It’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore how important mobiles have become in the race to build brand awareness and gain market share in this digital age. Thanks to platforms like Twitter, Gowalla, and Foursquare, and the almost daily supply of new mobile apps created for iPhones and Blackberries for instance, the power of mobiles continues to grow.

Emerging media contributor, newz chaser highlights mobile marketing used in support of creating awareness for a worthwhile cause. Read more. Before the era of mobile apps, mobiles were used for sending text messages. And this was the strategy used by advocacy group Mobile Loaves and Fishes which encouraged persons to donate $10 by texting the word Danny to number 20222.

The marketing strategy for the I AM HERE campaign, had ‘Danny’ sitting on top a billboard, and through the donations of many, Danny and his family now have their own home some 15 years after he was laid off his job. Find out more. This successful campaign effort provides a  wonderful example of a marketing strategy used to build the consciousness of individuals. As the I AM HERE web site tells us, this effort is only the beginning, and I believe the response to this effort indicates that even more success is on the horizon.

Of note however, is the main medium (mobiles) of the marketing effort which serves to further cement the previous assertion that MOBILE POWER WILL NOT BE DENIED!

What does this mean for marketers? How are they to stand out and reach their desired target audiences and be heard above the ‘noise’, that is the myriad of advertising messages out there, resulting in advertising clutter? How can a brand remain top of mind for consumers so as to not only build brand awareness but also to build and maintain market share?

It’s not easy. Creative ideas need to consistently flow to make this a reality. One such brand, that is continuously holding its own as the leader in its product category is Mc Donalds. Here is a perfect example of why:

This is truly interactive media at its finest! Brands have been using interactive billboards as a means of building brand awareness and generating more business for years. But in this instance, McDonalds has truly found a way to stand out above the interactive clutter of advertising. Individuals who are able to snap McDonalds menu items as the fly across the billboard screen, can redeem the item at a nearby McDonalds. “Catch a photo of a sundae and get one free”. Talk about attention grabbing!

This advertising strategy created for McDonalds by DDB Stockholm, blends two elements of marketing strategy, namely outdoor and mobile advertising in a simple yet creative way that is sure to capture individuals as they walk by. McDonalds also takes advantage of the two most popular social media platforms Twitter and Facebook. It’s no wonder McDonalds continues to enjoy such success.

A Tech Crunch blog last month stated that “Facebook will increasingly own social interactions on the web.” Read more. If this is indeed so, then how will this affect the social interactions of individuals on Facebook and the wider web in the future?

There were mixed reviews about this incident. While some persons didn’t seem too bothered, it can be assumed that enough persons did have a problem with it, or it would not have necessitated Facebook turning off ‘live chat’ to fix the problem, and releasing a statement to inform its users of its intent so to do.

So then, with the recent additions by Facebook, to have more user information available across the web, does it mean that privacy is the last frontier that needs to be conquered? Are we too concerned with our privacy? Should a conversation meant for one person be visible to persons other than the intended individual? Truthfully though how much is too much?

This incident may be considered to have given us a glimpse into the future into what things may look like if no one had any privacy and all content was visible at all times to all users. How comfortable does this make you feel? Is it simply a case of if you’re concerned about privacy then don’t use Facebook or the web? Or do you feel you should have the right to use this social media utility and the web and still be in control of your own content?

For instance, most vehicles today have GPS navigation. Cell phones also have GPS. Last year Twitter “acquired Mixer Labs”. Read more. Why is this important? Because location-based marketing is upon us so thereby yet another innovation of emerging media.

According to Rich Cherecwich, of Internet Advertising News, “location marketing is about how every website will soon have the ability to know exactly where you are and how this could be huge for the industry at large.” Further it is projected that by 2015, “location-based mobile spending will hit $4 billion”. Read more. In fact, Foursquare and Gowalla are credited with being the forerunners of location-based targeting. The Chicago Transit in 2008, utilized this initiative to reach persons outside of the Chicago Transit Authority. Is it starting to feel like maybe Minority Report may not be as far- fetched as it may have appeared in 2002?

Location-based marketing is predicted to be one of the key ways in which brands can improve their customer loyalty, according to a Punch Communications article. Read more. What’s more, it’s predicted that this year, marketing based on locations will become a fundamental element for marketers. Read more.

So whether it’s through web sites, mobiles, vehicles or other medium, location is sure to be another way in which consumers can be targeted?

Is this cause for celebration, given that emerging media is continuously enabling more innovations for marketing strategies? Or is the CEO of Facebook correct when he says the age of privacy is over? If the age of privacy truly is over, is it fair to even consider that there may be a fellowship towards less privacy?

Investigating a little further I realized that search results, blogs, twitter, you name it have been all abuzz about  new plug-ins and their ramifications. Naturally, in keeping with ‘THE PULSE’ of emerging media, I thought I’d weigh in on the discussions.

For many, discussions have focused on how Facebook’s new innovations will affect the

debate that has been ongoing for quite some time.  While, other online discussions in the very recent past have been considering whether Facebook will overtake Google.  Here I share one such discussion. Read more.

For those of who have been following my postings, you know that one of my running themes has been,my struggles as a marketer and as an individual in terms of all these access points to reach persons. Facebook’s one graph serves to only further my struggles.

As a blogger and a communications practitioner, my first response is, GREAT, BRING IT ON! This seems to be the side is that’s dominating right now. But we’ll see how long this lasts as time goes on. For now, if Facebook execs can be taken at their word, only what is currently visible on Facebook will be available through new plug-ins, creating no privacy concerns.

The question still lingers though. Will there be a need to continue the statement, one graph to rule them all…? What say you?

Thanks to the blog, EMERGENCE, by Emerging Media Contributor, thaire, I am even more convinced that the POWER of social media, has not yet been fully tapped. In her blog she discusses, flash mobs. This is a phenomenon which seems to have been around for a while, as far back as 2003, according to a Facebook page. Read more.

I found this fascinating. Think about it, getting a bunch of persons to come together for a short period of time simply to create a distraction? On the one hand, I’m thinking, ok, maybe there are some folks who have waaaayyyyyyyy too much time on their hands, then I found this video. and then I found this one, which I have to admit was truly, truly clever.

The first video of the persons in the train station, is more artistic expression, while the second video is less so, though no less entertaining. Imagine the reach, of social media for flash mobs. What would happen if someone or a group decided to use this medium, across all corners of the globe to arrange flash mobs?

Unfortunately, as is always the possibility in crowds, not all flash mobs result in humor. Philadelphia for instance, in the very recent past, has had problems with flash mobs coordinated by teens using social media.

It is unfortunate that social media being used for something truly social, should result in negativity. But none the less it does little to discredit the POWER of social media. Seriously though, what next?

We no longer live in the age of only traditional media. Thanks to technology, we also live in an era of Emerging Media which provides many innovations for companies to promote their products/services. In recent weeks, there has been much buzz on online fora discussing Apple and Twitter and their new products/services offerings.

Understanding the importance of building on momentum, Virgin America used its Twitter account to announce an expansion to Toronto. What’s more, Virgin America was among the first companies to use Promoted Tweets.

Virgin America admitted to Mashable: The Social Media Guide “that the day Promoted Tweets went live, Virgin ended up scoring the fifth highest sales day in its history. Read more.

The fact that companies are choosing to use social media platforms, and more importantly are enjoying increased revenue from these platforms, is indicative of not only the importance of social media to the current marketing landscape, but also previews what marketing strategies will look like in the future. Or does it?

Interestingly, I came across a blog on NewsFactor.com by Gregory Rodriguez, with the heading, Social Media: Fluke or Future of Marketing? I found this spin on social media’s effect on the future of marketing out of the ordinary. Generally, when I conduct searches on social media, I predominantly get positive responses of those hailing the advent of this innovation. So naturally, finding someone who prefers traditional media was to me refreshingly different. Though I feel the era of social media has brought forth endless marketing opportunities, I am still mindful that being marketed through geodata, has the potential to be quite unsettling.

So I’ll leave you to ponder: is social media a fluke? Is there so much information out there, it makes it hard to trust unless from experts? Or is social media the wave of the future that needs to be fully embraced? Hopefully, this video will aid you as you ponder.

Thus far in my postings, I have focused on social media platforms used by companies to reach their desired target audiences to increase sales. This posting will deviate from that norm and I will be focusing on a non-commercial aspect of social media.

My friend Corey contacted me via social media Facebook, requesting my assistance to help him build awareness. So, I then used that same medium to contact as many friends as I could asking them to spread the word as well, which I’m hoping will have a ripple effect.

Naturally, given that I have this medium available, I had to utilize this emerging media platform as well. One of the emerging media platforms that has been helping to generate buzz and build awareness has been YouTube, which is another platform that Corey used to get his message out.

According to the MS website, this disease affects persons differently. But MS does affect the central nervous system made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. So it must be understood how “disabling” this disease can be. As such, I’m appealing to all who are able to click on the following link: Walk MS 2010 and make a donation if you can.

Like Corey mentions, we are living in financially crippling times and making donations gets harder and harder, but you never know, you may not be able to donate this year, but there’s always next year. Additionally, the more persons you tell, the more opportunity there is to get the word out, and word of mouth, especially on social media platforms, is one of the best ways to generate BUZZ!

In fact, I’d venture to say that given recent events surrounding social media platforms, social media can be considered one of the most important innovations of emerging media today.

So Corey, I commend your effort, and I hope that the oral medication you spoke of will be found very soon. Best of Luck!

It appears that Twitter, for the first time during its conference, Chirp, revealed usage figures, and though there is a disparity between the figures quoted by Twitter and the latest figures from comScore, according to TechCrunch. The point still remains that Twitter is a major force to be reckoned with.

As was mentioned in last week’s post, the new business model and direction of Twitter is making developers very uneasy, as this latest path will have serious ramifications for them. A TechCrunch video with one such developer truly highlights this. Read more.

However, given the recent tension felt by developers it was very enlightened of Twitter to host this two day conference for developers, focusing on how they can be part of Twitter’s Ecosystem. In fact the following video by Twitter investor Ron Conway shares some insight into the importance of this conference in light of Twitter’s new direction and focus.

Though Chirp, was touted as a success, the dust has still not fully settled clearing the air between Twitter and developers, as indicated by a Twitter Chirp report.

But, as Emerging Media contributor Zach, stated “Twitter has proven that it can be a great communications tool and serve the public good.” So it seems that developers can either remain on the platform, or while the Twitter train is still on the tracks, get on board, because if Twitter’s first Chirp is anything to go by, it definitely will not be its last.

“There is one big difference between a Promoted Tweet and a regular Tweet. Promoted Tweets must meet a higher bar—they must resonate with users. That means if users don’t interact with a Promoted Tweet to allow us to know that the Promoted Tweet is resonating with them, such as replying to it, favoriting it, or Retweeting it, the Promoted Tweet will disappear.” Read more.

At present, the promoted tweets only appear when searches are made, but eventually this will expand to all users. What does this mean for Twitter, and the outside developers who create apps for use on Twitter? In the early stages of Twitter’s history due to the enormity of its operation, outside developers were a necessary and much needed critical element of Twitter’s success. However, Twitter has evolved by leaps and bounds, and in the future may need to rely on outside developers less and less. For instance, Twitter just recently acquired Atebits. This is a start up company that developed the Tweetie app affording Apple users of Mac and iPhone Twitter usability. Read more.

Given that this is the third such acquisition for Twitter, and considering that Twitter has now introduced Promoted Tweets, can it then be deduced that this is only the beginning? Should we expect more of the same in the not so distant future? If so, will there be fallout from Twitter users? If there is fallout, to what extent? And how will this impact Twitter? Twitter is fast becoming the predominant social media platform discussed on electronic fora. In fact, research indicates that it is the preferred social media of choice for the major companies. The Burston-Marsteller Blog shares, that “76% of Fortune 100 companies that were using just one social media channel were using Twitter over Facebook and Blogs.” Read more.

Is the writing on the wall for outside Twitter developers? Twitter seems on a path to either buy the companies that can provide the apps it needs or have its own designers develop them. In emerging media we know that nothing remains stagnant. Therefore, can Twitter’s path be considered a natural progression?