Mobile Behavior: an Omnicom Group Company

With Apple's announcement of the iPad, media companies immediately began to consider possibilities for the device. In fact, planners at BERG and Sports Illustrated had already been conceptualizing the future magazine. Now, with the ability to execute these ideas, Wired is showing off their plans for an iPad edition.

Users can already find publications like GQ, Maxim, and Esquire on their iPhone, but the screen size is still not ideal for creating a superior interactive storytelling experience. With the iPad, Wired Magazine is able to do just that, by creating new ways to connect with brands, navigate the publication, and explore multimedia content.

Along with the ability to 'scrub through' pages and watch short films, Wired's iPad edition will provide users with rich social features. Sharing through Facebook, tweeting, and bookmarking will all be possible. It reminds us a lot of the Mag+ concept. Were this format to become popular, we'd expect to see a lot more social activity, and better feedback, around magazine content.

In the video below, Wired demonstrates interactive advertisements. One ad lets users spin a virtual car around and explore its features. With this, the chances of brand recognition (or even purchase intent) are a whole lot higher. It is already essential that brands provide utility and value to consumers; this new era of publishing will make it even more so.

[via adage]

Advertising agencies are becoming more creative when it comes to designing marketing messages for smartphone devices. While most iPhone users might tend to avoid these ads, companies like Medialets are using interactivity to get users involved. The NPR app for the iPhone just launched one of these ads yesterday, which will promote the release of Vampire Weekend's new album, "Contra."

It is first displayed at the bottom of the app, but if you click to expand, it takes up the entire screen. Then if you shake the device, it edits the video right there on your screen. Since you can actually interact with the video by shaking your iPhone, Medialets is assuming that the ad will generate more hits. If you decide that you love the song and the video, you can click to buy the album directly through your iPhone.

We wonder, will many people take the time to interact with ads like this on their phone or will this strategy be like all others, with ads that people try to avoid?

[via techcrunch]

Razorfish has released its annual FEED study charting how consumers engage with brands in a digital era. It makes a few comments on mobile's increasingly vital role in consumerism today.  The iPhone is important, with the rise of Apple's iTunes App Store and a finding that 24% of consumers have downloaded a branded application. Other discussions include the logical swing away from display advertising for a more engaging digital brand experience. Get the PDF here.

We are fans of HTC's new advertising push, it really tries to peer a little deeper into mobile's role in our lives. This spot reflects a statistic we mentioned earlier: first thing we do in the morning is check our phones, 22% of mobile web access time takes place between 7 - 10 a.m. Click here for another in HTC's You campaign.

Truth in Advertising is a running series of television commercials that portray consumers using mobile technology in their everyday life. They take a look at how brands are demonstrating our want and need for mobility. Click here to view previous entries.

Truth in Advertising is a running series of television commercials that portray consumers using mobile technology in their everyday life. They take a look at how brands are demonstrating our want and need for mobility. Click here to view previous entries.

For those in New York City over the past couple of days, Toyota made Times Square a little more interactive. With the new Prius Experience iPhone app users can draw into the environment of the vehicle, and then upload the outcome to the Reuters digital billboard in Times Square. The entire effort reminds us of AT&T's interactive word search game, Jumbli, which was also presented in Times Square.

[via mashable]

Foursquare's focus is on becoming the most location relevant social network, and and now suggests events and venues via users' friends. What's special about this is their attention to context, both location and time. With new funding by big name investors, the company is rolling in high gear, working on their business model, and even teaming up with San Francisco's BART transit system. Expect to see much more geo-relevancy from them soon.

[via psfk]