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My own mobile monster

IDEA


Mobile phones are all around! It will be stupid just to ignore this advertisement bearer. People taking promo materials to know where discounts are and taking business cards to know which specialist they need. The mobile phone is one technically advanced item where at least same promo materials and business cards can be represented, but even more in fact! It’s important too that the mobile phone is always with owner!



General Idea is to offer some local query software for mobile phones with user friendly interface. The purpose of this software is to provide on-line help in work with new software, gadgets and other sophisticated things. Key difference is that compare with regular Internet technical support, this query software are made as personal assistant or even some animated personage. From other side, its realization and final style of usage can be even different!


It’s not so easy to state formally this service, that everyone can get it benefits, so I propose to examine several examples:


Entertainment


Dino by DANONE


There is local software which generating Dino’s shape on a screen of mobile phone. Dino is active when keys are unblocked and no actions are yet selected. By default he says (or writing) about new products, new promo actions and so on. If click on it, then there appearing the list of some child’s content (comics, animations, games) to download and some articles and search engine regarding fitness and healthy life, for moms.


Optionally can be done:

· Dino teach to children. There can be geography, foreign language and so on.

· Dino is used as local scheduler and alarm with fancy user interface.

 


James Bond – Agent 007


Similar software to Dino’s shape described above, but targeted to active people whom can be characterized as readers of such glance magazines as Men’s Health, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and so on. Functions are to provide the list of content related to modern movies and music, articles about luxury life, news and search engine dedicated to new products and promo actions of luxury brands, in areas such as – garment, accessorize, watches, whiskey, cognac and so on.

 



To force mature people have this software it’s necessary to provide some additional discounts to owners of this software. Easier way – discounts for downloaded content which will cost more expensive if buy out of this service. Some idea to develop – provide discounts in shops of advertised brands. In fact this is a matter of pure mathematics – reduce price due to money saved on advertisement on TV and in magazines. Even if the balance then remains the same, it’s better investment into the future, as this advertisement is always with user and more influencing on loyalty.

 


Technical Support

 


WINDOWS MUST …LIVE!


Another concept is when local software performs utilitarian functions of technical support. For example, it’s possible that Microsoft offer some small Windows Mobile program for technical support of Windows or Office. This program is with user friendly interface and let say – human language. Surely the greatest part of the routines should be done on a server side, but for the subscribers it appearing as easy ask and easy get exact answer on local level.

 


Something similar is done already on generic WEB-site of Miscrosoft, but let’s overview benefits of having such system on mobile phone:

· While fixing problems in PC it’s not always Internet access is available. Meantime, browsing WAP portal is not so easy and cool.

· While sys admin have deal with many PCs, then mobile source of information is more preferable.

 


Tune your Gadget


If the purchaser needs to install or tune some sophisticated gadget or electronic system, like a Home Cinema Theatre, elements of Clever House or some Security applications, then there is not so many ways to instruct him. These are –

· Paper User Manual – but it’s expensive, non-ecological and people now don’t like paper documents where no ineractivity.

· Tech Support WEB-site – too many information and not convenient to switch attention among PC and tuning gadget.

· CD User Manual – same inconvenience as using WEB and non-ecological too.

· Tech Support Call – too expensive and hurdles in description in words.

 


Benefits of usage local mobile phone engine is obvious – similar benefits as WEB-site, but small gadget (put in a pocket time to time, work in narrow places) with proper information and user friendly interface.


 

Car assistant


For car producers this service means even more, as they offering a user manual which is always with a driver! Surely it’s great usage of mobility, when on road is no broadband internet, Wi-Fi and so on. Producers can offer such information (for drivers) as some easy repair procedures, what oil to use, when go to service center, what spare parts are necessary and so on.


Idea is completely the same – local search engine and it even can use a personages like Dino or Agent 007. For example, for Japan cars there can be a samurai, for American cars – a cowboy or shape of Henri Ford and for European cars – Leonardo Da Vinci or some scientist.

 

 


TECHNICAL


There are several different technical issues.

1st and most obvious – is to develop local software for mobile phones. This is negotiable issue on “how to do”, but one important thing is that requests’ language must be unified, whatever representation gives exact software on the exact mobile phone.

2nd and obvious too – is to develop server software which will be process requests from mobile phones. There is two points to develop – (1) unified requests’ language and (2) firm logic model that extremely improves the answers for requests. Regarding last point – user have to input some request in “human language” and get short and clear proper answer. Therefore whatever innovative is known in area of Artificial Intelligence and WEB Tech Support, must be implemented in this project!

3rd issue is one idea of some Content Provider’s Tech Support server, when company offering such service for small and medium producers of goods. For the sure that big international companies can allow his own service for mobile phones, but for smaller companies it seems to be too expensive. It’s the same like lease of Call Center resources.

 

Then we have the following procedures:

· User downloading local software. Can be 10Kb to10Mb, depending from the phone multimedia features and intentions of the brand owner.

· User ask some questions in “human language” or select from the list – then within several seconds get an answer. Idea is that whatever complicated operations are necessary – everything is done on a server side. Meantime users requests and server response is a matter of few kilobytes.

· Optional features in local software of mobile phone, like – some content download with discount, arranging discount in shops, getting news from brand owner and so on. Must be corresponding script on server side too.

· All the mentioned above interaction must be within one unique standard/protocol! Protocol is a matter to development!

· If company do not want to have it own Tech Support server for mobile phones, then there must be several content providers which allow to use their resources for this. Providers give a data format for the service and help to convert existing paper, CD or WEB technical documentation.

· Finally, there can be some convergent solution of such content provider, when local software is not representing brand, but representing this content provider. Let’s leave this feature for the future business case for a while.


 

 

MARKETING


It’s important to understand that with this service, along with other marketing activities, we can’t cover 100% of our potential and present customers. Surely some people keep preferring WEB Tech Support with extra materials or will continue visiting Car Service Centers on a regular basis, instead worrying by themselves. But this fact even give a some benefit for marketing personnel as they first starting with pure marketing projects like Dino and Agent 007 and then teach customers to use the same application for Tech Support.

 


I think that originally it will be a subject for advertisement on TV and in internet/magazines/newspapers. The same as it’s now, but with hidden investments into the future. Later, when a lot of people are using our advertisement personage, there can be less spends on advertisement in regular mass media.

 



So, how we can push our mobile phone monsters for usage by our customers? Let’s look some certain customer’s benefits which can be.


 

Notice: By Dino I mean any popular brand’s hero for kids, young people and for parents in terms of comfort, safety, family, nature, relaxing and so on. By Agent 007 I mean some personage related to sport, active life, glamour, vogue, “in trend”, luxury, social status and so on.


· Dino for kids – it can be an advertisement stand in the mall where promoters downloading our mobile phone software in mobile phone of a kid which is 7 years old and more. It looks like gift instead buying some games or toys. Kid got a gift and parents happy for downloading as they saving money.

· Dino for moms – same promoters, plus advertisement in women’s magazines. Motivation – health, fitness and possible discounts in shops.

· Dino for owners of home animals. Same as previous but regarding health and care of animals.

· Agent 007 for young people – advertisement in glance magazines and entertainment WEB. Motivation – discount for content, exclusive content.

· Agent 007 for medium income people (working professionals and medium level managers) – advertisement in business magazines and news/analytic WEB. Motivation – discounts in shops and news about new gadgets and where to buy cheap.

· Whatever mentioned above can be firmed with a fact that brand’s personage is cool, vogue and “in trend”. Something popular on TV and in magazines, that people wish to have the same in mobile. Good examples –

o human-robots transformers in TV advertisement of SNIKERS,

o funny rag people in TV and Magazines’ advertisement of OPEL CORSA,

o pussy cat from Whiskas advertisement

· Car assistant – can be offered by vendor or by big regional dealer. Then it’s contrary situation when we mentioning this service as benefit in mass media advertisement. Motivation for usage – news on coming new spare parts and additional equipment; special discounts; on-line tech support.

· Separately can be offered some personage by such FMCG brands as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Pall Mall, Procter&Gamble. There is transfer of competitions and lotteries from WEB to mobile phone. Benefit for brand’s owner – more participants than with WEB and downloaded software is more firm, compare to visiting some WEB-page. Benefits for purchasers – cool animated program for mobile, more obvious trace of competition, always with user and can be accessed when there is just several minutes of free time. Additionally there can be, that brand personage telling some interesting news.

 

 


RESUME


Whether this service is seems now as trial advertisement and some cost instead of benefits, but it’s not hard to imagine that in nearest years we have great shift of advertisement presence from TV to WEB and from WEB to personal gadgets like phones and PDAs. Whoever starts this experiment first – those will be in a better position when this advertisement segment is being billions of EURO.

 


Another important resume is the following – if brands’ owners ignore this channel now and just waiting for what advertisement market will offer, then after they will be using this channel with the similar conditions and pricing as they have now for TV and glance magazines. If start own projects now – then it really can be an effective cost reduction and more precise marketing.

 


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