When I think of Bobbi Brown, I think of a luxury makeup company that is ahead of the curve. Not only with their makeup, but with their mobile advertising as well. Because I am new to the mobile advertising, I wasn't sold on the notion that it is the new up and coming buzz maker. But from my last post, in seeing that I crumbled and got an iphone, I know how the mobile advertising world in the way to go. Bobbi Brown is no stranger to engaging their tech-savvy customers, and I immediately explored their new mobile strategy upon reading about it. 

For their new campaign, the main goal was to get customers to visit their new Grand Avenue store in New York. The customer can connect with the store, and grab deals and promotions upon signing in with their phone, and visiting. Of course, I can't make a trip to New York, but what I found in exploring the app was the amazing deals they had waiting for me. I was disappointed that I couldn't interact with their latest campaign, but because Bobbi Brown is a savvy mobile marketer, they were able to accommodate me with their old campaign. 

By connecting with my social media site of choice, Facebook, I was able to "like" Bobbi Brown, and become aware of all the new products and deals available. To be honest, I am glad I found the old campaign and was able to join, but I will probably "unlike" them in the future. The promotions were blowing up my news feed, and as a college student, I can't afford this crazy expensive brand. It is a good thing to keep in mind after graduation though, when I hit it big....

Associate Director of Mobile Media online, Rima Kats, shared her take away from the newest mobile campaign, and I have to say, I agree. For those from New York, you would almost HAVE to go to the new store, because the campaign certainly creates excitement!

I have stuck with my Nokia "brick phone" for far too long, and when i went home for break, my mom had an intervention. I have to admit, it was time to get a new phone, but the thought of learning how to use a smartphone was daunting. I know this isn't big mobile media news, but in my own mobile news, it is a big deal. I mean, how much of a phony would I be if I had a mobile news blog, but didn't own a smart phone myself. I see now how important it is to own a smartphone if I want to join the conversation involving them. You really don't know what it is like having one of these amazing devices until you own one yourself. I feel like I can really join in on the debates our class has about all the new and exciting things mobile marketing has to offer for my iphone.

As you can see my other phone was a bit dated. I really want to dedicate this blog post to what I like most about my new phone, the iphone, and how it is drastically different from my old phone. 
First off, it truly is a one stop device for EVERYTHING I need. We're talking Facebook, Twitter, itunes music, Foursquare, LinkedIn, camera, blah, blah, blah. I am sure my mobile communication teacher noticed, but I couldn't stay off my phone the entire class period. It is just so amazing to me the amount of entertainment the iphone provides. 
I also got to finally learn first hand the hype around QR codes is. I know, I have written about brands using them, and how it is leveraging their name, but I never used them myselves. Now I see why these codes are so cool to use. I was searching all over with my phone, scanning everything I could find. Because it is such a new idea, I can see why people would want to try it out, especially for early adopters. Getting that satisfaction from a QR code is foolish, I know, but from someone who knows nothing about how technology works, I find it incredibly innovative.
The last thing I want to say about my iphone is how awesome the app store is. I am obsessed. I have so many apps, which will directly link to my downfall in grades. Although Facebook and twitter look great on the iphone, I am really into a fashion blog called Pose. It is cool because you can take pictures of yourself and add them to your blog, and also follow others based on your fashion interests.

Let me just add that this is DAY 2 with my iphone. I can't imagine all the other things I am going to learn. I justified my purchase because as an advertising major, mobile media IS the future, and I need to have hands on experience with what it is all about. I already understand why the world of media is clinging onto these smartphones. Because our phone is on us at all times, it is the perfect place to reach consumers, myself included!

I have never wanted an iphone more in my entire life. My dinky phone can't even take a picture, and now, more than ever, telling a story through pictures is essential in getting people interested in what you are doing. Instagram is reinventing the way that consumers communicate and interact with businesses, because they just snap a picture of them using the product, and kapooof....free advertising. 

Of course, I want a smartphone to take pictures of things I enjoy, not to advertise for a business, but it is easy to see that if you take pictures of something you enjoy, and then post it on Facebook (who owns instagram), that product gets publicity. People get excited to see a visual of what friends are doing, not just status's. A friend of mine just said, " If Facebook statuses were lucky charm cereal, instagram photos would be the marshmallows." Lets face it. Advertising can be pushy. But by letting the consumers do the job and creating buzz with your product through instagram, it is a win-win.

Companies like Taco Bell and Grey Goose are taking the Instagram trend further, by having consumers instagram a picture of them using the product, and they then have a chance to win a prize. This is a great incentive for both consumer and business! I personally love the new Taco Bell commercial, advertising the new Tacos Locos, by having a ton of Instagram pictures people sent in of it. 

The commercial is a subtle message to Taco Bell lovers that people are having fun with the Instagram trend, and their food is delicious. Mr. Goldsmith, of MobileMedia.com said,“Instagram represents a chance to reach an extremely engaged community of highly-mobile and desirable consumers in a non-disruptive way that's easily pushed to other social platforms." He brings up some good points here. It is a great way to stay integrated with the consumer, but I think think they really leave out the older audience. My mom would not send an instagram picture to Taco Bell if her life depended on it, for example. Regardless, this new way of getting buzz around your product is genius, and for a visual person like myself, I absolutely love it.

As if eating Oreos is not fun enough, they have come out with a mobile application game to get consumers involved in their new fudge covered oreos. I think they really had their audience in mind when coming up with a marketing strategy that will create buzz. My ten year old brother eats Oreos by the dozen, and also is addicted to his ipad. Sounds like a coincidence. 

When I told my little brother about the game though, his words were simply, "that's stupid." The game goes like this: Oreos are on a conveyer belt, and the object of the game is to get ten cookies covered in fudge and placed in a bag. You can't go to the next level until you finish, and for an extra curve ball, there is a time limit. After each level, they ask you to click on a link to learn more about the product.

 For an old geezer like me, it sounds like a good enough game to get you through a road trip. But for my brother, who is bombarded with new mobile games all day, he needs more to stay impressed. Lame game ideas aside, because Oreo didn't have a mobile site and a landing page and is not too involved with mobile media, getting started in any way deserves a thumbs up.
Adel Jalili, chief experience officer at Interface Human, Los Angeles, summed it up perfectly in saying,"Mobile is the single device that users have with them at all times, which maximizes the exposure opportunity for brands and makes mobile the most important part of any multichannel campaign.”  Experimenting with any kind of mobile media is a great way to get consumers involved. Yes, they do want kids to get involved with the game, and maybe my brother was just one opinion. But in learning more about what they are doing, I find they can push the limits a bit more to create ev