I am a big time runner, and so I was excited to see that a kick butt brand like Saucony was trying their hand at mobile marketing. The thing that makes this campaign different is how they incorporate advertising their company, and running for a cause.  

This is how it works: you go onto itunes and buy the free running app. It calculates how long you have run, calories burned, ect. Then, when you reach a certain number of miles, partnering companies will donate money to the fight against obesity.Brilliant huh? Not only is Saucony helping against a problem that is obviously growing in America, but it is giving people with the Saucony app an incentive to run themselves. This app alone makes me want to get a smartphone.

I think what makes this mobile app so cool and innovative is the fact that there will be a specific reason for someone to get up and run in the morning. If not for their health, how about the health of others?

Above is a screen shot of what the app looks like. The design is something I am really drawn to because it is so simple. With Mobile Marketing, obviously you need to have everything fit in a little screen, and i think this organized layout is another great thing Saucony has done here.

Dave Batista, executive creative director at Beam Interactive says it perfectly when he says “None of them (mobile running campaigns) puts every mile you run to work towards a cause, so it's a critical differentiator for us. Incorporating the cause, while also having all of your own running statistics in the app makes it so innovative.

It doesn't matter whether you are pro Mickey-D's or Wendy's burgers, when it comes to mobile advertising, Wendys has the leg up on the competition. I am still learning the benifits of the QR code, but with their new "dipper or squeezer" campaign, I get the jist of what they are trying to accomplish.
    

If 100,000 dollars is not enough of an incentive to scan the QR code, I don't know what is. In drawing awareness to the new heinz dip and squeeze packets, they have a QR code on the fry containers, as shown above. When you scan it, it brings you to a specic mobile landing page asking if you are a "dipper or squeezer." After that, you choose a packet of ketchup which is linked to a prize! It is also something that is done daily, giving the consumer incentive to keep buying the fries. I don't know about you, but I want to go buy wendy's fries right now...
But yikes, lets think about the calories in those seemingly innocent snacks. Wendy's has already though about that. They have come out with a nutrition app for smartphones and android, in which you can custom order a meal based on the nutrition facts. This seems like a smart idea to me, considering fast food restaurants are getting whipped into shape by the FDA recently. Now consumers can have a better idea of what they are putting in their body, while also experimenting with mobile communications.
I will end this blog by showing you a little something to get you in the mood to participate in this new mobile campaign...

Mobile Marketers are up in arms about the lack of creativity that is going into their shiny new mobile campaigns. Because mobile marketing is relatively new, brands are constantly playing it safe, looking at other brands to follow. Hey, I get it, if it works for one brand, it must work for theirs, right? But as a consumer, I think we can spot these similarities. Because we have seen it before, it isn't exciting and eye catching. Living in 2012, advertisers need to step up their game, because as a consumer, we are all stuck up brats, who think we deserve everything. And hey, you do deserve the best from these companies. The world of technology is beyond my scope of imagination, but I do know that just about anything is possible these days. So my advice to these companies that are "playing it safe" is to start taking some risks! Controversy if better than not being talked about at all.

In my Visual Communications class, for example, we researched the famous "Bennetton" ads. These ads were straight up goofy and had nothing to do with clothing, but look at me, I am talking about it years later. Bennetton is a relevant name in my head now, simply from their risqué ads.

The article on the perils of Mobile Marketing also highlight that if your campaign doesn't g as planned, mobile marketing can be changed on the fly. Hearing this, it is a win win situation. Take some risks, and if the risks don't work out, you can back out and try something new. I wish that were the case with horse racing bets, eh? 

Rimma Katz, writer of the article, emphasizes that a mobile banner ad is no longer enough, and that getting "likes" on Facebook will not suffice. Sure, these things help, but there is SO much more that you can do to engage the consumer and keep them on their toes.

So lets talk Starbucks. Do they do anything half-assed? This company keeps me up at night, not just from caffeine overload, but also from their innovative ideas regarding advertising. They took their new beverage, Refreshers, and used mobile marketing to give consumers more information on the drink. It is so much more engaging then having a sign outside their door, or a link on their website.

Still though, Starbucks has it's critics, and I have to say, I agree. Maybe I expect to much from this innovative company, but I am looking for a tad bit more. Although I like giving Starbucks as an example as good creative mobile advertising, there is no "call-to-action and there is very little product information," says Simon Buckingham, CEO of Appitalism. I agree completely. It needs a bit pf revising in order for this campaign to go from tired, to caffinated.