Blog

May 15, 2012

One of the announcements at the 3rd annual NexTargeting Summit on April 26th was the news that [x+1] has formed an exciting new partnership with WDA. We caught up with CEO John Nardone to hear more about [x+1] & WDA.

Xplus: Why is the partnership with WDA important?
Nardone: We take a multi-channel approach to everything we do at [x+1] and because as interactions on mobile devices increase to new heights, mobile is becoming increasingly important in the marketing mix. But mobile is a complex ecosystem with publishers, device manufacturers and service providers in the mix. So the right partner for [x+1] was key.

Xplus: Why did we choose WDA?
Nardone: Experience, Scale, Solution mind-set, and the common bond we share with Konny Zsigo, WDA’s President & CEO – we share a philosophy that we are finding marketing solutions for marketers rather than just selling ads.

WDA is an extremely experienced and devoted leader in mobile. They have been around a very long time and understand mobile from all of its facets; the marketer’s point of view, how advertising can work well through planning a great user experience, what to understand about the service providers, how devices play in a marketing strategy and the goals of the publishers. They are very active in the development of leading edge innovations, as evidenced by their recent press release about an important privacy issue related to tracking in mobile.

WDA can provide [x+1]’s clients with the reach and scale they seek for a mobile program. For example, WDA has more than 30 different ad sources! They can reach into their own developer network for a client’s needs, which is really needed in mobile, and because of their reach, the scale of the mobile analytics they provide is wide. Net-net, the WDA platform is a fully integrated platform for mobile. They can see into all the facets of mobile – ads, apps, in app and more.

But the solution-mindset is really what we share. Marketers can find ways to transact for online media or mobile. But [x+1] and WDA believe deeply that clients want partners to provide the best solution today and be a step ahead for the future and help them roadmap their strategy.

Xplus: We also reached out to Konny Zsigo to get his take on the partnership:
“Several times throughout WDA’s history we have been fortunate enough to understand a dramatic pending shift in the marketplace and cut through the confusion and challenges with clear, strategic solutions,” according to Konny. “Our partnership with [x+1] is another example of that and this partnership will set us apart in the mobile communications world”, he adds.

Xplus: What’s the timetable?
Nardone: Platform integration will happen this year with a first generation solution available for marketers and agencies early Fall 2012. We see reporting integration coming on board so that a client’s mobile campaign through WDA will be available through the [x+1] Origin dashboard and clients will have a “gateway” to WDA’s inventory partners with a single integration through [x+1] Origin.

Xplus: How can [x+1] clients leverage the WDA partnership?
Nardone: Right now, for [x+1] clients who want to implement a plan in mobile, [x+1] can facilitate a campaign with WDA starting this summer.

Marketers and agencies can learn more by contacting [x+1] Client Solutions team, or XplusOne Sales at sales@xplusone.com or WDA by visiting http://wda.us/contact-us/

When collecting phone numbers for opt-in text campaigns, the question inevitably arises: Who owns the list? The short answer: the owner of the short-code used to collect the opt-ins. The complete answer is much longer, my friends . . .

Every few years, we invent new ways to communicate. In my lifetime: newsgroups, chat, sms, cell-phone, voice-mail, chat rooms, 900-number chat, psychic friends, Facebook, Twitter, teleconference, webex, video chat, Skype, social gaming, Four Square, etc. What am I forgetting? New sites, menus, abbreviations, etiquette, all add up to delicious adventures despite the complaining. These new tools come with increasing frequency, and we opt-in like ants on a picnic march.

Personally, I believe desire for intimacy and growth drives these inventions. People like space to be themselves – all of their selves – with one another. Some like to “try it on” with pretend selves. We like to get away from everyday life and start fresh. New technology lets us do that, even with people we see every day. A new way to communicate, for a time, stimulates new substance to our communication, and therefore new opportunities for growth and intimacy. And of course, occasional misbehavior (or so I’ve heard).

Then . . . the marketers arrive, and screw it all up.[Read More...]

I recently attended the very boisterous and crowded Mobile Marketing Association Forum at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Apparently everyone wants into mobile marketing these days. The term MMA, which on most days stands for “Mixed Martial Arts”, and trends around 1800 on twitter, shot to over 7000 on Monday, June 7^th, pre-con day. This number suggests some busy fingers at the “real MMA”, considering that only 600 people attended (they were ALL in line at Starbucks in the Waldorf lobby in the morning, by the way). But, that’s a very nice number for a niche show selling $1300 tickets. Geez. That was an ouchie. Martial arts indeed (Just a little joke for the blog, Brooke; totally worth every penny).

Unlike many past shows, with vendors bluffing each other and no one else paying much attention, there were lots of advertisers there. And let me tell ya . . . this is the year they are calling our bluff. Present company excepted on the bluffing thing, of course.[Read More...]

WDA is quite busy these days conquering the world of widgets, and as usual, we are running full speed ahead in multiple directions. Chaos is our friend, because chaos gives rise to the need for invention. And invention is how we at WDA butter our bread.

“Widgets” is one of those delightful subjects that creates endless debate over what the future holds, who will win, and who will lose. Has the solution to device fragmentation finally arrived, we all ask? Konny Zsigo has weighed in pretty firmly on this subject in general, but a question asked around the office recently made me think I might have a thing or two to say on the subject. The question was this: who will win, JIL, bondi? The question is important to developers, because a wrong bet on technology at the wrong time is expensive.

I can speak from some experience on this subject, based on watching the development of telecom standards in general that I have watched since 1993, first as an SMSC installation engineer, and now as a mobile marketer. For example, we have GSM, TDMA, and CDMA (air interface network standards) for reasons unrelated to optimal technical solutions; or even optimal user experience.[Read More...]

In reading the Flurry of discussion regarding the new iPhone Developer Agreement from Apple, I couldn’t help but get that nagging feeling again that the iPhone is Brew all over again. And I am also wondering why the FTC is all over Google. I mean, the innovation is happening in apps. That’s the innovation that needs protecting, not the ads in the apps. Hello Big Brother, over here!  A little help? If you are a wireless games old-timer,  I’d love to hear your ideas on this. Back to the Brew/iPhone comparison: like the Apple iPhone, Brew is an integrated application platform down to the chip level. Apple takes it one more step, to a single device manufacturer, whereas Brew has licensees. Now, remember when Brew launched, and it wasn’t so hot at first? Then, carriers mandated free demos, and downloads took off! The paid downloads followed (just as “free” brings every iPhone user quickly into the fold of app users), but at a 2% ratio to free. Sound familiar? During the ensuing hey-day, almost anything could get launched in Brew, and dozens of independent developers were making lots of money. Then, things started tightening up. First came the complaints about diminished profits from “free” demos. Then the complaints about too much content. Then, the “quality, not quantity” push. [Read More...]