8/12 Techmeme Headlines are Currently Mobile

I find myself talking more and more about "mobile". Entrepreneurs, friends or colleagues frequently ask what interests me; and undoubtedly, we spend a good chunk of that conversation on mobile. I find myself writing more and more about mobile. I have a mobile category on the blog - and it seems to be filling up the most quickly (thanks to my infatuation with the Google Nexus One).

I find my web habits shifting more and more to the mobile web... as it does for so many others. And it is clearly a trend that will continue as devices get stronger, faster and sexier. Take a look at Techmeme this morning and you will notice that the majority of the headlines are mobile related. In fact, eight of twelve headlines are mobile, from Palm to Google's Nexus One to Android and iPhone and so forth. Of course, this is a skewed week due to CES and Google's announcement - but these occurrences are becoming more regular than irregular.

I was at the Crunchies on Friday evening and was struck by:

- the number of companies for which mobile is a key role (from Facebook to Dropbox to Yelp to Animoto, etc) - the number of Google Nexus One phones in the crowd (amazing considering the device is days old) - the way the audience was tweeting and Facebook-ing the *entire* event via their phones - the focus - both in presentation but social discussion - on next-generation web usage (tablets, netbooks, Chrome, etc), which can be thought of as a large extension of the mobile web

Of course, if you are working in mobile or are interested in Polaris and Dogpatch Labs - I would love to chat!

Google's Nexus One Product Page & Tour Are Terrific

Since when did Google become such a UI / UE powerhouse? From Chrome to their Extensions to the Android branding / packaging to their holiday cards, it seems like everything coming out of Google is simple, clean and great looking. Now that the Google Nexus is available for purchase, they also have created a gorgeous product page - complete with: - checkout - product specs - 3D experience - product tour (including scale and sizing) - phone activation and shipment tracking Like Google's other recent releases, this is exceptional... particularly for a non-traditional e-commerce company. The purchase flow and the product tour are particularly powerful and clean; in fact, the only real loser of a page is the "technical specifications", which verges on too simplistic and text heavy.

This is my favorite part of the flow. To demonstrate how small the phone is, Google shows you what it looks like within your hand... which is scaled by placing your hand against the screen and choosing the appropriate size. Clever, fun and still useful.

Google Nexus One: Coming to Verizon Spring 2010

The Google Nexus One purchase page is now live and:- you can buy it unlocked for $529 - with a T-Mobile account for $179 - ... or wait until Spring 2010 to purchase on Verizon (woohoo!)

Google Nexus One Unboxing: Great Packaging and Branding

I have spent a lot of time thinking about packaging - particularly over the holidays as we all purchase and receive gifts. Companies like Amazon focus on speed and reliability while others like Rue La La put a lot of care into visuals, emotion and even virality (future post coming). As pictures and reviews of the forthcoming Google Nexus One make their way online, I was struck by the care and uniqueness of the packaging and branding by Google / Android. It is clever and powerful. It is also a stark contrast to the blunt and robotic messaging of Droid: - Droid is here: compromise officially deactivated. (ad here) - Jump from page to page like a caffeinated cricket in a room full of hungry lizards. (ad here)

Meanwhile, the Nexus One packaging oozes Google's brand and is more fun than rigid / tough (like the Droid). From the 'get started' pamphlet to the start screen to the phone's casing, it is obvious that this is: - a Google phone - an Android device - is equipped with 10,000s of applications - has character and funkiness Engadget has a great review and photo gallery of the Nexus One. Here are a handful that highlight the above points and check out all of the photos on Engadget:

ESPN's Mobile Application Strategy (and Ad Campaign to Match)

ESPN's Scorecenter iPhone App is the top sports application in iTunes, alongside several other successful ESPN apps: ESPN Radio ($2.99), ESPN Fantasy Football ($2.99), ESPN Zoom ($2.99), ESPN Streak for the Cash, ESPN 2010 World Cup, and so on.

Paid mobile apps are a key part of ESPN's digital strategy:

“I think we are evolving into a mobile applications world, which offers much more personalization, and we’re moving towards more paid content in mobile,” said John Kosner, senior vice president and general manager of digital media at ESPN, Bristol, CT. “We take it for granted that content is free on Web sites, but I think you’ll see something different evolve on mobile. “We’re committed to multiple revenue streams, and Apple’s iTunes billing and carrier billing makes it easier to do paid mobile content,” he said. “Advertisers want scale, and we’re able to provide that by delivering want fans want.

“It’s all about value—fans will pay for content that they value and they can’t find other places, and we’ve also been able to reach scale and have enough of an audience mobile so it interests advertisers.”

The focus on mobile applications is evident from the advertising and cross-promotion online, on-radio, in-print, and even on-air. Listen to an ESPN radio broadcast and you will hear several personality-driven promotions of the new ESPN Radio App... and, if you visited ESPN.com yesterday, you surely noticed that the homepage was taken over to promote ESPN's Scorecenter application:

Traditionally, ESPN saves the homepage for high CPM, rich ad units; here, they are promoting a free application for mobile users. That app is then used to promote ESPN's paid applications (average of $2.99 per download) through overlays, interstitials, etc. It is an interesting move considering that the holiday shopping season just concluded and that iTunes is seeing record traffic post-Christmas.

The ad unit is terrific: it takes over the entire background of the page and features a 'swiping' finger. As the finger swipes between iPhone screens, ESPN's background synchronously shifts. It is great looking and does an excellent job showcasing the slick UI on the iPhone.

click to see each 'stage' in full size

Android Now 27% of Smartphone Requests (Doubled since August); Droid Now 15% of Android Devices

Interesting and impressive data around Android and the Motorola Droid from two sources today: AdMob's November "Mobile Metrics" report and Betanews.

- According to Betanews, 15% of all Android handsets are now Motorola Droids - And, according to AdMob, the Droid represents 25% of all Android mobile requests Most impressively - and most importantly - Android's growth is significant. Android now represents 27% of smartphone requests - up from 20% in October, 17% in September and 13% in August. That means, since August, Android's has more than doubled it's market activity as defined by AdMob's request metrics (which is based on their huge mobile footprint and is directionally accurate).

More Android tidbits from AdMob: - Traffic from Android devices has increased dramatically over the last year, particularly with the new devices launched in the last two months. Android generated 27% of smartphone requests in the US in November 2009, up from 20% in October 2009. - In November 2009, 88% of Android traffic in the AdMob network was generated in the US. The UK was with second largest market with 4% of requests. - As the number of Android devices proliferates around the world, the popular Android handsets may vary from region to region. In the US, the Motorola Droid quickly became the number two Android handset with heavy marketing support from Verizon. In the UK, the HTC Dream, HTC Magic and HTC Hero make up 92% of Android requests.

Android Data from November 2009

Android Data from October 2009 (when I wrote, Android is about to explode)

Electronic Arts has Seven of iPhone's Top 25 Grossing iPhone Apps

It's no surprise that big brands represent a significant share of the iPhone's top grossing iPhone applications. Here is another proof point: Electronc Arts itself represents seven of the iPhone's twenty-five top grossing applications... each of which is priced similarly ($4.99 is the common price-point) and carries a big brand name (either a gaming staple like Madden / The Sims or a board-game staple like Battleship / Scrabble):

#3. Battleship ($2.99) #13. Dragon's Lair ($4.99) #14. Tetris ($4.99) #18. The Sims 3 ($6.99) #20. Need for Speed ($4.99) #22. Madden NFL 10 ($6.99) #23. Scrabble ($4.99)

AT&T or the iPhone: Does it Matter Who's to Blame?

"AT&T and Apple could both gain by swapping talent. Apple, send your marketing wizards to lend your partner a hand. It sorely needs help.

AT&T, send some engineers to redesign the iPhone to make better use of the country’s fastest wireless network."

That's from "AT&T Takes the Blame, Even for the iPhone's Fault" in today's New York Times. It's a very relevant article considering:

- the current marketing blitz / war between Verizon and AT&T - the announcement of the forthcoming Google Phone - the recent AT&T outage (and worsening coverage) All of this also comes at a time when consumers (like me) are getting fed up with dropped calls, slow connectivity, and so forth. No matter how much I love my iPhone (and I do!), it has to function reliably as a phone and web-connected device.

Regardless of who is to blame - based on the New York Times article - both AT&T and Apple stand to lose if these issues continue. Hoards of unhappy iPhone fanboys are a great device away from switching... for many, the Droid represents that. Or the Google Phone... or any of the other forthcoming Android, Blackberry or other devices.

Verizon & AT&T: Second & Third Largest Advertisers

If you're reading this blog:you likely either own an iPhone or an Android device ... and you've likely read my coverage of the marketing blitzes around Droid and around Apple's iPhone ... and you've probably seen the recent commercials from Verizon and AT&T around 3G maps:

But did you know that Verizon and AT&T are the second and third largest national advertisers respectively? Together, they spend nearly $7 billion each year - more than 3x the spend of Coke and Pepsi... combined.

And as Verizon attacks AT&T Apple with their new Droid lineup, you can bet that advertising will play an integral role both online and offline. And as you saw with their recent Luke Wilson campaign, AT&T is capable and willing to respond both aggressively and quickly:

The combatants this time around—in case you hadn't noticed—are Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the respective No. 1 and No. 2 U.S. wireless carriers. That's the nation's second-largest advertiser (Verizon's marketing war chest is $3.7 billion), up against the third largest (AT&T spent $3.1 billion last year according to the Ad Age Datacenter). Those budgets dwarf Coca-Cola's $752 million or even PepsiCo's $1.3 billion.

From AdAge's 'Verizon Vs. AT&T: Blistering Battle Raging Over Map'

Also worth noting, the advertising figures from AdAge do not take into account the tangential spend from related brands, developers and/or manufacturers. For instance, Apple advertisers heavily for the iPhone (on television, in the New York Times, etc) and brands with successful applications frequently use their TV spots to, in part, promote their mobile presence.