Building a website, updating content, running social media profiles and optimizing for mobile can be daunting tasks for a company to take on. But in this day and age, it’s not an option to let these items fall by the wayside if you want to create strong relationships with customers. We recently stumbled across some statistics from eMarketer that shed some light on why digital is the way to go.

Consider the following:

• People under the age of 35 spend 11.9 hours connected to technology each day. Assuming everyone gets eight hours of sleep, this means they spend 74% of their waking hours connected to technology.
• When comparing the first half of 2012 to the last half of 2011, the amount of Americans opening email on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) jumped from 27.4% to 36%. So, don’t forget to optimize for mobile when developing e-newsletters and linking content to mobile sites.
• A research study found that TV viewers multi-tasking with their tablets is great for advertisers – 28% of research participants reported using their tablet to look up more information about a product advertised during the show they’re watching.

If you need help getting your company tapped into online opportunities, give us a call. Our digital team is eager to get you online, into inboxes and ready for mobile.

Have you been noticing more of those square-shaped, grainy-looking barcodes next to the things you watch and buy?  Quick response codes, or QR codes, are not a new technology, but they’re sprouting up more and more around us.  In fact, barcode scanning grew by 4549 percent in the first quarter of this year (no, that’s not missing a decimal point.)  Primarily used to direct people with smartphones to a URL that has additional information, these codes are being placed on magazine ads, direct mail pieces, handouts, billboards, coupons, and even business cards.

There are several free QR code generators out there, including Kaywa and bit.ly, but that doesn’t mean using it’s the best marketing tool for everyone.  You still have to develop compelling content for what you’re directing people to and make sure it’s an appropriate tactic to support your marketing and communication strategies.  While some think QR codes will eventually take over the world, chances are many of your customers still haven’t heard about them and don’t regularly scan them on their smartphones yet.  So keep expectations for success realistic and let us know if you need any help utilizing QR codes as part of your marketing efforts.

My 14^th go-round at SXSW consisted of many firsts – my first year attending as an Austin resident, my first year as an Interactive participant and my first year organizing the first annual San Diego Hoe-Down for the San Diego Music Foundation.

Attending both SXSW Interactive and Music required a 10-day commitment to learning, networking, eating, drinking and rocking – with very little sleep in between said activities.  Interactive was bigger than ever with more than 15,000 attendees – at least 600 were technology media – jammed into overcrowded hotel conference rooms for five days, discussing everything from mobile apps and geo-location marketing to brand influence and customer service.  Despite a few less than spectacular panels and speakers, and a lack of electrical outlets to recharge drained laptops and mobile devices, SXSW Interactive provided a fertile forum for discussion and brand building – both personal and professional.

A couple of key takeaways:

1. Mobile marketing (apps, SMS texting programs and WAP sites) is the new inroad for brand engagement, stimulating a recurring debate among panelists around brands building their own mobile apps vs. sponsoring or marketing through pre-existing apps and mobile platforms.  Much like social media two years ago, mobile marketing has been infected with bright shiny object syndrome. Regardless, strategy must drive the decision to incorporate mobile into your brand marketing plans – does it support your brand goals and objectives?  Do you have a follow-up strategy in place?  How are you measuring success? The importance of understanding your customers – and their needs – before jumping into mobile is a fairly obvious yet often overlooked first step.  Are you providing value, education and relevance to your consumers?  Brands are perceived by what consumers are saying about them, so their mobile apps should be more about functionality, convenience and user experience than brand imagery and entertainment – built in location-based sensitivity designed to change consumer behavior should always be in the strategic conversation.

1. Location is key, but privacy policy is king – lots of talk about geo-targeted social media marketing with location-based platforms Foursquare and GoWalla at the center of numerous panel discussions.  A humorous contribution from one panelist entertained the idea of joining Foursquare so he could check-in at “I don’t care where your eating,” located at the corner of “Who gives a sh*t” and “TMI.” Both Foursquare and GoWalla kept the privacy-control debate alive and kicking during panel discussions – positives and negatives associated with the increasing trend of telling people exactly where you are at any given time.  Foursquare also received high praise among conference attendees for incentivizing consumer behavior through points and prizes – in addition to connecting friends through location sharing.

In spite of the tragic news of Alex Chilton’s passing just days before a scheduled Big Star performance at SXSW Music, some festival highlights included:

1. Lenny Kaye
2. Alejandro Escovedo
3. Chuck Prophet
4. Whitey Morgan & the 78’s
5. The Waco Brothers
6. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
7. Band of Horses (in a church)
8. Vivian Girls
9. Ivan Julian
10. Dengue Fever
11. Deadstring Brothers
12. Sondre Lerche

I’m tired, my ears hurt and I need to do a Master Cleanse, but I’ll definitely be back for SXSW 2011.