History in the Making and in More Ways than One

Well, today we officially welcome the next U.S. president elect to the fold. Barack Obama will certainly have his hands full with the number of issues America faces. This blog is not political in nature however one cannot deny the significance of this moment. As a side note however, this point in American history is being captured and read in ways never imagined and that is what is catching my interest today.

To be more succinct, I just finished watching a news clip from the American news outlet ABC and how the Obama campaign won the young voters. They turned out in huge numbers to support his campaign. This group certainly played an instrumental role in him capturing the presidency. Why did the younger generations suddenly come alive and present themselves at the polls? Traditionally that vote has always been difficult for any candidate to capture. One could certainly point to the issues of the day truly impacting the American people and an utter dissatisfaction with the last administration. The mounting frustration and emotional strains caused by the current government’s policies such as the Iraq war. These policies were potentially hitting home in ways that haven’t been felt in a long time. I believe that these are but a few of the reasons for this young voter presence. One that I would like to look at today however is from the mobile technology side of things.

With today’s sources of news--traditional print, television, radio and word of mouth--playing their usual roles in influencing people’s thoughts, actions and beliefs, I am struck by just how fast the mediums of communication are changing. Today, as we can see, the young in particular are gravitating towards new sources such as the internet and even mobile web to fulfill their needs for the latest news. They may find this info from trusted news sources or they simply read an unfiltered blog.

To say this technology and the associated trends are not having an impact would be an understatement. Just look at what the company Twitter has been doing as of late and what role it has been playing in the election. For those of you not familiar with Twitter this company allows users to send short messages of up to 140 characters from a mobile phone or computer to other ‘followers’. The significance of this is that it has taken off in the States with news and opinions being shared by millions at any given time. It has become so huge that while Obama was campaigning against both Clinton and McCain he actually had an account set up and used it as a tool to connect with voters. He continued to use this service for the duration of his campaign and even sent a message upon winning the Presidency. Do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting that this particular service or technology itself was a decisive factor in this win. However, one cannot discount the affects that mobile related services such as Twitter may have had in uniting young people, challenging ideals and potentially swaying hearts and minds to a certain extent.

Another site created by Twitter tracked the current sentiment of the American people in a way that has never been done before. Basically this site tracks all the political messages on the service. Twitter regularly determines a set of 'Hot Election Topics' and displays every tweet that fits into these categories in an automatically updating stream. This type of technology certainly has the potential to galvanize voters, the younger ones in particular, as the way this information is presented is so new, hip and up to date.

The key to tech based info sharing services such as Twitter is this notion of always on and always available. Of course you can use a home based computer to log messages, however what really runs this engine is the mobile, with most users firing off these messages using their ketai’s.
As you can see here, the power of the mobile is there in a way which allows businesses to build powerful CRM tools to collect information, track sentiment and in some cases alter courses of action or even history. I hope you enjoyed today’s post and as always comments are welcome.

Canadian Chris

Catching that next wave...

I just checked out an online presentation from the folks over at the Tokyo based Infinita Inc. and came across yet another informative arrangement of mobile stats, insights and other goodies. The author of these reports, Christopher Billich was recently in Singapore at the Youth Marketing Forum 2008 to give his presentation entitled: Harnessing Mobile Marketing to Connect with Today’s Youth. As I went through, I was thinking that this presentation was much the same as many of his others in that current mobile functionality topics were covered along with examples of mobile campaigns by large companies. However, that is when I stopped to think about this a little more. I looked at his stats section again and really concentrated on what is being shown here and what I found were key youth metrics such as time spent on mobile web by youth aged 16-24 essentially exploding.

61% of these youth spend one hour or more per day on their mobile web!
90% of youth use the mobile web daily!
42% of youth aged 10-19 rated mobile first, as the medium which matters most to them!
(This stat topping TV (25%), PC (22%) amongst others included in that survey)

What do these stats mean to mobile CRM opportunities? Well, they mean a lot if you are in any way positioned within this market. The signs are there for exponential growth in the near future. Look no further than Mr. Billich’s collection of stats on mobile advertising. One could be a bit put off by the fact that at present advertisers are only directing 1% of budgets towards mobile campaigns. However, looking closer we realize that the year on year growth dating back to 2005-2006 was +35.4% and 2006-2007 coming in at +59.4%. Still not impressed? Okay, how about the fact, that last year alone the equivalent of half a billion U.S. dollars was spent on mobile advertising and this stat is expected to double by 2011.

Is this sinking in? I certainly hope so because this is where this market is going. The bigger companies with larger exploratory budgets are starting to realize this, as it is not unusual to see campaigns by MacDonalds, Nike, Gucci etc. on the mobile web. It is an exciting time for companies which harness mobile CRM systems. In addition, this can be a fun time for mobile CRM developers as well as the end users who ultimately are able to enjoy these new and unique ways of company/customer interaction. Just see my colleague, Chris Delcourt’s recent posts on this and you begin to get the idea.

In closing, we can see certainly see the signs of change on their way within the mobile CRM industry. This advance which is being led by today’s youth, is gaining in strength and it will not be long before a number of companies are suffering the consequences of ill preparation. Conversely those which keep tabs and position themselves well have the potential to ride this proverbial mobile CRM wave to new frontiers.

Canadian Chris

Taxi ads anyone?

Today’s post is an interesting one about an article I recently came across. It centers on the use of wireless technology being applied within the realm of advertising. The idea revolves around static, moving and interactive ads being placed both within and on top of taxis. Where this gets exciting however, is with regards to the digital screens and how they are mounted on the roof of the car. These screens which are 152cm long are double sided and also contain a global positioning system receiver, enabling the screens to promptly display ads according to both geographic locations and timed exposures.

What this means is that special deals such as lunch offers for example, can be sent out for one restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo as the taxi passes by at 12pm and that same taxi can circle back around 6pm with a new dinner ad for the same restaurant. The flexibility offered in terms of content is exactly what marketers want and throw this technology into a densely populated area and you have a new type of ad to really catch some attention.

Now bringing this technology around and relating it to mobile it would not be a stretch to imagine a hybrid campaign incorporating a call to action from a passerby who notices one of these ads as it whizzes by. Advertisers could have mobile landing sites created to direct that consumer to a particular offer. That idea alone echos one of the new rules for ad based CRM system success, which states that the most successful mobile campaigns rely on traditional ad styles—T.V., print, banner/sign—to augment and enhance the distinct capabilities offered by mobile phone advertising. That rooftop taxi sign is certainly a blend of traditional sign based ads, but on steroids per say with its moving, flashing, time and location based ads.

In addition, this new pull based advertising model in which the advertiser is not cramming the product news or information down the consumer’s throat is definitely another idea which must be fully comprehended by content providers. This idea also seems to follow suit in this regard.

This notion is not new as it was first introduced within the U.S. around the year 2000 in New York City and spread to other major American cities. This begs the question as to why, this technology has not taken off yet all over major cities? Why, is it that here in Japan, with the number of ads being served and technology being at such a high level, that such a site is not common within the likes of Tokyo or Osaka? Despite potential outlays of capital, surely there would be major advertisers ready to jump on this one. I would appreciate any thoughts or comments…

Canadian Chris

"The Times They Are a Changin..."

Exciting times we are living within I say. It sometimes takes a moment, thought or experience for that powerful realization to kick in though. I had one of those conscience awakening flashes this past week. I was thinking about this mobile revolution we are living through these days and just how quickly the technology is evolving. It really doesn’t seem all that long ago, when we were all gaga over the internet and what it potentially had to offer. Now, I know the internet is still developing and has much more to offer, however, one would be missing something if he or she didn’t realize that there has been a distinct shift in focus for a lot of companies—Google, Microsoft, Apple—towards mobile technology and development and this little device, which nearly all of carry on a daily basis.

The ubiquitous or ‘always on’ nature of this tool has had people drooling over possibilities for years. Since the keitai’s (Japanese word meaning mobile) inception the possibilities and discussions of developing a universal ‘life remote control’ have been thrown about more times than one can count. However, ten years back or even five years ago those were all just possibilities. Well, fast forward to the present and look around! My, oh my, have we come a long ways from those dreams.

To add some perspective, I picked up Rick Matheson’s book entitled Branding Unbound which basically covers the ‘future’ of advertising, sales and brand experience in the wireless age. This book was first published in 2005, which just under four years ago. Not that long ago right? Wrong! Especially if you are thinking in terms of keitai development, mobile CRM systems and the like! I found a passage in his book—which is an excellent read, or rather was excellent in 2005, but now somewhat dated and most useful to geeks like myself, who blog about the historical evolution of mobile developments. Yes, I am a techno. nerd. However, this book really allows one to see just how far we’ve come. Read, reflect and enjoy a quote lifted from Branding Unbound and an individual called Kenny Hirschorn, the director of strategy, Imagineering, and futurology for U.K.-based mobile carrier Orange:

“A few years from now, the phone call is going to be the lowest piece on the food chain. Of course, we will still facilitate voice communication. But on a daily basis, we will also awaken you in the morning. We will read you your email. We will start the oven. We will arrange transportation to and wherever you want to go. At the office, we will provide you with information and news.”

Check, check and check so far, in terms of what we are currently doing.

“We will translate information into foreign languages, or translate information into your language for you. We will track your health. We will track your family member’s location, if that’s what you want. We’ll be your bank, we’ll provide you with customized news and entertainment and we’ll even monitor your housing security as you sleep at night.”

Sound exciting? Not really eh. Why? Well, we have that technology right now, at least within Japan. That is all pretty much basic and wouldn’t raise an eyebrow to most within this country. That however, is my point you see, This device is rapidly altering the way most of us live and this change is happening now!

Companies or individuals willing to put the time in are leading the charge now, but as we all know, the old adage about today’s leader not always equaling tomorrow’s is something to keep in mind. Especially, for those of us who are big or small movers and shakers in this world of mobile technology and development. Just as Bob Dylan had it right in the sixties with his album about change and revolution, I too would like to join the chorus and hum away to these changin times.

As always, I invite comments about this post and others. In addition, I invite comments on how to introduce more readers to our blog.

Canadian Chris

A Continued Cultural Kick!

Well upon re-reading couple of my last posts I see that I have been on a bit of a cultural kick as of late. Illustrating ideas relating to Japanese culture more so than the strictly mobile CRM related issues. I had a momentary thought which said balance, balance, balance. I should get back to the nuts and bolts of this blog which is mobile CRM related content. However, I took a moment, looked over this ‘illustrious’ blog explanation and re-thought this logic. Aside from being a take on mobile CRM issues, these posts are also about examining the cultural business issues here in Japan. That aspect unto itself deserves an extended examination. If one cannot understand the social or ethnic factors at play here, one most certainly cannot put quality CRM business management systems or decisions for that matter into play. With that, I will turn towards this week’s topic of looking at what some feel it takes to make it here in the Japanese market.

Lately, I have been reading up on a number of books specifically relating to the examination of Japanese culture and more specifically business practices. I am sure this is where a lot of these thoughts and feelings have been deriving from as of late. One particular book entitled Cracking the Japanese Market by James C. Morgan and J. Jeffery Morgan examines these issues and more. There has been one particular section which has stood out for me thus far. It centers on understanding the rules at play. The authors argue that you must develop a philosophical foundation upon which to base your strategy. These components include:

-Presence
-People
-Pioneering
-Piggybacking
-Partnering
-Persistence

Now for the sake of simplicity and ease I will not elaborate upon each point into any great detail for the sake of keeping your attention, however I do wish to add a few points which I feel are pertinent to this blog and this post in particular.

Presence: It is incredibly important for your organization to have a physical presence in the Japanese market. I might add that this is specifically important when relating to the mobile CRM market. This is where you stand the best chance to gain invaluable information about first understanding distinctly Japanese customer needs as well as their ever changing desires.

People: This simply relates to localized hiring and it is important for two reasons. One it shows commitment to the market and two it opens doors with other Japanese companies in terms of building and nurturing both supplier and customer relationships.

Pioneering: Japan is renown for companies which will jump on popular ideas and re-create the service or product with its own twist. Therefore, it should be expected that your product or service will never be alone long. These companies include both large and small with the big companies coming first and the second wave of small to mid-size companies following. Obvious counter strategies include patent protection as well as constant innovation.

Piggybacking: Due to Japan’s long history of complex relationships it has been difficult for foreigners to enter and or build network distribution systems. However, one way to by-pass this obstacle is to engage in ‘piggybacking’ companies with similar products or services with already established distribution networks. The key according to Morgan and Morgan is to leverage people rich companies and existing structures, many of which hungrily need new product and ideas.

Partnering: The notion of partnering with an established Japanese company is an obvious method to gain access to customers, suppliers and buyers. Trust and relationship building which are ever so important to the Japanese way of business can then be forged. Of course one must be sharp in the structuring of the partnership so that theorized advantages stand the chance of becoming a reality.

Persistence: This concept is particularly important in that it shows commitment. Japanese business ethics highly value trust and commitment. Results are often examined with the long view in mind rather than the short. One way to show this is the ‘sticking it out’ mentality within the market. This mettle goes along way in terms of showing the Japanese your particular company or personal traits. It goes even further if your product has any type of CRM twist to it!

Now, if you are still here with me I hope these points do strike a cord for some of you whether you are already in the market or are curious about it. These ideas are of course simply jumping off points to further research however I hope that they have been of some genuine assistance.

Canadian Chris

Leveraging your CRM system

I came across an interesting article by Ronald Lang, the CEO of Majestic Consulting Group, where he offers readers an insight to and offers recommendations for leveraging your company's CRM system to maximize your client base. What Ronald Lang touches upon in the article are often key points that early-stage companies overlook and sacrifice in order to gain and further develop market share or mind share (a common term these days).

.........New customers come at an extreme premium today, so focusing on existing clients is more cost-effective and are often more receptive to hearing your offerings, especially if it can be a positive impact to their business.

If your business is primarily a product-based sales operation, Lang offers these 3 recommendations:

1. Are there products you have sold to a client in the last three years that have new accessories or a new model (or discontinuation of the current model)? – if so, this is a golden opportunity to setup a presentation with the client.
2. Reinforce your support commitment, response time and quality assurance.
3. Have you done well selling into one or more areas of the organization? If so, it is time to map out the rest of the organization and key contacts with each division. Connect with each of them and/or get referrals and introductions.

If your business is primarily a service-based sales operation, Lang offers these 3 recommendations:

1. Have you done a customer survey lately? If not, put together a survey that should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. The questions should focus on the quality of service you are providing. Its also a good opportunity to inquire about other services they may require or would perceive to be of value-adding to their business operations.
2. Are your customers using competitive services along with yours? If so, find out how happy they are with them and see if there is an opportunity to add greater value to their business.
3. If you offer services that your clients use frequently look to offer them a services agreement for a year at a discounted rate. This will provide you predictability and consistency over the next 12 months.

These are just a few simple recommendations to leverage your CRM system to maximize your client base. But, just a few simple steps to further leverage your CRM system can make a profound impact on your sales.

Australian Chris