TheSugi

Apps are the new Pogs

2011-03-01T22:52:00.026Z

Ooo, it’s been awhile. I must have overslept.

Do you remember Pogs? What about those Premier league/WWF (WWE for the young uns)/Street Fighter 2 Panini Stickers? They were the collectible, pocket money eating "thing" of a time twice gone. I think mobile Apps have become their digital successors. Here is why.

Blank Calories

According to these lovely SD snaps, 48% of Smartphone users are "enthusiastic" about Apps, have tons of them and think their Smartphone has improved their life - great, I am SO one of them! However, 26% of Apps are only ever opened once... I can vouch for this many a post install too! SO... we love Apps, download tons of them, but we don't have the time nor interest to use them all - fair. So what makes an App a "reopener"? It sure as heck isn’t just “functionality”.

I actually think it’s more the visual and novelty of certain App that make them keepers and "reopeners". From that icon that sits on your screen, and the Apps coolness/smoothness/eyeball service when you interacting with it. Exclusivity is also a nice icing on that cake is it not? Remember iPhone owners banging on about Angry Birds and Android owners showing off Google Goggles for the sake of exclusivity before they both crossed over? I wonder how often they used them (ok, no replies on that one from Angry Bird fans please!).

So Pogs/Panini Stickers and Mobile Apps? Well, I haven't even played Angry Birds past 8 levels... How many times have you got that Pog collection or Panini Album out to admire since you *almost* completed them? If only I had that last top right sticker of a 6x6...

This is what Apps are for me: short burst use, time killers, things to show off, not essential but nice things to have if you can; trinkets that are in themselves digital currency for their visual presence when executed properly.

Apps & Brands

Now brands and Apps... mixed bag. Take HTC sponsoring the Onion App, nice brands with no relationship or relevance, and somewhat meaningless as a partnership to me (screams MARKETING, SALES) Vs. Rotten Tomatoes sponsoring the Movie App logical, useful, adds credibility to both parties.

I wonder if brands their agencies will start to think of App sponsorship from the perspective of "Why would I want an App from this brand, what would it do, and why would I want it over the other App without the branding that probably does it better". So far, it’s looking like most branded Apps are still being created from the requirement to fill a missing Campaign component > fill it with an App approach.

Remember that Carling iPhone App? A visual treat, yet utterly pointless - how many times did you show it off or have it shown off by one of your iPhone buddies, hmm? YEAH.

Tweet® tweet© baby™

2010-05-12T23:45:00.008+01:00

Do you use Twitter? Do you even like Twitter? If the answer is yes to both, here is one more – do you follow a brand on Twitter? If so, do you give a tweet about what they have to say or are you following them for a chance to RT for some goodies? Well, whatever the reason for following them, they will be relevant to you in some way – be it in personal interest or in that you find their tweets informative in a beneficial way.

Very few brands have managed to find a real useful… use for their brand to be on Twitter. We have the broadcast streams, the customer service streams, and the campaign streams, yet the majority simply seem to be tweeting sub 140 character editions of their Press Releases – #Zzz much? Frankly, most seem to focus too much on follower numbers than the importance of engagement - do you really want 100k followers who don’t give a crap about your brand or 10 that will advocate it? It’s no surprise that dang whale keeps making an appearance at the rate that new “dud” streams are appearing!

Some streams however, for me anyway, have hit the proverbial nail on that Twitter whale’s head – examples? Go on then, but I’m not going to mention the Habitats or Starbucks of the Twitterverse because I am sure you are already clued up to them (if not here’s some help -> http://tinyurl.com/34ld28d):

The Good - marvelvscapcom – With a dedicated cult following, this cross cultural gaming franchise has announced its long awaited third iteration. Capcom have set up an official Twitter stream for fans anticipating the games release, tweeting the latest news on the games, having Capcom cult game chatter and offering promotional competitions on their stream – it’s interesting, engaging, not spammy and tweets are clearly written by people with a passion for games and all things Capcom – it even looks the part too. Great stuff!

The Bad - marvelvscapcom – erm what?! Yes, well this is a great example of a brand using Twitter in a campaign by campaign manner – new streams for products from parent companies, in this case for a game by Capcom that appear all the time but are seldom supported past the products release or campaign conclusion. It’s a pity – if brands with multiple streams were able to engage followers on one stream, a community would be in the making. Sadly, examples such as this are akin to Google Wave Beta – nice entry, quick Buzz kill (yes I did). That said, time will tell whether this stream will remain active after the release of the game (I would still assume not after initial weeks of release… Bad times).

And as a Sugi bonus… The weird - national_grid:

Possibly the most logical and direct use of a Twitter stream I’ve seen from a brand – instant updates, pure information and completely relevant to what the company does – also downright boring for the most of us but it made me “lol”. I won’t describe what they tweet, you will have to look for yourself – suffice to say that if national rail provided a stream for train spotters, this is the format they should adopt (and if Ronseal tweeted like this, they would do their adverts of the 90s proud)!

I hope you all follow shitmydadsays, and oh yes, mine too! J #ftw etc.

Retro Bar Baking

2010-03-30T23:54:00.011+01:00

I had a random start to my night of fun last Saturday. It began with a few calls from some friends about a quirky and cool sounding night at a bar in Central London organised by Hand Baked Arcade – the event of sorts comprised of a bar, DJs playing Drum & Bass and Dub Step, and the deal maker - RETRO GAMES ON FREEPLAY!!! So, it’s safe to say I was interested in going.

Upon my approach I would be lying if the scary image of a sweaty room filled to the brim with hygienically challenged men wearing HMV Retro games T-Shirts to “make a statement” did not come to mind, but to my (relief) delight the place resembled a chic London bar with artificial beams of pixels and fun looking people around the place – #Win.

Upon finding familiar faces the first thing I clocked onto was Street Fighter 2 Turbo running on the SNES projected onto a wall screen – done deal, I made my way over. After over 7 years of not playing this game I felt back at home with that (now competitively) tiny pad and began dragon punching people. I remembered how walking up to a random stranger playing Street Fighter in the arcade and challenging them with your 30>50p to try and kill their winning streak felt. Awesome.

Within minutes of looking around an overwhelming surge of nostalgia filled my mind. It wasn’t just that there were retro games there – no, I have almost every console made and too many games to even attempt playing. Thinking back, I think it was because of the genuine ambiance of the place – nice gamer people who were sociable and a venue that had a relaxed lock in feel to it (possibly helped by the random TV screens and consoles lying around).

It reminded me of being back at uni and ending a session at the student union with some gaming until today became tomorrow; I remembered being 15 and mastering Street Fighter again; I even remembered having to blow into cart to get them to work sometimes, and how I would happily pay full price for Street Fighter 2.1.1.1.1.1.1 Gamma edition; I remembered why I loved and still love games so much even though I no longer have the time to play them (bad times)! Oh and I like drinking too so the bar was nice.

Given that gaming (however much “mainstream” has changed it over the years) has become a bigger industry than film and music how about PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo made friendly and open up a bar somewhere together? A day time “Family zone” filled with Wiis and a bar with two rooms separated by riot doors to stop Xbox/PS fanboys from pulling each other’s hair with some dub step, DnB and Hip-Hop to chill to – be cool I think! How events such as these are niche (or otherwise non-existent) is beyond me! C’mon, even if you aren’t into games that much, admit it – when you see a retro arcade machine in a bar around Old Street or along Brighton beach, you know you turn your head and smile… even just a little… right?

So here is my hat tip to the boys and girls at Hand Baked Arcade for organising such a great night! More to follow right…? They had better make it a regular or I, quite frankly, may cry. You won’t like me when I cry.

Shows over

2010-02-14T16:00:00.022Z

I saw a statistic in the lift at work last week (random stats are our graffiti). It said “1 in 10 people watch TV in bed on their laptops” (or something similar). This shocked me – not the part about 1 in 10 blah blah – no, it shocked me because seeing this stat as a poster in 2010 indicated me just how shockingly divided consumption cultures must be. Ask any student where and how they watch their TV most, I bet my £6 sushi lunch that 8 of 10 would say online and on their computer (downloaded).

Being a complete serial US TV show addict, I have seen many a good show start off, pick up momentum only to be cut short (quite irritating really). I read recently that the viewing figures that networks such as Fox, MSNBC and ABC(edfg) use to decide show success (failures) still only take into account broadcast television figures. By this point some of you may be thinking “well duh, TV channels are the source of revenue for the networks”, and yes ok fair point... in a way. However, with the world now logging on more for their viewing consumption than tuning into TV, shouldn’t the networks be keeping up with the times and taking into account the massive hordes of show audiences that watch online and adding them to the pool of television figures to judge a shows success?

Channel 4 “recently” moved gargantuan chunks of their library online and even onto a fully branded YouTube channel, BBC iPlayer can be widgetted via everything from PS3 to iPhones and “independent” online video streaming sites are (have) become the young and connected audiences preferred port of call for their latest episode fix. I think its high time networks started to get strategies in place to adapt ways of monetising without charging audiences (#fail much? Many a brand would pay to speak to your aggregated masses), and supporting new creative ideas by accepting dominant online viewing trends?

I overheard a conversation by some “media types” on the tube the other day (the underground is that boring when I forget my music on the go…). These guys had JUST discovered the “new way forward” (yes, quote, unquote) way of watching TV – on the iPod ladies and gentlemen! I was blown away by this revelation! Now as slow as these guys were to “discover” the on-demand media world around them, they had still embraced it (hurrah!).

If TV networks can learn from past mistakes of being slow to react to change, and adapt in a way that connects their audiences, both on and offline, with shows they love then the vicious cycle of the “industry suffering by online consumption” and audiences feeling let down by the networks can be remedied. No more of this “online streaming is killing the industry” nonsense – word of your shows are mostly spread by people discovering them online and sharing them online! Some cool augmented reality marketing usually works a treat and the odd adverts here and there won’t piss the majority of us off. Let us choose to watch latest episodes of 48 and Found online, show me an ad from a brand I probably like and give me a “gift” to share with my friends… or something. C’mon, the “revolution” is here after all right?

Here’s an exit thought from me to solve the excuse-come-problem with show airing slots that networks benchmark ratings upon. Is this not technically remedied online, with people streaming or downloading shows as and when? How about experimenting with measuring viewing figures based upon how many times a show is streamed and/or downloaded within 24 hours model than the old and tired battle of the prime time slots on broadcast television slots? Just a thought…

The blog of TheSugi is not dead...

2009-08-04T21:00:00.004+01:00

...it is procrastinating. Update soon I promise! :-)

Tell Yahoo! OneSearch what to look for... literally

2009-05-22T17:42:00.008+01:00

Just when you thought Google had all but Microsoft-ed and Apple-ed the search market an old dog comes back with a new digital bone. Yahoo! has officially launched their innovative OneSearch service allowing for mobile internet (that’s internet on the mobile as opposed to the dongles) users to verbally input search criteria for Yahoo! to seek out for you. Excellent stuff! I saw a demo of it in action (after an annoying load of hunting down the app link that’s not yet made... take note Yahoo! You have a good product here, don’t let it be ignored by lack of ease to obtain it!), and it’s impressive to say the least!

The potential for Yahoo! Search to become the mobile users personal “default” search engine through this is tremendous, and with it the potential to claw back lost usage from Google. Its apparent to me that four of the most widely known and used brands in modern media technology seems to be focussing in much clearer directions. Google are mapping the next universe faster than J.J. Abrams can produce good prequels, Microsoft have been slaving at Windows 7 (awesome by the way... well done) and its mobile OS, while Apple continue to cleverly harness the iPod brand revolution to wrestle Windows market share, and finally Yahoo! have hit back with OneSearch.

My interest and belief in apps, gadgets and widgets as the future of digital media consumption, advertising and brand interaction won’t be anything new to those of you who have done me the honour of regularly reading my posts. If Yahoo! have indeed spotted that the iPhone has created a tidal wave of mobile phone users who are using applications to integrate their lives via their phone, and that there is a huge open plain for them to early settle into with their services, then I think Microsoft may have to re-evaluate its purchasing decisions...

Now perhaps I’m jumping the gun and this is a one hit wonder, but I think this is a fantastic progression for mobile web. WAP was rubbish, and it flopped with no surprises from me. Did someone REALLY think we would pay for JUST B/W web, if you can even call it that!? About as clever as the bendy bus in London if you ask me... however current mobile web services are excellent. I often spend many a bored moment waiting for a bus or friend on my mobile web, in fact I noticed that I tend to read online news near enough exclusively on my mobile these days. Slap a clever Cola logo on my screen and watch me think of ‘The real thing’ while swiping my oyster. But seriously, this application of voice recognition technology to internet search on a mobile phone is a logical yet unexplored innovation up until now and for this I think Yahoo! deserves recognition.

I think this is one of the best examples of a company previously at the top and being overtaken by a newcomer due to lack of foresight into the developing technology market and consumer needs reassessing itself, its services and getting back into the game with a bold new innovation – kudos to you Yahoo! I use Google on my PC and mobile but OneSearch may sway me over for my mobile searching... maybe. Can you see this being integrated into future cars that have live internet connectivity? I know I would prefer this to the click wheel solutions currently doing the round of car cockpits – perhaps I shall hold off upgrading my car for now then.

Radio Twitter

2009-05-20T17:24:00.007+01:00

Listening to Capital Radio the other day whilst having a shower, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they were now accepting requests, shout-outs and comments via Twitter. In the past SMS text and web comments, competition entries and requests were available but I never did get to the stage where I wanted to bother to pay that premium rate text rate or have to sign up to yet another website to use them, however using Twitter to enable listeners to do so is inspired; fast, easy and free (sounds like second houses and taxi rides for MPs no...? Look at the uptake on that one!).

Now it is no secret that I have been sceptical about Twitter. From its place in between Facebook, Windows LIVE Messenger, YouTube and mobile phone text messaging to the amount of “targeted” spam I receive from twitter-ers that have bot randomly adding anyone they spot using key terms. I have been eagerly observing Twitter to see how it evolves past becoming the ultimate opt-in spam channel, and I think it’s getting there...

I think finally actual Twitter exclusive benefits of use are emerging. Here are three I would make use of:

Tweeting communications, competition entries and requests for entertainment, radio and web shows.
Information update tickers – Wouldn’t mind opting into a rail service update for a route I use for delays and cancellations to be tweeted to my phone (good one Voda!).
Twitter competitions – why not have a purely Twitter based competition where competitions are tweeted, and entries are also... tweeted.

Twitter needs to also make an app for mobile phones – thought the SMS text Twitter service is great, I think for the Twitter brand, the potential permanent virtual real estate a Twitter app could occupy would further bolster its mobile digital lifestyle integration with users. Make one for the Nokia 5800 first though please, I’ll even beta test it for you.

Motionflow in translation

2009-05-01T14:46:00.004+01:00

I have loved every Sony Bravia advert since the iconic ‘Balls’ ad back in 2005, not only for their artistic flair but for being able to effectively convey a message of the brand and the product USPs without actually having to directly demonstrate them. Sony has recently released their latest Bravia Motionflow 200Hz technology; a feature of new high end Bravia HDTVs that produce 200 frames per second for the smoothest picture HDTVs have reportedly seen....yet.

Before watching the ad, one massive ‘Q’ emerged from my right ear as though I were part of a Power of Dreams brainstorming session for a new Integra Type-R... it was this – ‘How do you demonstrate and explain effectively a technological innovation and product feature that improves picture quality and smoothness in a motion picture advert that will be viewed on TVs, computer monitors, mobile devices and projectors that do not possess the capabilities being communicated?’. Fair enough question I thought, and with it excitement to see just how those clever creative minds at Fallon dealt with it:

Brilliant, I thought, Sony/Fallon have again managed to capture the brand and product USP into an advert that again doesn’t use the actual product to demonstrate them. Featuring the best soundtrack to an advert I have heard yet this year (that also cross links to Sony’s music brand heritage I thought), some celebrity endorsement we all seem to love, and most awe inspiring - the world’s biggest Zoetrope in the middle of a picturesque square in northern Italy, the ad delivers the message ingeniously; Motionflow 200Hz delivers smoother motion pictures with more frames. Not only does this ad make me love my Bravia more, but has also sown the seed of desire to get myself a Zoetrope – damn you Sony and Fallon, I was doing so well with curbing my random gadget hunger. Cheers guys, cheers.

Brands – Virtual is Reality

2009-04-26T15:41:00.007+01:00

‘Virtual space’ has proven itself to me more real than tangible space. What I mean by this is that, with a magazine or a broadcast advert, the life of the message is as long as the broadcast or however long the tangible is kept; once a magazine is thrown away or once an ad has aired, so too is the message. ‘Virtual space’ is the sanctum for messaging to become immortal.

The Cadbury’s Gorilla ad was aired back in August 2007, yet it still received regular views and discussion related to it. Have a look at the video I have immortalised below, the last comment post at the time of my writing was but a few hours prior). Not only does it retain its buzz but also thanks to its permanent and replicated presence on the internet, occupies potentially infinite ‘virtual’ real estate. Short of framing an advert from a magazine and using industrial grade ink retainer this wouldn’t be possible with magazines – and before the smart alecs start with the microfilm angle, it still wouldn’t be able to reach or more importantly, BE reached by so many from so many places with a click.

Be it on work emails at lunch, on Facebook or through Twitter tweets, the internet has provided us with a central place for sharing and discussion. YouTube links and tiny URL links fly about more frequently than Jack Bauer has bad days. We no longer appear to need tangible media to show and tell intellectual content with our friends; CTRL + C > CTRL + P and broadband does it for us. Social web 2.0.5.81389138612 is brilliant for extending social networks and sharing isn’t it...

I firmly believe that we will soon reach a point whereby brand equity and trust will stem heavier from their online presence and messaging than from the actual products they offer. At present, online offerings from brands help to raise, augment or sway brand presence, offerings, and opinions. With television adverts now showing signs of being designed with digital in mind (yes I am indeed STILL referring to the musical ape – it’s been a draining few weeks so let’s stick to him).

If I were a betting man (or had the money to), I predict mobile applications will become the next focus digital medium for branding to concentrate on. What better than virtual immortality online than, virtual immortality offline! With mobile applications on the iPhone proving to be a hit with the cool kids, even HDTVs are following the PC/Mac suit with them. Gadgets, Widgets, Apps, whatever you wish to refer to them as are occupying many a desktop, home screen and home page all over the globe. I think the first app I installed was the Honda Red H application that was effectively a ticker and media stream for whenever new information and tidbits related to the new Civic Type-R were announced, and occupied my desktop up until my OS gave out – The Power of Apps. The beauty of them is that they are voluntarily downloaded, installed and kept; what better way of knowing if a brand or campaign has flirted with the right tone? I will follow this subject up more soon depending upon certain developments in my life...

Wanted: In-Game Digital Advertising

2009-04-08T15:50:00.011+01:00

I read an interesting forum string last night from the newly launched MAG: Massive Action Game teaser microsite, it was titled ‘Instead of PAY to PLAY, why not advertisements?’. MAG is an ambitious PlayStation 3 Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) game that promises battles comprising of up to 256 online players simultaneously. As a result, speculation has arisen with regard to possible Pay-to-Play subscription charges arising. This thread demonstrates an avenue where adverts would be welcomed, even seen to be a positive solution to user needs. It seems adverts are not the victims of zipping when it comes to interactive media compared to television broadcast channels.

I for one would like to see in-game adverts for the added sense of integrated realism and sense of converged reality that they bring, as touched upon in my previous OnLive post. Should in-game advertising presence lead to free gaming where there otherwise would have been a fee, then all the more better for gamers. US gaming network IGN caught onto this innovative platform for advertising revenue back in 2005, setting up the world’s first In-game Advertising and Marketing service that saw much interest across the globally warm sea. Interesting how it was not a media agency that launched this premier service to the world... I think this is due to the medium of computer games still being looked at as more niche than other media forms despite the industry now being worth more than the Hollywood industry. But things will change; blogging was very niche once upon a decade ago and now look - blogging, mini blogging... blogging...

For brands this is an important digital channel to consider. Just as digital advertising has boomed in recent years, it took some time for brands and agencies to warm to the idea and recognise the power of digital over traditional forms of advertising such as broadcast and print – as a result they are now reaping the benefits of lower creation costs that generate wider spread share of mind and returns. I for one believe that having an in-game billboard with a brand on that players can attempt to Zap (did you Marketing bods see what I did there? Good times) with their virtual weapon of choice gives potentially the longest share of voice for said advertising brand. It is viral too – imagine a swarm of virtual billboard destruction seeking sheep flocking over to spray their ammo upon the victimised ambient, or in game messages to friends to “meet at the TheSugi sign” - it is an indirect brand referral! Well potentially anyhow... who knows, perhaps a good message may find its most suitable target audience via in game adverts, after all genres attract different consumers... just an idea.

So following on from my previous post on the potential for advertising and branding within computer games and interactive channels such as OnLive, what do you think? Would you like to see adverts in your games or will they nark you off something silly, and instigate a protest outside of Parliament?

Gaming and advertising OnLive

2009-03-31T19:13:00.008+01:00

A few days ago I read about the unveiling of an innovation that combined two of my core passions; games and advertising communications. OnLive is a platform allowing for users to play full games via internet streaming through an OnLive box. It is truly a technological innovation that I believe will converge interactive entertainment (games) and interactive media communications (advertising and branding).

OnLive will potentially bring mass gaming to a new level of accessibility. No longer will we need to have a particular console or a beefed up PC that can calculate a weekend trip to the moon, no longer (hopefully) will we see endless “fan boy” banter trying to macho one another based upon 360 vs. PS3 vs. BMW... hopefully. Provided broadband technology can progress in time for the mass launch of OnLive, we may soon experience the epoch of connected, live and viable mass gaming free from hardware restrictions.

Technology has seeped into our lifestyles, and the internet has evolved from being perceived as a geeky niche to a core part of our daily lives. Sony successfully made computer games cool and socially acceptable building upon established innovations pioneered by Nintendo and Sega with the PlayStation brand; Mario and Sonic had gained guest list status towering that of Hollywood since. Similarly, Apple created the iPod that successfully provided the image conscious consumer with a product and brand that allows them to proudly carry a gadget without going covert and leading to wanting that PowerBook. Most recently, Sony PlayStation HOME brought a virtual social world to the mass casual, hardcore and web 2.0 gamer. HOME is a virtual world that was accessible by every PlayStation 3 owner, had more social credibility thanks to the Sony PlayStation brand than Fifth-Life, and allowed for brands such as Diesel to virtually peddle their branded wares. Could OnLive be what brings online gaming to the masses? It looks promising indeed.

I still remember playing WipEout 2097 on the PlayStation back in 1997 and noticing what I think is the first ever in game advertising of a real world brand in the game. Red Bull banners adorned tracks and I felt connected to the real world as I sped about in a blisteringly fast and unrealistic craft without wings. Good times. Since then, advertisers and brands have wised up to the potential of in game advertising, a favourite example of mine being in Ka (aka Mr. Mosquito in the western world) on the PlayStation 2, with household anti mosquito brands galore and more recently with Red Bull launching their own Red Bull Air Race PlayStation HOME space. Metal Gear Solid 4 saw our very own Solid Snake carrying around an in-game iPod to jam to as he sneaks about the place (the sticks work well to emulate iPod controls... take note Apple!).

My only concern is the likelihood of the gaming giants to support such an open channel, sacrificing what is quite obviously a viable business model of investing in a controllable market. I am of course referring to their own consoles. The PlayStation X, Nintendo Yuu/Mii/Wii, Xbox 1080p, all allow for control over market segments within the fastest growing entertainment market the world has ever seen. I hope that all can reach an agreeable meeting point that does not involve the loss of diverse choice to the consumers or the mass laying off of talented geniuses. Just think of the possibilities; Sony bringing their technological innovations in entertainment, Microsoft broadening their online LIVE services, and Nintendo contributing their blue-sky creativity. OnLive could also allow for Sony PlayStation HOME to reach a broader audience, in turn allowing brands with virtual presence such as Diesel to reach more gamers, via a socially accepted virtual space. Let's hope everyone can find a common ground to move this kind of technology forward.

The future is soon, and I believe in it.