Grown Up Thinking

Key takeaways from this SXSWi panel:

Alexa Andrzejewski, Cofounder and CEO of Foodspotting: People don’t interact for the sake of people. With Instagram and Foodspotting, people interact over a photo, an object. Apps don’t engage people, people engage people.

Jake Mintz, Cofounder of Bump Technologies: It’s hard to get the information/content noise down to a level where it’s valuable.

Boris Bogatin, CEO of NearVerse: Someday, there will be (50 people with) 50 devices in a room, each with their own profile, and mobile will automatically organize and connect everyone in the room. (As for right now?) At the end of the day, apps don’t make sense for the physical world. No one app is going to fit all your needs.

Chidi Afulezi, Director of Product Management at Turner Broadcasting: We don’t need apps for news, we need platforms. Can any one app handle the onslaught of citizen journalism during an event like the Japan earthquake/tsunami?

Keys to audience engagement: 1 – Creating compelling content: that is engagement. 2 - Build a colony of experiences around a flagship. 3 - Create two-way dialogue. 4 - Mobile web. Applications are the sexy thing right now, but we need to work on getting mobile web up to par.

As the name may imply, here at Mr Youth many of us are not that far removed from college and often find ourselves immersed in the culture as part of the job. Via our RepNation influencer platform, we spend a lot of time on college campuses working with students and studying youth trends. Whenever I find myself on campus, I can’t help but reminisce about the good ol’ days and it always surprises me to see how much social media and technology has influenced college life in the short time since I left.

The Notes:

(Then) Paper and pen. Many of my professors frowned upon students having laptops in the classroom as they felt it was a distraction. I didn’t own a laptop until my senior year of college, and even then I rarely took it to class.
(Now) Studies are being done at colleges like the University of Notre Dame that analyze the pros and cons of using modern technology in the classroom. In this study, iPads were provided to a group of students, intended to be used as an e-reader, but over the course of the semester students found the iPads to be more useful as an aggregation tool rather than a replacement for a textbook. They reported that the devices are hard to take notes on and the majority felt the $499 price tag was just too expensive for their beer and ramen noodle budgets. Still, when asked how they felt about giving up the device at the end of the study, 65% said it would be hard to relinquish the iPad.

The Courses:

(Then) Looking back on my college curriculum, my major in Strategic Communications was largely focused in Public Relations – writing press releases and learning how to gain PR through traditional news outlets. I can’t help but wonder how much the curriculum has changed in these few short years since I graduated, as I naturally assume a large focus must be on non-traditional media like Facebook, Twitter, blogs and the like.
(Now) Interestingly enough, I spent a little time on my alma mater’s website and it doesn’t look like much has changed in terms of the courses required to graduate with a BA in Strategic Communications. I’m going to guess that social media is interwoven into the current curriculum, which brings up an interesting question: Can social media really be taught, or is it something you can only really learn through practice?

The Phones:

(Then) Having a brother who works for a wireless provider, owning the latest and greatest cell phone has always been an obsession of mine. I vividly remember walking into college sophomore year with a hot pink Motorola flip phone with photo, video and texting capabilities, and wondering how it could ever get better than that.
(Now) Fast Forward to 2011, a recent study revealed that 49% of all college students own smart phones and this figure has nearly doubled over the past year. I would estimate that about 90% of the students we work with though RepNation equip themselves with iPhone, Droid and Blackberry devices which result in an expectation of near-immediate response time. It makes me wonder – in another 5 years, will students no longer have the luxury of reading emails and taking time to come up with a thoughtful and strategic response, in an effort to respond as quickly as possible? And, if this begins to become the norm so early on in one’s professional career, how will this affect the way we do business in the “real world”?

At the end of the day, I find the changes all very exciting, yet slightly terrifying at the same time. With endless potential it’s going to be hard to keep up with it all, but with the possibility of lectures being held via hologram, how can you not want to try?

If you’re anything like me, you spend 72-85% of your “going out to dinner in NYC” time looking for a location that’s equal parts NOM-licious and affordable. Those of you familiar with the New York gastronomic scene know that “affordable” is the more fleeting variable in this scenario.

That’s why Scoutmob, the newest platform to jump on the Groupon/Woot bandwagon seems pretty spot-on to me. Bridging the gap between two of the hottest trends right now, geo-location enabled mobile apps and daily e-coupons, Scoutmob serves up hand-picked deals in NYC and Atlanta (usually 50% off) and delivers them right to your iPhone. The clincher? Unlike its web-based predecessors, there’s no purchase required for the adorably quirky Scoutmob. Simply present the app at your restaurant or bar of choice, and you have instant access to the 50% discount.

Did I mention the deal is valid on ANY combination of items on the menu? Guess I know where I’m eating tonight…

Simply amazing. (Yes, I had to start off that way.) Anyone who’s ever played with my phone knows that I love me a good app. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to phone applications for marketing, but I always appreciate when someone comes up with an idea that takes marketing and entertainment to the next level. I was recently made aware of an iPhone application concept for Durex Condoms that truly takes this medium to the next level. Not only does it provide for an entertaining prank to play on your friends, but forces the consumer out to retail in order to remove the crying baby that could soon dominate their lives.

If a mobile application is not fun or functional (or both) it’s doomed to fail from the start. If it can actually drive you to retail and actually get you to see the product, then it’s destined for success. Whether or not this type of application would actually be successful is debatable, but the idea behind it is magnificently unique. Check out the video below:

Today is the day you’ve (I’ve) been waiting for. iPhone OS 4 for all 3G and 3GS iPhones! The new iPhone HD hardware! The air is thick with anticipation and excitement for Apple’s forthcoming announcements. WWDC is one of the few scheduled times in the course of the year when Apple (i.e. Steve Jobs) descends from the mountain to give us the good word.

Steve will be delivering the keynote presentation at 1PM EST. Tune in for live blogging updates at either MacWorld (they always do a great job of this), or from Engadget.

Or you can be like me, and jockey between both of those links at the same time- and maybe a third. Here are some rumor roundups on what to expect. See you on the flip side!:

- Fast Company – Apple WWDC 2010 Rumor Round-Up [Updated]
- Apple rumored to debut Safari 5 with Reader, Bing at WWDC
- Apple’s Multi-Touch Trackpad Leaks Ahead of WWDC

What do you think Apple will unveil today?

P.S. Remember when Gizmodo purchased a stolen iPhone HD and published all the details they could about it a little while back? Yeah, well, looks like they were not granted a press pass to the event this year. As I’ve heard, Apple isn’t thrilled with them for spilling their intellectual property all over the place. It’s a messy situation for both sides of the case. Steve Jobs defended their pursuit of the perpetrators last week at the D Conference w/ Walt Mossberg:

An hour-long high school dramedy series that’s a musical? Let’s face it: Glee initially had everything going against it. Time will ultimately tell, but skeptics be damned. This year’s Golden Globe winner for Best Comedy Series turned out to be a runaway hit that has yet to lose steam as it heads into the second part of its freshman season. Above all, the show’s writing is top notch by melding a perfect blend of edgy dark humor and a lot of heart. The talent of the young cast is undeniable. And Jane Lynch turns anything into comic gold. But producers were faced with some tough challenges right from the start. How to get people to actually tune in? Enter social media and a relatively risky gamble on an aggressive interactive marketing campaign.

First of all, Fox chose to debut the pilot episode months before its actual season debut in order to capitalize on its 20+ million captive audience from American Idol. They then utilized the down time to really gain traction online by engaging with their most passionate fans (or ‘Gleeks’). Currently, @gleeks has a nearly 50,000 person following on Twitter and almost 2 million fans on Facebook. Mix that with its very own YouTube channel with exclusive content, PR-worthy appearances (Oprah!) and even nationwide mall performances. Yep, everyone’s all abuzz over the little show that could.

Blurring the line between fan and fiction even further, Glee has since launched a national casting campaign for new characters to appear on the series. Fox also recently released an interactive “hypertrailer” allowing viewers to click and “fan” the show’s cast members on Facebook, who also participate live on-air in weekly re-run episodes (or “Tweetpeats”) much like the cast commentary on today’s DVD and Blu-ray discs.

So what’s so significant about Glee’s marketing strategy, anyway? At its core, it is truly a niche show. But a very enthusiastic niche crowd at that. And Glee is giving that very core audience exactly what they want: access and interaction. At a time when studios are shuttering unauthorized playback of content and guarding creative copyrights like a fortress, this show is practically shooting it across America through a t-shirt cannon. Whether it be the show’s music content (consistently charting week after week on iTunes) or capturing that “underdog” spirit in everyone, Glee has succeeded in truly crossing all media types, including a forthcoming iPhone/iPad app. That makes it one of the very first scripted shows to actually achieve results in reaching out to a young, digital audience with significant viral success. That’s definitely a social media coup to be gleeful about. I, for one, am proud to be a Gleek. Who’s with me?

Glee resumes its season on Tuesday,  April 13 on Fox.

If you missed last week’s media coverage of the iPad; well then, probably time to switch from that dial-up connection. Somehow we at Mr Youth managed to go this far without commenting on this new potentially game changing device. Rather than another review on the device or the hottest apps, I figured I’d talk a bit about how the iPad, its competitors and the eco-system of a multi-device world will change the way we live.

Disclosure: I have not yet gotten my iPad as I’m holding out for the 3G model. I can; however, already envision the changes it will bring in my life.

Death of Paper (sorry Michael Scott)

As someone who hates paper and does not have a paper filling system, I’ve welcomed doing things digitally for some time. I use Evernote to save any web content I find, Yelp to keep track of places I want to check out, e-mail to send notes to myself  as reminders and TripIt to save my travel info.

Now with the iPad, I envision accessing my list of delivery menus on Yelp, taking and reviewing notes on Evernote, and showing my boarding pass at the gate on TripIt. While I already read the NY Times and other publications on my iPhone and books on my Kindle, the iPad will soon replace magazines and any other print media I still consume.

A Fully Synched Life

Prior to getting a Kindle, I never highlighted or took notes in books I read, but with the first book I read on it, I found myself highlighting. Why? Because I knew I’d be able to access the data easily whenever I needed it and would always have those notes on me on my iPhone.

My iPhone also enabled me to access Yelp, Evernote, TripIt and other sites on my phone so I always have everything I need wherever I am. As a result, I use each more frequently. With each device came different uses, bookmarking restaurants online became more valuable to me once I knew I could always access on my phone and I started using TripIt once I realized the iPhone app would update me automatically when the flights I e-mailed to it on my desktop were delayed.

Now with a third device, these sites and data in general becomes more valuable as you have more ways to access. Not having to boot up your computer or the freedom of having a larger screen with you more of the time will continue to create new business models and entrench existing ones that can leverage your data across these devices.

Multi-Multi-Media

I have found being able to rent movies on iTunes and watch on my Apple TV, iPhone or laptop a nice feature. I rarely find myself renting them when I am not going to watch them at home however. Usually when I am out or travelling, the iPhone screen is too small or battery too low to watch and often don’t have my laptop with me. The iPad is an ideal device to watch movies on so now, being able to watch a movie at home, finish it on the iPad and maybe even catch the last few minutes on the iPhone becomes a lot more enticing.

Books similarly can be shared across the iPad and iPhone making it easier to always have the entertainment you want at your fingertips. Then there is YouTube and the rumored iPad Hulu app to consume web and TV content on the go. Sling gives you access to your home cable and DVR on the go and the cable companies can’t (well they can) be far behind. And, imagine carrying around hundreds of board and video games that you can pop out and play with friends or yourself at any time.

So, what does this mean?
Does it mean life even further tethered to a screen? I don’t think so. I think it perhaps means less time tethered to a desk or couch. Does it mean increased distractions? There might be some of that but I think it could still mean increased productivity (or at least personal productivity) as we are better able to consume and create content using the right device for the right place. Does it mean the world will never be the same? Well, I won’t go there yet but these are just a few ways a device I have not yet used will likely change my life. Imagine what it will do for little league managers’ scorecards, waiters’ notepad, small business owners’ credit card terminals, doctors charts, and thousands of other daily life experiences. The iLife is here and it almost lives up to the hype.

Last week I stumbled upon a new iPhone app called CauseWorld, which allows users to check in to places and receive Karma points. The points can then be donated to nine potential causes including Support A Classroom, Give Clean Water, and Donate A Book. The model is basically Foursquare with a charity tie-in, allowing users to gain badges while giving back to charity through small micro actions. The app is free and sponsored by Kraft Foods and Citi. There’s also a feed via Facebook Connect which allows you to publish your donations to your Facebook wall.

CauseWorld is a great example of brands connecting with causes and amplifying their message through social media. In December, Foursquare launched a cause campaign with CampInteractive sponsored by Pepsi that donated $0.04 for each check-in. While the program was a great way to bring CampInteractive’s cause into the mainstream and align Pepsi, the CauseWorld app takes it a step further by allowing consumers to choose what cause matters most to them, and amass ‘do-gooder’ badges.

Another solid example of brands aligning with causes to rally consumer participation across social media is the Chase Community Giving program, which just announced their winners (congrats to my peeps at Invisible Children, who won a $1 million donation). The program gained over two million Facebook fans, and aligned cause with 500,000 charities that participated for a chance to receive $25k, $100k, or $1 million grants. In total, Chase Community Giving handed out $5 million to a variety of worthy organizations.

The beauty of the program is it unlocked the potential of these charities’ reach through social voting, with top charities generating over 100k user votes and rallying their fans to support their cause in a central social space. Excellent use of tying together social media, cause, community and a brand under a single campaign.

When I first downloaded Foursquare, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I’m already a Facebook and Twitter addict- how much more social media can a girl really need? Do my friends even care to know where I am at all times of the day? How often am I supposed to check in? Do I accept all friend requests or only people who I know? Do I really want complete strangers to know where I am?

After much thought, I came to the conclusion that everyone uses Foursquare for different purposes. Here are the five types of Foursquare users I have encountered:

The Cheater: Every Sunday night at 11:59pm EST the Foursquare leaderboard resets. Ever wake up on Monday morning and wonder how one of your friends already has 150 points? The truth is you probably need to get more honest friends, because this friend is a cheater.

The Hungry Tiger: Have any friends on Foursquare who check in at every single place they go- including every subway stop or convenience store? The friend may be classified as “The Hungry Tiger”, someone who can never get enough of Foursquare.

The Hot ‘n’ Cold: I have a few friends like this- those who can’t decide how they really feel about Foursquare. Sometimes they will check in and once they get a badge they quickly turn into The Hungry Tiger, but that rapidly slows down after about a week.

The Commitment-Phobe: This type of user (such as Melvin) has an account, but never uses it. Simple as that.

The Star Performer: This user in my opinion is the ideal Foursquare user. They check in at the appropriate places, such as restaurants and bars, yet refrain from checking in while simply purchasing a pack of gum at the deli across the street.

Given Foursquare’s rapid popularity, users are bound to encounter at least one of the above types. Some people even believe Foursquare could become the next Twitter. Keep your eyes open, folks- this is one social networking bus you won’t want to miss.

As a recent transplant to New York, I haven’t fully embraced New England winters. Luckily, there’s an app that can keep you nice and toasty (and help you avoid a dreaded hat hair situation).

So how does it work? The Pocket Heater app warms your hands through “Patented Technology”—basically, it puts your iPhone’s battery and processor on turbo charge, causing it to overheat and become warm to the touch.

The app is a pretty nifty idea. And while I’m skeptical it may eventually cause my iPhone to self-destruct, it gets extra points for novelty (and for making me use the word ‘nifty’). Perhaps I’ll go rogue and leave my mittens at home tomorrow…