Click.
Industry insights from Red Door Interactive

July 23rd, 2010 – Welcome to another RDI Click! post. Click! is a weekly collection of digital news highlights from Red Door’s most inquiring minds.

Click, enjoy and learn.

We’ve done the hard work for you.

Google Opens Places API With Initial Focus On Check-In Apps - TechCrunch
“Today on their Geo blog, Google is announcing that they’re beginning to open the Places API for business. The first developers getting access? Those working on check-in services.

Here’s what Google has to say:

  ‘We are going to focus initially on check-in applications. These are the applications that we feel the API currently caters to well, and we are excited to work with developers building these applications to understand their requirements, and ensure that we are offering them the best possible experience.’

So does this mean the end of Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, and all the rest? Well, no. All this means is that it should be a lot easier for startups to build the next versions of those types of services.”

From a RedDoor perspective, based applications are perhaps one of the most under-utilized technologies available to marketers.  Timely, convenient, personal and accessible through several existing channels.  Email, SMS, applications and mobile browsers each have an established place in the consumers hand.  All marketers have to do is reach out . . . 
Read More

The Dirtiest Word in UX:  Complexity- UX Magazine
“It’s hard to read anything about UX without finding a reference to the constant tension between simplicity and complexity. People have strong preconceived notions about the words, especially when it comes to experience design. You don’t have to be a UX practitioner to understand that simplicity is a good thing; no one goes around the office saying, “Alright team, let’s make this application really, really complex!”
Read More

Sonic, REI, American Eagle drive traffic in-store via SMS – MobileMarketer
“Sonic, REI and American Eagle Outfitters participated in a ShopAlerts pilot program where 65 percent of consumers purchased a product as a result of a text alert they received.

A Placecast executive discussed case studies and the company’s mobile strategy during a webinar moderated by Mobile Marketer’s Dan Butcher. The webinar centered around ShopAlerts, which are location-triggered text messages designed to drive opted-in consumers to a brand’s retail locations.”
Read More

10% Of Applications In The App Store For iPad Boast In-App Purchases - TechCrunch
“According to Distimo, the percentage of applications with in-app purchases is significantly higher in the App Store for iPad (10%) compared to that for the iPhone (2%). One of the main reasons for that, still according to the startup, is the fact that the App Store for iPad became available after in-app purchases were introduced, contrary to the App Store for iPhone. Another reason to take into consideration is that the iPad may currently be used more as a media consumption device than the iPhone, with magazine and newspaper publishers selling much of their content as in-app purchases.”
Read More

What Marketers Can Learn From Starbucks’ Foursquare Stumble - AdAge
Starbucks has a well-earned rep as an outstanding marketer that really does get social media. Which is why it didn’t surprise me it was an early adopter on Foursquare. What did surprise me: When I went to take advantage of Starbucks’ recently ended Foursquare promotion, neither the barista nor the manager had any idea what I was talking about. So much for cashing in on my mayorship with a discounted caramel frappuccino. Really, Starbucks? How difficult is it to send an e-mail to your managers outlining the campaign details? Missteps aside, I have a lot of respect for the marketing minds at Starbucks. The company has consistently been first to jump on new technologies and platforms and incorporate them into its marketing strategy!”
Read More

A comprehensive list of noteworthy news can be found at http://delicous.com/RedDoorInteractive.  Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter if you’d like up to the minute updates on our latest posts http://twitter.com/reddoor.

Tags: lbs, Mobile, mobile marketing, UX