Check out their promo video and you’ll see why they have been getting so much buzz. I stood next to a co-worker as he watched the demo. Thirty seconds in, he exclaimed “Oh sweet!” He immediately paused the video and joined the throng of supporters eager to pre-order the device.

So, what’s so compelling about a watch that won’t even ship until September? Here’s a hint—the Pebble is not a watch! Sure, it looks and wears like a watch. But the Pebble is actually an open web appliance platform in a gorgeous, wearable package. From lightweight mashups using if-this-then-that, to a full-blown app ecosystem, it’s the internet, on your wrist!

The possibilities are myriad and I can’t wait to see what people come up with. Games, remotes, social experiences and mobile payments! Yes, even marketers have a chance to earn a slice of time on my wrist. (Crazy thought: What could I do with one on each wrist? Ankles too?? Someone will definitely try this…)

Successful Pebble apps will draw upon several qualities that make the internet-on-your-wrist unique:

1. Personality: You carry your phone; you wear your watch. It’s a fashion accessory. Its appearance and behavior make a statement about you.

2. Subtlety: The world is changing, but there are still contexts where pulling out your phone is awkward or inappropriate (examples include: meetings, dates, the poker table). A glance at your wrist is much more discrete.

3. Ubiquity: Your phone is often 2-4 seconds away (in your pocket or purse). Your wrist is instant. You never leave your wrist in a cab (but your wrist could alert you if you do!).

4. Novelty: There’s a small window here. I’m going out on a limb and predicting that this device and fast-followers, will take off. But for 6-12 months, the internet-on-your-wrist will carry a certain “Wow!” factor.

Devices like the Pebble or Google’s Project Glass expand our notions of what “mobile device” really means. The mobile landscape is constantly evolving and while we don’t know what it will look like five years from now, one thing is clear – there’s still lots of room for innovation. As well as a multitude of opportunities for mobile devices to improve the way we work, play and interact with each other.

As Sturgeon reminds us, most Pebble apps will turn out to be less than spectacular. But a few gems will surely emerge. So the real question is: What can you envision doing with the internet-on-your-wrist? We’d love to hear! Share your useful, whimsical or just-plain-crazy ideas in the comments section!

Lucky for me, as a recent transplant from Chicago to State College, PA (home to Penn State University), I have the opportunity to relive those college days every weekend, should I choose to do so. This past Saturday just happened to be one of the evenings that I choose to do just that. I rounded up a few friends and we headed out in an attempt to blend in with the college kids in “downtown” Happy Valley, as the locals have termed it. After hitting a few of our favorite spots and realizing that as much as we’d like to be, we weren’t cut out for closing down bars anymore, we made the executive decision to call it a night. But not before acknowledging that our evening of pretending we were still in college would not have been complete without a trip to one of the most popular late night food joints in town, Canyon Wings.

My hope was that since we left the bars before close we’d avoid the rush, but upon our arrival we quickly realized about 30 college kids had still beaten us to the chase. The line was already out the door and making its way around the corner of the small establishment. It was during my wait that I realized Canyon Wings was really on to something, beyond their tasty wings (with over 30 sauce choices) and signature Chicken-on-a-Stick for only $1. As soon as I was able to step foot inside, I took note of flyers and posters lining the walls promoting Canyon Wings mobile alerts with a text and QR call to action.

In my college kid mindset I thought: Specials and coupons from one of my favorite eateries? Yes please! And in my mobile marketer mindset I thought: Prominently placing an alert call to action in an area where you know crowds of loyal customers will be waiting in line? Brilliant! So I did just as directed and texted CANYONWINGS to 86677 to sign up.

The bounceback I received pleased not only the mobile critic in me but my growling stomach, as well. In addition to including the appropriate compliance language the message also delivered an instant deal to receive a free egg roll with any $8 purchase.

I found this bounceback offer to be a mobile marketing success for two reasons. First, it instantly rewards the consumer for taking action and delivers a relevant and time sensitive message as you are approaching the point the sale (who doesn’t love free food?). Second, it serves as a revenue generator for the marketer by providing an incentive for consumers to increase their purchase size. I know $8 doesn’t sound like a splurge, but when the most popular item on the menu only costs $1, you can see why it makes sense to encourage people to spend a little more. Naturally, I spent the last few minutes of my wait planning out my order to ensure I’d reach the $8 purchase point.

When I finally reached the counter I placed my order, showed the cashier my text and within a matter of minutes my food (complete with free egg roll) was delivered to my table and the entire experience proved to be well worth the wait!

I have yet to receive any follow-up alerts from Canyon Wings since I first subscribed, but I hope that they continue to impress me with their marketing strategy and deliver targeted offers that give me just the motivation I need to venture out for another night on the town!

I was ecstatic to see that I could connect with my favorite show, “The Vampire Diaries” by downloading their mobile Vampire Diaries App. Users can create and share videos and images, watch preview clips, participate in in-show trivia and browse through photos from the show. The app offers a feature, called the Vampirizer, which allows fans to transform into a vampire by uploading a video.

(Kesley as a vampire, using the Vampire Diaries “Vampirizer” app. Scary, right?)

After exploring the app, I was a little disappointed by its lack of features through which to engage with fans. The photo gallery was not updated and didn’t include captions with episode titles. The Vampirizer feature was fun and could be uploaded to Facebook, your phone or be emailed to a friend. However, the directions were a little confusing on how to take a photo and the ending transformation only lasted seconds. Overall, the idea of the app was there, but it wasn’t fully developed.

In addition to mobile apps for television programs, it would be beneficial for us avid TV watchers if television networks added SMS alerts programs to their mobile campaigns! This would create a nice interaction between users and television shows during commercial breaks. Mobile alerts would send opted-in viewers a reminder message to tune in every week and would give participants the chance to interact with other fans by sending out trivia questions and polls. It would also be a more personable user experience if messages could be sent out to subscribers on behalf of the actors. They could share funny stories from the set and reveal secret insider information. This would make viewers feel as if they are on set with the cast! Mobile alerts would be a great addition to the mobile experience because teenagers are constantly on their phones during commercial breaks connecting with fans about the show and sharing their theories on plot developments.

Music is also an important part of television. It can set the mood for a scene or leave the audience wanting more. The CW network does a really good job of selecting the perfect song for the intense moments in their shows. I always find myself rewinding episodes to use my iPhone app “Shazam” to find the song they played during my favorite final scene. It would be useful if television programs had a mobile song alert program to inform users of the songs being played during each scene. Users could opt-in to receive songs from every episode right after they play with a link to iTunes to purchase it instantly. This would allow fans to reflect on moments of the show that made them laugh or cry.

It’s amazing how a well-executed mobile campaign for television can transform the viewer’s experience and make them feel more connected with their favorite shows. It makes sense to have a mobile component for a TV show, especially a show for teenagers, or 20-somethings like me, who have their phones next to them on the couch and are always looking for the next entertaining avenue to display their thoughts. I can’t wait to see what next steps the marketers behind The Vampire Diaries take to further develop their mobile strategy!

The user experience presented users with two options: One would be to scan the QR code which would take you to Heinz’s Facebook page and the other was to text FRIEND to 57000**. After texting in, you were sent a link to the Heinz Facebook page.

Both ways got you to the same place, Heinz Ketchup’s Facebook page. However, it’s important to note that not everyone will have the QR code application. I thought giving the user both options was great as it ensured anyone could still reach the Facebook page, even without a QR scanner.

Once you are on the Facebook page, you can log in to “Like” the page, visit the Heinz ketchup website and interact with the brand and other fans on the page.

As far as the overall campaign went, I was a little disappointed after I clicked the Heinz website link on their Facebook page and was taken to their website rather than a mobile web page.

The user experience could have been a little better if they sent users to a mobile landing page with a web form where Heinz could ask for fans email addresses to build an email database. They also could have put a different call to action on their ketchup bottle asking fans to text-in and join a Heinz alerts list (I sure would have joined!) They would have had a loyal database of customers and fans to send offers to. Along with notifying them on in-store events, fun facts and more to build their brand and maintain loyalty.

Although I have a basket full of ideas for Heinz on how they can better utilize mobile, I think they did a good job creating a successful, informative campaign. They marketed to their current fans by promoting the call to action on ketchup bottles and encouraged them to interact via social media. It was quick and easy, especially to ‘Like’ their Facebook page (where they have 1.1 million fans already!)

Each cap contains a unique code which prompts consumers to text it to 844778 (which is short for THIRST). From there, you’ll receive a bounceback to your device asking you provide a date of birth. It is a national promotion, but consumers must be 13 years or older to enter. After validating your information, you will receive another bounceback on whether you are a winner or not. The prizes are pretty cool too! Anything from an Olympic branded soccer ball to $100 Visa gift cards.

Once you participate in the instant win, you will also be opted in to receive two informational texts per month. I haven’t received one yet, but I’m eager to see what content they deliver to subscribers. Good job Coca-Cola!

Coca-Cola has long prided itself on its unique sponsorships, creative CRM and outreach programs. This is a great example of how Coke never wastes an opportunity to interact with its loyal customer base, encouraging them to engage with the brand by offering prizes that consumers will value and want to win. I admire Coke for continuing on with its mobile offerings even with success and popularity of My Coke Rewards. While many brands would have been satisfied with a highly-successful rewards program, Coke looked to push the envelope even further, approaching mobile as full, fluid strategy that can be weaved into any marketing effort to make it more accessible and engaging for their customer base. The important takeaway here is that if brands are seeing success with their loyalty programs and mobile outreach, don’t stop!

This app makes it easy to find a wine based on a series of five questions. It starts with having the user choose the occasion: dining, gift, social or unwind. From there, the questions differ based on your selection. Some of them include:

-        What’s your color: Red or white?

-        How do you like your coffee: Lots of cream & sugar, a little cream & sugar or black?

-        How do you like your favorite foods: Spicy, flavorful or subtle?

The best part is that the questionnaire always ends with asking for the user’s budget. I appreciate the app won’t automatically recommend $50 bottles of wine, when I’m more of a $10 – $20 bottle kind of girl. I also like that I’m able to learn a little bit about choosing wine. Who knew that how I take my coffee could dictate what type of wine I’d like?

Lastly, the app has some cool features, which I admittedly haven’t tried out yet. But for the sake of this blog, I want to share them since someone might use them. The app allows the user to search for wines and saves a history of wines that have been chosen by the app based on the quiz. There’s also a barcode scanner for scanning wines in-store. I definitely want to try this feature.

So overall, my wine selecting has gotten a little more refined with the help of blush and makes it easy and fun to choose, too!

One of the great pleasures of living is Austin is the accessibility to outdoor activities. One of the pitfalls, however, is the overbearing heat.

Last weekend, as the temperature hit a sweltering 92 degrees, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to take a hike down a dried up riverbed known as the Greenbelt. I grabbed my car keys, my iPhone, a pair of earbuds and jumped in the car to make the 30 minute trek to a local hiking area and enjoy the awesome weather.

Two hours of awesome hiking and one pretty large rattlesnake later, I realized that I was an amateur and definitely should have brought a bottle of water to quench my thirst in the sweltering heat. It was time to turn around and head back to my car – another 2 hours.

No water. 92 degrees. Will I make it out alive?

After reaching my car, I was literally “dying of thirst” and that’s when I realized “Silly, Silly amateur hiker….not only did you forget any sort of liquid refreshment but you also failed to grab your wallet and now have a 30 minute drive before you can get anything to drink!”

As I was pulling out of the trail area, though, I saw that oh-so-lovely green Starbucks sign and knew I was in the clear. Death would not take me today! You see, I had recently downloaded the Starbucks app and had it synced with my debit card. I had the ability to pay with my phone and reload my card with a couple simple clicks, if needed. Two 32 oz, delicious, ice cold, crystal clear, thirst-quenching bottles of water were just a quarter mile in front of me. I wasn’t going to die of dehydration after all. I had been saved by my iPhone (and Starbucks, of course!)

All across the store, I found these little signs asking me how my shopping experience was going and asking me to text-in to let the good people at Crate and Barrel know. The signs all featured the name Nanette, who I believe is the manager of the store. Although I found it a bit unusual to text into an actual phone number as opposed to a shortcode, I went ahead and gave it a shot.

I received a generic bounceback that explained to me that my message was being sent via Google’s TalkBin. Attached was a tiny URL that redirected me to TalkBin’s site. I then received a 2^nd bounceback from the store managers (including Nanette) thanking me for texting-in, telling me they’d get back to me soon.

After a few hours, I received a personalized text message from the store’s manager who expressed how happy she was that I had a good time in the store and congratulated me on my new purchase. Unfortunately, that is where my conversation and engagement with Crate & Barrel, ended.

As someone who works in the mobile marketing industry and recognizes the effectiveness and reach of a mobile strategy, I can appreciate the concept that Crate & Barrel went for here. Engaging with customers in-store is a great way to make a shopping experience memorable and the fact that I could communicate with the store’s management team made me feel like they were really interested in what I had to say. That being said, I think there is some serious room for Crate & Barrel to push the envelope even further as they delve deeper into their mobile strategy.

First of all, it would have been easier to set up a shortcode for customers to text to. I was a bit apprehensive about texting an actual phone number. I also happened to see another customer attempt to send a message to the management team who messed up the first time he tried to type in the phone number, he quickly gave up and stuck his phone back in his pocket.

What I found to be most disappointing was that after I received my customized message from the managers at Crate & Barrel, our conversation ended there. Why? As a customer, I tried to communicate with Crate & Barrel IN-STORE, WHILE I was shopping! This could have been a great opportunity to engage with me, reward me with an incentive for my willingness to text-in and cultivate some brand loyalty within me. Maybe I’m an avid shopper who would be willing to come back in the future – opt me into an alert database and expose me to the latest deals and updates from your brand!

I would encourage the people at Crate & Barrel to think of a mobile campaign as an ongoing conversation, keeping both parties engaged with each other. I look forward to seeing what this blue-chip brand does in the future!

WWE fans are truly quite amazing. They are creative, outspoken and extremely dedicated to their favorite Superstars. And the way they get into the drama of the matches…talk about drawing you in! But, you can’t really grasp their true love and passion for the sport until you immerse yourself into the biggest WWE event of the year, WrestleMania.

I was definitely a skeptic but I went ahead and ordered my pay-per-view event from my cable provider and invited the Vibes team over for my very first WrestleMania party! Although I’m not sure cheese and wine is really the typical grub provided at this type of thing – hey, I’m a newbie. Being one of the WWE’s mobile partners, I knew that at WrestleMania XXVIII in Miami, Florida they were going to announce an awesome opportunity for the fans. I anxiously awaited the first call to action since I knew our fans would go bananas. But before I go into more detail about what that was, let me give you some additional information about how we decided on the type of mobile campaigns we ended up executing.

During our initial brainstorming sessions with the client, they challenged us (much like Cena challenged The Rock) to create a mobile experience that connected both the fans at WrestleMania and the fans watching at home to the event, to build a large mobile database and to keep the excitement of the event fresh in the hearts of fans after it was over. Working with the WWE team, we came up with a Text-2-Win sweepstakes that featured a compelling prize for fans and created a breaking news mobile database. We moved forward with these two campaigns because they addressed the three main requirements outlined by the client, it was a great way to thank our loyal fan base and it’s one of the quickest ways to build a mobile database.

Let’s get back to our fans because they are the reason this campaign was so compelling. When we were discussing the brand with the WWE team we were told how almost fanatic the fan base was when ingesting content and engaging with the Superstars. Watching WrestleMania myself, I now understand how our fans become so attached to the Superstars based on the way the action packed matches unfold, the skill of the athletes and how relatable the Superstars become. So when that first call to action came on the air announcing 100 fans and a guest had the chance to win tickets to the 2013 WrestleMania, and all they had to do was text “MANIA29” to 59907, it was no surprise that our system was blasted with thousands and thousands of messages from fans. Each follow-on call to action that night and throughout the 15-day campaign brought on new spikes in entries, huge engagement for the brand and created one of the largest mobile databases I’ve seen in the 7 years I’ve been in the space!

Not only was the client extremely happy but they also acquired a new fan, me!

BARTAB is an app that connects with Facebook, allowing you to send your friends drinks online, allowing them to redeem these drinks at the bar with their phone. BARTAB also employs the best promotional tactic I’ve seen recently, they give you $2 to get started! An app that PAYS YOU to download it? Now we’re talking!

I originally saw the call-to-action because I follow a few of my favorite bars on Facebook, one of which happened to be having a BARTAB party that evening. I didn’t go to the party but I downloaded the app; I would later be dubbed as the tech nerd at the bar.

Friday night:

My new app told me I had $2 to spend, so figured I would splurge my first dollar at WestEnd Bar n’ Grill.  Why not?  The app uses your location to feed you the surrounding bars that will accept BARTAB specials. Once you choose your bar, the pre-fixed drink specials are populated. Do I want a Jameson shot, Miller Lite Draft or a mixed drink? The catch is that you have to buy a drink for someone else, so Miller Lite Draft coming right up! I use the “contacts” tab to search for my friend and send the drink over.

A text message is sent to my friend with a link to click and redeem the $1 drink. The good news is that she didn’t need to download the app to redeem. Once she clicks the link, SURPRISE! A five minute countdown clock appears. She has limited time to get the bartender’s attention to redeem. What happens when the clock ticks zero? The glorious $1 drink may disappear! Hurry!

Phew, she got the bartender’s attention and flashed him her “cool new phone coupon.” I skeptically sat back watching it all go down, there is no way this guy knows what we are talking about. Point of sale breakdown, here it comes! Shockingly he immediately knew what to do!

1) Click the “redeemed” button on her phone

2) Serve the drink

3) Charge her $1…

WHAT?! One dollar? Did we miss the fine print here? I already paid. Turns out it costs $1 for both the giver and the receiver. Hmm…$2 drink, still worth it in my book. Can’t wait to use my app again tomorrow!

All in all, this app has an easy user interface with a tempting pay-off. It’s also nice because it reminds users of their friends’ upcoming birthdays, and it encourages more consistent social interactions at local bars and restaurants. There were a few surprises along the way that could have been spelled out a little better beforehand but if you ask me if I’d use this again…? Yea, probably. Not too often, but maybe when I feel jusssst nerdy enough.

What can I say, just trying to get my friends cheap drinks and “conquer the world, one drink at a time!”