Our new research is out! This is an updated version on what we did with the guys at Behavior & Attitudes.  We've done an info graphic for the highlights and you can download the PDF (link below) if you want to drill down into the graphs.

Here's what we make of it all:

There are 750,000 smartphones out there: Every time we do research we get back lower than expected smartphone figures. However, although I think that these stats feel on the low side at least it's a reliable starting point for now. Expect this figure to rise again after Christmas  especially with the old iPHONE 3Gs having plumetted in price and newer cheaper Androids coming on stream all the time. For the record, we define smartphones as 'capable of running 3^rd party apps' but we think there's plenty of people who have a decent phone capabale of running apps but consider it  'not the iPHONE' so tend to balk at that question. Looking to America, by comparison, a recent Nielsen info-graphic stated that 38% of all adults own a smartphone.  The stat from our survey is running at 22% of all adults (population of i.e. the 3,500,000 people who are aged 16 and over). In terms of platforms we're still seeing iOS and iPHONE as the most dominant platform in terms of discovery and re-open rates but Android is catching up fast despite fragmentation issues.

People are searching on their mobiles: No surprises here! We're starting to see PC behaviors and 'advertising's digital shadow' happen on the mobile web now. Auto Trader revealed this month at a Brand Republic conference that their mobile web traffic jumped 90% of TV and 48% on radio.  Paid for search is converting faster and cheaper than PC search too especially on those highly motivated tablet users. And yes PC people, an iPAD is 'mobile'! Mobile traffic is coming in at roughly 30% of digital traffic for those brands that have a decent mobile web presence.

600,000 people have received a promotion to their mobiles: Despite the rise of deal apps and some of the successes we're having with push notifications and email convergence most of this we're assuming is from SMS. Of course SMS is very unsexy but it still cuts through like no other and out performs QR codes every time for DR.  If you build a decent loyalty programme, we find, people are happy to stay on board for SMS offers and of course you can link SMS to a mobile website.  Nielsen USA report that '27% of all Americans looked up coupons to an ad they saw on a smartphone or tablet'.

1 million people want location based advertising: We were very surprised at this one considering if you asked that question 2 years ago most people would say that they don't want to be targeted with GPS etc.  That's changed now, largely down to apps having educated consumers. 'Location', was always pitched as ' I walk past Starbucks and get an SMS out of the blue'. This is very different to the app experience that asks you politely for your location and then serves you a nice location themed experience.  So, we think people are just looking for a more relevant experience from brands. Brands are playing catch up here and not just via search mobile web and apps. We also think there's a huge opportunity to layer utility (find this) , experiences ( friends) and value ( incentives) over those shelf wobblers, shopper-lites, bus shelters, posters etc etc. A note on QR codes! duck taping a QR code onto a piece of outdoor is no good if people a) aren't incentivized to scan or b) when they do they end at a dead end on Facebook or a PC formatted website that hasn't been optimized for mobile.

That's the highlights for us! Mobile is ramping fast; get mobile on the plan for 2012! Donald@Return2Sender.ie 15^th November 2011

If you want to download to drill down into the research and graphs etc. click here:

Facebook on your phone has been the source of much chat of late. In one way it's a perfect match and then in another, it falls into a functionality black-hole.

As facebook on mobile wasn't totally ignored, with check-ins, location awareness and other mobile friendly functions, you may have thought you were getting a whole package. But Facebook has stopped short of creating a really useable mobile version, restricting the way you use your facebook account. This has wider implications than just user-experience.

While facebook's origins may be rooted in social networking, it's not a revelation that facebook is becoming a playground for brands. And while facebook has been allowing brands to play on their PC site, branding opportunities more or less vanish on Facebook's mobile version.

This looks set to change with the launch of facebook's new HTML5 mobile version which seeks to fill the functionality vortex.

There are a couple of ways that this version will change facebook's scope from a mobile perspective, both from a user and brand experience.

A new app platform aims to allow facebook to become an organic app discovery platform. Apple are making use of the HTML5 functionality on iOS5 by using facebook's new mobile platform to drive iPhone users to the app store. This will allow for more of a seamless integration of your digital and mobile strategies. Rumour has it that something similar will be launched across all mobile operating systems.

In addition to this the new HTML5 platform will enable the release of mobile versions of your favourite facebook games.

These new developments are still in their infancy and there's still a bit of work to be done, but we're seeing this as a step in the right direction.

We'll keep you posted!

-Jess

Does the mention of the word robot just make you think of Rosie from the Jetsons or some of the less impressive dance moves from Saturday night? Maybe not, but you probably didn't think of your phone either?

The childhood dream of owning your own robot is coming closer and closer to a reality and you probably already have its brain... in your pocket. And I'm talking about your phone... Probably not the Frankenstein 'It's Alive' moment, but I'm sure it's still pretty cool. Romo is a robot, developed by Phu Ngayen and Peter Seid (collectively known as Romotive), which is powered by your smartphone.

Romo is the mechanical body which uses the headphone jack of your phone as a sort of cerebellum, putting your phone in motion. Romo uses your phone's camera as eyes, and is powered by a number of apps for different functions. Romo can learn, grow and change by the addition of new add hardware and software (which you can even write yourself).

And if you run out of things to make your phone do you could just start playing Romo-Kart - a mixed reality version of Mario Kart.

Deadly... http://romotive.com/

-Jess

Does the mention of the word robot just make you think of Rosie from the Jetsons or some of the less impressive dance moves from Saturday night? Maybe not, but you probably didn't think of your phone either?

The childhood dream of owning your own robot is coming closer and closer to a reality and you probably already have its brain... in your pocket. And I'm talking about your phone... Probably not the Frankenstein 'It's Alive' moment, but I'm sure it's still pretty cool. Romo is a robot, developed by Phu Ngayen and Peter Seid (collectively known as Romotive), which is powered by your smartphone.

Romo is the mechanical body which uses the headphone jack of your phone as a sort of cerebellum, putting your phone in motion. Romo uses your phone's camera as eyes, and is powered by a number of apps for different functions. Romo can learn, grow and change by the addition of new hardware and software (which you can even write yourself).

And if you run out of things to make your phone do you could just start playing Romo-Kart - a mixed reality version of Mario Kart.

Deadly... http://romotive.com/

-Jess

We've been noticing a serious upsurge in little black and white tiles catching our eyes these days. QR codes get your attention, they signal to people that there is something smartphoney going on and most of all they make advertising work harder, and, while I think QR codes are pretty nifty, there are a few too many people slapping them on without much consideration.

I could say nothing annoys me more than scanning a QR code and that brings me to a web page, which simply isn't formatted for mobile, but that would be a lie. People who feed pigeons annoy me more (like, at least feed a worthy bird). Pigeon feeders aside, landing on a page which won't load because of flash or pinching and zooming your way around the PC version is a real turn off.  One of the first things you should do in QR 101 is to get a mobile site before you get a QR code.

More annoyingly there's those tiny, little codes, high up on billboards, far, far away, which you just can't scan. They're just not up to much. Then there are codes which won't scan, push you to big fat videos that dont work on non 3G and of course the dead URLs... the list goes on.

But that's not to say that there aren't plenty of pretty cool ways that QR codes have been used. Like the hedge we did for Vodafone Comedy Fest (not to brag or anything); or BBC3's QR TV ad for The Fades (http://youtu.be/Vz7QdWzqhGA) is very cool (nice mobile site too). Brands that have put thought into their QR campaigns tend to see the results - Ralph Lauren, Hennessy Cognac, VW have all had successful QR campaigns.

Your QR campaign could be highly functional (http://youtu.be/fGaVFRzTTP4) or just a bit of a gimmick (http://youtu.be/Xs7tLBSENx4), but there are a few things to consider before heading down the QR route:

1. Firstly, consider the role of mobile in your campaign. Are you trying to generate consumer interaction? If that's the aim of the game, QR may not be your only option, and may not even be your best option, especially if you're dealing with self conscious Irish consumers who are reluctant to whip out their phones and scan (an SMS Shortcode with a link in the return text message is be a good addition especially of you dont have a scanner installed in your phone). You need to make it easy..no one likes to be the first one to walk forward and put money in the buskers hat!

2. What's your incentive to get people scanning? We're beyond the novelty stage where QR codes are interesting just on their own..Why do I care?

3. And how do you communicate this? Lobbing a QR on something may get heads turning, but that's not enough. You need to get people reaching into their pockets and whipping out their phones. Consider the context.. press and on pack is a no brainer but am i really going to whp out my 500 euro iphone in a dodgy area..?

4. And then there's the practical stuff: Make sure that users can scan the QR code (not too small, not obstructed etc, enough contrast)

5. Bear in mind that consumers may not have a QR scanner already on their phone, so why not tell them how to download one. And let them know which one you think works best (We suggest ScanLife or QR Reader)?

6. Land on a good mobile site.

7. Have a clear idea of what you want your users to gain from scanning your QR code - is it more information, is it something fun, a reward? Make it worth the effort.

-Jess

So for all the big hype from the apple conference what do we get? Well there is no iPhone 5 its the iPhone 4S and I agree with naming convention as I guess the phone doesn't offer that much difference to the regular consumer to warrant a new version number. It's the same size handset with the same screen size and no NFC chip so its the same phone..…on the outside anyway. On the inside however it's an entirely different beast.

The iPhone 4S will be powered by the new A5 processor the same processor as the iPad2. The A5 is a dual-core processor which will be up to twice as fast as the current A4, and seven times faster processing graphics. That means better graphics processing, faster iOS performance and significantly enhanced gaming. The A5 chip requires less power and so will improve battery life.

Following on from the initial problems with reception for the iPhone 4 the iPhone 4S will have a dual antenna system with the phone switching between the two for improved reception. This means improved downloads speed of up to 14.4 Mbps twice as much as the iPhone 4(7.2 Mbps). This speed if accurate is reported to be the same as 4G.

A much improved camera of 8mp with 3264 x 2448 resolution, 60% more then the iPhone 4's 5 mega-pixel camera. Its backside-illuminated sensor allows it to capture 73 percent more light per pixel than the iPhone 4, and a five-element lens leads to photos that are up to 30 percent sharper than those on the iPhone 4. A new signal processor enables face detection and 26 percent better white balance. The camera also works much faster than on previous models; Apple claims it takes only 1.1 seconds to take the first photo, with subsequent shots having a delay of only half a second. The improved camera also features true 1080p HD video recording and video stabilization, a first for the iPhone.

The last hardware upgrade is the size of the storage capabilities with the maximum size doubling from 32GB to 64GB.

Of course the biggest change is Siri. The iPhone 4S will boast a voice controlled personnel assistant that will be able to answer a whole host of questions and perform tasks such as playing song from your iPod, setting an alarm, telling you what the weather is like in Paris, look up things on Google or find a local restaurant in your area. Not only that but Siri will read you your text messages and let you dictate the response. Siri will launch in beta version in English, German and French with more languages to follow.

Also October 12th will see the launch of iOS 5, which has a host of new features and apps including a centralized Notifications Centre for all your messages, reminders and updates.  Also in iOS 5 is iMessage, which is a free iOS device to iOS device text, messaging service and your iPhone is now a tweet machine with full twitter integration across certain apps like Safari, Maps, YouTube and a host of others and the ability to tweet messages and photos from your phone.

Also on October 12th the much-anticipated online music and file storage iCloud will go live. "iCloud is the easiest way to manage all your stuff, because it manages it all for you. iCloud stores your music, photos, apps, mail, contacts, calendars, documents and more. And wirelessly pushes them to all your devices. It's automatic, effortless and seamless. And it just works."

Also with Airplay you can use your Apple TV to wireless stream videos, photos or movies from your iPhone/iPad to your TV, you can also do this without buying the Apple TV unit and just use a cable directly from the device.

So does this all this warrant an upgrade? Well I would like the new version as increased storage and a faster processor is always nice and Siri does sound like something that could finally put voice recognition control where we all would like it to be but I am biased and I think a lot of apple users will wait for the next big thing….the real iPhone 5 with a bigger screen size and a NFC chip which they may need to roll out sooner rather then later as the android camp id say is feeling slightly less threatened then it was this time yesterday.

AIB finally have a mobile optimized version of their website. Thank god for that, it's about time. Technology and product fundamentals play a big role in people's banking lives particularly now. I joined Bank of Ireland because they had B365 and the Pass Card. Today people want more control and information. We see this all the time doing intelligent apps that help people control this that and make it fun. You can never have enough control either especially when your direct debits are bouncing around in there. It still amazes me that online banking is an island. There are no plug -ins, no nice features! I'd love to know how i spend my money on what and where. I've often thought that if i could pre-spend my money that would be pretty cool. So much of our behaviors are driven by impulse. Everything is on the fly. When pay and wave comes in and we're impulse buying chewing gum with our phones it's going to be really interesting to see what we're spending our cash on. Marketing will have to change to cope with this. We'll be less impulsive. Posted by Donald

A new game for the upcoming PSP Vita uses the devices new hardware features to allow players to graffiti parts of the city with their own unique tag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ztYDyL9DrU

Popular apps like Four Square allow users to virtually take control of locations like cafes, bars, cinemas, etc. by checking in when at a given location but this is only visible through the app. What Tag does it allow the user to visually stake a claim on a building.

A similar app could allow businesses to buy advertisements through the app that tags their premises with advertisements (e.g. 50% of Americanos Today). A user can stand in one location and scan their local area with their phone camera. This would allow the user to quickly find close premises without having to trawl through multiple pages in an app looking for deals.

The PSP Vita and Tag are scheduled to arrive in shops in 2012.

Check this out - Ireland's biggest QR code made of hedging!

It's for The Iveagh Garden's Comedy Festival which kicks off Thursday July 21st. It's 6 feet tall and it scans too!

Has Facebook Check In Jumped the Shark?

I think the whole B2B side of the checking in has a rosy future. But the now with location version of Facebook is too ham fisted for me. Maybe they should replace it with a button that says ADVERTISE TO ME AT THIS LOCATION. That would work..at least you know what you're getting into..