Annie Klein
With the Mobile World Congress call for papers closing on Thursday, it is now time to turn your attention to the Global Mobile Awards which are now open for entry. The annual awards, now in its 17th year, will be presented at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday 28th February 2012.
Global Mobile Awards for 2012 will be presented in the following categories:
- Apps of the Year
- Best Mobile Handsets and Devices
- Mobile Marketing and Advertising
- Mobile Innovation
- Best Technology
- Social and Economic Development
- Best Mobile Services
- Outstanding Achievement Awards
A full list of awards categories can be found here.
This year, 18 new awards have been introduced for a total of 32 awards across the eight categories. Other noteable changes to this years’ awards include:
- 'Apps of the Year’: the GSMA has consolidated the awards in the ‘Apps of the Year’ category. In that category, the GSMA has introduced three new awards, two of which will be based on statistical evidence of global downloads and usage, and one, the ‘Most Innovative Mobile App’ award, which is open for entry to all. This category will also include a ‘Judges’ Choice - Best Overall Mobile App’ award which will be determined by an independent panel of experts.
- ‘Best Mobile Handsets and Devices’: the 2012 awards will expand this category with specific awards for ‘Best Smartphone’, ‘Best Feature Phone’ and a new ‘Best Mobile Tablet’ award. In addition, a panel of judges will search for and select the best and most promising ‘Best New Mobile Handset, Device or Tablet’ on show at the Mobile World Congress 2012 event.
- 'Mobile Innovation’: focused on the convergence of mobile in the vertical sectors such as health, transport, automotive and utilities and education, this category will now also include specific awards aimed at expansion in mobile publishing and mobile money services.
- Additional notable developments are included within the ‘Mobile Marketing and Advertising’ category to elevate and recognise innovation and creativity within this rapidly emerging sector.
- New categories have also been introduced within the ‘Best Technology’ and ‘Social and Economic Development’ categories, with additions such as ‘Best Use of Mobile in Emergency or Humanitarian Situations’ and the ‘mWomen - Best Product or Service for Women in Emerging Markets’.
The Global Mobile Awards 2012 can be entered online and nominations close on Wednesday 30th November 2011.
For more advice on making the most of PR and marketing opportunities at Mobile World Congress 2012, download our free ebook, Blueprint for Barcelona.
Tags:
Global Mobile Awards,
Mobile,
Mobile World Congress
Posted by Annie Klein on September 6, 2011 at 6:32 AM
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If you haven't already submitted a speaking proposal for Mobile World Congress 2012, you can now breathe a sigh of relief: the deadline has been extended to 23:59 GMT on Thursday, 8 September 2011.
This year’s conference programme will focus on topics that demonstrate the power of mobile in the 21st century and what this power can enable. Competition for a spot on the agenda is fierce, with more than 2000 submissions expected this year. The GSMA's research team will review nominations with a critical eye, asking: "mobile is re-defining how we connect with people, places and information. How are you contributing to this transformation?"
The research team has identified 22 areas on which they'll focus for the 2012 Congress but also welcomes submitting companies to suggest their own topics for inclusion. The full list and descriptions of key themes can be found here.
For more advice about public relations and marketing at Mobile World Congress, download our free ebook, the Blueprint for Barcelona.
Tags:
Mobile,
Mobile World Congress
Posted by Annie Klein on August 18, 2011 at 10:11 AM
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Have you ever counted the number of Google applications you use on a daily basis? Google, Gmail, Google Reader, Google Talk, Google Maps and Google Docs are indispensible to me personally (the jury is still out on Google+) and it seems like at least once a week someone tips me off to a tool that makes my professional life more efficient as well. 
Many of Google’s tools are designed to assist in ad targeting, but they can be incredibly useful for PR as well. Here are three you really should try if you haven’t already:
•
Google Analytics: It came as a shock to me today that one of our clients wasn’t already using Google Analytics on their website and is the real impetus for this post. There is no reason why anyone with a website shouldn’t run Google Analytics, in my opinion, and hundreds of reasons why you should. This free tool enables you to better understand where your visitors are coming from and what they are doing on your site. Many of our clients share access to Google Analytics with us, and this allows us to examine the impact of media coverage we generate based on the traffic it sends. It helps us fine-tune our outreach and ensure we’re targeting the most important media outlets for our clients.
•
DoubleClick Ad Planner: Enter a URL and Google will present you with traffic statistics and, more crucially, detailed demographic data. For example, the mom blog ConsumerQueen.com had 140,000 unique visitors last year. 88% were female, 61% were between 35 and 44, 73% had attended some college and 46% had a household income of $25,000 - $49,999. You can also see the sites those visitors also visited as well as their interests. This is valuable data for evaluating bloggers and getting the real insight behind a publication’s circulation numbers. The only downside is it doesn’t work for lower traffic sites.
•
Google Adwords Keyword Tool: There have been loads of gripes about the accuracy of Google’s Keyword Tool but word on the street is that they’ve changed the algorithm and earned back respect from SEO experts. From a PR perspective, Google’s Keyword Tool helps you determine the best keywords to use to optimise the content on your website and in press releases by telling you how many searches there are for your search terms, and related terms, and what the competition is like.
Please do tell: what are your favourite Google tools for PR?
Tags:
Google,
PR,
PR tips
Posted by Annie Klein on August 3, 2011 at 11:04 AM
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Social media should be a part of every company’s communications strategy. Even if the strategy includes deliberately avoiding a particular platform, such as a B2B cloud computing company opting not to create a Facebook fan page, social media has matured to the point that it can’t be ignored. With the scope of social media now ranging from Twitter to blogger relations, every company is involved one way or another.
Likewise, a social media policy is a must for any business. Far too often, companies fail to create a policy because they assume that employees will practice common sense--but that simply means different things to different people. Take any two smart, logical employees with the company's best interests in mind and they may have very different approaches to using social media. Furthermore, as social media creeps from public relations/marketing territory into the domain of customer service, human resources and sales, a set of guidelines needs to be established in writing.
While a social media policy offers no guarantee against a mistake, it can go a long way toward avoiding a serious debacle. Everyday issues, such as multiple employees creating LinkedIn groups or unofficial Twitter handles in your company’s name, can be better managed with a policy in place. At minimum, you should outline what your company is trying to achieve on social media, who is responsible for its management and a standard for content. You should also give employees guidance about how they can talk about your company on their own social media profiles. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that this document will probably be outdated as soon as you finish writing it. Be prepared to update frequently as the social media landscape changes.
With so much already written about social media policy, I thought it would be helpful to collect some of the best resources around the web for your policy-creation pleasure.
•
The database of
177 social media policies on Social Media Governance gives you an invaluable peek behind the curtain at many major companies’ social media policies.
•
PRWeek has published a series on
Social Media Policy with topics ranging from the importance of brevity to tailoring your policy.
Please share any links you’ve found helpful in the comments to keep this list growing.
Tags:
Social Media
Posted by Annie Klein on July 21, 2011 at 11:01 AM
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The Call for Papers for the 2012 Mobile World Congress opened on 29th of June and thousands of companies are now vying for spots on this coveted schedule. This year, the GSMA’s research team has introduced a new step in the selection process called Research Open Days.
Research Open Days are an opportunity for companies to meet with the GSMA at the London headquarters and present a topic for consideration. The goal is to provide the research team with a deeper understanding of submitting companies and to level the playing field for smaller players.
We’re told that there are a few slots remaining in the Research Open Days schedule but that requests are coming in daily and the calendar is filling up quickly. If you’re hoping to secure a spot, don’t delay!
The remaining dates for the Research Open Days are as follows:
18 July 2011
26 July 2011
01 August 2011
03 August 2011
10 August 2011
15 August 2011
For a more complete guide to all of the PR and marketing opportunities available before and during Mobile World Congress, download our free ebook Blueprint for Barcelona.
Tags:
Mobile,
mobile,
Mobile World Congress,
MWC
Posted by Annie Klein on July 12, 2011 at 8:41 AM
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The Call for Papers opens today for GSMA Mobile World Congress 2012 and ends at 23:59 GMT on 25 August 2011. The theme for the upcoming MWC is Redefining Mobile. This theme reflects a shift in the industry - mobile is no longer limited to communications, it is a force transforming our world in an unprecedented way.
Building on this theme, the conference programme will include topics that demonstrate the diversity of mobile. This year, MWC will feature four full days of conference programming with track sessions added throughout the week. Areas of focus for this year's programme include:
- Advanced Services for Developing Markets
- Advertising
- Applications
- BRICSA
- Cloud
- Converged Networks
- Devices
- Embedded Mobile
- Mobile Broadband
- Mobile Health
- Mobile Money
- Network Capacity
- Next-Generation Networks
- Operating Systems and Alternative Development Platforms
- Security
- Social Networking
- Video
Beginning with a shortlist of more than 150 topics, the GSMA will narrow the focus down to 20 - 30 key topics after the Call for Papers, with all members of the wireless value chain invited to contribute in-depth insight and the latest examples of best practice from around the world. The team looks for topics that are thought-provoking and offer a fresh take or a forward-looking message.
While it can often feel as though network operators and handset manufacturers dominate the keynote schedule, smaller players who can offer presentations on innovative technologies or disruptive business models, backed by customer references and case studies, can often secure a speakership on this prestigious conference agenda.
To level the playing field, the GSMA is introducing a new step in the application process this year called Research Open Days. These meetings, which take place throughout the summer, provide companies with an opportunity to meet the GSMA’s research team and present a topic for consideration.
For a more complete guide to all of the PR and marketing opportunities available before and during Mobile World Congress, download our free ebook Blueprint for Barcelona.
Tags:
event,
marketing,
Mobile,
Mobile World Congress,
public relations,
Tradeshow Tips
Posted by Annie Klein on June 29, 2011 at 7:09 AM
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It may feel like you’ve only just recovered from the 2011 Mobile World Congress but key dates – such as the call for papers, which opens this week – are already appearing quickly on the horizon for next year’s conference.
Organised by the GSMA, Mobile World Congress is a must attend event for any wireless company. With key decision-makers from the world’s leading operators, technology providers and content owners descending on Barcelona for four short days, MWC is where the industry comes together to strike deals, meet with colleagues old and new and set the agenda for the year in mobile. But with 1,400+ exhibitors hoping to secure mindshare amongst 60,000+ delegates and 3,000+ media attendees, it’s easy for smaller companies and first time attendees to get lost in the noise.
Planning early and maximising your public relations programme before, during and after the event is an absolute must. The Schwartz Communications “Blueprint for Barcelona” is designed to help you navigate the huge variety of PR and marketing opportunities at the show, and give you useful advice on strategy, as well as a timeline to help you plan ahead.
To download the 2012 Blueprint for Barcelona, please click here.
Tags:
event,
marketing,
Mobile,
Mobile World Congress,
public relations,
Tradeshow Tips
Posted by Annie Klein on June 20, 2011 at 9:33 AM
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There seems to be no shortage in innovation around the short URL. Still shortening with Bit.ly? You’re so 2010! To be fair, Bit.ly continues to offer new functionality, most recently with the even shorter J.mp option. But if you want to do something exciting with your short URLs - while creating more visibility for your brand, here are three new tools to try:
Bre.ad – Still in private beta, we’ve been excited about trying Bre.ad ever since Ben Parr reviewed it on Mashable because it offers the opportunity to promote your brand every time someone clicks on one of your short URLs. With Bre.ad, you create a webpage (called a Toast) that promotes your brand (or product, promotion, etc). When one of your followers or fans clicks on your Bre.ad link, they’ll see your Toast for five seconds before being redirected to the webpage you’ve linked to. Ever the early adopter, Lady Gaga is already using it.
YOURLS – Promote your own company instead of the tool you’re using by creating custom URLs with YOURLS (your own URL shortener). Simply install YOURLS on your server, buy a short domain, point the short domain at your website and you have your own shortening service.
BridgeURL – BridgeURL is brilliant when you want to share a collection of links. You enter your list – favourite YouTube videos, top restaurants to visit during a trade show, mediacoverage, to name a few potential examples, and BridgeURL presents them as a slideshow. Try it here http://bit.ly/jm5Z3M and see a collection of our consumer clients.
Tags:
social media
Posted by Annie Klein on May 25, 2011 at 12:20 PM
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Tots100, publisher of the British Mummy and Daddy blogger index, has just released the Tots100 parent blogging benchmark study 2011. Parent - particularly mummy - blogging has become a massive phenomenon in the States and its popularity is growing quickly here in the UK. This study is not only a great snapshot of who is blogging and why, but how this community of bloggers are interacting with PR people.
Late last year I wrote in our Technology PR Predictions: 2011 ebook, "Consumer brands in the UK are beginning to recognise the potential of mum blogs as a communications channel and, likewise, mums are learning how to commercialise their blogs." This study underscores the trend: today nearly half of parent bloggers receive three to four PR pitches a week and more than a quarter receive over five. In the Tots100 study, the vast majority of bloggers reported seeing an increase in PR pitches over last year, with more than half calling it "a lot more."
UK parent bloggers start blogging to record their lives or for the friendship and networking blogging faciiliates, but many enjoy the perks. In the study, bloggers responded that what they like most about working with PRs is that they get to try new products and their children have new experiences.
The blogger-PR relationship should be mutually beneficial and when done right can generate loads of positive coverage for a brand while giving bloggers and their families the enjoyable experiences they are looking for. Last year Toys R Us launched the UK's first brand-sponsored mum blogger community with its Toys R US Toyologist programme which involved many well-respected mummy bloggers writing reviews of toys with their kids. Google it - there has been plenty of coverage.
As a PR person who has worked extensively with parent bloggers in the US as the head of coupon website RetailMeNot.com's PR team for three years as well as an occasional mummy blogger at VoucherMum.com, I've been on both sides of the PR/blogger relationship. Here are a few tips for brands that want to bring parent blogger relations into the marketing mix:
*Make it relevant - Mummy blogs are personal, so a blogger is telling you all you need to know about how to approach her. Is she receptive to PR? How old are her kids? What part of the country does she live in? What is her real name? Spend a little time on a mum's blog and you'll be able to get these answers and create a pitch that is more personalised and effective. Remember, a blogger's biggest pet peeve is to receive an irrelevant pitch.
*Make it worth her time - Bloggers are busy and parent blogging not a full time job. The top thing parent bloggers look for in a pitch is if it will drive traffic, so think about what you can offer in exchange for coverage. Asking a blogger to mention your new website or study is basically asking her to use her personal time to promote your brand out of the goodness of her heart. If you're not throwing in an incentive, like a free product or a giveaway that will boost her traffic, she'll probably find her time is better spent playing with her kids.
*Build a relationship - The most fun I had working with bloggers was during BlogHer while running RetailMeNot.com's BlogHer Delegate Programme. We sponsored bloggers to attend the conference and took them out to dinner so we could get to know them. As a result, we created relationships that were far more valuable than the conference fees. Following the conference, the bloggers in our programme were not only more receptive to covering our news, they were happy to provide feedback and insight into our future campaigns.
*Make your terms clear - If you want a blogger to review a product, can she keep it? Give it away on her blog? Sell it on eBay? If you're sending her on a holiday, how many posts are you expecting her to write? More and more mummy bloggers are commercialising their content in one way or another and it is reasonable for you to lay out your expectations so that everyone feels they are getting a benefit out of the relationship.
The full Tots100 parent blogging benchmark study 2011 follows:
Tags:
bloggers,
blogging,
social media,
social media pr,
social media relations,
social media research
Posted by Annie Klein on March 3, 2011 at 7:10 AM
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We are thrilled to be sponsoring Silicon Stilettos on Wednesday. Did you know the typical ratio of men versus women at most tech meet-ups is 80/20? Silicon Stilettos is a free women-only (or almost women-only) meet-up organised by Zuzanna Pasierbinska-Wilson where women in tech can drink cocktails and take part in relaxed, no-pressure networking. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed Zuzanna’s events in the past and jumped at the chance to work with her on her latest meet-up.
If you’re a woman in tech, please join us for complimentary drinks and canapés (and great company!) at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at:
Zebrano Bar
18 Greek Street
London W1D 4DS
Men are welcome as long as accompanied by a Silicon Stilettos member. For more information, please get in touch: @anniegklein or @huddlesuz
Hope to see you there!
Tags:
technology PR
Posted by Annie Klein on February 21, 2011 at 6:48 AM
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Over the past month we’ve been digging into some of the top mobile industry trends in our
Road to Barcelona series. This past weekend we landed in Barcelona and today the fun really begins as Mobile World Congress 2011 kicks off!
Over the next four days we’ll be tirelessly walking the floor, meeting with innovative companies, playing with the latest mobile devices (3D? we’re there!) and stopping by as many parties as possible.
We are:
We look forward to seeing you at Mobile World Congress!
Tags:
mobile,
Mobile World Congress,
MWC,
Road to Barcelona,
telecom
Posted by Annie Klein on February 14, 2011 at 8:01 AM
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In this series we’re profiling top mobile industry trends in the run-up to Mobile World Congress 2011.
The potential for the mobile marketing and advertising channel is vast. ABI Research forecasts an unprecedented opportunity for growth in the market, projecting global spend will reach $28.9 billion by 2014.
One of the hottest areas of mobile marketing is mobile coupons/vouchers. According to a study by JiWire, consumers rated coupons and discounts as the most valuable feature of location-based services after GPS and maps. As consumers become more conditioned to sharing personal information – thanks to Facebook and Foursquare, among other services – they are more willing to hand over location and behavioural data in exchange for personalised, contextual offers. This presents a huge opportunity for both operators and brands, from global to local.
Near-field communications (NFC) is also a promising technology for mobile marketers. NFC enables consumers to receive information, offers and pay for items by touching their handsets to special Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals. With a host of new NFC-compatible devices set to launch at Mobile World Congress and rumours that the iPhone5 will also be equipped with the technology, it will not be long before NFC-powered coupons and offers are part of daily commerce. In Japan, McDonald’s is an early adopter: users who have downloaded the McDonald’s app receive a weekly email with a list of coupons and promotions and can download coupons to their mobile wallet and redeem with a touch.
Mobile social commerce is going to make marketing even more powerful. Applications of social commerce range from the rather impersonal Groupon app which allows users to redeem group-buying offers directly from mobile devices to deeply personal recommendations based on a user’s social graph. Facebook Deals, which was introduced in Europe this week, lets merchants create offers for users who check-in on Facebook Places. Newcomer Whatser has plans to roll out features on its LBS social recommendations app to enable brands, publishers and local businesses connect with consumers. (Disclosure: Whatser is a client)
Of course this is only the beginning. Mobile offers up a whole new range of opportunities for marketers and operators to reach consumers, from loyalty schemes to in-app advertising to digital goods to multimedia. MWC offers four sessions that will be of interest to marketers this year:
Mobile Advertising: Integrating Mobile into a Broader Advertising Campaign – 2pm Tuesday 15th February
Mobile Advertising: How Effective is Multimedia Mobile Advertising? – 4pm Tuesday 15th February
Mobile Advertising: Delivering Personalised Advertising and Protecting Privacy – 2pm Wednesday 16th February
Mobile Advertising: How to Make In-App Advertising Work – 4pm Wednesday 16th February
Tags:
mobile,
mobile advertising,
mobile marketing,
Mobile Social Networking,
Mobile World Congress,
Road to Barcelona
Posted by Annie Klein on February 4, 2011 at 1:02 PM
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In this series we’re profiling top mobile industry trends in the run-up to Mobile World Congress 2011.
Mobile video services were introduced 10 years ago, but adoption is set to grow by leaps and bounds in 2011. The increase in smart phone usage, new delivery standards, wider availability of mobile broadband and the emergence of viewing options outside the carrier networks are key factors attributed to this growth. Mobile video revenues—direct downloads, subscriptions and ad-supported video—are predicted to triple between 2009 and 2014, according to eMarketer.
eMarketer forecasted in August that the population of mobile video viewers in the US would grow by nearly 30% to reach 23.9 million by end of 2010 and double by 2013. Similarly,
Coda Research Consultancy found that mobile video users will rise by 34% annually to reach 95 million in 2015.
In Europe,
comScore found that the number of people viewing video on mobile devices has increased by 66 per cent in the past year to 12.1 million mobile consumers across UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. As of September 2010, the UK and Italy each have 2.7 million mobile video consumers, up 75 percent from July 2009 in the UK market and up 55 percent in the Italian market. Spain is demonstrating the fastest growth, with mobile video consumption up 90 percent in the past year to 1.7 million subscribers, according to comScore’s research.
A related area, mobile video chat, is also marked for significant growth. Consumers are forecasted to make 29.6 billion video calls in 2015, up from just 3.2 billion this year, according to a report by
GigaOm Pro. The study also predicted that mobile video chat revenues will $3.4 billion by 2015.
If you’re interested in mobile video, the two-part session
Network Breaking Point held on Tuesday 15 February at 2pm during Mobile World Congress will address the challenges operators face when video streaming and social networking causes a network capacity crunch and look at the range of technologies available to operators to future-proof their networks. In addition, the session
Mobile TV: Moving from a Last-Resort to Must-See TV at 4pm on Wednesday 16 February will look at formats, revenues and media for Mobile TV in 2011.
Tags:
mobile,
Mobile TV,
Mobile World Congress,
Road to Barcelona
Posted by Annie Klein on January 19, 2011 at 8:12 AM
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In this series we're profiling top mobile industry trends in the run-up to Mobile World Congress 2011.
Earlier this year, Morgan Stanley's Mary Meeker predicted that mobile will overtake fixed line internet access by 2013. This growth is largely due to 3G wireless penetration, estimated at 20 - 25% worldwide, and smartphone adoption, expected to grow from around 16% of all mobile phone this year to 45% by 2014, according to Gartner.
Mobile commerce is booming on both sides of the pond and two recent studies found that consumers are using smartphones for Christmas shopping this year. Tesco Direct found that one in 10 Brits will do some of their online Christmas shopping using their mobile phone and IDC Retail Insights reported that in the US smartphones will account for at least $127 billion, or 28 percent, of the $447 billion the National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend this holiday season.
According to a new report from ABI Research, mcommerce via the internet will reach $4.1 billion for 2010. Shoppers prefer using mobile browsers over apps, 54% to 41% in a study of US users by Lightspeed Research and 70% to 55% in a study of UK users by Orange. For a great roundup of recent studies see this post on the eConsultancy blog.
Despite the opportunities the mobile internet presents for retailers, many are lagging behind. Mobile Interactive Group recently evaluated the mcommerce capabilities of the UK's top 57 retailers in its inaugural Christmas Sock Report and found that only four retailers had an optimised transactional mobile site.
Executives from Intel, Softbank and Yahoo! will weigh in on the growth of the mobile internet in the keynote session The Evolution of the Mobile Internet, moderated by Wired UK Editor David Rowan at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday at Mobile World Congress.
Tags:
mobile,
mobile internet,
Mobile World Congress,
Road to Barcelona
Posted by Annie Klein on January 9, 2011 at 12:19 PM
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You've probably heard it a hundred times: Content is king. It's true that a well-executed blog can establish your executives as thought leaders, improve your site's SEO and help you engage with journalists, customers and prospects. But if you aren't seeing comments on your posts, it can start to feel like all of your work is for naught.
Before you consider give up on blogging, try these tips for increasing engagement and generating more comments:
Write timely and opinionated content. Controversy can get readers riled up enough to fire back, but even if you want to avoid risking offense, your content should be thought-provoking enough to encourage a response.
Ask for help. Send posts to customers, partners, other bloggers and industry contacts with a brief note explaining why you thought they'd find the post interesting and inviting them to respond. This can be effective as long as you don't overuse the tactic.
Comment on other blogs in your industry. If you want someone to read and comment on your blog, you should be commenting on theirs. When your fellow bloggers see you as an intelligent contributor to the conversation, they are more likely to reciprocate.
Make sure your posts are seen by tweeting them, posting them on LinkedIn, highlighting them on your homepage and sending them out in your newsletter.
When someone comments on your blog, respond in your comments to keep the debate going or even just to say thank you. If your readers feel like you're paying attention to them, they'll be inclined to comment again.
Tags:
blog,
blogging,
social media
Posted by Annie Klein on October 29, 2010 at 8:26 AM
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