Mo Elnadi (@MoElnadi), Head of Digital Strategy, The Reptile Group

There are many new applications that make very good use of geo-location and particularly FourSquare check-ins.  A new application called #Hashable, for example, allows professionals to connect and keep track of others whom they met at an event, or make business introductions among their trusted networks.

Waze, on the other hand, provides the driving community with a free SatNav system that automatically updates maps and traffic jams based on members’ check-ins as they drive around towns worldwide, using your mobile phone GPS receiver.

Follow: @MoElnadi for more Social Media tips

See Also: 

Location-based services: A Fad or the Future of #SocialMedia Marketing? (Part 1 of 3)

What is the future of location-based service? Does it really lie in local search or services? (Part 2 of 3)

2 Location-Based Apps That You Can’t Live Without (Part 3 of 3)

A Marketer’s Guide to Social Pull Marketing  - (Part 1 of 2)

Mo Elnadi, Head of Digital Strategy, The Reptile Group

What is the future of location-based service? Does it really lie in local search or services?

Many professionals are currently also using FourSquare to business- network, and discover like-minded people around them at events such as trade shows and conferences for example. The potential to Tweet from within those applications increases their effectiveness and also contributes to this trend.

We’ve yet to witness a big debate around privacy concerns and willingness of mobile users to share their geo-location. An state seems to have been reached whereby users understand that the trade-off is that they now know that, for example, by sharing their location, they benefit by getting more relevant search results and offers.

Marketers need to examine the behaviour of online consumers through studying their ‘intent-driven actions’. Those actions could act as a strong signal of intention, to help brands discover the right moment to engage with consumers effectively as `timing` is key in building intimacy, trust and to  create real value over time. And this is where those applications come in very handy.

By customers declaring  ‘where they are now’ to marketers, they are connecting the physical to the virtual using location-based mobile applications like FourSquare which acts as a powerful signal of intent that says :`I am here. I am consuming your product. So what have you got for me?`

Consumers also love sharing tips about venues through those apps. This sharing concept is very common as an act of generosity by those who just want to help; as they believe that the most generous person among a similar community almost invariably, acquires the greatest influence among their network. Many may be less philanthropic; it could just be a status symbol.   Nevertheless, many marketers believe that this action automatically provides word of mouth opportunities for their brands and venues; as marketing messages get amplified, and promotional materials are shared by users with their friends, who in turn repeat the pattern with others creating a ‘viral effect’ transforming consumers from passive ‘recipients’ to proactive ‘sharers’.

Follow: @MoElnadi for more Social Media tips

See Also: 

Location-based services: A Fad or the Future of #SocialMedia Marketing? (Part 1 of 3)

What is the future of location-based service? Does it really lie in local search or services? (Part 2 of 3)

2 Location-Based Apps That You Can’t Live Without (Part 3 of 3)

A Marketer’s Guide to Social Pull Marketing  - (Part 1 of 2)

Mo Elnadi, Head of Digital Strategy, The Reptile Group

In your opinion Is location-based marketing -mooted as one of 2011′s big trends- a fad or does it have potential to develop into a viable channel for marketers and brands? Is FourSquare already over?

Far from it, location-based marketing is here to stay. What we are witnessing is a paradigm shift both among the marketing community and in consumer behaviour.  Mobile penetration rates and wireless device usage trends mean that sharing your location – whether proactively or not- is inevitable as more GPS-enabled tablets, cameras, laptops and embedded devices are introduced to the market.

As the `check-in` trend becomes more and more mainstream, we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg.  There are currently around 5 million users on FourSquare alone worldwide – a figure achieved in less than 2 years.  Such has been FourSquare’s success that  it has  forced Facebook to shut down and re-think its `Facebook Places` check-in proposition and is eating the market share of Google Latitude. It is only a matter of time that this geo-located check-in behaviour will hit critical mass.

One of the most noticeable differences between Social Media platforms and traditional media is the possibility for members to ‘share content’ of different types, including, in this case, their hard-earned FourSquare ‘Mayorship’ status and badges.  They do this in the hope of getting potential discounts and special offers from participating venues and brands. Brands including Starbucks and Dominos Pizza are already offering special discounts to ‘Mayors’ in some participating branches worldwide.

This `Gamification` of real-life actions has proved to be working successfully so far.  What attracts many users is the creation of a fun environment where they can turn their daily routines into a virtual competition and so share their achievements and win rewards.

Follow: @MoElnadi for more Social Media tips

See Also: 

Location-based services: A Fad or the Future of #SocialMedia Marketing? (Part 1 of 3)

What is the future of location-based service? Does it really lie in local search or services? (Part 2 of 3)

2 Location-Based Apps That You Can’t Live Without (Part 3 of 3)

A Marketer’s Guide to Social Pull Marketing  - (Part 1 of 2)

Immediately I felt like Alice in Wonderland when I was asked to enter the building through a small door within a door and knew that it was going to be a hyper-real adventure. After swallowing a pill that would allow the technicians to monitor my heart rate, pupil dilation and salivation, I was taken through a variety of rooms and gardens with many objects labelled ‘Eat me’ and ‘Read me’. I was asked to make many choices, including what to drink, choosing my favourite objects from a selection of trays and assessed by Sweet Shoppe technicians on what colours, foods and textures I was drawn to.

The final stage of the journey was in a musky open room with a large white projector. On being given my customised Sweet Shoppe goody bag, and with Holition’s creative 3D augmented reality application, the ingredients of my bag came to life on a screen directly in front of me. This was the most interesting part of the journey, as all my decisions had created this conclusion on my personal character, shopping preference and shopping mindset. The technology virtually brought my chosen sweet to life and character assessment adding to the overall hyper-real experience.

It was decided by Sweet Shoppe powers that be I am a chocolate dib dab, my character is social, my mindset is nostalgic and my mindset is indulgent – which I think everyone at Chameleon would say is a more than fair and accurate assessment.

Throughout the experience there were eerie moments where the host, shop assistant and shop keeper seemed to know more about me than I had told them. There were many references to my earlier ambition of wanting to be a Blue Peter presenter, which made me question how much they already knew about me. Through the proliferation of the internet and social media, the world has shared personal details, funny anecdotes and consistent status and location updates – which you wouldn’t necessarily share with a stranger offline. Throughout the futuristic experience, it raised questions over wider privacy issues, acceptable information and security as well as the benefits and personal touches of the staff understanding what I liked and accommodating those needs.

Despite consumer spending woes and economic anxiety, there is a huge increase in online shopping, providing a real opportunity for the retail industry to go back to basics and focus on its customers and personal preferences to encourage them to not only spend money but also return and recommend; developing brand loyalty.

In the famous words of Willy Wonka: “Invention, my dear friends, is 93 per cent perspiration, 6 per cent electricity, 4 per cent evaporation and 2 per cent butterscotch ripple.” If some retailers could create their own recipe of success to understanding its customers, the industry will be able to deliver a customised and engaging experience.

Across a maze of halls and endless corridors, this year showcased the very latest developments in broadcasting, mobile TV, IPTV, digital signage and R&D making it essential for everyone’s understanding of the industry and its future. The major themes that we saw coming out of the show was the vision of the connected home, multi-screen and the role of OTT.

We were in attendance with Pace, a leading developer of technologies, products and services for global broadband and broadcast markets. It was a particularly exciting show for Pace this year – as well as showing some pioneering new technologies and providing the first view of Elements, its service range on its exhibition stand – Pace played a prominent role at the conference with Neil Gaydon, Pace’s CEO, delivering a keynote and Jaime Fink, Senior VP of Technology, taking part in a panel session.

During the conference, Pace held interview briefings with 10 key media and eight leading industry analysts on Pace’s portfolio, the company’s roadmap and how Pace is ‘Making it all work’ – the company’s theme for the show. Briefings included the BBC, Gartner, IMS Research, IDC, Screen Digest, Rapid TV News and Broadband TV News. Coverage totals currently stand at 60 pieces!

Pace wasn’t the only one to walk away from IBC 2011 as best in show. Our Lucy was named “feistiest in show” for her school ma’am charm in running media schedules.

With a quarter of a billion engaged users worldwide, and growing daily, there is no doubt that Twitter is effective as an instant communication tool, and even influential when it comes to reaching the right audiences for a specific brand. But many brands are still failing to realise the difference between mass-broadcasting messages and the full potential of this real-time communication tool, which allows for two-way communication with their target end users.

Given their classic ‘Push’ Marketing backgrounds, by continuing to operate in a traditional ‘broadcast mode’ or perceiving Twitter as a one-to-many mass media channel, organisations are missing out on opportunities to both gain invaluable customer insight and build stronger social media relationships.

How to get more out of Twitter
For marketers to reap the benefits of this popular social media service, they need to focus on three main strategic activities:

Listening: By knowing what existing and potential customers are saying about their brands and gauging their sentiment, marketers will build a wealth of detailed customer insight that would be invaluable when it comes to defining social media strategies or taking marketing decisions in near real-time. This can be done by using professional monitoring tools, or depending on a brand’s in-house resources and skills, by hiring a professional specialist agency.

Engagement: By getting genuinely involved in relevant discussions on Twitter, a brand will quickly build its reputation and position itself as a thought leader in its specific industry sector. A good start is to be useful to -and generous with- its customers, using techniques such as special offers, and sharing valuable product tips, recommendations and advice to help customers compare products throughout their decision cycles.

Supporting: Twitter is also a great tool to identify those who need help using your products or services, and to see what customers are sharing with others about their overall experiences of your brand including after-sales service satisfaction. Knowing about both negative and positive experiences in a timely manner, then following a professional strategy to deal with such situations is crucial. By getting in touch with those customers, effectively solving their problems and maybe sharing more tips, marketers can easily switch public complaints into a positive word-of-mouth situation for their brands.

Follow @MoElnadi for more #SocialMedia tips

See Also: 

Twitter: Building Relationships and Proving Social Media ROI  – (Part 2 of 2)

Location-based services: A Fad or the Future of #SocialMedia Marketing? (Part 1 of 3)

What is the future of location-based service? Does it really lie in local search or services? (Part 2 of 3)

2 Location-Based Apps That You Can’t Live Without (Part 3 of 3)

Either way, a great time was had by all. ‘Wobbly Wednesday’, as it is affectionately known, is Chameleon’s tech drinking bash on the last Wednesday of each month in a lovely public (relations) house usually in or around the tech journo hub that is Soho.

Wobbly regulars are analysts, journalists and bloggers covering a wide range of tech, B2B and IT publications and websites. Everybody gets to know each other over a few glasses of Pinot Grigio/pints of beer, a lovely time being had by all.

It’s a nice opportunity for us flacks and assorted flacks to let down our hair and have a have a good old natter; without all the PRs being on message, or the journos having to feign politeness. Indeed, cutting banter and witty putdowns are an essential component of the all-night verbal jousting.

And, like night follows day, there’s usually plenty of  ’yummy’ deep fried food too. And, because headaches are the penalty of too much fun, we’re usually a bit late into the office on the following Thursday…

The semi-clad lumberjack streaking act found particular favour with the Wednesday Wobblies…

Last Friday I attended the BBC Social Media Summit, the event was packed with academics, social media consultants, and journalists.

One of the questions that recurred frequently throughout the digital panel discussions was whether journalists should rely on social media to break news as fast as possible, or stick to conventional methods of verifying news, lest they spread false or inaccurate information.

I found this discussion interesting, given that the BBC relies increasingly on Twitter as a news feed and to flag reports on the social network and especially as I had a similar debate during another conference with Cisco at which I was guest speaker earlier last week.

The fact is that Social Media channels are connecting the public and journalists in ways that were not possible a few years ago however, so the question shouldn’t have been addressed as an “either/or” discussion.

A more productive discussion would have been how to best verify sources on Social Media instead of attempting to compare the two types of information as different media competing with one another. I believe firmly that the two methods complement rather than compete with each other.

Social Media is here to stay and it will only grow, further shifting and fragmenting our media consumption patterns. The genie is out of the bottle and the public will increasingly share and take account of stories as they develop on Social Media, believing it offers needed timely information and transparency.

In other words, I’d rather get timely real-time information about emerging events such as the Japanese reactor explosion, a possible Tsunami warning or the latest development in the Egyptian revolution, than wait few hours until someone in a newsroom verifies every single number or name before it reaches me. A good example would be Esra Dogramaci’s presentation on how Al Jazeera used Social Media channels to collaborate with Egyptian protesters at Tahrir square.

But there is a difference between reporting and journalism. Social Media is a very valuable tool for reporting; however journalists still have the responsibility to verify facts and sources. I don’t see a contradiction between doing both well.

Increasingly we are integrating ever more sources to form our view of the world. And part of this is choosing to harness the wisdom of crowds, breaking news in real-time, whilst information is refined, verified and analysed by editors and journalists for the evening bulletins.

Share your feedback with @moelnadi

The humble window display concept has been given a fresh lease of life through applications such as the augmented reality solutions created by Holition. Building on the augmented reality marketing momentum kicked off at Selfridges last year, and additional activity throughout the year including kiosk tours with World Duty Free and the launch of the women’s range, the latest stunt was part of Harrods new promotion celebrating all things Swiss.

In raising awareness of the campaign, Chameleon achieved coverage highlights in many of the luxury fashion blogs, including Big Fashionista, Elite Choice and Style Clone. Also commenting on the joint project for a feature opportunity in Marketing Week, Tissot marketing manager Victoria Hughes said: “The direct link of the Tissot watches to the point-of-sale was very beneficial, resulting in an immediate sales uplift.” The beauty about this campaign is that the success can be measured through the number of visitors to the display and sales uplift.

Chameleon has raised the profile of Holition from a technology provider to an innovator and thought leader. The company has featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes’ tour of London’s Silicon Valley and a six-page feature in Retail Jeweller. Times are changing; retailers and brands need to embrace new customer experiences both online and offline – no doubt following Ralph Lauren’s extravagant 4D augmented reality display last year, there is a lot more to come in this space.

A deep understanding of the development and implementation of Digital and Social Media communications is one of the foundation stones of contemporary PR consultancy, allowing people and businesses to actively engage with one another instantaneously and measurably.

Our resident Social Media guru and head of digital, Mo Elnadi exemplifies this approach. Mo recently attended his long-awaited graduation ceremony for an outstanding MBA with distinction in Digital Strategy awarded last year. Therefore, we’ve all doffed our virtual mortarboards to Mo for gaining some very special letters after his name.

Even more recently, Andy Smith created the 2011 Peer Index ‘Social Media Power Players’ list taking in heavy weights from across the industry. Taking it in his stride and looking to rapidly prove his expertise beyond the four walls of the lecture theatre – it should not come as a surprise as to who went straight into the top 40! Beginning to develop doffing neck pains, we applaud Mo again for another brilliant accomplishment.

Never ones to resist a challenge this has spurred a recent in-house competition here at Reptile Towers to see who can improve their PeerIndex score most significantly. Whether the crowning title of ‘Reptile Raconteur’ acts as the main incentive or the large and perfectly chilled bottle of bubbly waiting in the boardroom we may never know! Results from the Reptile runners and riders will be posted in the next couple of weeks.

Lest we get a little too Mo-centric it’s been a fantastic week of achievements for Chameleon’s sister company Komodo too. They are currently finalists for three separate prestigious awards being recognised by the SABRE organisation for their work on Tesco and the Royal Norwegian Embassy and being a CIPR Outstanding Small Consultancy to boot.