Cx3: iPad magic Stockholm PR

Came across this fabulous iPad presentation promoting Stockholm...just watch and be amazed.

Similar approaches to integrating illusion techniques with technology using infra-red sensors, canvas projections and connected device applications are disclosed by 'cyber-illusionist' Marco Tempest.

A bit of fun, or serious attention grabbing awareness?

Cx3: Steve Jobs

A while since my last post, but the demonstrable influence of Steve Job's death has reignited my Cx3 blog posts - and in tribute, written and posted in totality using my iPad.

In the past few days, since Steve Jobs died, there has been an unprecedented global outpouring of grief, tributes and reflection. He is labelled a genius in parallel with Einstein and labelled the creator of the 21st century.

Steve Job's Apple empire touches the world, quite literally, as it shapes the way we behave and communicate today - providing platforms to connect, share, inform, inspire, influence, educate, perform and entertain.

I myself (as did many others) found out about Steve Jobs death via my iPhone and actively shared the news appropriately - via my iPhone, which can only be a fitting tribute to a man who revolutionised communication. Twitter recorded 10,000 tweets per second on news of his death - the highest ever.

Clips of Steve Jobs were shared including his Commencement speech at Stanford University 'How to live before you die' and multiple i-product launch performances, which have a presentation style of their own. The 'opportunity in death' that Steve Jobs actively talks about, provides the world with the opportunity to 'save to memory' recognition of a man's leadership genius, and a not-to-be-forgotten creative visionary.

Cx3: Yahoo! MarketDash for iPad

Yahoo! launched MarketDash this week, their new iPad app that brings all of the real-time stock and financial data of their existing iPhone app, but optimised for the larger iPad screen.

The MarketDash app for iPad allows you to display real-time stock information for any company in your portfolio and see trend data and a stock's history over time period or stock performance and closing price on any day with a single tap.

If you use Yahoo! to track your finances, you can import a watch-list of your portflio and access real-time data also. Once markets close, you see closing price and access relevant news.

Another example of the tablet platform potentially finding a corporate niche with 'on-the-go' investor and analyst audiences? As the Yahoo! MarketDash app promo video says 'Money never looked so good'. One to watch.

RELATED LINKS
Cx3 blog entry: The Daily iPad
Cx3 blog entry: Connected devices from Nielsen
Cx3 blog entry: Interact with your iPad
Cx3 blog entry: One million Apple iPads sold
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPad overview

Cx3: The Daily iPad

News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch is extending his media empire once again - this time with a digital newspaper for the iPad called the Daily.

Mr Murdoch told an audience at the Guggenheim Museum in New York that he hoped it would be an "indispensable source of news" in the tablet era.

The Daily will cost 99 cents (60p) a week and will be sold exclusively via Apple's iTunes store.

The paper will initially only be available in the US.

News Corp has hired about 100 journalists to work on it.

The Daily will feature news articles, interactive graphics, HD videos and 360 degree photos designed to work with the iPad's touchscreen.

It will add Twitter feeds into some articles and offer personalised content.

"Our target audience is the 15 million Americans expected to own iPads in the next year," said Mr Murdoch.

"In the tablet-era there is room for a fresh and robust new voice. New times demand new journalism," he said.

He promised that the Daily would combine the best of contemporary technology with "shoe leather reporting, good editing and a sceptical eye".

According to Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of internet services, 200m news apps have been downloaded and there are 9,000 different news apps to choose from.

Revenue share

It is believed that Apple will use the tie-up with News Corp to change the way it charges for subscriptions.

It means that any publisher offering content via the iPad will have to use Apple's payment method, known as in-app purchase, which in turn means Apple will get a share of the revenue made from any subscriptions.

"That is quite a big deal," said Adrian Drury, principal media analyst at research firm Ovum.

"The specific terms News Corp have negotiated are unknown, but every other publisher now faces paying 30% of their hard won application subscription revenue to Apple," he said.

It follows a tightening of the rules around e-book readers, which will also now be required to offer customers the ability to purchase books from within the app as well as from other sources.

News Corp's move onto the iPad reflects a wider industry appetite for selling device-specific exclusive content, Mr Drury said.

What sets the Daily apart is the fact that it has its own editorial staff.

"Others re-use content but the Daily has hired expensive US journalists and has its own editorial staff," he said.

"Its parent has deep pockets, and this is going to buy it time to build an audience and refine its model," he added.

Others who have already gone down the iPad route find it a difficult road, he said.

"Anecdotal evidence [suggests] that such publications have strong download sales when they first come to market, but when it comes to subscriptions, getting people to repeat buy, it gets really tough."

It also faces stiff competition from free apps such as Flipboard, which allows users to pick the websites they want to create a personalised magazine.

Paywalls

Mr Murdoch has made no secret of his desire to get consumers paying for news on the web.

The Wall Street Journal, The Times and The Sunday Times, all owned by Mr Murdoch, have introduced paywalls for their websites.

The Times has since revealed that it has seen a 87% drop in online readership.

In November, Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson launched his own iPad publication, called Project.

Unlike the Daily, it is a monthly magazine dedicated to style and culture. It costs £1.79.

Other paid-for newspaper apps for the iPad include Esquire, Glamour, GQ, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Wired.

RELATED LINKS
BBC news article: News Corp launches daily newspaper for iPad
Cx3 blog entry: Connected devices from Nielsen
Cx3 blog entry: Interact with your iPad
Cx3 blog entry: One million Apple iPads sold
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPad overview

Cx3: London calling

London's spectacular 2011 New Year firework fantasia demonstrated to the world the vibrance and confidence of a city commanding contemporary modernity, integrating seamlessly with its solid heritage foundation. A powerful and explosive message (excuse all the puns) against a backdrop of austerity, political coalition and global economic uncertainty...but a necessary one.

Digital communication turned a transitional corner in 2010. Economic escapism embraced 'Club Apple' and 'Club Google' feeding an uncontrollable behavioural craving enabling us to dance with the seductive iPhone, iPad, Android, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare brands...the hedonisitic 1980's revival relived for a new generation as they indulged - ordering another bottle of digital Veuve, posting their Facebook status, Tweeting when the Champagne was corked and uploading a brand reputation damaging video of complaint to the world on YouTube.

Joking aside, 2011 does have a more serious corporate tone - Relationships; Partnership; Performance; Delivery. 2010 was also a transitionary cornerstone for businesses as they too played with new ways of communicating through emerging digital channels, however, it's now time for the maturity of digital to be realised and strategic long-term commitment to enable the returns of nurtured stakeholder relationships and sustained growth to be fulfilled.

The complexities of corporate communications are such that traditional communication channels will not disappear from the mix, however, the focus of reaching and fulfilling stakeholder audience demands will be key. Maximising performance will result in appropriate targeting to reach 'the right' stakeholders using their preferred communication 'channel of choice' - even if that is now a 140 character dialogue on Twitter.

So the prospect for digital corporate communications in 2011 is positively coming of age. A solid strategic communication tradition is the foundation for confidently commanding new channels (including digital) to realise sustained performance and nurture ongoing stakeholder relationships and reputational brand loyalty.

London's New Year fireworks chimed positive sentiment for London to be sustained throughout 2011 as the world's eyes become focussed on the city as the stage (and worldwide tourist destination) for the marriage of Britain's future King and Queen, and on the upcoming London Olympics in 2012...oh my, I've embedded a YouTube video of the fireworks into my blog post - Let the digital games begin ;-)

RELATED LINKS
Cx3 blog entry: Connected devices from Nielsen

Cx3: Connected devices from Nielsen

Nielsen's study on 'The Increasingly Connected Consumer: Connected Devices' provides interesting insight on smartphone, tablet, e-book user behaviour.

'The Increasingly Connected Consumer' is a study intended to get a better understanding of the consumers purchasing Apple iPads, Amazon Kindles and other similar gadgets and how they are using them. The study takes a look at demographics, changes in behaviour, the content that people engage with and thier responsiveness to advertising.

Key statistics:

- Tablets is still a nascent market favoured by early adopters. In the US, 25% own a smartphone, 8% have netbooks, 6% have e-readers and 4% have tablets. Early adopters of technology favour tablets, and tablet owners own more connected devices

- Tablets are passed around more than smartphones or e-readers. 46% of people allow others to use their tablet, compared to 34% of smartphone owners and 33% of e-reader users

- 63% of iPad owners are under 35 years old, and nearly two-thirds of iPad owners are male. 47% of owners of Amazon's Kindle e-book reader are under 35, and 52% are male



- 91% of iPad owners have downloaded an app. The study revealed the most popular categories of paid apps downloaded include: Games (62%); Books (54%); Music (50%); Shopping (45%); News & Headlines (45%). For a full list, click on the chart to the left.


- iPad owners spend a longer amount of time engaged with content. The study compared iPad and iPhone devices and it was identified that a greater percent of weekday length of time per session across content categories was spent by iPad owners.

- Connected devices owners as a group are comfortable with mobile advertising, however, iPad users are much more receptive and are more likely to make a purchase



RELATED LINKS:
Connected Devices: iPads, Kindles, Smartphones and the Connected Consumer
Connected Devices: Does the iPad Change Everything?
Cx3 blog entry: Interact with your iPad
Cx3 blog entry: One million Apple iPads sold
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPad overview

Cx3: Alice for the iPad

This 'Alice for the iPad' video has been around a while, but just found it again - and still love it! It not just demonstrates how a classic book can get a new digital lease of life, but it also provides plentiful interactive inspiration for other iPad communication solutions.

RELATED LINKS
Cx3 blog entry: Interact with your iPad
Cx3 blog entry: One million Apple iPads sold
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPad overview

Cx3: One million Apple iPads sold

Based on the the quotes from Steve Jobs, Apple's iPad is exceeding market penetration expectations to deliver a serious interactive communications platform:

“One million iPads in 28 days—that’s less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Demand continues to exceed supply and we’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers.”

Engaging interactive multi-dimensional digital comms are the 'here and now', and businesses should be aware that interactivity will very quickly become the expected stakeholder norm.

RELATED LINKS:
Cx3 blog entry: Apple iPad overview
Mashable blog entry: Apple Has Sold 1 Million iPads

Cx3: Apple iPad overview

Not that I try to be swayed by sales pitches, but the Apple iPad does appear to be extraordinarily simple and a beautifully executed user experience that takes interactive communications to another level. Very excited about this.