Last week at Mobile World Congress, Andy Rubin, Senior VP of Mobile at Google, told reporters about their increased tablet focus: ‘2012 is going to be the year that we double down and make sure we’re winning in that space’. Despite Android being the most popular OS on smartphones, the same success hasn’t come easily to their tabs. At this stage, there are few Android tablet apps, very few good ones, and they are difficult to find in the store.

The release of the ‘new iPad’ on Wednesday brought with it nothing earth-shattering; evolutionary improvements including a higher-resolution Retina display, a bigger A5X processor, a better five-megapixel rear camera, and 4G LTE connectivity – which many countries, including the UK, do not currently have the infrastructure to support. Although it was definitely an anti-climax, the impressive screen capabilities will allow for further advances in rich media advertising.

Apple’s tablets have just over 60% market share globally, leaving Google’s Android OS struggling to compete in a saturated post-PC market. When the iPad was first released in 2010, Apple already had users educated in iOS. The iPad 2 brought the perceived necessary feature of a camera, and a flat back for typing, to what was already a revolutionary product. Apple sold more iPads in Q4 last year than any computer manufacturer in the world sold PCs. Viewers of the press conference were surprised to hear a direct attack on Samsung’s devices from Tim Cook, as Apple has traditionally focused on its superiority rather than others’ shortcomings. Samsung was quick to issue a rather compelling response.

The iPad is likely, yet again, to be the fastest-selling piece of tech ever invented, with InMobi finding last week that 1 in 3 US mobile web users intended to buy it. It will hit stores across the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan on 16^th March, perhaps the most ambitious part of their plan. The simultaneous price drop of the iPad 2 will further choke competitors in the tablet space. Apple has also made a change to the App Store that now offers catalogues their own section, perhaps acknowledging the tablet’s impressive role in mcommerce, and once again demonstrating their market leadership. Given Windows 8 is now in beta, we are expecting Microsoft to level some kind of ‘screen agnostic’ solutions soon. The jury is still out on whether this is a feasible and viable competitor.

Apple has dealt another blow to Google, in the form of plans to drop their Maps service in favour of their own, just months after Google started charging businesses for use…  It seems very difficult for other developers to overcome Apple’s dominance in the tablet market. And each tweak of services, from Facebook to Amazon, is an attempt to inch ahead in the great global tech race.

As that war rumbles on, we can reveal that the search for the hottest man in mobile has finally been called off as NMA named Somo’s Innovation Director, Maani Safa. Our good friend Hugh Fletcher, National Digital Manager of Audi UK, was also voted the Most Innovative Individual at the UTalk Marketing Awards. Well played both of you!

Hugh Fletcher, UTalk's Most Innovative Individual

We know that social media is an increasingly popular medium for consumers to research, discover and share information about products and brands, including engaging with marketing campaigns which drive consumers in-store. Facebook is already the most engaging online property in the US, accounting for 14.6 percent of all time spent on the web, and so its move into mobile is an exciting prospect for brands looking to create deep engagement and extend their reach.

Currently, the US has 60 million Facebook mobile users, along with 30 million in the UK. India is expected to overtake the US as the country with the largest number of Facebook fans, and given that mobile penetration has passed 75% across Asia, there are many significant and exciting opportunities for advertisers, in both developed and emerging markets.

The potential of Facebook as an effective platform for advertisers will grow with its own ambitions to become the single hub for internet users – the place where they not only connect with friends but also brands – the only place you need to visit while online. Along with the advertising announcement, they have also launched a collaborative push to improve mobile web standards to give their fans the best mobile experience possible.

As the potential revenues from social media are beginning to be realised, other publishers, including Linkedin and Twitter are aggressively expanding their advertising programs. Although neither is as ubiquitous as Facebook, both have incredibly mobile users. Amazon also spotted its chance to move seamlessly from an online store to a lucrative publishing property. Business Insider reports that it is now generating $1 billion in advertising revenues. All of this news must be worrying Google ad execs as it potentially hits their primary business.

We expect more tweaks and changes as Facebook tests this as yet unproven inventory and their users’ tolerance for mobile ads. As they say at Facebook ‎‘done is better than perfect’.

Following last week’s disruptive Google AdMob auction announcement, this is yet another development to shake-up the mobile advertising landscape. If you have any questions about what the changes might mean for you, get in touch…

Google Android bot creates sparkly cases for MWC visitors

There wasn’t a great deal in terms of new hardware releases, save HTC’s new smartphone that *whisper it* looks as good as Apple’s iPhone, if not better. Google’s Android stand seemed to be a hangover from their CES exhibition and Blackberry was yet again handing Playbooks out for free in a bid to get developers on board. Samsung is saving its big reveal of the new Galaxy S3 for an Apple-style launch event, while their S2 won Best Smartphone at the coveted GSMA awards.

But Facebook did finally made their big mobile advertising announcement, however, the ‘sponsored stories’ model, with little of the personalisation that they would be capable of, was something of a safe play.

Data privacy was a hot topic both at conference and at home. Helen @technokitten Keegan’s Heroes of Mobile World Congress held a fringe event with MEF and chaired by the notorious TechCrunch editor @mikebutcher, where top mobile execs, including our COO Carl @Uminski discussed the issue.

Google has found itself in hot water over the changes they have made to privacy settings, which the EU has now decided breach European law. This came just a few days after Path was found to be uploading all of their users’ content to its servers without permission, and US lawmakers, along with Apple, have kicked into action.

By this time next week, we should be in possession of our very own iPad 3. Despite the rather creepy invite, especially at a time when the media is a bit frightened that the big digital players are rooting through their bins, we’re keen to see what they have in store. And although it’s not clever to make predictions about Apple’s tech, we’re expecting a quad core processor, higher screen resolution and more RAM – as fast and as detailed as the tech allows.

Windows 8 is now in beta, and should be the first example of an OS that works smoothly across desktop and mobile. While advertisers might jump for joy at the prospect of developing across three platforms simultaneously, the usage patterns don’t lend themselves well to shovelling the same content from one interface to another. Just yet.

The rumour mill has started churning again for the release of Jelly Bean, Google’s fifth yummy instalment of the Android OS. If it’s anything like the ice-cream sandwiches, which were freely flowing at the MWC Google party, we can’t wait.

Why not? We believe that the biggest barrier for advertisers in this space isn’t apathy, it’s confusion. There are many decisions to make and much technical information to cut through. That’s why Somo was founded in 2009 – to help clients make sense of mobile.

Since then we’ve grown to become the largest independent mobile marketing agency in the world, operating in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and, most recently, Singapore and New York too.

Today we’re welcoming a new look for Somo that reflects the global business we’ve become. It’s out with the orange and in with the blue! We hope you like it.

From this…

To this!

Somo’s original analysis of the IMRG/Hitwise Top 100 Online Retailers shows that only 26% of the most popular sites on the web have an iPad app, less than 20% have created Android tablet apps, and only 10% have built a website for tablet browsing.

Some of the other main findings from Somo’s research:

-  PC World, Thomson and BHS are among 20 top retailers with no tablet and smartphone apps or site

- 43% have no iPhone app and 63% no app for Android phones

- Only 57% of online retailers have a website that works on mobile

- A review of these retailers confirmed that the main consumer complaint was the lack of any payment process for apps and mobile sites

Tesco came out on top as the only retailer that had several iPad commerce, publishing and enterprise apps, and a website that works on tablets and smartphones. Although TopShop recently stated that around two-thirds of their mobile visitors came from tablets, they do not have a tablet site or app for their customers.

Given that shopping is the number one activity performed on tablets in the UK[1], these results show retailers are lagging behind consumers in embracing new technologies.

Nick Hynes, Chief Executive Officer at Somo, said: “The astonishing thing is that almost half of the top online retailers haven’t even got a mobile website. This is very basic stuff. A well built site does retailers the world of good, allowing customers to make shopping comparisons on their phones while in store, and browse leisurely at home on their tablet.  These companies have to start looking at the role that mobile plays in their customer journey; at the moment they’re missing a trick.”

For further insight Somo’s research is available to download at www.somoglobal.com/news.

Our friendly ad networks will be chipping in for drinks and all of you are very much invited to attend.

So don’t be Barce-lonely next Wednesday, make sure you put this in your diary and invite your colleagues. Party starts at 6.30pm at the Adventure Bar, 20 Bedford Street, Convent Garden WC2E 9HP.

RSVP to marketing@somoagency.com.

Nationwide Building Society is the largest in the world and was founded in the UK.  It provides financial services both directly to customers and through around 700 branches. Nationwide is a major provider of mortgage loans and savings, as well as personal banking loans, credit cards, bank accounts and insurance products.

Objective

To create a mobile website presenting Nationwide’s full range of products and services that is quick and simple to use.

Solution

Somo was asked to take a project management and interface design role within the Nationwide mobile site project. The team conducted qualitative research, scoped and built the front-end, and managed the client relationship.

The initial research extracted what was needed from the mobile site – how and where people would use it and who Nationwide’s users are. With mobile usage likely to be on the move, the user journey needed to be accessible with minimum interactions.

Using HTML5 and CSS, Somo designed a light user interface, allowing for quick loading and offering carousel and accordion design functionality, which neatly displays a lot of information in a small space and streamlines users’ flow.

As the first of Nationwide’s anticipated mobile products, Somo’s user experience design team has laid the foundations and set the tone for future mobile products in terms of look and feel.

The site is well put together, integrating fully with Nationwide’s existing CRM systems and is accessible via iPhone, Android and Blackberry.

Virgin Games, the leading online gaming company wanted to launch a brand new offering for Virgin customers – Virgin Casino Mobile. The brief was to encapsulate the experience and entertainment from Virgin Casino and deliver it to players while they’re on the move with a quick and user-friendly site. The key demographic was 18-50 year olds, Smartphone users and gaming fanatics.

Strategy and solution

Somo was responsible for the delivery of every stage of the project for Virgin Games, from concept and design, to development and execution and promoted the service through mobile media post-launch.

Virgin Casino Mobile was integrated, by Somo, into the company’s bespoke built gaming platform and will be developed into a multi-content proposition with games from a range of content partners. Developed as a web application, the service is instantly available on any device with a browser without the need for App Store approval.

The mobile site initially offers Microgaming’s mobile games content, including three online favourites Thunderstruck and Tomb Raider slots, through the game developer’s Quick Fire integration process. Additional content suppliers will be launched in the second phase of the project in a similar fashion to Virgin Game’s internet offering, which provides a variety of games from a number of developers.

A single wallet system was implemented to the new mobile product, meaning players use the same account to play Virgin Casino, Virgin Bingo, Virgin Poker and now the Mobile Casino. Customers can register, manage their account, play for bonuses, deposit and withdraw seamlessly and instantly, wherever they are.

Audi chose to add a mobile optimised version of their main site to exploit the increase in use of iOS and Android smartphones. Users can enjoy 360 views of available models in the Audi showroom and old and new customers will be able to find comprehensive information whether it is a new purchase, or an existing model.

Features of the site include: brochure and test drive requests, model specifications and costs, used and new car search and finance and offers. Users can locate their nearest centre through postcode and town look-up features. The ‘owners’ area’ provides information on servicing, maintenance and supporting products including Audi insurance, Audi warranties and roadside assistance.

Objectives

Audi wanted to extend their digital reach, making content available across all devices and targeting customers in every channel. The site aims to create a feeling of the space on a small device. Understanding mobile behaviours and making use of this we designed a site to influence light browsers in the information gathering stage, while addressing the limited time needs of people on the move and providing enough information for uses who are looking to make that big purchase.

Strategy and solution

Audi use the latest HTML5 technology to offer a fully interactive, user-friendly mobile website that showcases their luxury vehicles within a small screen. The site integrates Audi’s content management system, scaled to meet consumers’ changing demand.

The site combines comprehensive information with easy navigation to meet new and existing customer needs, highlighting finance and offers, nearest Audi centres and arranging a test drive. The image gallery, a first in the mobile automotive industry, allows 360 views of all available models with in-depth details on the car specifications, pricing and how to arrange a test drive.

Results

The Audi mobile site launched in January 2011 and within three weeks it was achieving 10,000 page views and more than 1000 unique visitors per day, before any marketing campaign had taken place. Ten months on, the mobile site had received almost 220,000 unique visitors and over 300,000 visits in total, achieving 146% of target. Today, almost a fifth of all traffic to audi.co.uk  is on mobile and tablet devices.

The average number of pages viewed per visit is 10, much higher than is typically seen on mobile, showing a high level of engagement.

Hugh Fletcher, Audi UK’s National Digital Manager, said:

“We’re delighted with Somo’s work in designing the site for us, Somo has applied a new mobile technology in a truly innovative way that enables us to present our cars in a manner that is both eye-catching and which fits with our strategy of making our cars more easily accessible to all customers via mobile devices.”

The combined functionality and design of the mobile site has enhanced Audi’s reputation as a technologically advanced automotive brand and has also lead to positive coverage of their current and future mobile and digital strategies in the marketing trade press.

http://m.audi.co.uk