Will Your Next Car Stereo Help Save Radio Advertising?
On the heels of a 10 hour holiday road trip, I’m a big believer that one of the innovations yet to hit the market is a way for people to tag stuff when they’re listening to their car radios.
A few weeks ago, Apple took an important first step in making this a reality when it teamed with Alpine to bring a set of car stereos to market that allow listeners to tag songs for later download via the iTunes Music store.
I like this move, but it’s not that big of a breakthrough – after all, Shazam recently eclipsed 50 million users (who are primarily tagging when driving) and closed a round of funding from A-list VC firm Kleiner Perkins–putting them in a nice position to own the music discovery market.
The bigger opportunity – and one that has Google written all over it – lies in an easy way to tag commercials, talk show segments, news and other information while driving. This is underscored by the fact that most songs that get radio play these days are on the pop charts, are in regular circulation and can easily be found of iTunes with a click or two.
But, when you’re in your car, you usually don’t hear the same piece of information twice. News bits are regularly updated, ads are timed to optimize reach and frequency and conversations happen only once.
For marketers, giving consumers that are interested in content or promotional messages but have their hands tied when it comes to taking action, an integrated radio/Web tagging system could be just what it takes to make radio more actionable and most importantly, more measurable.
For terrestrial radio stations, this type of system creates new value for listeners and aligns radio with the important trends that have led to ad dollars moving to digital mediums.
And for everyone involved in the radio ecosystem – advertisers, stations and consumers – it combines the real-time nature of radio (which podcasting can’t deliver) with the direct response nature of the web and could help save this dying medium.
Here’s a prediction – not for 2010 – but for 2012 or beyond. Like Apple, Google will align with car stereo OEMs (or hybrid GPS/car stereo systems as they are doing with Google Earth and the upcoming Audi A8) and integrate tagging capabilities into their devices. In a few clicks, you’ll be able to “tag this segment” or “tag this ad.” These tags will then be queued locally on your stereo and eventually surfaced to iGoogle or some soon-to-be-launched dashboard that aggregates your tags from Gmail, Google Reader, Google Docs and the like.
Then, you’ll be able to listen to the content again using Google Voice (transcribed for reading via Gmail, of course) and with embedded calls to action (call this merchant, comment on this story, etc.), so that stations and their advertising partners extend the relationship with readers beyond drive time. Google could also roll out a “switch pitch” bidding system to allow advertisers to deliver offers and promotions against tagged content.
Right now, the infrastructure isn’t there to make it happen. But as Google rolls out more free wi-fi the US and as current connectivity solutions already in cars, including bluetooth, satellite radio, etc. bring the Web to our cars, it will be. And a new term, “driving the Web” will be coined.
Maybe by then, I’ll need a new mattress.
The Changing Way We Read
Media consumption has always changed over time as new technologies are developed, from fireside storytelling shifting to printed novels, or radio to the evening news on television. For years now, we have adjusted to reading on screens, but today, we are at the brink of a fundamental shift in the way we read.
Earlier this year, Rupert Murdoch suggested that News Corp would restrict all its content within paid walls, perhaps going so far as to remove their content from search engines. With Google responding by very publicly stating how they can help newspapers and adjusting to allow publishers to limit users to view five pages a day without registering, it would seem that media giants still hold power. But this is less a complete collapse of media channels and more a merging of media with new reading platforms – desktop, browser, e-reader, mobile, tablet, etc. Publishers are just now starting to innovate on these mediums, developing new experiences and new ways to read.
The e-reader market has been picking up a lot of steam recently – Kindle just had their biggest sales month since launching and Barnes & Noble’s Nook joining the market, which, despite recent reviews, has continued to pique consumer curiosity. Apple is rumored to be releasing a tablet early next year, and companies such as Vook (a LaunchSquad client), are creating new reading formats. Just in the past few weeks, we’ve seen publishers left and right announce new initiatives that respond to this e-reader and tablet excitement.
Condé Nast announced last month its Digital Magazine Initiative starting with an e-reader version of Wired magazine, and the publisher has also been experimenting with iPhone app formats for its content, in the form of GQ’s Men of the Year issue. Early this month, Time Inc. released a demo of a new digital version of Sports Illustrated, complete with photo libraries, video and interactive ads. While its own physical tablet prototype has been developed, like Condé Nast, they’re not committed to any one particular platform yet. Hearst, just last week, announced a partnership with Sprint to launch Skiff, an e-reader platform and digital store focused on connecting publishers with marketers, in 2010. To top it all off, the five major periodical publishers – Condé Nast, Meredith, Time Inc., Hearst and News Corp – are coming together to create a “Hulu for magazines,” a digital news stand where readers can purchase and manage their subscriptions. The main challenge will be to develop digital standards and formats, so that their varied content can be viewed equally on a wide variety of devices – soon-to-come color e-readers or more multi-media friendly tablet computers.
Similar to the changing way we approach reading novels and longer-form magazine pieces, the way we consume the news is still taking shape. Customization is the new way to take in news – whether it’s your Tumblr community or your Facebook feed, we are hearing about and reading news in an instant and curated way. Twitter, for some, has come to replace RSS, news sites and even search as a main source for breaking news, and with its newest lists feature, it’s even easier to filter the stream and be selective about how you skim and read. PubSubHubbub is working with blog and social networking platforms to bring these updates and posts instantaneously to your networks and companies like ShareThis (client) are helping media fit into this new “sharing economy,” allowing them to capitalize on the virality and engagement of forwarding, retweeting, liking and voting. Even Google is trying to adjust old-world media to find a place in the online way of reading, with Living Stories, which is a new project in collaboration with the New York Times and The Washington Post that presents on-going, evolving stories in a new online format. All these means are helping us stay informed of content through a closer social circle or curated set of sources.
Mobile devices, and especially iPhone and Android platform, take real-time and personalization to another level by putting the content in your hand wherever you are. Apps from local news sources like Fwix (a LaunchSquad client), Outside.in or Topix show what’s happening in your neighborhood, and Fwix’s even allows users to “report news” in real time, directly from their phones. In addition to news and e-reading, there are also many apps that are useful for saving, noting or commenting on what you read. Instapaper is an iPhone app and bookmarklet that allows users to save articles and blog post to read later, a task that it invaluable for anyone that is keeping track of news during their busy work day. Evernote (another LaunchSquad client) is another great app to save and organize not only your own notes and photos, but Web pages and text from articles. This mobile reading is a shift beyond your typical browser reading – it’s not passive reading and goes beyond the conversation, it’s also personalized, localized and relevant to what we are doing in the physical world.
Technology is changing the way humans are interacting with text, with content. There’s no standard yet as ubiquitous as unfolding the morning paper, but it’s not for lack of trying. Give it some time though, and a few platforms will start to emerge as front-runner in this nascent market. Whatever does emerge as the new way we read, it’s going to be a whole lot different than unfolding that paper.
Working Together For A Better Web
Tim O’Reilly kicked off the Web 2.0 Expo in New York last week with words of caution, an extension of his recent blog post “The War For The Web.” The Web visionary that coined the term “Web 2.0″ and defined the Internet as an “operating system” sees a battle brewing that is very reminiscent of one that took place over a decade ago. In the mid-1990s a browser war started between Netscape and Microsoft as the two fought for desktop penetration, eventually leading to incompatibility across the Web, as some sites were best viewed with a certain browser.
Today, things aren’t so different, as behemoths like Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon are building their own platforms which are often accused of being “walled gardens,” rather than building upon the Internet as a free, and open platform. Examples include the strict review process for the iTunes App Store, Rupert Murdoch’s recent mention of removing News Corp. sites out of Google’s search index, and the inability to take your personal data with you from sites like Facebook and Twitter. To say these companies are evil is taking things too far, but O’Reilly stressed that more emphasis must be put on creating benefit for the user, instead of solely focusing on building competitive advantage.
O’Reilly sees two sides of the Internet operating system, and in a nod to Lord of the Rings, named them “One Ring To Rule Them All” and “Small Pieces Loosely Jointed.” The path we’re currently headed on is reflective of the former – a no-holds-barred death match between the platform owners, while the latter describes a world that has fewer controls and helps to foster creativity and innovation. Concluding with a quote from Jeff Jarvis, O’Reilly urged businesses to, “Do what you do best, and link to the rest.”
At Web 2.0 Expo NY, several new businesses are doing just that – innovating while also building on what others have successfully created, and opening up further development to even more people. Here are a few examples from the conference:
Boxee
Although Boxee technically didn’t announce anything new (the beta unveiling is on December 7th), CEO Avner Ronen hosted a panel on customers acting as brand evangelists. If you aren’t familiar with Boxee, consider it a social media center for your TV. Not only does it pull in your personal content like videos and photos, but you can also stream content from the MLB, Last.FM, Netflix, Pandora, and more. Since Boxee allows developers to create their own “channel,” more than 150 great applications are available to enhance your living room experience. One of our favorites is Cliqset (a LaunchSquad client), which allows you to have a real-time conversation with friends while watching your favorite video.
Foodspotting
Described as a “foodie-powered field guide,” Foodspotting was born after founder Alexa Andrzejewski realized it was difficult to search for specific dishes on existing city guide services. The Web site (a mobile app is coming soon) allows “food spotters” to post photos and descriptions of dishes they’ve eaten. “Food seekers” can then search through these dishes, and vote them up, which awards credibility points to the original spotter. The service hopes to eventually tie into different products like Foursquare, where foodspottings would be incorporated into location check-ins. Now I won’t be scratching my head when I’m trying to find the best banh mi.
EarthAid
Think of it as a dashboard for all of your utilities, the power meter of the future. Currently compatible with 106 utility companies, EarthAid empowers users by allowing them to monitor and effectively reduce energy consumption. Incentives in the form of points redeemable towards discounts, and offers from partners, and the ability to share data with friends, makes conserving energy fun.
I encourage you to explore the great videos and presentations given at Web 2.0 Expo NY to learn more about how the Web is evolving.
Why Facebook and Twitter Should Start Charging Users
What if Facebook and Twitter started charging users for their services? It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while and have wondered why at least one of them, especially Facebook, have not experimented with in any way.
Let’s look at Facebook in particular. Over the past few years, the service has evolved into a daily utility for tens of millions of users in the U.S. alone. I’m talking about people who essentially cannot – or at least prefer not to – live without it, whether it’s for the fun, games, social interactions, photo sharing, or like me, as just a virtual and dynamic database of your personal and/or professional contacts. For many of these users, Facebook is probably as important (and for some more so) as having cable TV, a smart phone, satellite radio, or a host of other paid monthly, subscription-based services.
If Facebook was able to get a hearty set of these users to pay a nominal monthly fee for unmitigated access to its services, the company could quickly become a legitimate multi-billion dollar business (instead of an on-paper one). Let’s look at some [admittedly arbitrary] math. Facebook says publicly they have 300 million active users, 50% of which access the site in any given day. Let’s divide that number by half again and say there are 75 million fairly loyal and passionate users that would be significantly affected by not being able to use the site. How much would those people be willing to pay to continue to use the service at the level they currently are? How about $2 per month (or the price of one over-priced coffee)? Voila: that’s a whopping $1.8 billion dollars in pure profit-based revenue. And it’s more than FIVE times the estimated total revenues the company generated in 2008.
How about Twitter? There were 23 million users during the month of September (this excludes those who are consuming content from or through Twitter, which is soon to be just about everybody, knowingly or not). We know there are a lot of people who experiment unsuccessfully with Twitter, or do not use it very often. But there’s also a growing group of daily die-hards, including a good chunk of the 40 or so folks at LaunchSquad. Let’s conservatively peg this number today at one million people who are habitual Twitter users. Would those folks pay the cost of a coffee every month to keep using it in an unlimited fashion as they are today? If they did, Twitter’s suddenly generating $24 million in annual, subscription-based revenue for itself. For the record, that’s about $24 million more than they are currently taking in, give or take a few thousand bucks.
Obviously there are some good reasons why Twitter and Facebook have chosen to not go down this path. They are in high-growth mode and, unlike most startups, they have enough leverage with their investors to keep the “path to profitability” mantra at bay. Anything that might curtail registrations and usage is a big no-no.
Of course, any movement to try and develop this business model would have to be done with great care and deliberation to mitigate the backlash.But I think it may be a mistake though for them to not add this to the short-term plan, and begin experimenting with the most loyal users and seeing what the appetite may be and where the price points are that begin to truly hurt free usage growth. Even if Facebook charged those 75 million users only $5 per year, that potentially doubles their revenues right off the bat.
Update: Given the past comments below, I want to more clearly note here that under these hypothetical scenarios, Facebook is still free for the vast majority of users.
Bigger picture, there is a potentially huge domino effect that could happen here. If a company like Facebook or Twitter, or some other big name trendsetter, could ultimately prove that the Internet does not necessarily have to be free, it could have a profound effect on the entire universe of innovation, startups, venture capital, M&A and even the IPO market. It could even hasten and ignite the economic recovery.
Think of all of the companies out there currently pursuing free service models and relying on the combustible and unpredictable advertising market as their path to success. Not to mention the set of “freemium”-model companies, such as Evernote, TimeBridge, SugarSync, Anchorfree (disclosure: all are LaunchSquad clients) and countless others who have to deal with financial markets that question their long term potential despite having innovative, valuable technology and loads of very happy users.
This could also significantly impact media companies who are trying to come up with ways to charge for the content lest they crumble and die. If Twitter and Facebook are no longer free for loyal users, Rupert Murdoch & Co. have a much clearer path to creating pay walls and generating revenue for access to content. Admittedly a lofty thought, but this could be the savior the newspaper industry has been waiting for too.
I may be overstating things here, but a world in which people more readily accept that services like Facebook are not eternally free is a very interesting one to ponder.
We Accept Mastercard, VISA and … Your Mobile Phone
As someone who’s constantly trying to downsize baggage, I’m always looking for ways to consolidate devices and accessories. One of the first reasons I chose to buy an iPhone was to consolidate my iPod with my cellphone. Of course, with the iPhone’s newer models and App store, a mobile phone can hold more than just a handful of devices: everything from video camera and game player to personal assistant and running trainer. Now, with new mobile payment companies launching left and right, the phone is taking over yet another accessory: the wallet.
The U.S. has been waiting a long time for mobile payments. When I was in high school in Japan, I remember mobile technologies being second nature to metropolitan lifestyle. It wasn’t unusual for student, businessman, and housewife on the train to be immersed in a text message, novel, or game on their mobile phones. It’s not surprising that telecommunications companies replicated Japan’s Suica smartcard technologies to work with mobile phones, allowing consumers to pay for train rides, convenient store purchases and more, with a simple swipe of their phones. A Forrester Research survey found that 15 percent of Japanese mobile phone users make payments and purchase products in stores with their phones, and most Japanese cell phones today include the standard FeliCa wallet phone chip that makes this possible.
Phone payments have also been successful in countries like Kenya or India, where ATMs and credit cards aren’t as accessible as mobile phones. Some have speculated that the U.S. hasn’t adopted mobile payment technologies as fast as these developing countries because the adoption of mobile devices isn’t growing at the same exponential rate. Although a recent Nielsen report showed that only a quarter of mobile users accessed the Web via their phones in July, that’s a 34 percent increase over last year. Mobile seems to be ramping up in the U.S., and it shows, now that several new startups are coming out of the woodwork to promise the convenience of using your phone as your wallet:
Within the social networks and gaming space, two companies that have been competing mobile micro-payments are Boku, which charges your monthly cell phone bill instead of requiring a credit card or bank account, and Zong, which partnered with Facebook this summer to allow mobile payments for its virtual currency, Facebook Credits, and was selected by LaunchSquad client Mochi Media last week as its mobile payment platform.
For small businesses and merchants, Seattle-based start-up Billing Revolution just announced last month a partnership with credit card processor Authorize.net, which will allow its more than 200,000 retailer partners to offer “one click” mobile purchasing. Freeddom, a company that just launched at DEMO last month, has already built a business in Brazil helping retailers, telecommunications companies and banks turn consumers’ phones into their own private label credit cards. Sellers simply enter the purchase on their phone or Point-of-Sale device and customers enter in their personal identification numbers (PINs) to pay. If you think about all of the street vendors and food trucks around, especially in NYC, it’s obvious that there’s a need for a better, wireless payment system.
There’s even a solution for the average Craigslist or IOU transaction. A few weeks ago, while at nextNY’s @shakeshack II, event (which LaunchSquad sponsored), Megan Soto and I got a chance to demo a new mobile payments solution, Venmo. In under 5 minutes, founders Iqram Magson-Ismail and Andrew Kortina helped us set up accounts, transfered us each $1, and showed us how to transfer funds to each other through SMS texts. Venmo, based in NYC and Philadelphia, has a set of helpful how-to guides on their sites around practical use cases – like how to use Venmo for Craigslist transactions or how to sell music at a gig. I can think of a dozen more examples where I’d text-to-pay micro-payments to friends, and as someone that occasionally sells and buys on Craigslist, I’d appreciate the ability to skip the “CASH ONLY” on every post.
Obopay is 4-year-old company that’s partnering with big players to bring mobile payments to consumers and merchants. In 2010, Obopay and Nokia will launch Nokia Money in undisclosed markets, allowing users to send money to other mobile users, pay merchants and utility bills, or top up prepaid cellphone minutes. Obopay is also working with MasterCard on a person-to-person mobile payment service called MoneySend.
There’s also been talk that Twitter co-founder and chairman Jack Dorsey is working on a mobile payment gadget (hardware) start-up code-named “Square.”
So what does this recent bevy of mobile payment companies mean? Several smart people thinking about and betting on (investing in) this technology means that we’re likely to see a major shift in the way we pay, in the same way that PayPal and Amazon have done online. Speaking of PayPal …
On November 3, PayPal is holding an event, PayPal X Innovate 2009, where it’s going to open its API to third party developers, allowing others to innovate and find new ways to pay and get paid online. TwitPay is an early example of this, combining Twitter and PayPal accounts to essentially allow you to update your status to pay someone instantly. PayPal already has a mobile application, but perhaps its open API will encourage more innovation into new forms of online and mobile payment solutions.
It’s hard to tell if consumer behavior change to support these new forms of payment. Even if it does, mass adoption will probably take a long time (Gartner predicts only 3 percent in North America will make mobile payments in 2012). Nonetheless, it’s certainly impressive to see all of the companies tackling this space, and I look forward to someday lightening my purse of a wallet, its cash, cards, checkbook and all.
The Internet Makes Kids Write More – LOL!
We’ve touched on this issue a bit before, but given that we here at LaunchSquad work in an industry almost entirely based on the written word, its worth revisiting. A major pet peeve of mine is hearing people talk about social technologies as narcissistic or meaningless babble. This – sadly – often comes from traditional media folk who are often scared at how the Internet is revolutionizing their profession, and it’s an irritating and incredibly disingenuous thing to say.
So, Clive Thompson’s piece in Wired, “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy” was a breath of fresh air. In it, Thompson analyzes a study done by a Stanford professor that claims that we in general, and kids specifically, are writing more now than ever, and amazingly, 38 percent of that writing is so-called “life writing,” or personal writing. сын осторожно трахал в киску своею беременную мать
This is remarkable if you think back to the pre-Internet and e-mail proliferated 1990s. People simply didn’t write back then unless it was for class or work. I remember when I got my e-mail account in 1997 during college, I used this mysterious new creature primarily for sending assignments and occasionally writing cute little notes to my girlfriend, which still felt oddly impersonal. But think how much that has changed. We now use the written word for interpersonal communication more than any time in history. Yes, some of those conversations are, “OMG, u r the gr8est person I no. LMFAO!!1!” – but it’s still transmission of thought through the written word, something that was dying in the pre-Internet era.
That idea of the Internet killing off writing is beyond irritating and is simply not true. For all the “LOL” and trite abbreviations we see online, there is also a ton of useful stuff that kids – and adults – read and write. People simple read and write a ton more than they did 10-15 years ago. And to all the fuddy duddies who complain about the “death of prose” – please, shut up. More reading and writing is a good thing, be it in the long-winded, haughty pages of the New Yorker, or the adolescent ramblings of MySpace.
Does Jim Spanfeller's Remnant Ads Argument Add Up?
For editorial coverage of the world of business, few publications command more respect than Forbes and its online site Forbes.com. As CEO Jim Spanfeller winds down his tenure at the venerable media company, his assessment of online advertising and how online publishers are preventing it from reaching its true potential is making its way around the Web.
Online publishers, Spanefeller says, are hindering the growth of the industry by adopting the remnant pricing strategies established by the ever-struggling airline industry. Yet, when it comes to pricing reform, is Spanfeller’s characterization of remnant ad units, and the ad networks that sell them, as the major problem facing the industry an oversimplification of the problem?
Fundamentally, Spanfeller’s argument is rooted in the assumption that by offering unsold advertising units to ad networks, who in turn make this inventory available to advertisers at a significant discount, online publishers have created massive price erosion in the market. After all, why buy ads at rate card prices when you get the same or comparable inventory for a song through a network?
Following this logic, Spanfeller suggests that by eschewing the remnant model, publishers will sustain higher prices for their ad inventory and increase revenue at higher profit margins, thus driving the industry to new heights. Mission accomplished? Yes and No.
Truth be told, there are properties that have gone the DIY-only ad sales route. ESPN, for example, announced that it would no longer work with ad networks in May of 2008. As a top online sports property, ESPN made the decision that it would rather lose revenue from unsold ads than face pricing pressure from ad networks. Advantage Spanfeller.
However, for a much larger segment of online publishers that don’t have deep relationships with advertisers, large sales forces and premium content, casting off ad networks is simply not an option. Even NBC Universal’s iVillage unit admits that while some sections drive lots of traffic, they don’t appeal to endemic advertisers, making ad networks a viable way to drive revenue that would otherwise be lost.
The bigger question – one which Spanfeller doesn’t address – is which approach will drive more ad dollars into the market and create a bigger opportunity for publishers long term?
In a recent quarterly report, LaunchSquad client BrightRoll reported that while CPMs across its video ad network were flat between Q1 and Q2 ‘09, overall revenue generated during the same period was up more than 200 percent. BrightRoll’s report illustrates that affordable prices are attracting more dollars into the video advertising segment. A rising tide floats all boats right?
Former client Adify, which delivers a platform for building vertical ad networks, allows media properties to offer reach to customers across their premium content and that of longer tail publishers by aggregating the ad units into a single, easy-to-buy network that streamlines the ad buying process.
Both examples signify that the real problem facing online publishers is not remnant inventory and ad networks, it’s moving more dollars into the medium and providing an easy way for media buyers to spend them at a time when reach, cost-effectiveness and efficiency are king.
Only time will tell if online publishers will embrace the model proposed by Spanfeller. What’s true is that the customer – in this case the media buyers, planners and strategists – is always right and the winning model will be born from an understanding of the unique challenges they face, not the desire to preserve old media pricing strategies.
iPhone 3GS: The New Auteur
Add “filmmaker” to the lengthy list of things the iPhone can do. In a stroke of DIY genius, Seattle hip-hop group Dyme Def recorded a video for its song “I’m Gone” entirely on the iPhone 3Gs, using the phone’s new video capabilities. The video obviously has that homemade feel and a little of the shaky, bendy quality you get from camera phones, but it’s safe to say that’s what Dyme Def was going for. The whole thing has a very fun, spontaneous feel to it, as the group – obviously having a good time – walks through Westlake Center in downtown, while getting stared at by passing pedestrians, picking up stragglers to march with them, and ultimately ending in a breakdance session.
It’ll be cool to see the proliferation of spontaneous, DYI video that will be an obvious byproduct of finally having a credible, widely used video platform for phones. The iPhone 3GS isn’t the first phone to do video, but it’s the first really popular phone to do it well. It’s not going to be too long until we send video around the same as we do text now.
Also, very cool to see hip-hop leading the way on this. Dyme Def is heading up a resurgent and extremely creative Seattle rap scene, so this type guerrilla film making utilizing new tech isn’t surprising. Seattle is a major tech hub beyond the Bay Area and the hip-hop scene in the Northwest, though not always as vibrant as it is now, has a history of progressive thinking and music making.
Mind Over Manners
Since moving to California, where everyone has smart phones, I’ve long been stifling mild irritation with friends who, at dinner, would have their iPhones or BlackBerry’s out doing God-knows-what for minutes at a time. Could you really be that bored with the conversation and company that you would care to check Facebook again?
Social grace is a dying art. While the practices of manners and etiquette are seemingly lost on the digi-generates of this world – looking at you Hannah Montana fans – those of us that can recall our parents telling us to chew with our mouths closed and to use “please” and “thank you,” should figure something out in order to fight off this trend that threatens our last few shreds of civility. Our increasingly mobile selves, egged on by our much-beloved mobile devices, need to remember our manners.
In a panicked effort to reverse what I see as an impending doom of a lack of interpersonal connection and epidemic of self-involvement, I asked an expert for some guidelines here.
Mindy Lockard is an etiquette consultant based in Eugene, Oregon who runs a business, blog and a brand around all things manners and gentility and wouldn’t know you it, her pet peeve is “cell phones ringing in pubic.” Her online magazine, ManneroftheMonth.com, is an interactive publication that teaches manners and etiquette to everyday users as well as industry professionals. Mindy will take us beyond the norms of expectations, and to the polished heights of social graces. These are her words of wisdom.
Using Intelligence When Using Your Smart Phone
When I teach my “Cell Phone 101″ class to teens new to the mobile phone world, I often reflect – like my grandparents telling the story of walking up hill to school in 5 feet of snow – about the first cellular phone my mother had. This cellular relic would not be recognizable today since it came with its own case, was the size of a small piece of luggage, and had to be plugged into the cigarette lighter. Much has changed in the world of technology since those days in the early nineties, but while the jumbo models of the early nineties have slimmed down to tiny all-in-one devices, the value of those we are talking to or around hasn’t changed.
Occasions and events when it’s inappropriate
“Can you hear me now … ?” This infamous line from a commercial has become synonymous with the cellular phone industry, and the answer from those standing around us while we talk on our phones is, “YES. WE CAN HEAR YOU!” Keeping our smart phone conversations to a minimum in public places is the minimal amount of respect toward those near us. Even if we are surrounded by strangers, we should be mindful of their personal ear space. Step outside if you must take a call. In an airport or other setting where you can’t go outside, do your best to get away and take the call in an area that isn’t densely populated.
Texting, checking e-mail, Tweeting or updating status…
Public spaces are the best place to text because texting allows us to communicate without disrupting those around us. Of course, texting during a presentation or performance is inappropriate and disrespectful – it communicates to the performers or speakers that you aren’t interested in their efforts. During a movie, the lights on a phone and the clicking of buttons can be very distracting to fellow moviegoers. If you have to text, remove yourself from the performance and take care of your communication. Or, even better, save your communication until the end when you can go outside and return the call.
Texting, checking e-mail, Tweeting or updating status in front of other’s faces
Typing into our phones in front of others is just as disrespectful as talking on the phone in front of them. Even checking your phone to read the message should be avoided. Don’t try to hide your communication under the table or out of sight. Even if the phone isn’t visible, the top of your head while you text is, and the person in front of you will not be fooled. Just because the technology is easy and accessible doesn’t mean it should not be used with respect and discretion.
Making calls
When making a call, be prepared! Using smart phones makes it easier to conduct business in situations when you are not entirely focused because you are driving or out in public. Think before you make a call. Have all necessary information available. The sound of shuffling paper or delayed speech because you have lost focus will give the impression that you are disorganized or don’t care.
Remember to always ask at the beginning of the phone conversation, “Is this a good time?” or “Do you have 5 minutes to answer a couple of questions?” Asking about time or giving the amount of time you need will help you and the caller accomplish the tasks at hand.
Taking calls
If you are in the company of another person or in a situation where you can’t easily focus or don’t have the necessary materials available, ask the caller if you can call them back. Schedule a time that works well for both of you, then call when you say you will call.
When you take a call, stop and focus on the person calling. Always have paper and pen available to take notes, so when you return to the office, you will have the necessary documentation.
Should it be allowed at meals?
When dining or meeting face-to-face with another individual, turn your smart phone off unless you are expecting an emergency phone call. (By the way, your afternoon plans are not an emergency.) If you know you have an appointment at one o’clock and are leaving a message for a friend, tell the friend that you will be unavailable between one and two o’clock. Putting those in our presence “on hold” by taking a call non-verbally communicates that they are not as important as the person on the phone. Even if you ask the person in your presence if they mind and that person politely says, “It’s fine,” chances are they do mind and are merely trying to be polite.
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Please regard these with a “one step at a time” kind of attitude. It’s worth it – manners and etiquette are very becoming on you.
Ad Invasion: What’s the Next New Media Channel?
At lunch the other day, I picked up a couple of slices of pizza and noticed a Dasani ad actually printed on the pizza box. The company responsible was called Pizza Adz, a division of DoMedia, which specializes in advertising in alternative media channels, an idea I have always been intrigued by. What is the next vehicle for advertising that we haven’t thought of yet?
I first started noticing this trend when ads on movie theater screens started popping up years ago. Then brands and their agencies started getting creative: the top of UPS trucks (targeting office workers in skyscrapers), subway turnstyles, the liners of dry cleaning hangers. Where does it stop? I think this is just the beginning, but I also don’t think it’s a bad thing. While some people get really annoyed by all of these new ways that brands try and get their messages out there, I’m always looking for the next new channel. Maybe part of me just wants to be the one to discover it. …
Creative corporate sponsorships are also on the rise. Professional sports teams have been selling stadium rights for years. Critics say the owners are selling out, but hey, if my favorite team can sign better players due to the extra revenue coming in, I say go for it.
The next wave of corporate sponsorships could be your local subway station. In June, The New York Times reported that the subway stop that connects Atlantic Avenue, Pacific Street and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn is being sponsored by Barclays. Barclays is based in London, you ask? Sure is, and while it has offices in Manhattan, the Barclays Center is the Brooklyn-based sports arena for the New Jersey Nets that is part of the Atlantic Yards project planned to open in 2011. Seems like a logical fit and we know that the cashed-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs the money, but as my colleague legitimately asked me the other day, does this mean that the Atlantic Avenue subway station will be cleaner if a corporate name is attached to it?
I don’t see the problem in these type of ads or sponsorships, because they often lead to better products and services for consumers, whether it’s a more competitive baseball team or a more enjoyable subway ride. Like it or hate it, it seems like we are marching to the inevitable future that is portrayed in movies like “The Running Man” where everything you can think of has an ad attached to it.
Think you have the next big alternative media channel? Let us know.