Initial Plan > "Heritage Week Event"

Here is a quick draft of what i am proposing. It relys on the communication of InCar GPS systems with Mobile Devices supporting GPS via Bluetooth connectivity. Failing the presense of GPS support on the mobile device, a map or visual animation of the directions could be downloaded to the phone. This way users can be taken directly to a location, rather than just the neighbouring car park, which could be miles from the heritage spot.. I am aware that the mobile device could be used as a stand alone GPS but I would like to demonstrate how two different devices could be used in conjunction. The larger screen format of the InCar GPS also makes it more viable for users to be visually tempted by the campaign. The use of audio commentary via the mobile device at the heritage spot further demonstrates its contrasting possibilities and functions from the InCar systems.

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Mobile "GPRS" Technologies Assist Interactive Campaigns

The following article demonstrates how some of the technologies i have mentioned with regard to promoting both of my event ideas are becoming a reality, and that other company's are considering technologies such as GPRS(SatNav) to create highly interactive campaignes that utilise mobile technologies.

"Mobile 365 today announced a partnership with digital communications pioneer, Hyro. The Mobile 365 and Hyro partnership opens the way for true convergence of Web and mobile, enabling marketers to conduct high-value mobile marketing campaigns that connect with Websites, customer databases, loyalty programs, and ITV applications."

They mention how the convergence of web and mobile is creating new ways for businesses or campaigns to promote themselves. This is relevant to both of my campaign ideas. Firstly in terms of the "Health Awareness Campaign" this convergence of the websites and mobile technologies could make it possible for users to select their shopping online and then receive a critique on their diet direct to their mobile phones.

"With GPRS, MMS, and 3G handsets more widely available, rich media content via the mobile phone is a reality. Mobile 365 assists our customers in delivering highly effective interactive campaigns utilising mobile technologies. Customers and end-users can now experience a new level of interactivity via mobile campaigns that incorporate colour pictures, video, audio, and animation," said Cameron Franks, Mobile 365 Country Manager. "We are very excited about the long term partnership with Hyro. Hyro works with major brands across a variety of sectors, and has the right unique mix of commercial, creative and technical skills to deliver on their wireless strategies."

The "Heritage Week" campaign seems viable when you consider that GPRS and mobile technologies can be combined, and with the added support mentioned for picturea and animation then perhaps it would be possible to have a map on the mobile screen generated by the GPRS with a moving elements to define a consumers location in relation to the spot of interest they are attempting to navigate to. They mention that they work with many major brands, this kind of collaboration could prove beneficial in promoting GPRS and other interactive technologies as standard on consumers mobile phone screens. This in turn can only be beneficial for the success of the "Heritage Week" campaign in the future.

"Mobile 365's platform is a perfect fit for Hyro's cross platform marketing services, enhancing Hyro's ability to deliver a comprehensive set of mobile services ranging from SMS marketing to sophisticated application development and content management for the latest colour screen mobile handsets," said Chris Flintoft, Group Manager, Wireless & Broadcast, Hyro. "As a regional business, Mobile 365's ability to deliver reliable connectivity across our Asian footprint, particularly in Southeast Asia—as well as a suite of world-class 'out of the box' applications—was critical in choosing them to assist us."

They seem to be focusing on the posspossibilities of mobile technologies providing businesses with a new platform for maremarketing and advertising to consumers. They mention the use of SMS marketing, which i had considered as an approach to my "Health Campaign Event." By targeting users with SMS messages critiquing their diet and offering advice.

"Mobile 365's Application Manager Platform helps companies deliver a broad range of multimedia services, including SMS, MMS, video, and WAP. In one simple package, the platform enables access to global markets, advanced financial clearing and settlement, and robust reporting. This makes it easy for customers to create revenue-generating mobile marketing and entertainment campaigns including voting, alerts, interactive and subscription services, live event contests, and more. Mobile 365, previously Mobileway, was the first global player to set up an office in Australia in January 2001."

The development of such platforms for supporting these new services on mobile technologies is crucial to the success of both of my suggested campaings. If the consumers mobile technologies cannot accomodate such interactivity then it will be hard to market such service based interactive campaigns toward them. This article is very encouraging and reiterates the benefits in marketing terms for such technologies and what we can offer consumers via mobile technologies. No longer are we only targetable in our homes via TV, we could effectively be exposed to advertising wherever we go via cross platfrom technologies, that we can essentialy take anywhere with us.

What is Possible with Emerging Technologies: Campaigns and Applications

Using an intuitive Web interface, you can:

• Configure a variety of interactive campaigns, such as voting, trivia, competitions, subscription, alerts, and broadcast services
• Modify campaign parameters on-the-fly to enhance/change participant interaction
• Build subscriber databases by exporting the participant list from each campaign
• Monitor live campaign progress and traffic volumes
• Track historical performance, and analyze campaign and subscriber behavior
• Create and upload mobile content, including text, images, sounds, and rich mobile applications for delivery via SMS, MMS, and WAP/GPRS
• Categorize and organize content in convenient folders

What is Possible with Emerging Technologies: Content Delivery

Using an intuitive Web interface, you can:

• Automatically trigger content delivery to subscribers from the Web interface or from a third-party server using Content Manager's remote API
• Store "handset-ready" content (according to handset templates) that enables Content Manager to "intelligently" deliver the correct version of content to known handsets
• Content Manager links to Sybase 365's Application Manager, enabling a rich and compelling mobile experience
• Content Manager also links to Sybase 365's distribution gateway to facilitate billing, reporting, and message sending

Event Viability > 78% of households have a mobile phone

Both concepts one and two of the Health Awareness Event rely on the consumers owning a mobile device. Without these devices it will be hard to target consumers with the message of the campaign or navigate them via GPS (SatNAv) to the position of foods in the supermarket to improve their overall diet. The following statistics have been researched to ensure that there is or will be a market for the event proposals mentioned.

Percentage of households with selected consumer durables, UK

These statistics taken from www.statistics.gov.uk demonstrate the marketability of the concepts proposed. One of the first things i will point out is the rise in ownership of mobile phones. This consumers durable has seen the biggest rise in ownership of all the durables included since 1998. These statistics demonstrate how mainstream ownership of such devices is becoming, which is crucial to the success of the event proposals. If users don't possess the technology to accommodate the proposals then in the short term the event could not be marketable.

In contrast you may also notice that ownership of land line telephones has dropped, this can only be attributed to the rise in mobile telecommunications. Internet connections in houses has seen an equally dramatic rise in ownership, thus supporting the campaign outlines further. With this increase in ownership you would expect an increase in the use of online shopping methods, as well as a general open mindedness to the possibilities other technologies can provide. This open minded approach to technology and acceptance of it as a part of our every day lives is crucial to the success of both the Health Awareness Week campaign concepts.

Heritage Week Event/Concept > SatNav Technologies

I have chosen to research into Sattelite Navigation systems to support the theories discussed within the "Guernsey Heritage Week" event. Satellite navigation systems such as GPS are an integral part of many leading in car navigation systems, which would be integral to promoting the event. It appears that GPS technology is compatible with both in car systems and small devices such as mobile phones which is crucial to the success of the scheme, thus allowing the GPS system to navigate users to a given area, and then allowing their mobile device to direct them to the exact location of the subject of interest.

It seems at current that the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is GPS that is controlled by the United States, so in effect any other nation making use of this technology in systems such as in car and small device navigation is a client states of the united states, who have the right to cancel or restrict the usage of services that depend on GPS, not an issue for the proposed campaign (see ideas) but an interesting consideration politically when you consider the future of such technologies. Not surprisingly it seems that other countries or groups of countries, such as the European Union are launching their own GNSS.

"countries without their own satellite navigation systems effectively become client states of those which supply these services." Wikipedia

Above: The Mio A701 GPS PDA Phone makes use of GPS technology to provide a mobile navigation system for use on foot or in the car, making that phase of the event possible, it also has Bluetooth connectivity which would enable it to communicate with other devices, such as in car navigation systems mentioned in the concept, this means that it would be viable for the in car nav system to get you as close to the area of interest as possible and then communicate with the mobile phone to lead you to the exact spot. So in conclusion the technologies involved could communicate with one another to accommodate the concept.

Event(s) Emphasis/Ideaology

The emphasis of both events is to create publicity for these events by providing the consumer with a useful and interesting service, rather than bombarding them with advertising that they are far more likely to be sceptical of. People want something interesting and beneficial to them, advertising is not enough to create a successful event, it helps but it is not as valuable as creating a user experience that will keep the consumer interested. I am also interested in creating concepts that could be taken beyond the event and then be continued in use, rather than serving a purpose and diminishing in relevance once the event is over.