. Here are some things to consider when writing for mobile.

Be Goal-Oriented

The Hyperfactory’s Joanne Eberhardt notes that the best mobile content “cuts copy to a minimum and only spews the necessities — necessities being what your target should see during those fateful two seconds that determine a click/tap.”

Hobart suggests that content be laser-focused on a specific task. “People are less inclined to meander on mobile apps and web — they’d rather meander in the physical world, given the choice.” Create content focused around your goals and avoid going on tangents — mobile users simply don’t have time or interest.

Use Strong Headlines: Think Like You’re Tweeting

When I reached out to the Grand Hotel group’s head of digital, Steven Rojas, he insisted that this interview be conducted over SMS to ensure the conversation was mobile-content-friendly. Rojas manages a number of Twitter accounts, so I asked him to share his secret for perfect mobile content. It’s easy he says, “Make it quick. Make it smart. Make it witty. And above all make it retweetable!”

Even if you’re not writing a tweet, think about the word “retweetable.” Really, what Rojas is eluding to is that the best mobile content is tweet-worthy, even if it’s not being written for Twitter. Mobile copy should be very much to the point while sacrificing as little power as possible. Get an idea across quickly. To do this, content will have to be quick and clear so that users get the point right away, but with just enough mystery and intrigue to encourage them to continue reading and to also share the content with others.

Screen Sizes Vary Among Mobile Devices

When writing copy for the web, space on the page allows for visual cues that can draw the readers’ eye towards the marketer’s objectives. Anna Lindow, director of marketing strategy at personal finance startup Bundle, points out that “when it comes to mobile, copywriters have to place extra consideration on being extremely direct, clear and succinct, because presentation options will likely be limited or even inconsistent across devices and platforms.”

Sam Altman, CEO of Loopt, has spent a lot of time thinking about the best way to create a mobile experience. Altman stresses that “it’s important to get your brain to think within the confines of a small, mobile screen and avoid the tendency to think big and then just shrink it.” The “shrink it” mentality just creates more cycles and more iterations. “If you switch your thought process, you’re more likely to get it right the first time,” Altman explains.

Frontload Your Content

Most of the time, people are only going to read headlines or the the first couple lines of marketing content. Therefore, it’s important to put the most important content up front. Don’t hold back and don’t rely on leading up to something big. Put the big reveal up front!

Think about how readers will browse the content. Try to avoid requiring too much clicking, but you also don’t want long pages that require a lot of scrolling. The way to do this is to be concise and efficient with your words — minimize the number of pages that readers have to click through. Try to keep content on a single page, if possible. But don’t cram so much onto a page that the site takes a long time to load — users will give up if they have to wait too long.

Test Your Content to See What Performs Better

Eberhardt encourages clients to experiment and find a balance between information and space. “It’s a continuously evolving industry with technology and trends, and you cannot be afraid to make waves,” she says. Marketers and clients too afraid of turning away possible clicks or downloads sometimes end up creating extremely safe and dull material.

One way to find out what works is to test two versions of your copy. Use tools like Google Website Optimizer to try out two (or more) versions of your content. A/B testing tools allow marketers to pit two versions of the same content against each other. The software splits users into multiple groups, showing different versions of the content to each one, and then automatically selects and implements the content that results in the most conversions, whether that be click-through rate, time on site, etc.

You should also use humans to test the content, as humans will be reading it. Nearly all mobile content is created on desktop computers with big screens, desktop browsers and a mouse. You should have a few people play around with the site on a real mobile device — not simulators — to provide feedback on usability and readability.

Copywriting for Apps

Generally, content for apps should follow the same rules as any other copy for mobile, but there’s a bit more to take into account. When it comes to apps, usage will be a bit more deliberate than the general web. While users on the web could be looking for anything, app users tend to be a bit more focused. They are actively opening an app, so bigger imagery and more text might be appropriate, especially because it’s built into an app and thus won’t have to load over often-shaky mobile connections.

Conclusion

Creating content for mobile isn’t the same as creating content for the desktop web. Acknowledging and embracing that fact is key to successful copywriting for mobile. Think about the limitations of small screens, constant distractions and low-quality mobile web connections. And don’t forget to try your content out on real humans using real mobile devices. Readers on the go want bite-sized information that will serve them in that very moment. Give them what they want.

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That’s what tablet computers, or least iPads, are like today, according to The Hyperfactory Chief Derek Handley.

Speaking on a panel at OMMA Tablet Revolution, Handley was trying to explain the power of tablets to a real skeptic – me – and used the example of people who were gathered at a cocktail party who had to touch and share the device, passing it around to each other much the way Allen’s future characters might have. That makes sense, an goes a long way toward explaining the iPad’s success: It’s a drug that intoxicates its users.

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(Not just a kid issue, however, by a show of hands, just under 50% of OMMA conference attendees have attempted to touch a non-touch-friendly screen.)

Touch, however, doesn’t represent a tablet’s real value, according to Derek Handley, co-founder and CEO of The Hyperfactory. Neither does it have anything to do with a “cool” or “novelty” factor. Rather, it’s all about sharing, says Handley. “It feels like a shared device,” he said. It’s no mistake, he adds, that tablets are the fastest selling consumer electronic device ever.

At iCrossing, “Our [tablet work] is leading us to let go of the concept of the page altogether,” says Pasqua.

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The app is the second in a series of iOS apps that Gerber has planned as part of its Start Healthy, Stay Healthy program; it follows on the heels of Gerber's Pregnancy Calendar app, a tool for expecting moms, launched in late 2010.

The Birth+ Journal provides personalized tools to educate and entertain, as well as information on topics such as childhood nutrition and feeding. Features include a baby activity log, scrapbook, growth tracker, videos, handprint imaging tool and soothing sounds to help baby sleep.

Howard Hunt, VP of The Hyperfactory has said, "Working with Gerber has been fantastic—it is a great example of where a brand can really provide genuine utility to their consumers while balancing the need for engagement and excitement."

Get the app

Handley bought three things: a trip to Africa, a trip to space, and a letter written by Napoleon.

Handley wanted to buy three things, and they weren't a mansion or a yacht:

1. A trip to Africa
2. A ticket to space
3. A letter Napoleon wrote to his generals

In his speech, he explains his unusual purchases.

"19,392 is apparently the number of days that I have left to live," Handley starts.

"And although it sounds like a lot, over the last few years I've come to realize that it probably takes you a good five years to achieve something meaningful. Turns out that 19,392 is really only 10 of those 5 year blocks. So when you think about having to achieve ten things and that's all you've got, you'll be much wiser in how you spend each of those chapters..."

"...When I was 21 and starting out, I was aspiring to be an entrepreneur, because I wanted to build businesses," Handley says. "I wanted to make a living, I wanted to make a mark, and I really wanted to make money.

"Ten years on, after this period I started to see things very differently and I started to see entrepreneurship as one of the greatest assets of society to make the world a potentially better place. As an answer to many of the world's ills, and as an enabler to much of the world's opportunity."

So, 30-year-old Handley took his "FU money" and made his three purchases.

"First, I went to Africa and discovered and learned all about how entrepreneurship and microfinance and microloans were empowering microentrepreneurs to lift themselves out of poverty in the present.

"Second, I bought a ticket to space with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic [which costs $200,000] because I wanted to see the world from up there as one and be inspired by the future.

"And third, I bought that letter that Napoleon had written to remind myself of the past, and to never give up."

This is the Napoleon letter Handley bought (he used it as inspiration when The Hyperfactory was on the verge of failure):

We are at a time when you need to double the resolve, and double the vigor of ordinary times. Lead by example. Be the first to put yourself in danger. And with the troops that you have, I expect you to defeat double of theirs.

The full speech is 20 minutes long, but if you have time and want to be inspired, watch it:

Derek Handley from Kea New Zealand on Vimeo.

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"We recognize that mobile has changed the game in regards to consumer engagement, and Live Nation is using mobile to build relationships with both consumers and brands, to offer the most relevant information, promotions and access," Russell Wallach, President of Live Nation Network said. "With mobile we can interact with consumers before, during and after concerts, and provide them with the best consumer experience."

"We are honored to have such renowned guests at this year's MMA Forum. This year's speakers represent the leaders of the mobile marketing industry and display the global growth of mobile marketing," said Michael Becker, Managing Director of North America for the MMA. "Mobile is clearly becoming an essential part of the overall marketing mix, and each speaker that has been selected will provide insight and expertise into the most important aspects of mobile today."

Headlining this year's event is Eddy Hartenstein, co-president of the Tribune Company. Speakers also include some of the world's leading global brands and mobile industry veterans such as:

• Cleveland Cavaliers, Jeff Ryznar, Director of Strategic Marketing
• eBayClassifieds, Deepak Thomas, General Manager
• Live Nation, Russell Wallach, President
• Molson Coors Canada, Paul Lipson, Director of Digital Marketing
• National Hockey League, Christopher Golier, Vice President of Mobile Marketing and Strategy
• Pandora, Tim Westergren, Founder
• SMLXL, Alan Moore, Founder
• The Coca-Cola Company, Doug Busk, Director of Global Customer Experience and Strategy

Additional speakers include Ray Punn, Adobe Systems; Thomas Labarthe, Alcatel-Lucent; Maria Mandel, AT&T Advanced Ad Solutions; Jessica Rotnicki, Estee Lauder Companies; Anne Frisbie, InMobi; Jeff Plaisted, Microsoft Advertising; Paul Palmieri, Millennial Media; Joe Lalley, MTV Networks, Javier Farfan, Pepsi; Stephane Marceau, Yellow Pages Group Canada, and more!

The MMA Forum will also feature "The Pitch," where five companies have five minutes to demo their latest innovation on the MMA Forum stage and win over the audience. This year the "Mobile Experience Lab" is back, the lab is an interactive way for delegates to experience mobile campaigns firsthand, and interact with brands using mobile as part of their integrated marketing strategies.

Finally, the pre-conference workshops and roundtables should not be missed. There will be an introductory mobile marketing educational workshop, and an afternoon workshop on mobile analytics and applications by Openwave. In addition, two roundtables will be held, one geared toward brands and retailers, sponsored by Poynt, and one sponsored by Adobe Omniture Business Unit, in partnership with the Newspaper Association of America and Tribune Company, which will focus on helping publishers embrace mobile.

To register for this year's MMA Forum please visit: http://forum.mmaglobal.com/newyorkcity2011. Members of the press please email mma@globalresultspr.com to request press credentials. The event runs June 16-17, 2011 with pre-event workshops on June 15th focused on mobile marketing guidelines, consumer engagement and integrating mobile with traditional media.

This year's MMA Forum sponsors include: 3C Interactive, Adobe, Alcatel Lucent, Arent Fox, AT&T, Celtra, ChaCha, CNN, Denso ADC, Digimarc, Google, Hipcricket, iLoop Mobile, InMobi, MadMobile, Microsoft Advertising, Millennial Media, MobileFuse, OpenMarket, OpenWave, Out There Media, Poynt, Scanbuy, Sybase, Synovate, The Coca-Cola Company, The Hyperfactory, Tribune Company and Vibes.

About the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is the premier global non-profit trade association representing all players in the mobile marketing value chain. With more than 700 member companies, the MMA is an action-oriented organization with global focus, regional actions and local relevance. The MMA's primary focus is to establish mobile as an indispensable part of the marketing mix. The MMA works to promote, educate measure, guide and protect the mobile marketing industry worldwide. The MMA's global headquarters are located in the United States and it has regional chapters including North America (NA), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America (LATAM) and Asia Pacific (APAC) branches. For more information, please visit www.mmaglobal.com.

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“We’re opening it up to everyone,” says Hyperfactory CEO Derek Handley. “We appreciate that all three Handley brothers are either approaching or at that age ourselves so, we’re happy to re-jig that criteria and throw the scholarship open to all visionaries. We’re looking forward to welcoming the first recipient to the U.S. this year.”

The scholarship aims to create a powerful alumni of leading lights in the future of marketing and give them unprecedented access to the conversations of marketers working at the world’s largest brands—like L’Oréal, Kraft, Nestlé and AB InBev—and also at start-ups.

In addition to understanding how leading brands engage with their consumers, Hyperfactory scholars will be able to take a look “under the hood” at some of the world’s leading marketing, content and digital enablers such as Apple, Google, Time Warner and Facebook.

Additionally, there will be introductions and exposure to those start-ups, entrepreneurs and catalysts that the Handley brothers feel will be the next to change the future of marketing.

Full details and application guidelines are available at www.thehyperfactory.com as well as the scholarship’s Facebook page.

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The New Zealand-founded Hyperfactory is a mobile advertising company bought by US media giant Meredith Corporation last year and when it announced the scholarship in late November it added the proviso that only those under 35 could enter to ensure they could “truly be visionaries for the future”.

But now the scholarship, to be offered each year for 10 years, is open to all, said Hyperfactory CEO Hyperfactory CEO Derek Handley.

“We appreciate that all three Handley brothers are either approaching or at that age ourselves so, we’re happy to re-jig that criteria and throw the scholarship open to all visionaries.”

The scholarship will fly the recipient to Hyperfactory’s offices in the west and east coast of the US for a week long trip that the company hopes will create an alumni of Kiwi marketers who can take knowledge of the future of marketing back home.

The recipient will meet with world-class digital marketers at big-name brands such as Nestle, L’Oreal and Kraft and get to talk to marketing, content and digital enabler giants, Google, Apple and Facebook among others.

The other end of the success spectrum is not ignored either – the recipient will visit start-ups and entrepreneurs whom Hyperfactory feels are the future of marketing.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the first recipient to the U.S. this year,” said Mr Handley, who offered a scholarship of a different kind to Auckland staff earlier this month when they were told 16 roles would relocate to the New York offices, and to make the decision to move or lose their jobs.

Applications close April 4th with the scholarship awarded some time between May and June and taking place between June and September.

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Wikimobidex, a Web-based index of mobile marketing and advertising firms, recently listed its top 40 mobile companies to watch, and seven New York area companies graced the list. And not surprisingly, citybizlist has covered most of these companies in recent months.

Augme Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: AUGT.OB) ranked no. 9, up from its previous spot at no. 12 and trending as "on the rise." One of the few public companies listed, Augme platforms integrate brands, music, video and other content. As reported by citybizlist, Augme has raised $6 million from a series of offerings in recent months.

Ringleader Digital, which finished 11th, has developed a 3rd party mobile ad server. According to the survey, it is on a downswing, having finished in 6th place a month ago.

Mojiva ("Mo" from "mobile," "Jiva" from a Sanskrit word for "life" or "to breathe") came in 15th. The mobile ad network has additional offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and London. In April, citybizlist reported that the company enjoyed a Series B round of $7 million from UV Partners and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, a return investor.

The Nielsen Company (NYSE: NLSN), no stranger to the ratings game, occupied the 21st spot. As citybizlist reported, the company went public this month, raising $1.6 billion in the largest private equity-backed IPO in the US in at least ten years. Talk about upward mobility.

Insight Express, our Stamford, Conn. neighbor, finished 23rd. The company specializes in the measurement of advertising and brand communications. Insight Express is owned by Greenwich-based private equity firm General Atlantic LLC.

AP Mobile climbed 36 places from 63 last month to 27. The company was developed by the Associated Press exclusively for smart phones like the iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry®, Palm® PreTM, Nokia Devices and Android Market! It provides access to international, national and local news.

The Hyperfactory closes out the top 30. Founded in 2001 by New Zealand brothers Geoffrey and Derek Handley , the company was acquired by publishing giant Meredith Corporation in 2010 and the headquarters moved to New York. The ad agency boasts such clients as Kraft, Intel, Nestlé-Gerber, Coca-Cola, BlackBerry, Microsoft, and Taco Bell.

According to Seeking Alpha's Mobile Guru, the "mobile revolution" could "dwarf the original PC and internet movement," but there are currently limited investment opportunities in this space. These top 40 companies-and the seven New Yorkers highlighted in this study-could soon be ripe for IPOs or other windfalls.

One thing we do know, New York's mobile companies won't stand still.

See the full list at: http://tinyurl.com/4jeczw5

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At least that's the word from Jeff Arbour, SVP of The Hyperfactory, in a follow up conversation to a source interview we did for the new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND.

In this conclusion of our conversation, we talk about how QR codes and other forms of 2D barcodes msut overcome some considerable challenges, and about how mobile augmented reality will take off as marketers get past the silly stuff and start getting more purposeful. Along the way, we'll hear about some of his favorite existing AR apps - including IKEA's (shown here) - and what it will take for AR to really take off;

INTERVIEW: JEFF ARBOUR, SVP, THE HYPERFACTORY (Concl) - GETTING REAL WITH MOBILE AR

(Approx. 4:13)

In the new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, and also in my first book, BRANDING UNBOUND, I argue that the real power of mobile lies in supercharging the effectiveness of traditional advertising.

Simply put, mobile makes everything interactive. Our television ads become interactive. Our radio ads become interactive. Our print ads become interactive. Our direct mail becomes interactive. Our outdoor signage becomes interactive. Our storefronts become interactive. Our point of purchase becomes interactive. Even our products themselves become an opportunity to have an interactions with consumers that is really quite unprecedented.

The other day, I was talking to Hyperfactory SVP Jeff Arbour about some of the conversation he and I have in THE ON-DEMAND BRAND about this dynamic, and we continue it here. In part two: How mobile can supercharge traditional advertising - a proposition that has been much more prevalent in other markets around the world, and is only now catching on the US in a very big way.

Along the way, we discuss some of the promise - and peril - of location-based services and how to keep them relevant for the long term.

INTERVIEW: JEFF ARBOUR, SVP, THE HYPERFACTORY (PT 2) - THE TRADITIONAL/MOBILE CONNECTION

(Approx. 5:57)

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I was recently in New York City to moderate a panel on trends in mobile marketing that featured, among other luminaries, Derek Handley, the kinetic co-founder of The Hyperfactory.

For those out of the know, The Hyperfactory has been the force behind a number of the world's most innovative mobile initiatives, several of which are featured in the new book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND (available everywhere books are sold). Among its recent hits: The "Big Fork, Little Fork" iPad app for Kraft, shown here.

What may further distinguish The Hyperfactory is the fact that it was recently acquired by publishing giant Meredith - pointing to potent synergies bridging content, database marketing and mobile.

The other day, I touched bases with another friend from Hyperfactory, North America SVP Jeff Arbour (a mobile marketing dynamo in his own right) to talk about these synergies - and how they might come into play in branded apps to come.

INTERVIEW: JEFF ARBOUR, SVP NORTH AMERICA, THE HYPERFACTORY (PT 1) IPAD APPS THAT ROCK

(Approx. 5:35)

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