Nike True City is a really cool iPhone app where you can find some info about different european cities, provided by some "Nike experts", but leaving it open for you to update the content with your own suggestions of what a "true city" should be.
Aditionally the app reveals where new Nike events are taking place, where there are secret QR-codes in each city (i love they include even a QR-Code reader inside the application) or even new Nike products to be launched, creating a really interesting community where you can be rewarded on your own or by sharing to the rest of users. Here's a little trailer to the app:
Maybe you remember a site called "Sexypolitics", a series of quizzes where earning points served for a stripper to do her virtual dance, and this project from Puma reminded me of that, but with an interesting twist, cheering people up in these times of global recession and using that to show a clothing catalog for next fall.
So, being available online or as an iPhone app, this thing called "The Index" works as follows: the worst the economic indexes are going, the less clothes the models will wear. And the opposite.
It really took so long having an app to configure and order your pizza from a mobile phone, which is kind of weird because in the US you even can order a pizza from TiVo. But last week, Pizza Hut launched this fantastic app developed by IMC2 in which you can also play games while you wait for the pizza to arrive:
As a suggestion, wouldn't be funny (and useful) that we could track where the pizza is through one of these maps applications too?
In the UK the COI and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have just launched a mobile drama series to teach teenagers the importance of using condoms. After signing up on Thmbnls' website users will start following the 22 weeks long series. Every Friday they will receive an sms to download and watch the latest 60" episode.
Thmbnls talks about the lives of 6 teenagers touching issues such as sex, unwanted pregnancy and sexually and transmitted infections.
I apologise, but I need again some space for self promotion...
I'm very proud to share with you Nike Goal, an application for the iPhone that we at Nike Italy developed together with the Italian agency H-Art. Nike Goal has launched only seven days ago, with no press release, no promotion at all, but it's already one of the most downloaded free applications on iTunes Apps Store Italia.
Nike Goal is an application that brings the world of Nikefootball.com live on your iPhone. It features live scores from the Serie A matches, highlighting the goals by Nike players and showing the boot they are wearing. On top of this, Nike Goal features also all the latest news about Nike products, players and stories. And this is just the beginning, we have a lot of ideas to make it richer, more interactive and fun to use!
CNET has an interesting article on big consumer brands gradually moving their attention to mobile phones. Cell phones offer the possibility of establishing a direct relationship with customers, and brands obviously hope to take advantage of such opportunity. However, jumping on the mobile bandwagon is not for everyone. As some expert point out, branded content needs to be relevant and high-quality in order to succeed. As you know, content is expensive to produce and, when it comes to mobile phones, it also gets expensive to deliver. This means brands really need to understand whether such investment is worth or not, in terms of ROI but also of brand strenght over time.
By: martina // Permalink // Comment(s):(3) Category(s):Mobile content
LimeLife has revealed the findings of a research examining the mobile motivations, usage patterns and content interests of women. LimeLife predicts that the number of women ages 15-45 who download mobile content will grow to 20 million by 2007.
1. The mobile phone initially serves as a "private line" for girls 16-17 then evolves to an "always with me connected buddy" during college years, gradually becoming more functional and ultimately beginning to serve as a "command central" for working moms and women pursuing careers.
2. Games are second only to ringtones for desired mobile downloads among women.
3. 67% of those surveyed showed strong interest in wallpapers made from "Photos I Take." Further, the use of ringtones as "caller ID" identifiers is also representative of the importance of customization and personalization in mobile content for younger women. 69% of women surveyed, aged 18-22, have already downloaded one or more ringtones.
Although the research is obviously focused on mobile content, I believe marketers can also take great advantage of such fidings. If you know what women like, it is becomes easier (or at least, less difficult) to create the mobile marketing campaigns targeting them.
MTV has partnered with Warner Music to allow mobile subscribers in most European countries to download or stream to their phones a unique short-form mobile package of WMG and other world-renowned artists appearing at the awards. Included in the mobile package will be clips of red carpet arrivals and pre-show interviews; short backstage interviews with the artists; clips of award presentations from artists such as WMG's Sean Paul; and excerpts of music videos.
Gary Ellis, VP, Content & Operations, MTV Networks International, said:
"MTV wants to give our audiences a simultaneous multi-media experience. Our web show and mobile show complement our TV show. By harnessing digital capabilities to provide a triple screen experience with different content on each, our audiences will be part of the excitement of Europe's premier live music event".
The event will take place in Lisbon, tomorrow, I suppose, but it's impossible to find such info on MTV's websites.
By: martina // Permalink // Comment(s): Category(s):Mobile content
The International Herald Tribune explores the business potentials of mobisodes and video delivered to portable devices such as iPods, PSP and mobile phones. From Fox to MTV, what are big media companies doing? Will mobisodes ever challenge TV shows?
In the UK, the BBC has just launched "Your shout" a trial service which allows football fans to send in 3G video messages with their opinions on football. The best video comments will be shown on Saturday's Football Focus and on the Football Focus website.
The technology for this service has been developed by VoxSurf. Andy Munarriz, co-founder of VoxSurf explains:
"It combines the immediacy of the phone with the excitement of video to allow anyone to create personalised content and become a football pundit. With 3G becoming mainstream we see major opportunities for leading broadcasters to get even closer to their viewers."
Lost and Desperate Housewives are just the beginning. Disney ABC Television is working to deliver more video content to iPods. Information Week reports Disney expects its mobile video subscriber business to reach 14 million in 2009, up from about 200,000 today.
But important issues remain to be solved to allow iPod video content taking off. The first regards intellectual property rights. Disney owns Lost and Desperate Housewives from from beginning to end of production so they have no problem negotiating with distributors. But what happens when the content is sold outside the US where Disney sells licences to air such tv-series?
In the UK, the BBC has just launched "
Lost and Desperate Housewives are just the beginning. Disney ABC Television is working to deliver more video content to iPods. 
