Remodista recently launched a series of mentoring sessions within our Women’s Leadership Program for the retail and digital communities.  While creating niche education, we see an exciting opportunity to mentor emerging leaders through events, collaboration and networking!  These forward thinking ladies know they are heading to the top and we are providing a eye-catching avenue for them to get there!

We are taking a closer look at the amazing Moximorés who are creating pathways for retail mobility growth.  Focused on the retail and digital communities, we look to share trends and create strategies that enable tangible rewards! Forward thinking leaders focused on mobility are making a difference!

Bringing together mentors who are committed to helping others reach their career goals. These savvy women are active in the retail and digital communities, and have come together to build a physical and virtual space for women looking to lead!

How to create your vision for a fabulous career! August 8th from 6-8:30 pm – Chicago Loop

• Kristie Heinz Fox, VP of Technology, Edleman
• Christina Garcia, Senior Manager of Retail Systems, OfficeMax
• Alexis Hiller, Marketing Communications Manager, Baker Furniture
• Katie Kerrigan, eCommerce Manager, The Room Place

6:00-6:30 – Registration – Meet and Greet
6:30-7:00 – The digital YOU – Steps to building your career
7:00-8:00 – Guest speakers share success stories and Q&A
8:00-8:30 – Networking with hor d’oeurves, wine, and great conversation!

• Listen to successful female leaders from different areas of the retail and digital communities discuss how to create the career you truly desire!
• Find out the steps it takes to get to the next level. Learn how to visualize where you want to go!
• Watch video from Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, one of the Gilt Groupe Co-founders, with advice on building your personal brand.
• Receive a complimentary copy of Alexandra and Alexis Maybank’s new book, By Invitation Only.

Proper n. pl. 1. Moxie Mobile Retailer 1. A savvy and sophisticated retail expert with moxie, vigor, verve, and know-how to adapt to fast moving trends with mobility and the consumer!  i.e. She’s follows the trends like a true Moximoré!

ARTICLES AND VIDEOS  - WOMEN LEADING THE WAY IN RETAIL EVOLUTION

Our Recent Interview with the Gilt Groupe Co Founders – Women to Watch in 2012!

An Interview with the “Silent Gun” of Isis – Susan Novell, VP of Market Launch

Mobile – The Retail Frenemy!

© 2012 Remodista, Inc. Remodista, Bricks + Mobile, Moximoré, Mobile for Mommies are trademarks of Remodista, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Written by Kelly Stickel

As we continue to look ahead, it seems as though we are running right through mobile, and smack into the era of mobility.  Our online consumer was happy to take a decade-long ride watching online evolve.  The consumer with mobility wants full functionality and there is an immediacy tied to this expectation.

The transformative thinking within the retail and mobile communities is happening quickly and Remodista believes there is a way to harness that collective knowledge. We are focused on collaborating with the retail ecosystem to strategize and begin thinking with mobility in mind.

I recently interviewed Molly Garris, Director of Digital Strategy at Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide. She serves as her agency’s in-house mobile marketing subject matter expert, and has been instrumental in activating successful mobile marketing campaigns for P&G, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Sealy, Earth Hour and Purina, just to name a few. Most recently, Ad Age recognized Molly as one of their “Women to Watch” in mobile!

Molly will be presenting at our next Bricks and Mobile event on April 18^th2012.  At last year’s event, she proved to be an impactful speaker, garnering the attention of those who are new to the mobile space and those who were early adopters from the beginning. It is our pleasure to have her back to share her insight at our approaching event.

Molly is a leader who enthusiastically shares her thoughts about creating pathways for growth in retail and mobility. She offers her knowledge focused on fresh trends in mobile and ways for strategizing in order to enable tangible rewards! Molly has established tremendous success thus far, and for that, we have named Molly as our 4^th Moximoré in 2012!

In preparation for the event, Molly and I discussed the importance of understanding the new consumer, the right value propositions, the trends looking ahead, and we took a glimpse into how to think about mobility on a global scale.

Retailers have become comfortable with online commerce and they understand how to succeed online. They are just starting to execute mobile tactics and campaigns that will engage the consumer. As the shopper gets more sophisticated and technology continues to move at this frantic pace, we see consumer’s mobile needs rapidly increasing with developments in phones, tablets and other innovative mobile devices.

Whether on the couch, in the store, or on-the-go, the consumer is looking for ways to engage with their favorite brands. Retail executives see the channel commerce shift, and Bricks + Mobile is relevant and timely.  There are massive behavioral changes taking place, which presents retailers with new opportunities to engage their shoppers.

Kelly:  What is the consumer opportunity with mobile?

Molly: We are no longer printing out directions, writing grocery lists, looking in the Yellow Pages.  I don’t remember the last time I played a real board game, but I have 6 “Words with Friends” games going on as we speak.

Mobility is changing the way we live and is even starting to change human behaviors.  These behaviors are creating massive opportunity for brands and retailers on mobile phones and tablets.

While desktop sites allow marketers to collect rich data points in order to customize content, mobile devices provide even more opportunities by adding in new dimensions like GPS-enabled location data. Suddenly, marketers are putting their messages in front of consumers at the right time and right place.

It is fascinating  to study the evolution of human behavior and identify pockets of unmet mobility needs for our clients to address, whether the need is to save consumers’ time, money and / or entertain.

Kelly:  What is your favorite part of watching the solutions grow?

Molly:  For years, marketers have been creating really strong solutions and then waiting and waiting for the consumer to catch up.  In less than a year, the whole scenario completely flipped to where the consumer is eager to engage, but doesn’t really quite know how to do that. Users are becoming smarter and expect brands to have their game “ON”. It’s so exciting to see marketers reacting to this shift.

To meet the demand, brands and retailers are really taking measures to create awareness of their mobile solutions and give people a value proposition that encourages usage. In a recent cab ride to O’Hare airport, I noticed a billboard from American Airlines, encouraging flyers to download their app and check in now, saving time when they arrive in the airport. Not only are they telling people about their experience but they are also doing so at a relevant time, place and within great context.

Additionally, solutions are becoming smarter.  They are allowing you to log in via Facebook, pay with PayPal or other saved payment methods, share location rather than enter a zip code. Consumers are busy, on the go, and need quick bits of information. The more accurate the information, the more consumers pay attention and buy.

Kelly:  What are the trends looking ahead?

Molly:  Relevant Data. Now that we have an environment set up with mobile apps, Text messaging(SMS/MMS), QR codes, mobile sites…the data needs to be more relevant to the consumer having the experience.

Looking at the Aisle 411 app rolling out across the nation – it maps out your grocery shopping trip and provides over 130,000 recipes and meal ideas.  Imagine taking your digital list and organizing it according to the layout of the store.  Why would we, as the merchant, share this information with the customer?  Having this type of information drives the love.  If the shopping experience is good, shoppers return more frequently and put more in their cart.

Avoiding Duplication.  A brand or marketer’s mobile website cannot simply be ported over into an app or be useful on a tablet. Build solutions based on the platforms, meaning that each device class should be thought of differently. Mobile phones are about immediacy.  It is an emergency, I’m bored, or I am trapped and need a way out!

Tablets, however, require more of a “lean back strategy”, which appeals to those on the couch who are more likely to be browsing, updating, shopping, and reviewing.

Sephora has a new iPad-specific app that leverages the tablet’s forward-facing camera. That way, the consumer sees two screens – one of their reflection and the other is a video showing them how to apply eye shadow.  That would appeal to a tablet user at home, but it’s highly unlikely that a mobile user is going to apply eye makeup with a mobile device on the go or that the consumer is going to do this on a computer.

Couponing and Loyalty. How many times have you found yourself out shopping and realized that you had forgotten your coupons or punch card? Bringing coupons and loyalty to mobile phones is a huge value proposition that many technologists are working to address with mobile wallet solutions – or apps that will store shopper offers, loyalty cards and payment options.

I remember my mom always paid for our family’s groceries by writing a check way back when.  I am sure there will be a time when I tell my kids that I used to swipe debit and credit cards to pay for groceries. There will be a time when the next generation simply taps their phone. And this time may come sooner than we think.

As brands and retailers prepare for the mobile wallet to hit stores, it’s important to consider how they will to roll it out to their customer, in order, to get them on board. It’s not just the consumer; they will also have to consider employees.  How are you going to educate your staff?  You can’t have the merchant looking confused as the customer asks to use the coupon or payment option.

CRM. The last couple of years, marketers have started to produce what I call “matching luggage”. Your TV ad looks like your print ad that looks like the email, which looks like the text message. Today, marketers have the ability to give consumers a choice as to how they want you to communicate with them. Give people a say how often and on which channels they’d like to hear from you (print, email, text messaging). From there, ensure strategies are in place for each, based on what purpose each channel serves, and where and when people engage with the message.

There needs to be both a push and a pull.  Pushing out an email blast or a text message is good, but if you forget about those customers coming to your website to look for store hours on the go or using your app to style an outfit from the fitting room, valuable pull opportunities can be missed.  It can’t be all of one or the other; it needs to be a combination of both.

Kelly:   Can you give some insight to thinking with global mobility?

Molly:  Aside from localization and language availability, mobile websites and text messaging are fairly universal global.  However, tactics like apps, QR codes and augmented reality are likely limited to countries whose mobile users have post-paid subscriptions and data plans, rather than pre-paid plan minutes and text messages.

Richer, more digitally savvy countries, whose people have been online for years, see consumer engagement with video content, games, apps and more. For other countries with less income and infrastructure, mobile may be a person’s first digital experience. It may be their first look at the internet, their first on-demand access to news and weather, or their first opportunity to communicate with other cities using social networks. Accessible solutions, like SMS and data-lite mobile websites, must be considered.

Looking at a global giant like Coca-Cola, you will see a variety of mobile tactics used across different regions. In more developed countries, the brand may invite World Cup fans to share mobile videos of how they celebrated goals. Whereas, in less developed countries, Coca-Cola has been successful with simple SMS activations like “Gimme Credit”, which encourages consumers to text an under-the-cap code for a chance to win free mobile airtime or rewards for their purchase. There is no silver bullet when it comes to delivering a brand message globally. Careful consider to a region’s language, culture and behavior is critical.

Molly Garris, Director of Digital Strategy, Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide

Molly Garris serves as Director of Digital Strategy for Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide and is the agency’s in-house mobile marketing subject matter expert. Since joining the agency in 2009, Molly has been instrumental in activating successful mobile marketing campaigns for P&G, McDonald’s, Kellogg’s, Sealy, Earth Hour and Purina, just to name a few.

Molly never planned to work in the mobile world, let alone one of the biggest advertising firms in the world. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in marketing she landed a job at MJI Interactive in New York City where she supported an early text-messaging program for radio stations. A few years later, Molly moved to the west coast and worked on a variety of mobile-centric campaigns for Land Rover, L.E.I. Jeans and Toshiba before settling in Chicago and joining Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide.

Kelly Stickel, Founder and President of Remodista and Director of Vendor Relations, Acquity Group

Kelly has 13 years of experience building teams that execute digital agency and consulting projects. For more than 5 years, she has managed Acquity Group’s service vendors globally across all digital channels while researching new and emerging technology.

Kelly has successfully organized and created curriculum for mobile-related educational events including the first Start Up Showcase for Mobile Monday – Chicago in 2009, the first Mobile University event for the Heartland Mobile Council in 2010. Kelly founded Remodista in 2010, and executed the first 2 Bricks and Mobile events in March and October of 2011.

For the past 15 years, Kelly has taught mosaic art classes to students of all ages. Kelly has a B.A in Political Science from the University of Missouri. She is an Associate Board Member for Gilda’s Club – Chicago, a non-profit cancer treatment center for families.  Kelly is a mentor for WIM (Women Innovate Mobile), and accelerate program in NYC. She also actively mentors young women who are focused on cultivating their personal digital brand.

Written by Steve Duesbury

Scan and Scram. Digital Wallet. Social Shopping. 3-Dimensional commerce, Augmented Reality, Virtual Assistant, Location-based Search

Question:  What do all of these have in common?

If your answer is “Mobile,” you’re missing major (digital) business transformations that are changing the game across every industry.

• Channel shift as customers increasingly turn to smart phones and tablets instead of sales reps and service centers
• Value Transformation as real-time reference, recommendations, specifications and instruction become an integrated part of “product”
• Disruption as manufactures are able to leap-frog distribution and retail to connect directly with customers right at point of sale

The Answer: They’re all Behaviors.  (“Capabilities” is also acceptable and most relevant to business.)

“We need a mobile strategy.”  

In most cases, this is just business-speak for saying “we want a mobile app.”  The focus almost invariably, and mistakenly, starts with the platform.

The good news is that mobile apps are cheap and easy to make.  There are few barriers to checking that box.  Of course, the likelihood of this approach providing much value for your business or your customers isn’t very high either, as evidenced by success rates of mobile apps.

• Nearly 1 in 3 downloaded apps are used just once
• About half of mobile consumers delete apps within the same month they buy the app. Up to 90% are eventually deleted
• Most (68%) of smart phone owners use 5 or less apps on a regular basis
• The top 10 Android apps (of 250,000 total apps) account for 43% of all time spent

In the healthcare space alone there are already over 4,000 apps, including drug databases, medical calculators, reference programs, decision support for physicians, nurses, tracking (weight, blood pressure, etc.), patient history (accessing, managing, and documenting), collaboration tools and payer tools.

At the same time combined smart phone and tablet sales are passing desktop and notebook sales. The ‘third screen’ is already the first choice of highly integrated / connected experiences.  Morgan Stanley is also predicting that mobile will be the primary platform for small business by 2015.  Based on the current pace of adoption, they may have underestimated.

And, the bar is being raised every day as customers and partners (people) try and integrate newer, more innovative mobile capabilities into their everyday lives.

It’s People not Platforms

What’s missing in all these scenarios is a clear understanding of people, their needs and behaviors.  Without this foundation, the probability of failure is high.  Benchmarking competitor mobile efforts won’t ensure success.  Neither will reading Fast Company, studying Forrester and eMarketer, doing a workshop or checking out the Marketing VP’s cool new app.

The focus needs to be on Value, Utility, Immediacy, Relevancy and Context, anytime, anywhere and continually (re)defined by each individual.

Like any other business or marketing initiative mobility efforts must be grounded in core customer (unmet) needs.

Key questions that need to be answered

• What need does this satisfy for this individual?
• How is this substantially better, faster, easier that what our customer already does?
• How does this interaction provide the customer seamless interaction with the brand across all touchpoints?)
• How does this provide differentiation in the marketplace?
• How sustainable is whatever advantage we expect to gain? (read: how fast will competitors copy us and catch up?)

3 Signs you’re headed down the wrong path

1. Trying to create smaller version of your web site.  Most companies continue to start with their Web presence (it costs the most so it must be most important, right?) and adapt it for a smaller screen.  Yes, the brand experience needs to be consistent, but mobility is fundamentally different.  Today, many companies are already designing for mobility first, then adapting that solution for the web.  Forget the smart phone and think customers and magic wands.  What do your customers care about in their lives?  What if there was some way you could solve some need anytime, anywhere?  Could technology be (part) of the answer?

2. Being ‘Done’.  Mobility is a journey, and a fundamental expansion of the relationship with your customer.  Any initiative or app, no matter how brilliant, will ultimately fail if you don’t commit to a long-term strategy.  The landscape is changing too quickly, competitors can copy you too easily and customer get bored too soon.  Continuing (and accelerating) Intelligence and Innovation are the keys to success.

3. It’s just an app.  The actual mobile applications are just the tip of the iceberg.  Complex integrations and interaction of systems and information are required to deliver the personalized experience customers expect today.  One client invested heavily in an advanced mobile commerce capability…a very slick app that customers loved…only to find that their back-end systems and architecture was never designed for the ‘chatter’ of mobility.  Performance suffered, the app failed and the company alienated customers and lost tens of millions in potential sales.

Like transformational changes before it (cars, TV, Internet), success in mobility requires a fundamental shift in paradigms and approaches. And while change will continue, starting from a people/needs -based foundation and making strategic commitments vs. app-based leaps are required first steps toward building sustainable success and realizing the full potential and benefits of mobility.

Steve Duesbury, Solution Lead – Strategy, Acquity Group

With over 20 years of business and marketing strategy experience, Steve launched and leads Acquity Group’s global Digital Strategy practice, where he leads teams helping companies envision and enable their digital future. Working with executive leadership to identify and deliver transformational business opportunities, Steve’s team helps companies understand the impact of digital on corporate strategy and the marketplace, mapping the path forward to build competitive advantage, create value, manage risk and drive sustainable growth.

A graduate of the University of Iowa (Journalism, Business, Math), Steve began his career on the agency side working on McDonald’s national business before moving into a senior marketing role for a McDonald’s subsidiary, helping to succesfully grow the business from 4 to 50 units in 3 years.  He has been applying his practical “real world” business experience to the digital space since the late 90′s for numerous leading companies across B2C and B2B space, including Verizon Wireless, McDonald’s, Sears, Ben & Jerry’s, Yamaha of America, Marriott Vacation Clubs, Allstate, Gordon Food Service, Halliburton, Rush University Medical Center, PerkinElmer, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Kellogg’s, Highmark, Rust-Oleum, FedEx, MillerCoors, Sysco, Brady Corp., Lawson Products, Unum Insurance and Covidien.

In addition to directing Acquity Group’s digital business strategy thought leadership, and founding the Digital Strategy group on LinkedIn, Steve is also a frequent speaker about the impact of digital on business, including moderating global business strategy workshops.

Written by Gary Schwartz

National Retail Federation Show, New York City: Recently, at the old Javits Center in the New York hosted retail folk from across the U.S. and shed some light on a technology play that may define a new industry I call Retail 2.0.

Indeed, the reality of a connected shopping experience with smartphones at the center may not be far off. However, this show was proof to me that we have to get past our focus on technology (and B2B) and walk in the shoes of our customers (understanding that it’s B2C that is really at the core). And, since it is about the shopper experience, it’s clear that winning Retail 2.0 strategies will be the ones that bring CIOs and CMOs to the table.

Thankfully, technology is not an issue. In fact, judging from the number of vendors who used the event to show off an ‘old’ technology with a new twist, you could say that we are going to see a comeback of sorts.

Yes, RFID is back on the agenda — along with technology solutions to help retailers track the product life-cycle from factory to sale using near-field communications (NFC) and RFID chips, “smart” tags that track every item to gain real-time visibility into its key business processes.

Exhibitors such as SAP, Oracle and JDA Software showed how serialized data from RFID tags, which are embedded into product tags, can be integrated with business information from back-end systems along the supply chain. Track a sweater from factory to show room to purchase and possibly customer return? It’s coming. Allow retailer micro-visibility into order status and inventory. It’s work in progress.

However, many vendors are still missing the full story (and the strategy to make it all happen). To me, it was as if they ended the story in mid-pitch. Yes, it is about the efficiencies that RFID and other wireless, smart technology bring to retail overall. And yes, that is generally a matter that involves technology and the CIOs who engineer retail to deliver results.

But what about the new frontier — which I call Retail 2.0 — and harnessing mobile to understand and improve how people shop? And what about the potential to use this technology to involve people in the process, making them an informed and important part of the supply chain? This is where I miss the interest and input of CMOs.

Technology already impacts consumers’ daily routines. NFC-enabled phones are entering the market this year, enabling shoppers to do much more than just buy stuff on the move. People are becoming empowered to participate in the retail business ecosystem.

Put another way, the advance of smartphone scanners and apps that allow shoppers to navigate stores, find items, compare prices and get more product information are all capabilities that allow people to participate in and define their shopping experience from research to purchase. Retail 2.0 is about opening up retailers’ business information to the consumer to ultimately close the cross-channel disconnect.

Retail 2.0 is about the shopper

This last holiday season we saw the Amazon cloud abruptly enter the shopping mall and rudely disrupt retail sales. The outcome: Shoppers increasingly reach to their phones to compare prices and investigate product information and options. The race is on for all retailers to respond. Book, electronic, apparel, shoe stores and chains like Target are all working on strategies to become more relevant to this digital consumer.

Gone are the days when the consumer relied on the sales clerk for information and advice. That’s value their personal and connected devices can also deliver. What’s more, in most stores the “blue shirt” clerk has less access to technology than their customer, a sophisticated, swaggering smartphone shopper.

What to do? How can we connect with the shopper before they are poached by Amazon through its PriceCheck App? And how do retailers prepare for the skirmishes sure to happen once the  soon-to-come Kindle Fire 4G devices hit the market with their array of in-store mobile commerce tools? (What Amazon has cleverly chosen to call “pro-consumer” solutions…)

RFID pushes the boundaries

This is where (and why) RFID “smart” tags offer a solution. Often described as “bar codes on steroids,” RFID tags are equipped with a tiny antenna and a microprocessor, which stores a special number for every product – the so-called electronic product code (EPC). In connection with the retailer’s data warehouse it communicates data such as description, price, origin, shelf life and storage location.

Proponents of the technology say RFID technology will progressively replace existing bar codes. Unlike bar code labels these “smart” tags do not require a line of sight reader or scanner, and can therefore communicate directly with other objects – and without human intervention.

Ironically, retailers have traditionally been the drivers of this technology with mega-chains such as Wal-Mart in the U.S. and Metro in Europe implementing the technology to increase visibility into the supply chain, tracking everything from jeans to jelly.

Asset control, asset tracking, and the need to increase supply chain clearly propelled the RFID market in the last decade, enabling retailers to “see” the movement of products from the pallet in the distribution center, to the shelves in the store, to the shoppers’ baskets.

Each step of the way “smart tags” have allowed for better replenishment decisions, enabling retailers visibility into their inventories and sales.

But the RFID smart tag solution is not just a solution for retailers. Other industry sectors — including the public sector — are moving ahead on approaches that reinforce the growing importance of RFID in all things wireless.

More retailers (not just the major chains) are exploring RFID solutions to track and trace products. Law enforcement authorities are implementing RFID schemes to detect and prevent counterfeiting. The financial services industry is exploring ways to harness RFID (coupled with NFC) to design digital wallets.

Take a closer look at the use cases and scenarios and you’ll see that they all share one common interface: people using an NFC-enabled phones can participate in these experiences.

With it they can:

• Explore information on the product (track and trace)
• Verify that a Prada bag is authentic (counterfeiting)
• Receive an offer on the product (wallet)

If retailers design their back room inventory systems to allow for shopper-side access, then every product with a serialized RFID tag would also pave the way for a smart(er) shopping experience. By simply tapping the RFID tag with their phone, shoppers could open a browser window to access product information, product authenticity validation and jumpstart the all-important brand engagement that is the end-game of any interaction. Thus, we move from efficiency to lasting customer engagement  in the form CRM,

All this is without downloading a mobile app, QR code reader or even texting.

It’s not rocket science

In a world where the retailer needs to count clicks to commerce, using existing merchandising solutions such as RFID and NFC can pay dividends. They allow retailers to provide for simple shopper engagement and accelerate the path-to-purchase.

But first CIOs and CMOs need to sit at the same table (and be on the same page).

Once they work out a strategy to hand off product information and data from the enterprise to the shopper, then they can move beyond track and trace within their premises to engagement far beyond the boundaries of the enterprise.

The technology is mature and the CIO is already developing a data repository to store events associated with uniquely identified products and associated business information. Let the shopper into this repository and watch the results when shoppers have access to explore product information at the tap of their phone and participate in the commerce they drive.

Gary Schwartz, CEO Impact Mobile, Author of The Impulse Economy,  and Chair of MEF North America

Over the past nine years, Gary has played a leadership role in the mobile industry, founded Impact Mobile in 2002 running the first cross-carrier short code campaign in North America.

In 2006, Gary founded the mobile committee for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) (www.iab.net) (for which he received an IAB award for industry excellence in 2009).

In 2010, Gary was elected as the Chair of MEF North America (www.m-e-f.org) with a remit to develop mobile commerce best practices and advance commerce security and privacy (for which he received a MEF award for industry excellence). In 2011, in partnership with MEF and a number of industry groups including the X9.org security standards body, Gary is working to develop m-commerce security and privacy guidelines.

Gary it the recipient of the Asia and Japan Foundation Fellowship as well as the Macromedia People Choice Award and Dodge Foundation award for innovation. Gary is the author of the mobile industry book, The Impulse Economy, published by Simon & Schuster.

January 15, 2012

Written by Kelly Stickel

The mobile wallet is getting into the hands of the merchant and the consumer and we are now starting to see the rollouts from some of the programs in different test cities. At the root of this holistic payment experience is the value ad for the consumer. The mobile wallet will allow consumers to see great benefits of using their phone to store receipts, coupons, redeem and build on loyalty programs, house boarding passes, cash-in gift cards, and store credit cards digitally.

A mobile wallet is much deeper than a wave of the wrist to pay. Because of the promise made to the consumer to simplify and optimize the experience, it will be the utopian mobile experience that creates a true value proposition for the consumer. Everyone is very busy, but will soon be motivated to change their behavior.

For the first time, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T Mobility all gathered to form the unparalleled joint venture, Isis. This incredible mobile commerce network utilizes near-field communication (NFC) technologies and smart phones to provide merchants and mobile consumers with a more convenient way to accept and make every day purchases with the help of a mobile device.

Eager to gain more knowledge of this unique venture, I recently had the opportunity to talk with Susan Novell, the VP of Market Launch, who puts a female touch on Isis.  Susan has a very rich background. She began with a focus on marketing and local programming efforts in the cable TV industry for more than 18 years, which led her to the strong sales and marketing roles she held at AT&T for more than 17 years. Her final, but most notable role within AT&T comprised of building the joint mobile commerce venture, Isis. With her strong and diverse marketing expertise, local programming knowledge, wireless proficiency and amazing track record as a sales leader, Susan is the ideal candidate to successfully take the Isis mobile wallet to market.

Susan’s colleague, Kate Long, Director of Marketing, once told me that at Isis they call Susan their “Silent Gun”. Her excitement and enthusiasm make it easy to envision a time where the leather wallet is no longer needed. After talking with Susan about the 2012 roll out, I experienced her in action. She approached the conversation in a friendly and open manner, however the force of her diligence to have this rollout happen in an organized and seamless way is what really grabbed my attention and impressed me.

In her role at Isis, Susan is responsible for directing local impact efforts to ensure merchants, wireless carriers and consumers are prepared for the launch in Austin, TX and Salt Lake City, UT this year. In the following paragraphs, I invite you to follow along with the great topics Susan and I discussed which overall encompasses her insight and perspectives on the mobile wallet as we move into 2012.

K: What is the procedure for getting the Isis mobile wallet on your phone?

S: The consumer will go to one of our carrier’s stores and choose their phone with the capabilities they are looking for.  After making the selection, the sales clerk will help him/her upload the mobile wallet and activate it.  The most important piece to us right now is the consumer.  We are dedicated to the consumer experience, and will make sure that it is a clear and understandable experience in the store and after they leave.  The consumer will activate the wallet in the store, but will be able to enter their personal information on their own.  It is all well define and if they need help, they can get help.

K: Are you planning on launching in Austin and Salt Lake City?

S: Yes, that will happen in 2012 and you will see news and advertising, in the early 2012 time frame, as to exactly when.

K: Are you excited about the Gemalto partnership? 

S: Yes, it is great that they are head quartered in Austin.  They are going to help Isis build the most secure mobile commerce ecosystem around.  Gemalto has a lot of experience in this area.  But it not just Gemalto, it is also the banks, the wallet, and the security of our networks.

K: Is the consumer education plan in place for Isis?

S: Yes, we are making sure that the consumer is well educated and that they do not have any concerns.  We are going to have to work together within the mobile ecosystem to make sure the consumer is safe.  Our goal is to show people that it is safe and time saving to use the mobile wallet.

The wallet will launch with loyalty and mobile couponing capabilities.  Obviously this will be an evolutionary process, but we are dedicated to having it and the merchant is also motivated to integrate with their system to ensure that it is seamless for consumers.  The consumer will be educated through multiple touch points throughout the integration and enablement of the wallet.

K: Does the transaction process change from the consumer point of view?

S: There will be more phones, carriers, cards, and merchant as we build and grow.  Nothing is changing from the consumer point of view with the transaction, just the means in which it happens.

Merchant sees this as a way to connect and have a more direct relationship with the consumer. The best marketing is when you have a direct relationship with the consumer, and that the consumer is your word of mouth.

K: What is the value proposition of the mobile wallet for busy mothers?

S: As women in a family, we carry the coupons the loyalty cards, and let’s be honest, husband look to the wives and ask why they aren’t carrying those coupons and membership cards.  Having the wallet will allow busy moms or dad’s ways to manage their loyalty cards, coupons, receipts, credit cards, and debit cards all at the same time.

K: Do you think the POS systems will lag behind the technology?

S: There is actually an organic cadence around this adoption, and it will happen overtime.   The POS software systems have to be contactless enabled – Isis is working with these companies to start that work now instead of later.  We actually are having a conference for POS software developers in February.  Anyone interested in attending can go to our website www.paywithisis.com or visit www.IsisInnovationForum.com.

K: How long until all smart phones have NFC capabilities?

S: Looking at the history of smart phone adding the camera functionality.  In just 18-24 months, they were everywhere.  This is how the snowball starts to happen, and I actually think this is happening faster that we thought.  With the announcement of Isis, the manufacturers have put actions into place to support the growth. We expect widespread adoption to happen between 2013 and 2014.

K: Is there anything you would like to add?

S:  We are extremely excited about this roll out.  But when I really think about it – everyone can participate in the revolution of Isis because everyone is a consumer.  This is a unique in that everyone can be a part of this experience.  It will be great for the consumer and the merchant.  This is going to be an incredible year!

All in all, 2012 is looking to be an exciting and interesting year for consumer and merchant mobile adoption.

Check out the next Bricks and Mobile Event: April 18, 2012

Susan Novell, VP of Market Launch for Isis™

Susan Novell is a vice president of market launch for Isis™, a joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless chartered with building a nationwide mobile commerce platform that will transform the way consumers shop, pay and save. In this role, Susan is responsible for cultivating relationships and providing the marketing tools necessary for acquirers, merchant, carriers and consumers to launch Isis in key markets.

Before joining Isis, Susan spent more than 17 years with AT&T in various marketing and sales roles. She most recently worked with AT&T’s business development group creating the mobile commerce joint venture that is now Isis. While at AT&T, Susan also gained experience in business and consumer marketing, developing and managing products, overseeing customer experience and communications, and managing online applications.

Prior to joining the telecom industry, Susan spent 18 years in the cable television industry providing expertise in acquisition marketing and producing local programming. She also served as the lead marketing director for a subscriber management firm selling both software and billing services to cable operators.

Susan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Ohio State University, a proud Buckeye, and a Master’s Degree in Communications from The University of Akron.  Outside of Work, Susan enjoys being a ‘Nana’ to 5 grandchildren, sewing, hiking the mountains of Nevada, and traveling all over the world.

Kelly Stickel, Founder and President of Remodista and Director of Vendor Relations, Acquity Group

Kelly has 13 years of experience building teams that execute digital agency and consulting projects. For more than 5 years, she has managed Acquity Group’s service vendors globally across all digital channels while researching new and emerging technology.

Kelly has also successfully organized and created curriculum for mobile-related educational events including the first Start Up Showcase for Mobile Monday – Chicago in 2009, the first Mobile University event for the Heartland Mobile Council in 2010. Kelly founded Remodista in 2010, and executed the first 2 Bricks and Mobile events in March and October of 2011.

For the past 15 years, Kelly has taught mosaic art classes to students of all ages. Kelly has a B.A in Political Science from the University of Missouri. She is an Associate Board Member for Gilda’s Club – Chicago focused on Marketing and PR.  Kelly also mentors young women, helping them build and define their own digital brands in business.

December 30, 2011

Written by Kelly Stickel

Moximorés are amazing and innovative mobile retail leaders who are creating pathways for expanding new digital revenue channels using mobility both in store and on-the-go. They are forward thinking and have a focus on trends in loyalty, marketing, merchandising, advertising, payment, technology, and understanding the new behaviors of our quickly evolving consumer with mobility.

On April 18, 2012, we will be collaborating and learning from other Moximorés at our 3rd Bricks and Mobile event.  It will be in Chicago at Venue610 from 1-5pm, with a book signing and reception to follow,  We will bring the retail mobile leadership ecosystem together, once again, to learn how to work in tandem “coopertition” to understand the mobile opportunities that engage the in store and on-the-go shopper.  The retail ecosystem is looking to understand mobile marketing tactics, loyalty programs, mobile commerce, payment, engaging the shopper and the evolving user experiences.

We are delighted to announce that Alexis Maybank, Chief Marketing Officer, and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Chief Merchandising Officer, of Gilt Groupe, will be joining us on the 18th.  In my recent interview with with these amazing Moximorés, we talked about the evolution of retail mobility and what led them  to collaborate on their upcoming book, By Invitation Only, that will be available April 12, 2012.

Gilt Groupe is a US based shopping website with iPad and mobile apps that offer its member luxury merchandise: clothing, home décor, food, social activities, and travel.  Since 2007, this luxury online retailer has grown from zero to nine hundred employees, 3.5 million members, and a half a billion dollars in revenue.  Alexis and Alexandra, along with Kevin Ryan, co-founder of Doubleclick have built this fast moving company.  These savvy retailers are ahead of the curve, and they are already thinking about who will be their next subscribers in 2012.

Typical sales start at noon and go for 3-4 days.  The sales feature merchandise from a few select luxury brands, such as Burberry, DVF, Alexander McQueen, Cynthia Rowley, Ash, M.C.L., Dolce Vida, and the prices are 50-70% off of the normal suggested retail pricing.  Each member gets a daily email that announces the sales and purchasing is on a first come first serve basis.  They have 3 warehouses in the US that ship directly to their members.

Looking back to March of 2009, the Gilt Groupe women launched their first mobile app in Japan and the US version quickly followed in September of 2009. When I asked Alexis how they calculated the risk of going to the mobile commerce channel as an early adopter, she easily replied, “The revenue stream was always viewed as valuable.  One-third of our sales come from the mobile and iPad shoppers”.

I also asked Alexis about the user experience with mobile, “Our consumer with mobility expects a quick and seamless experience.  You only get one chance to bring in your subscriber”. This confirmed our conversation with the CIO of Opinion Labs at the Bricks and Mobile event this past October.  Rick Blair noted, “Your online customer took a 10 year ride with you to figure out retail and eCommerce, but your mobile consumer wants full functionality and they want it now!”

“We understand that the speed to download and ability to render quickly are the most important pieces of the retail mobile commerce experience”.  Alexis continued, “High quality digital production is also very important.  The shopper is now pinching and expanding the screen to see the details of the stitching.  With this shopper, there is not much room for poor quality experiences”.

While brick and mortar retailers worry about the effect of the emerging online and mobile merchants, there will always be a need for an in store experience.  Alexis reminded us that in order to sell to the shopper, you have to create an amazing customer experience that allows the personal interaction that lead to a sale.  The retailers need to have the best in store tools with a rich and exciting experience to keep their shopper from using an outside application.

With shipping now available to over 90 countries, Gilt Groupe has a strong focus on engaging new subscribers while inspiring the current members with amazing luxury merchandise.  Last week I purchased some Qi Cashmere Niobe Zipper Gloves for $30 originally $140 and then I bought a BCBGMAXAZRIA heather grey fringed poncho for $125 originally $275.  Both arrived to my door quickly and were wrapped and packed with care.  It was a very convenient and pleasant consumer experience.

In talking about goals for 2012, Alexis noted, “This year is about building our brands internationally and unlocking borders that will allow us to gain global subscribers.  Consumers in third world countries are using mobile as their first form of communication, they will be competitive in their markets galvanizing the middle class”. This equalizes the global playing field.  To top it off, these emerging markets are cash based businesses.  The best and brightest of the emerging markets now have the opportunity to learn and consider a new future.

One of the common denominators for writing the book, By Invitation Only, Alexandra noted, “Whether a stay at home mom, a CEO, a start up company, a retail marketer or a technical expert, everyone was asking the same questions.  How did you raise capital?  How are you going to scale this?  What were the motivating factors to start the company?  What is happening with luxury retail? What is the impact of mobile and net books? Where are you heading in 2012?”  The interest was only increasing, so it made sense to share their amazing story.

These women have offered insightful action items that would help any retailer evolve with mobility.  We are excited by their ease to collaborate and share with retailers who are working to understand mobility.  It is valued by our community.  Alexis and Alexandra’s passion started with the NY sample sales and a dream to build something together.  I asked Alexandra what advice she would give young entrepreneurs looking to bring their idea to life, “If you have a great idea, pursue it, there is plenty of capital out there for a good idea.  The next wave of economic growth will come from these ideas.  We love it because it is challenging and we get to shape and define how we will create mega businesses that have a strong global reach”.

Creating an optimal user experience that appeals to each of these different shoppers is a must have for any retailer.  Ultimately, the companies who work to understand the behaviors of their in store, online, mobile and net book shoppers will be able to streamline their services and create experiences that build and grow the new revenue streams using mobility.

April 18, 2012 – Our Next Bricks and Mobile Event!

Alexis Maybank, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Gilt Groupe

Alexis has dedicated her career to building and launching innovative and compelling ecommerce experiences for consumers. In 2007, Alexis, along with a founding team, launched Gilt Groupe. She served as Gilt’s Founding CEO, and today she serves as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer.

Prior to founding Gilt Groupe, Alexis served as General Manager and Business Development Director for AOL’s ecommerce businesses. In 1998, she became an early member of the eBay team, where she helped launch the company’s first strategic planning group working for Founder Jeff Skoll, and later launched and ran eBay Canada, which grew to become Canada’s largest ecommerce business. She later helped found eBay Motors, which grew to over $2.5 billion in gross sales in its first two years and continues to be the largest category of goods sold on eBay today.

Alexis holds a BS and MBA from Harvard University. She is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, a Director for Audubon Alaska, and actively involved in the Robinhood Foundation. She currently mentors many emerging entrepreneurs in both the technology and fashion sectors.

Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer

With over twelve years of international experience in luxury goods and retail, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Founder and Chief Merchandising Officer of Gilt Groupe, is on the forefront of revolutionizing and innovating the landscape of luxury e-commerce. Prior to co-founding Gilt Groupe, Alexandra managed retail operations at Bulgari, overseeing 15 North American stores. Before working at Bulgari, Alexandra managed Leather Goods Sales Planning for Louis Vuitton North America. Alexandra began her career working for 3 years in investment banking at Merrill Lynch, spending her time between New York, London and Latin America. She subsequently entered the retail world working for retail guru Marvin Traub at Financo Inc. Alexandra holds a B.A. from Harvard College where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Alexandra speaks five languages. She is involved in a number of not for profits including: Dress for Success, Endeavor Global, Robin Hood Foundation, the New York Junior League and El Museo del Barrio. She is also an active fundraiser for her alma maters The Brearley School, Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University. Alexandra is an official mentor for Tech Stars and an unofficial mentor for many budding entrepreneurs.

Kelly Stickel, Founder and President of Remodista, Director of Vendor Relations, Acquity Group

Written by Mitch Posada

Conversation With Mobile Customers: Cloning your Best Sales Staff with Mobile, Virtual Agents

What if a retail environment could offer it’s customers a virtual assistant, like Apple’s new SIRI product – Except, it would reach all data enabled mobile devices and it would deliver mobile engagement specific to the Retailer’s voice and customer needs?

Are Retailers ready to buy into the promise of ‘clone your best customer service’ staff and make their knowledge available to all customers, around the clock, without adding or training more employees?

There is an increase in various forms of virtual assistants or agents in the online world and these surely will migrate to mobile.  They include viruoz.com, which can also integrate with LivePerson.com, a prime example of the known value of human powered virtual assistance that are widely adopted and proven to reduce costs and increase sales.

I think voice recognition will prevail in certain circumstances but I don’t think they will replace or get close to input based inquiries.

Imagine a world where everyone is asking questions out-loud to their mobile device at home, at their desk, in their car with others, in the coffee shop…basically anywhere there are other people…does it seem natural or plausible this will become pervasive?   I think actual usage will be driven by social conventions of being quiet, desire for privacy, and avoiding awkward moments including the ‘are you talking to me or why aren’t you talking to me’.   With both Target and Wal-Mart adding voice dictation to their apps more insights should emerge.

Moving from a search paradigm where the measure is relevant search results to an assistant paradigm is a significantly enhanced customer experience if the user experience is familiar and flows in a natural conversational manner.  Brick and Mortar and online retailers can more quickly help customers complete tasks (I need or I want to do) and answer these questions before, during, and even after a visit.

Benefits of conversational assistance via mobile:

1) User’s don’t need to learn any complex navigation or read through dense text, they simply type or speak their questions or statements into a mobile web page and receive the appropriate response within one-three seconds.

• Where is X item in the store?
• Is Y item on Sale?
• Can I get my Z item fixed?
• Can I see a video of how the product works?
• What time are you open?
• Do I need a receipt to make a return?
• Do you offer installation?
• Do I need an appointment?

2) Instead of hoping GPS, social network recommendations or other accumulated data can psychically determine what a customer is thinking – A conversational agent just asks them!  Customers are then delivered an offering tailored to their response.  In other words deliver customers a personally relevant mCoupon instead of a generic offering in order to drive in-store purchasing.

Caution – things to consider:

1) Unlike services like ChaCha.com or KGB, which rely on real people to answer questions, virtual agents rely on artificial intelligent virtual characters that can at a trigger point, switch to a real person.  It’s important to remember that these virtual agents are an accumulation of human knowledge – however, they respond to customers within seconds, around the clock.

So virtual assistants need to be intelligently programmed and thus your provider should be able to walk you through this thinking and set-up.  For example virtual agents can be infused with Retailer “goal-oriented” conversations to determine the customers interests and needs at that moment while they are in-store.  “Goal-oriented” conversations can range from delivering relevant mCoupons to encouraging a customer to take a specific action, i.e. register for a contest, join a loyalty program, or to alert them to time-sensitive specials.  Retailer goals and Customer goals should both be addressed. There are subtle differences but important distinctions and these should be defined as part of the user experience design process and considering the customer service philosophy of the Retailer.

2) Development costs, integration, and ongoing support.

From a development cost and integration perspective, a mobile virtual assistant or brand/retail agent can fulfill needs cost effectively without custom app development.   Look for a single build platform versus building separate apps for different OS’s or even separate apps for Tablets vs. smart phones.  Adaptive design allows developers to “build once,” and still be able to reach all devices (mobile web) and most major “native OS apps”.

From a usage cost, a mobile virtual assistant should be capable of responding to thousands of customers every hour.  And, if the delivery is over mobile web, there are no per message costs.  What’s important is the speed in building and releasing branded virtual characters with an ability to make configuration and content updates to them seamlessly.

3) Optimization and Customer Insights – it’s in the data.

You or your provider must have experience mining conversational analytics to improve the AI engine, responses, trigger points, content optimization, and to measure customers’ goal achievement and satisfaction getting there.

A closer look at the way data is collected in a virtual assistant model reveals some potential important benefits over current methods. Some marketers rely more on surveys to learn what customers’ want, what they experienced, and their satisfaction.  Mobile surveys for example can tell a business what customers are thinking based on fixed responses.  With “conversational analytics,” conversation can be parsed to get the unencumbered customer’s natural input.  In other words, what they are really thinking and saying.  Every engagement results in User Input that is valuable to brands and retailers to review.  Furthermore, because chat sessions are anonymous this encourages genuine and meaningful responses from customers.

Mitchell Posada a Digital Strategy Consultant 

Mitchell focuses on applying digital innovation to solve mission critical business objectives often through a unique blend of management consulting meets business development meets product marketing capabilities.  Mitchell is interim CMO for a mobile commerce for Airports startup in California. From 2010 to October 2011 Mitchell advised the Chicago Fire Soccer Club on how to leverage digital for revenue optimization and before that was VP of Interactive for Café Media LLC, the leader and award-winning lifestyle magazine targeting bi-cultural Latinos. Mitchell’s experience spans a wide range of companies and industries from start-ups, marketing agencies, and non-profits to Fortune 500 leaders including Hewlett Packard, Ernst & Young LLC, Nestle, Wells Fargo, IDT Telecom, Humana, Washington Mutual to startups including AdMob, CloudLink, Optimal Auctions, MarketTools, GBMobile, AccountNow, and several others.   Mitchell earned his MBA from U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Written by Kelly Stickel, Founder of Remodista and Executive Director of Bricks and Mobile

Looking back on 2011, Remodista has begun to distill information within the retail mobile ecosystem.  In just one year, we have published 50 articles, 3 white papers, 11 presentations, built 2 full-day Bricks and Mobile educational events, held 2 invite only C-Level meetings for 50 leaders in the retail mobile ecosystem, and produced 8 videos focused on educating the retailer on the consumer POV.  In addition, we created The Distillery, where we curate retail mobile content from around the globe is the areas of Mobile Retail, High-End Retail, Mobile Commerce, and most recently we added Retail Mobile Video. While it is clear there is still so much to do, we have the beginnings of a foundation for retailers to learn and lead while making our way through Bricks and Mobile.

As we work with the retailers, it has become clear that now is not the time to compete for market share in the mobile channel.  Right now, it is time for “coopertition”.  Collectively we have a wealth of knowledge; independently we are chasing our tails.  The Bricks and Mobile event is a time to bring the retail and mobile leaders together to baseline best practices around the paths that create a POS opportunity through mobile commerce.  Why would this make sense?  It makes sense because ultimately our consumer is going to fully engage in mobility.  It would be ideal to have the ecosystem in alignment as we start to educate the consumer on how to engage.  It is in every retailer’s best interest to have the consumer understand the value proposition with mobility and why they should even care.

NFC has some time before it is in the hands of the mass of consumers, but is it on the way.  There is no chance that it is NOT coming.  Every retailer needs this time to create a strategy and road map for integrating the channel into the over all digital strategy.  12 months or 3 years go by in a blink of an eye.  While there are many focused on how the actual payment transaction with mobility can and will happen, retailers also need to understand the marketing and loyalty components that make building this channel possible.  2 parts marketing, 1 part payment, with a sprinkle of compliancy and security standards, and a dash of the new consumer behavior = retail mobile commerce in its infancy.

Competition is good because it shows you what you could be doing and also what you might not want to do.  Coopertition is needed right now because competing globally is on its way and we are going to need to work together to make that happen.  We want the USA team to have a set of standards around how we build and execute mobile strategy.

There are so many exciting changes going on in the retail and mobile commerce space. Julie Krueger, Industry Director of Retail at Google shared that we need to understand what’s to come with marketing and loyalty programs meeting mobile payment and virtual wallets.  It is imperative that the retailer understands what they can do right now to engage the customer, share methods for building a loyalty program while being compliant, and considering the security issues that will be faced with mobility.

In Store

Consumers expect a meaningful in store mobile experience, are you prepared to engage them? Across the past year optimized in store experience has transitioned from exceeding customer expectations, to now simply meeting expectations – and QR codes are not enough.  The era of mobility has arrived, and your customers expect a customized relevant in store experience delivered to their phone- how does your company perform? Pushing branded video games, mp3s, in-store specials and promotions out that capture the attention of consumers can generate excitement around the products being sold.

On-The-Go

As the tablet and smartphone markets explode, marketers reasonably expect there to be additional windows and channels through which to reach audiences on-the-go.  Not surprisingly, timing for when best to engage the “mobile consumer” is a constantly shuffled puzzle, and the volume of time that consumers spend attentive to digital media may be decreasing.  Tim Hayden, CMO of 44Doors noted, “This presents an exciting but challenging opportunity to capitalize on the empowered consumer’s moments to be reached within shared opinions and impressions”.  The intersection of social and mobile technology that turns clicks to purchases, online and offline.

Brand’s and Their Influence in Retail Mobility

While retailers have traditionally controlled the shopping experience, mobile marketing allows brands to provide shoppers with additional information to influence the purchase. Molly Garris, Director of Digital Strategy at Arc Worldwide said, “The channel has successful experiences that vary by low- and high-involvement categories, outside and within the store and across tactics from text messaging to the latest location-based apps.  Prioritizing solutions for your brands, figuring out which content to provide and how to leverage partnership opportunities with retailers and third party apps like ShopKick and FourSquare, will help to build a cohesive ecosystem”.

The Why and What Could Change the How

Connecting with customers, demonstrate relevance and creating effective mobile experiences by knowing where to be, how to be there, and what to measure in valuable. Shanon Marks, Creative Director from Acquity Group, reminded us that the goal is to get your brand in the minds, and hands, of as many consumers as possible through targeted, and relevant mobile experiences. Leveraging location based services, gaming strategies, and incentive programs that drive sales, demonstrate relevance, and fit seamlessly within the rapidly expanding mobile universe might just change the roadmap to how you get there.

What is the Value Proposition for Payment and the Virtual Wallet?

As Gary Schwartz, author of Impluse Economy explained, ”There are three mobile wallets: Carrier Wallet, Quick Checkout Cloud-based Wallet and NFC Proximity Wallet.  All of these wallets have digital services, virtual and now physical content sales on the mobile device.  Form factor is a key topic (TV, LAPTOP, TAB, PHONE . . . all mobile)”.  What content is consumed on what screen needs to be defined while content owners manage the “battle for the screen”.  Remember that COMMERCE is more than PAYMENT. Farhan Ahmad from Discover says that “Mobile Payment is a subset of mobile commerce.  M-Commerce is primarily about consumer engagement and marketing.”

Status Quo is no longer an option for payment methods.  Banks, carriers and credit card companies are being challenged with new competitive players in the market.  A similar challenge will confront the retailer with CPG Brands having the choice to create B to C facing storefronts within the mobile channel.  Finding solution to stay competitive while creating best practices with the new players is imperative.

The world is changing because of mobility.  It is an unstoppable force that will eventually make its way past our eCommerce platforms.  You do have the choice to ignore it, but it will not be going away.  Rick Blair, CIO of OpinionLab shared that while your consumer took the 10 year ride with you on the web, your mobile consumer wants full functionality and they want it now.  It is a tall order and the only way to get there is to harness our collective knowledge.  At Bricks and Mobile, we are building a new model where education is the first goal of bringing people together.  We are replacing selling with teaching and learning.  The feedback from our attendees says REFRESHING!!!  We look forward to the continued adventures of distilling collective knowledge for the retail mobile ecosystem in 2012!

Bricks and Mobile Photos, Presentations and Articles 2011

Leadership Recommendations

“This is my second Bricks & Mobile event and Kelly and her team have done a fantastic job attracting attendees and thought leaders alike that cover the full spectrum of the mobile commerce ecosystem. High praises!“ ~ Doug Kilgour, Sales and Account Management, Isis

“Bricks and Mobile is a phenomenal event for any retailer or brand engaged in the mobile space or interested in learning more. We all know mobile is where we need to be, but the challenge is discovering how to get there. Kelly and her team do a fantastic job educating attendees and creating a collaborative community of industry thought leaders to share best practices, challenges, and successes in the mobile space. Highly recommended, I can’t wait to return for more!” ~Jessica Rotnicki-Magaro, Vice President Ecommerce North America, Estee Lauder Companies

“Few events are able to wrap relevant content surrounding mobile commerce into a single day event. Bricks and Mobile does an excellent job in packing the day with fun, interesting, and on-point content for everyone in our industry. I’ve had the pleasure to attend and speak at two Bricks and Mobile Events and plan to do so again in the future!” ~Erik Vlugt, VP Product Marketing, Integrated Systems, VeriFone

“As retail bricks collide with both the cloud and shopper devices, the Bricks and Mobile event has become a leadership beacon for the industry.” ~Gary Schwartz, CEO, Impact Mobile, Chair of MEF North America, and Author of Impluse Economy

“Bricks and Mobile is a collaborative event bringing together leaders across the retail, brand, and mobile spaces. Attendees and presenters alike all contributed to the conversation. I learned a great deal about what retailers are doing now to drive consumers to purchase via mobile and where we are headed. I highly recommend this event for any business leader who wants to drive business forward using mobile this year and beyond.” ~Bridget Brennan, CEO, Female Factor and Author of “Why She Buys”

“Bricks and Mobile brings together a good solid mix of retailers and mobile leaders providing lively discussion around todays hot topics in mobile retailing.” ~George Findling, Enterprise Architect, Crate&Barrel

Mobility is a treacherous business. Cell phones are only used for an average of 18 months before dropping down toilets, falling off tables and general m-wear and tear drives the consumer back into the buyers’ market. For fashion and trend conscious consumers this cycle is probably shorter. And mobile folk are a fickle bunch.

While some may be diehard Apple or Android loyalists, the masses swap out the old for the new in rapid succession. Every time a screen smashes, a phone drops down a manhole or domiciles in a taxi (without you), there is a fresh opportunity for a handset manufacturer and an operating platform to woo the new shopper.

Of course, there is some stickiness. Consumers may be faithful to their Blackberry Messenger group, or the slick screen design of their iPhone, or the price point of their Android.

But when shoppers are back on the market they tend to be unchaste.

It is not just the device. Apple has made sure that the consumer is well aware that if you want APPs there is only one show in town. Developers worldwide are working hard to make sure that Apple and Android operating systems can market themselves and sell based on access to this wealth of content. RIM’s Playbook and Hewlett-Packard’s webOS never stood a chance without a preexisting content library.

Apple’s marketing genius continues to position the iPhone as the aspirational handheld, while Google’s open-android operating system on Samsung, HTC and Motorola continues to drive the bulk of smartphone sales. With Hewlett-Packard declaring defeat and Blackberry (RIM) and Nokia under siege, it looks like a two-horse race.

But recently things have become a little difficult to track.

Apple starts an IP war, litigating against Samsung and winning a stay of the release of its new TAB in Europe. Google’s purchase of Motorola, ostensibly for IP, suddenly makes the giant of the cloud a retail-bound cell phone manufacturer.  This forces Samsung and HTC Android loyal hardware partners to reevaluate their strategy and possibly further diversify their operating systems.

The pressure of the looming patent war and Google’s unsettling role in the device market is opening the door for Windows reenter the market.

With the salvo of recent litigation, the Android operating system is turning into a liability.  Open-Android does not come bundled with an indemnification for the hardware vendors. Windows Phone’s does! This is becoming an expensive problem for handset manufacturers. Samsung and HTC have found themselves paying for their own legal defense and paying on any ensuing royalty settlement.

In the background, Windows has been quietly enforcing its IP rights globally. Goldman Sachs analysts estimated that Microsoft will make nearly half a billion dollars in 2012 on royalties of $3 to $6 per Android device from vendors like Samsung and HTC.

Microsoft’s “Android” royalties is estimated to be TRIPLE the revenue earned on Windows Phone licenses.

With all these mobile machinations, Windows 8 may be powering your new device pick on the shelf next year. Microsoft may allow for light computing with more robust utility than Apple or Android.

Next time your phone-du-jour falls down the stairwell or is left at the bus station, a phone powered by a Windows operating system maybe the new flavor of the day.

Gary Schwartz, CEO Impact Mobile and Chair of MEF North America

Over the past nine years, Gary has played a leadership role in the mobile industry, founded Impact Mobile in 2002 running the first cross-carrier short code campaign in North America.

In 2006, Gary founded the mobile committee for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) (www.iab.net) (for which he received an IAB award for industry excellence in 2009).

In 2010, Gary was elected as the Chair of MEF North America (www.m-e-f.org) with a remit to develop mobile commerce best practices and advance commerce security and privacy (for which he received a MEF award for industry excellence). In 2011, in partnership with MEF and a number of industry groups including the X9.org security standards body, Gary is working to develop m-commerce security and privacy guidelines.

Gary it the recipient of the Asia and Japan Foundation Fellowship as well as the Macromedia People Choice Award and Dodge Foundation award for innovation. Gary is the author of the mobile industry book, The Impulse Economy, published by Simon & Schuster.

Written by Todd Shingler

Note: QR Codes: Great Potential, OftenPoorly Executed – Part 1 discussed a few common examples of poor QR Code presentation and provided tips on how to avoid them. Part 2 focuses on the post-scan experience, provides examples of well-executed QR code campaigns and provides a few recommendations to help with your own QR Code campaigns.

Have you ever scanned a QR code or Microsoft Tag and (presuming it worked) been completely underwhelmed by the result? I scan just about every QR code and Microsoft Tag that I come across and I am constantly amazed at how poor the resulting experience is.

More often than not, a successful scan launches my browser to a full (non-mobile optimized) website, takes me to a flash video that won’t play on my iPhone, or does nothing discernable (presumably not the intention).

When this happens, I generally end the engagement as I have no desire to pinch, zoom and scroll my way around a desktop website or to try to and figure out why the video didn’t work or why nothing seemed to happen. I also consciously or subconsciously associate the brand with having wasted my time and am unlikely to attempt to further engage the brand. And I’m not alone – in announcing that mobile site optimization is now a factor in how ad quality is scored for AdWords campaigns that drive mobile search traffic, Google quoted an internal study that found that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone.

Every now and then, the scan results in a positive, often interactive experience, increasing the likelihood that I’ll continue the engagement, recall the brand and react positively to future engagement opportunities.

QR codes are clearly being used more today than they were even 6 months ago.  In the car of the train I was on last week, there were nine advertisements that I could see from my seat. Of these, 5 included QR codes – but only 2 of the QR codes led to a mobile-optimized website or targeted mobile campaign with the other 3 leading to non-mobile optimized sites. Interestingly, of the 4 ads without QR codes, one included a URL that actually led to a mobile optimized website. It was also interesting to note that the 5 QR codes were printed in 4 different sizes ranging from 2×2 to 6×6 inches and that none of the ads included any explanation what to do with the QR code or what to expect upon scanning it. Clearly, as per my last post, there is a lot of room for improvement in the how
QR codes are presented in print advertisements.

So how does one ensure they are creating a positive mobile marketing experience using QR codes? Most important is to ensure the resulting experience is mobile-optimized and contextually appropriate. Without getting into ‘value exchange’ of mobile campaigns, here are a few suggestions depending on your goal:

• If your goal is simply to get consumers to your website, make sure your website is mobile-optimized or detect mobile users and redirect them to a companion mobile website with content and features tailored to a mobile user. For example, the QR code on an ad for Food Genius took me to this mobile website:

• If you don’t have a mobile-optimized website, then you should create a mobile-optimized micro-site in support of the QR code campaign. A good example of this was the QR code on an ad for Power2Switch.  They don’t have a mobile-optimized website, so instead created a mobile-optimized micro-site promoting the benefits of their service and asking “on-the-go” users to provide their email address so Power2Switch could send them an email “later this evening with instructions about how to get started”.

Power2Switch not only provided a mobile-optimized experience, they also got their key points directly communicated, acknowledged that the mobile user was on-to-go and offered to engage them later on a different medium where the mobile user could continue the engagement at their convenience.

• If you are trying to increase Facebook ‘likes’, Twitter ‘followers’ or FourSquare ‘check-ins’ – state that as your goal and then use QR codes to direct mobile users to the mobile version of your Facebook page, Twitter profile or FourSquare check-in – where they can immediately ‘like’ you, ‘follow’ you or ‘check-in’.
• If you are promoting a specific product, sale or event, ensure the QR code takes the mobile user directly to related information. Don’t simply drop them into your mobile website and make them search again for information they should have received directly. They’ll most likely simply disengage. A good example of this is Best Buy’s use of QR codes on their in-store product fact tags that take customers directly to each product on Best Buy’s mobile website for additional product information and customer reviews.
• If you are encouraging subscriptions to email or text updates, ensure the subsequent confirmation process is mobile-optimized, simple and in-line with the Mobile Marketing Association Code of Conduct and FCC CAN-SPAM Guidelines.
• If you are promoting a mobile application – use the QR code to detect and redirect mobile users to the appropriate app store for their mobile device. For example, an email blast for the upcoming Bricks + Mobile mobile commerce event encourages scanning a QR code to download the Guidebook application ahead of the event. Scanning it took me directly to the Guidebook app on the iTunes app store as shown below:

There are many other great ways to use QR codes to complement a marketing campaign. Just remember to ensure the post-scan experience is engaging, mobile-optimized and encourages subsequent engagement. If you can’t ensure this, you’re better off leaving the QR code out altogether. Likewise, if you can’t define and accomplish a specific objective by including a QR code, leave it out. Lastly, until QR code usage gains mainstream traction (or is rendered obsolete by NFC?), consider complementary Text Messaging campaigns to expand the reach of your mobile campaigns.

Todd Shingler – Founder & President, Mobile Perspectives

Todd Shingler is the Founder and President of Mobile Perspectives LLC, a Chicago-based provider of mobile solutions and strategic consulting services enabling businesses and brands to effectively engage mobile consumers and mobilize their workforce.

Todd brings to Mobile Perspectives over 20 years of experience in the wireless industry, most recently as CEO of MobileAware Limited. With a customer and partner base that has spanned the globe – including some of the world’s largest mobile operators, retailers, airlines, banks and technology companies, Todd brings a unique Mobile Perspective to any engagement.

Follow Todd on Twitter @toddshingler.