RICK MATHIESON: GENWOW.COM

Mercedes Rolls Out In-Car Mobile Payments App (Video)

Talk about driving innovation. 

While most auto brands seem content using mobile as a pure-play marketing channel, Mercedes-Benz is turning it into an in-car account management app.

At its most essential, the in-car app is an extension of a smart phone and tablet-based account management tool first introduced in 2009 by Mercedes-Benz financial services. Now it is being integrated within navigation console of many model year 2013 vehicles.

In all cases, drivers can use the apps to make payments on their vehicles, access account information, get pay-off information, receive payment reminders and even sign up for auto-pay. And yes, when you start thinking about your next Mercedes, you can use the app to calculate payments.

I do think this could/should be further integrated with OnStar-style concierge services to give drivers access to anything they need while driving.

How might an innovative CRM solution like this thrill your customers while cutting down costs and streamlining operations?

The concept is definitely worth a test drive.

Read all about it, here.

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Coke 'Small World Machines' Share Moments within Nations at Odds (Video)

 

There has long been a belief that popular culture breaks down barriers - the idea that engagement always trumps disengagement.

That was true when it came to the Soviet Union. That's true when it comes to China.

And to the extent than popular culture includes consumer products (it includes music, movies and fashion, so why not CPG?), Coca-Cola has always been at the forefront of cashing in on any peace dividend it could help create (a notion I call "cause meets commerce" in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND). Just look at the "I'd Like to Buy The World A Coke" spot from the 60s.

And look at this fantastic new outdoor-cum-live-social-media effort from Coca-Cola and Leo Burnett, which provides a live communications portal between people in two nations who have long had antagonisms - India and Pakistan – and gets them to complete some engaging task, like touching hands, or drawing symbols for happiness, peace and love together. 

I dare you not to get choked up.

Kudos to all involved.

Read all about it, here.

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The Hidden Hearing 'Vision' Test (Video)

 

This is a tricky TV spot that looks like a vision test, sounds like a rude awakening about your hearing.

It reminds me of an initiative from Fanta that I write about in my book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND. It involved a mobile app where kids could press buttons to play audio clips that make fun of the adults in the room. The frequency was just high enough that nobody over the age of 21 could hear it. So kids had fun at the adults' expense, and the grown-ups were (suitably) clueless.

Kudos DraftFCBToronto for applying this kind of concept to something far more important.

Read all about it, here.

 

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'Momtract' Gives Mom What She Really Wants This Mother's Day: Power (Video)

 

This is a hilarious new video from, ironically, Mother NY.

Needless to say, Mom will love it.

Read all about it, here.

 

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Lenticular Poster Speaks to Adults, Children At Different Angles to Fight Abuse (Video)

 

Okay, this isn't a digital experience - but that doesn't mean it's not innovative.

This out-of-home poster campaign uses lenticular printing so that there's a message at one height for adults, and another at eye-level for kids.

All for a very good cause. Kudos to Grey Spain for the great work.

Read all about it, here.

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Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré (Conclusion) - Alternate Reality Games, Location-Based Marketing & Targeting

In the conclusion of this source interview for my book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré offers his view of alternate reality games (ARGs), social media, location-based marketing and that most controversial of issues: targeting.

CLICK HERE to listen to: Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA (Conclusion): ARGs, Social Media, Location-Based Marketing & Targeting

 

 

(Approx. 5:45)

Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré (Pt. 3) - On Coca-Cola, Target & AKQA's #1 Core Value

In part three of this source interview for my book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré shares insights on a few more of his agency's most successful initiatives - including Design The World a Coke and the holiday iPhone app for Target - as well as how AKQA organizes itself around its #1 core value: Innovation.

 CLICK HERE to listen to: Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA (Pt. 3): Coca-Cola, Target and AKQA's #1 Core Value

(Approx. 4:56)

   

 

Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré (Pt. 2) - Nike, Visa & Undervaluing Facebook

 

More from my source interview with AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré, for my book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND.

In part two, Bedecarré talks about some of AKQA's all-time greatest initiatives, beginning with the Nike PhotoID mobile app (see the YouTube video above for the latest version of the app, which enables you to design sneakers with Instagram photos). Along the way, we'll learn that for all the hype that surrounds Facebook, Bedecarré believes it remains grossly undervalued by marketers.

Listen to: Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA (Pt. 2): Nike, Visa & the Surprising Power of Facebook

 

(Approx. 5:10)

Interview: AKQA CEO Tom Bedecarré - On Building The Agency of Tomorrow, Today

Tom Bedecarré is succeeding like few others in creating the ad agency of tomorrow, today.

In part one of an expansive source interview for my book, THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, Bedecarré shares the behind the scenes steps he took to shape what is arguably one of the most forward thinking digital marketing firms in the world

"There are a lot of advertising people who want to hang onto the past, want to hang onto 30-second television commercials and full-color magazine ads, and I think it's very hard to catch up," he tells me, with considerable understatement, before explaining how his team started putting the pieces in place a decade ago to capitalize on this amazing new era.

 

Over the next few days, I'll share more from this interview, including Bedecarreé's insights on some of today's mos exciting new channels, as well as his firm's most famous digital initiatives, from Design The World A Coke, to Nike PhotoID, to the Target snow globe iPhone app and more. 

Tom Bedecarré, CEO, AKQA: Building The Agency of Tomorrow, Today (Pt. 1)

Listen to: AQKA CEO Tom Bedecarré Pt 1: The Agency of Tomorrow, Today

(Approx. 3:10)

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Budweiser Toasts Facebook-Integrated 'Buddy Cup' - A New Way to Make Friends (Video)

 

I'll drink to that.

As I write in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, we've reached a point now where brands should no longer view social media as a cool new way to connect with consumers.

We must now view social media as a means by which we as brands can enable consumers not just to connect with us, but to each other. And not just in some virtual space, but in the physical world as well.

This initiative can help break the ice in a social setting - as well as continue the conversation (and/or flirtation) after that beer (or the many, many beers, as the case may be) is gone.

Cheers to Bud for the bold idea.

Read all about it, here.

 

 

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