iObama

I was just asked by the people over at the WebAwards to review both candidates Web sites and this is not an endorsement but I have been really impressed with just how well Barac Obama's campaign has embraced and used digital media in this years presidential campaign. I have written before about how I was impressed with their Web site that is very well designed, they have embraced and used social media in really intelligent ways and today I saw they had launched a really smart and very well done iPhone app. I think it is smart because you are giving people a way to connect to the campaign in their own time and on the most personal technology they own. Some of the most interesting and well thought out features of the app include -

Call a Friend:
This feature was designed to let you call friends to promote the campaign but the smart twist it is organized with your friends in the key battle ground states listed first. Each friend has a status so you can see if you have called them through the app or not. There is also a Call Stats page where you can how many calls you have made, how many calls have been nationwide, how many calls have been placed by the top caller and how many active callers are using the app. I think this again is really smart because it connects you to the larger but potentially disconnected group so you feel like really are part of a movement.

Get Involved:
This pulls your current GS position to show you the nearest Obama office.

Everything Else:
The rest of the features are what you would expect but they do a really good job of using nearly all of the iPhone available features. Receive Updates lets you sign up for news and announcements but you can choose either text messages or email. News pulls down national and local campaign news and Local Events lets you find local events, share by email and get maps and directions which feeds into the Maps application. Media lets you browse videos and photos through the corresponding interfaces. The app is rounded out in the bottom bar with a countdown to election day and small but noticeable donate button. The button triggers a call to their donation hot line which was a bit unexpected as I was thinking it would open an online form.

It will be interesting to see if the intelligent use of digital does make a real difference in the final outcome and I am going to watch the numbers in the Call Stats to see how they grow as time winds down.

Ralph Lauren brings QR codes to the U.S.

I was in NYC today for a few meetings and picked up a New York Magazine at the news stand in Grand Central and on the back page I found a Ralph Lauren Polo ad with a huge QR code in the corner.

For those who don't know QR stand for "Quick Response" and is a square shaped label that looks like a cross between a bar code and crossword puzzle. They have been around since 1994 and are used a lot in China and Japan for everything from advertising, c-commerce (cell commerce), train tickets and buying products in vending machines .

I was intrigued with the ad since I have been playing with QR codes for a while now and I did some research and found out that Ralph Lauren launched this new campaign and new store windows here in NYC today. So I had to head over to the store and check it out. The store windows have the usual set-ups with mannequins sporting different outfits but each one has it's own QR code. There is also a large explanation of what the codes are and how to get the software that will let you read them. Once you have the software installed and photograph one of the codes it will pull up the item on their mobile site and you can buy it on the spot f you want. You can see a sample of how the mobile site looks and works here.

This isn't the first time they have done something like this as about two years ago they did a large touch screen window in New York and London. Consumers could browse the clothes and if they liked an outfit they could enter their contact info and would be contacted by e-mail or phone the next day to securely enter their payment information and arrange shipping. This newer version obviously cuts out the day wait the middle step by letting you get the instant gratification of buying the outfit while standing on a street in New York. I applaud them for taking a proactive position to be the first brand to finally bring this technology to the U.S. even if it is years later than it should be. This is one of those pieces of marketing that isn't going to generate a sales spike but it does spike the aware of your brand, the perception of that brand as an innovator and it gets people to like me to go to their store.

Starbucks iPhone QuickOrder revealed

I am not a member of the cult of Starbucks. For some reason I want to rebel against being someone who defines part of their personality by the string of options they have assembled to create their personal Starbucks coffee. On the days when the darker part of my sense of humor takes over I find amusement in arriving at Grand Central Station, making my way to the front of the Starbucks line and then take my time in deciding what to order. The fact that you don't have your order at the ready will cause the 30 year stock broker who is wound too tight and on track to have a heart attack by 45 and is line behind you to lose his mind.

My sense of humor aside, you can't ignore the fact that it is the trick all brands are searching for in how they can get consumers to invest something of themselves in their product so it becomes personal. The reaction from the people in the line behind me is a testament to the Starbucks brand as they have been able to get their product to become one of the global metrics that people use to define themselves. Cat or dog? Coke or Pepsi? Mac or PC?

Starbucks feels that the answer to the last question is Mac as they have already partner with them so when you walk into a Starbucks here in New York you can use the iTunes application on your iPhone to see what song is playing and purchase it right then and there. The evolution in the partner ship was announced a few weeks ago as you will be able to order your coffee through your iPhone before you even arrive at the store.



It is a very interesting concept and marriage of technology and brick and mortar retail. I had a lot of question about how it would work and I got a link today to a design shop called GENOCO which has comps and a Flash animation of what they are claiming is the Starbucks QuickOrder iPhone application. Based on the quality of the design usability I am inclined to believe that it is real.

You can go through and choose a beverage from the menu or pick from saved combinations in the My Favorites section. Choose a size, add-ons and even write a note on how to customize it the way you want it and it is sent on to the store. When you arrive you hold the iPhone up to a scanner which reads a semacode and rings up the order. It looks like if this is the final version then it will be an easy to use experience that will drive revenue for Starbucks in orders and Apple in another reason to be among the growing masses to buy an iPhone.

Media Temple iPhone's home

My portfolio site, blog and numerous client projects are all hosted with MediaTemple who have always been a great hosting provider. Today I got a note that they have launched the world's first iPhone enabled web hosting control panel and I was intrigued but skeptical. It is so very rare that the first of anything to market is actually worth anything but in this case it is. You can buy domain names, reboot your server, add emails, pay your bill and get support all through their very nicely designed interface that looks great on the iPhone. Having had to find and dash into a Starbucks's with my laptop after getting a call from client needing me to do all these things I am one happy camper.