Customization Revisited

One of my first posts was a case study analyzing mass customization and comparing the NikeID and Puma Mongolian BBQ experiences. I was compelled to revisit the idea during my daily perusal of Twitter (FYI: my handle is now @brittanyblais. Follow me).

Mashable, my leading online resource for everything related to social media, business and technology, published a gallery of cool and unusual laptop sleeves. As soon as I saw an owl print on one by Snupped, I knew I had to check it out (owl is tied with turtle for my second-favorite animal after the giraffe).

I was surprised to find that not only were there MULTIPLE owl prints but that the entire purchasing experience at Snupped is customizable. The consumer can choose the size, exterior, interior and handle/no handle option before buying. I actually ended up liking a different print better, but I have yet to make the actual jump and purchase the sleeve.

The Story Behind Silly Bandz

I recently took a friend to Pizza Putt in South Burlington, VT. We mainly went to play mini-golf (all 11 holes...) but were side-tracked when exiting by Skee-Ball. After a few games, we had about 14 tickets and decided to redeem them for Tootsie Rolls at the ticket counter. However, we ended up waiting about 15 minutes for our Tootsie Rolls. Why? Because a group of kids were making the biggest decision of their lives: which pack of Silly Bandz was worth their ticket redemption.

I'd seen Silly Bandz at Michael's, A.C. Moore, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, drugstores, etc. I knew my younger cousins were obsessed with them. I, too, succumbed to the fads of my childhood. I had a Tamagotchi, Furby, robot dog and currently still have a few crates of Beanie Babies. Somehow, those fads still make sense to me. I guess I'm too old to see the appeal of shaped rubber bands.

After reading this article about the founder of Silly Bandz, I still don't see the appeal but I better understand the power of viral marketing.

Tweet Me Up

If you happen to be reading this and happen to have a Twitter account (or actually, just not opposed to reading tweets), check out my Twitter profile @blayzey.

Amazon Kindle Will Get An Upgrade

Our class was just pitched an idea for online, digital textbooks (inspired by Nook, Kindle, Google Books, etc). And almost immediately, I found an article announcing that Amazon is adding Facebook and Twitter possibilities on its Kindle.

I sense Amazon is feeling some pressure from the iPad? Personally, I'm not interested in purchasing any of those devices until the iPad adds a word processor and Photoshop capability. Then we'll talk.

RIP Floppy Disk

Those of us old enough to remember the days of floppy disks are mourning today. Sony has announced that they will stop producing the ancient disks due to lack of sales.

Although I honestly have not seen one in years, I will miss those floppy disks. They came in a variety of cool colors, didn't scratch like CDs and were a lot sturdier. However, the same can be said of flash drives. Just call me a sentimentalist, I guess.

Case Study: Mobile Media

Compared to the toys available today, the ones I had when I was little seem so low-tech. I had a lawn mower that made bubbles as I pushed it. I had one of those toy cars that moved when I pedaled. I lost numerous bouncy balls in the bush by our back deck. I even had a toy clock that looked like an owl (with eyes that blinked andeverything) I also walked around the house dragging my Chatter Telephone behind me. Nineties-kids, you know what I'm talking about. Remember that colorful telephone with eyes, wheels and a rotary dial? Yes, that was the height of cool for a two-year old.

What do today's two-year olds play with? Well, they still play with the Chatter Telephone, but the concept is slightly different. Chatter Telephone has gone digital.

You're probably thinking, "Does it now look like an iPhone?" Well, you're getting kind of close.

Last month Fisher Price released three iPhone apps, including one based off Chatter Telephone. The other two are based off the See 'n Say and the Little People Farm. For $1.99 kids can virtually experience these toys without having to step foot in Toys 'R' Us.

History of Phone Apps

Cell phone applications, or "apps," were created to make cell phones more like computers. Many of cell phone's earliest apps wouldn't be considered apps today. Programs that allow Internet surfing, checking e-mail and mp3 downloads are apps as well, but now they're considered standard cell phone (or at least smart phone) features.

Now you can find apps to do pretty much anything. Like games? Forget Sudoku. Play Skee-Ball instead. Wish that magical creatures existed? Fairy Trails makes finding and capturing a fairy possible. Love Glee? Smule released a new app today that allows "gleeks" to sing, record and post their favorite tunes from the TV show. The exact number of apps available on iTunes is unknown, but it's somewhere in the six-digit range.

It sounds so good to be true, but there are some downsides. Special apps are generally phone-specific. Blackberry, iPhone, Android, etc. all have apps designed only for those phones, and the apps don't always cross over. iPhones and iPod touches are different enough that not all apps are compatible to both. Also, not all apps are free. Prices can range from 99 cents to several dollars. It's a small price to pay, but buying a lot of apps can definitely add up.

Marketing via Phone Apps

Many apps are designed by game houses and independent designers simply for the user's entertainment and the maker's profit. However, many apps are actually marketing tools for companies and brands. Here's a list of "app-vertising" by major names:

• MasterCard: ATM Hunter, allows the user to find the closest ATMs
• Charmin (sponsor): Sit or Squat, allows the user to find the nearest bathroom
• Gap: Style Mixer, designs outfits using the Gap clothing line
• House: InHouse, provides content to get a closer look at the TV show

The Fisher Price Apps

The Chatter Telephone app teaches kids numbers and plays music. The See 'n Say app has an animal theme and includes fun facts and videos about each animal pictured. The Little People Farm allows kids to explore the farmyard and play matching games using the barnyard animals.

These iPhone apps target two- to five-year olds, but toddlers don't have iPhones (at least, I hope not!). I would say that the toddlers are secondary targets. The primary target audience members for these apps are iPhone-equipped parents of toddlers. I say iPhone-equipped, because I highly doubt any parent would go out and buy an iPhone simply because of the Fisher Price apps.

Although these apps seem very basic and not very exciting to a 21-year old such as myself, I could definitely see them being useful as distractions. Say a mother is grocery shopping with her toddler and there's no kids' area. She can simply hand him her iPhone and voila! Her toddler will be able to enjoy his favorite toys in the grocery store without the nuisance of carrying around the actual items.

The app is also a great way to promote the Fisher Price brand name and perhaps encourage parents to purchase the actual toys if they haven't already done so. Although this is a new venture for the company, they seem to be doing well. Fisher Price is promoting the apps on the home page of the iTunes App Store, and the apps are generally receiving very good reviews. The only complaint is that the iPhone in general is too complicated for a toddler to use. It'll be interesting to see if the apps become popular or if other toy companies will also release similar games.

In new unrelated to mobile media but related to Chatter Telephone, check out the toy in the upcoming Toy Story 3 movie in theaters on June 18th!

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. To celebrate, Autism Speaks is implementing a Light It Up Blue campaign. For more information, click the banner below.