2010: Dada Labs and Knotbad Prove Successful

          The past year has been nothing but positive for Dada Labs and we hope for even more growth in the coming months! We have a few applications in the works and are impatiently awaiting their final touches. The action we have seen on our blog, Facebook and Twitter has increased significantly over the last six months, creating a buzz about our company as well as our premier application Knotbad. All the attention has nearly tripled our download expectations for the year! At about 9,000 downloads, we couldn't be happier and that's all thanks to you, our supporters. So kudos to you guys for keeping Knotbad a free application and spreading the word about Dada Labs.

Knotbad Screenshot

If you don't know what Knotbad is, let me give you a quick rundown. Knotbad is a free mobile app for the iPhone and iPad that provides step-by-step instruction to tie several different tie knots, as well as scarves and cravats. The Knotbad design is stylish and easy to use... exactly what an application should be! Check it out and learn a little more here at the AppStore. If you like apps that make your life easier and actually serve a purpose, you'll fall in love with our next project, a grocery list! This coming year we are releasing a grocery shopping list application with a unique text and email feature that allows the user to send their list to someone else so they can do the shopping for them... perfect, who doesn't want that? Although we have been anticipating the release of the shopping list for quite some time, we believe it is important to provide a glitch-free product you will enjoy and can actually use (and I'm sure you like this idea too). So bear with us and soon enough you'll have another useful Dada Labs application to add to your collection. 

       Not only are we looking forward to the shopping list, but also the hyped up Pirate Game that is taking over our Facebook! This game is going to be unique because the names of the characters are all up to you! If you haven't checked it out yet, there is a character naming contest running on our Facebook for a chance to win a Pirate t-shirt with one of the characters on it. To enter, all you have to do is choose your favorite name of the ones listed and comment on each character's post with your name of choice. If you really want a shirt, vote for the names of all three characters for a better chance to win. This game will be available in the coming months and the Facebook pirate theme will continue until the release! 

        But enough about what Dada Labs has in store for you, let's get to how much we appreciate your support! Without you, we wouldn't have had such a successful year and the motivation to pursue our mission of becoming a "Dreams Come True Factory," where we turn ideas into reality in the form of mobile apps. As a start-up company entering the competitive market of mobile applications, it is important to us to provide you with products that are fun, creative, unique and above all, functional. In this world of mobile technology, our goal is to provide apps that work as they are intended to work, creating simplicity for you and enhancing your mobile experience!

Happy New Year and much thanks to all our users and supporters!

       

Pirate Game and Prize Giveaways

         Admit it, you love free stuff. Hats, t-shirts, keychains, bottle openers, you name it—if it's free you want it! This innate desire to get free things (and a love for everything pirate) is what I'm hoping will drive you all to participate in a new Dada Labs contest. 

        The rules are simple: participate in the contest and you are automatically eligible to win some booty (aka a free t-shirt)!! As I had mentioned back in November, Dada Labs is releasing our first mobile game application—an interactive PIRATE GAME—and we want you to help name the characters! 

AHOY, Mateys...Here are Yer details!

What is the contest?

To help us determine the names of the Pirates in the new 2011 Dada Labs Pirate Game application by voting for your favorite character name on the Dada Labs Facebook page. See the lovely swashbuckling lassie to the left? Think you can come up with the the best name for her and her pirating ways? What about the scowling  Sea Dog or his brawny sidekick? Give it a try and you may be sporting their faces on a new t-shirt!

How do you win?
All those who vote for a pirate name will automatically be placed in a drawing for a free shirt with one of the characters on it! There are 3 main characters that need names, so there are 3 chances to score a tee! The contest is taking place on Facebook starting today through the end of January. Votes are conducted by commenting on each characters' individual wall post with the name you like the most. You all have opinions right? Well, I want your 2 cents!

Check out the Dada Labs Facebook page to enter the contest and get even closer to being the best-dressed scallywag in town. 
Good luck and may the best name win some booty!

Inconsistency of Mobile Advertising

            Do you ever get annoyed with online advertisements or feel like they are ruining your internet experience? Do you dispise the ads that come up on free services you take advantage of such as Pandora, YouTube, and mobile applications? Well the truth is, if you like those free services and you want to keep them free, you can 1. click the ads and  2. thank the advertisers for being there. In a world of advertisement overload, advertisers must find new ways to reach consumers and grab their attention. People will go out of their way and sometimes even spend more money to avoid the blast of commercials, pop-ups, and product spiels, which leaves "The Man" empty-handed at the end of the day. 

        Not wanting to be empty-handed, my first assignment for Dada Labs was to research and determine the most effective and lucrative way to reach users with advertisements on our FREE mobile application Knotbad. Not to my surprise, it’s a very confusing business! eCPM, fill rate, RTB, impressions... what? Thankfully there are plenty of sites dedicated to explaining what these terms mean and how revenue is generated from banner ads. There are several factors that come into play such as how many ads are shown per application use and how much the ads pay out when they are clicked, etc. In the end though, for a business to make money they need the user (thats YOU!) to click the ad. The more invasive an ad, the more likely a user is to click it... whether on accident or actual interest. The main problem is, application developers don't want ads to be the main focus of their products, but they still want to make money!
So the question still remains, how do you get users to click that little ad?
          Content?
          Placement?
          Trickery?
          Asking nicely?
To be the most productive, application developers should chose an advertising platform that allows them to filter ads based on what companies and products would interest their target audiences... Engage the consumer! Give them something they want and need in an advertisement. Also, not all platforms allow international users to see ads when using applications. If a large number of users are located outside of the US and they can't even see an ad, that's potential money down the drain—consider a company that allows access to targeted countries. As we all know, design is key to grabbing attention and although developers cannot always predict which ads will pop-up in their applications, plain text ads are boring and almost always overlooked. Ads using flash animation, motion or video are more likely to be clicked, especially when they look more like related content than advertisements. Now on to placement... top, left, right, bottom, first, last... which is the best? It probably depends on the application; is it a game, a lifestyle app or social network, etc? There is no "right" answer due to the variety in design and application uses, but tailoring design and placement to each app is essential to making money.
        There are 1,001 tricks in the book for effective advertising, but each online/mobile business will benefit from researching and implementing techniques that work for their products and style. Hopefully my ideas will help boost revenue for Dada Labs and Knotbad, but in the meantime I'm just here to remind you to click the ads so we can keep these services we all love so much FREE!
           

Toyota Ideas for Good

           While I was watching some thrilling television yesterday (it must have been good because I have no recollection of what it was) a Toyota commercial came on that caught my attention and fell perfectly into the lap of my new blog baby—social responsibility!

           After the whole Toyota gas pedal recall issue, the company has stepped up its PR game, using its problems to create a new following, and has bounced back in the automobile industry. If you haven't seen it, the new Toyota campaign is something they are calling "Toyota Ideas for Good." It's basically a program that is applying car safety technology to other aspects of life, such as preventing sports-related head injuries. They are looking for people to submit ideas to their "challenge" of finding the best applications for their technology and offering prizes... like new cars!... to the winners. I can't find a web version of the actual commercial, but this video gives you the same idea, The Challenge: Toyota Ideas for Good
          In the challenge, applicants choose one of five "Toyota Technologies"
               1. T.H.U.M.S. 
                 2. Solar Powered Ventilation System 
                 3. Hybrid Synergy Drive
                 4. Advanced Parking Guidance System
                 5. Touch Tracer Display
and apply it in a way to answer the question, "How would you use our technology to make the world a better place?" When it really comes down to it, Toyota is sharing everything it has learned about safety, technological advancements and efficiency, in an effort to improve the lives of others, protect the environment, and of course, secure their place on the automotive food-chain. They may have learned the hard (and expensive) way, but in the end it seems as if it is paying off for everyones benefit.
           Take a second to check out the website, who knows... you may have the next life-changing idea!

Social Responsibility and Modern Technology

               Today's topic: Social Responsibility! A little more "in-depth" than my past blog posts, but an important topic nonetheless. You're probably wondering why I am taking this route, so I will answer some questions first!

What exactly is social responsibility?

According to a subject-based site it is, "Acting with concern and sensitivity, aware of the impact of your actions on others, particularly the disadvantaged."  Visit this page to learn a little more.

Why am I concerned with social responsibility? 

As a company that creates applications for mobile devices (or any business for that matter), it is important to understand the impact of your products and business practices on the community. 

How can technology be socially responsible? 

The same way people can be socially responsible... are you going to throw your candy wrapper on the ground or look for a trash can? Do you hold the door open or let it slam on the person behind you? Do you buy locally or big-chain? These are all decisions we make on a daily basis, and it is the impact our choices have on the environment and the global community. Although technology cannot throw away candy wrappers, the people who create and use technology can make decisions about its application. It is not an issue of "good vs. evil," but more of a look at how our choices effect and influence those around us. 

Now the kicker... What brought this up anyway??

I was inspired to cover social responsibility when I read an article in the New York Times about how the iPad has been a "therapeutic marvel for disabled people." The article, "IPad Opens World to a Disabled Boy," tells a story of how the iPad, a mainstream technological device, has been embraced by the disabled community as a tool for self-improvement, communication, and learning. Because of the iPad's adoption by users with disabilities of all kinds, accommodating applications are being created to meet the needs of its users. Social responsibility at its best!! Why wouldn't companies want to facilitate learning and enrich lives when its right there are their finger-tips? 

             I think it is amazing how a technology first implemented for entertainment has changed the lives of so many people. The article even talks about a specific case where parents are using applications to teach their autistic children everyday skills like brushing their teeth. Imagine how their world has changed since they can perform these "easy" tasks on their own! 

               I'll definitely keep this topic flowing throughout my next few blogs, so stay tuned to hear more inspirational stories and learn how businesses are stepping up to improve their products and practices! If you have any articles, stories, videos or ideas please let me know!! 

Pirate Game and Giveaways

         Maybe I wasn’t so far off that first day when I asked Carlos if Dada Labs was a clothing company; he surprised me at our meeting this week with clips of our new “clothing line." Although we’re not selling clothes quite yet, we are giving them away as prizes for our up-and-coming online contest to name the characters for our next project.             

          Sometime in the next few months Dada Labs is looking to release their first mobile game application—an interactive pirate game—and we need YOU to help name the pirates! Hopefully soon (aka when I figure out how) I am setting up a poll on Facebook where all my awesome followers can cast their vote and offer ideas for the perfect pirate names. The best part? For participating, you could win a free t-shirt with an image of the pirates. Who doesn’t like a free t-shirt… especially one with a pirate on it!

         Once the t-shirts are ready I will put up come clips! In the mean time, here is some pirate humor for you…

 Q: What do you call a pirate with two eyes and two legs?

A: Rookie!

            ... funny right!?? Check out Dada Labs Facebook for more pirate jokes and game info. Once you do, you’ll get hooked!

Tweet-a-rific

My goal this week is to conquer Twitter.

I think I may have my hands full with this one, but I can give it a shot.
        
           Right now, I am thinking about Twitter as this massive information center with no sort of organization and I have no idea how to even start. Well thats not true, I have essentially "started" a Twitter, the problem is I only have four followers and despite my efforts, I have had the hardest time finding relevant people to follow myself.
           Through research and webinars on websites like wefollow.com and a pretty informative blog by Chris Brogan (who by the way is a marketing guru for the likes of Pepsi and GM) titled 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business, I know what to say in my 140 word blurb... I just don't know who to say it to.
            I'm trying not to be the nay-sayer who dissess on Twitter, but as a small business it is hard to get into the loop!

If you have any suggestions or just want to help out by following Dada Labs yourself, click here or leave a comment! I appreciate all feedback and am open to suggestions... happy tweeting!

Getting My Feet Wet

            Like most post-graduates out there today, I have been job searching to no-avail, and have decided that an internship may be my best bet to entering the “real-world” job market. I consider myself an experienced job-searcher and interviewee—experienced enough to know the importance of researching a company before interviewing with them. Nothing is worse than sitting in a little room clueless as to what a potential employer actually does. No one wants to sell themselves as qualified candidate then ruin it by asking, “So what exactly do you do here?” Strangely enough, that’s what happened to me during my interview for a social media/marketing internship with Dada Labs.

            “Who is Dada Labs?”

            “What do they do?”

            “Wait, do they sell clothes?”

            These are the questions I asked myself after Googling their name. Why all the confusion? I decided there was no way I could be prepared for this interview, so I went in like I owned the place and gave it my best shot. Evidently it worked out because I was offered the position, and I took it—obviously these people needed help! How were consumers supposed to utilize their services if they don’t know what their services are!?

            During my interview, my boss (Carlos, as I call him now), started laughing when I asked if their company sold clothes. They don’t, they actually create mobile applications…how would I have known this from a Facebook headliner that says “A Dreams-Come-True Factory”? Let’s face it, the small group of people that make up Dada Labs are expert programmers, designers and business people, not social media freaks who spent half of their college experience on Facebook and Twitter. That’s where I come into play. 

            Although I am not an expert on social media (or an expert on anything for that matter!) I am prepared to use a little creativity, do some research, and solicit everyone I know to create a following for Dada Labs and their products. So far I have updated and clarified their Facebook and created Twitter account, which you all should check out!! I have also developed answers to frequently asked questions from our users and answers to those questions that I had myself. Read on to learn a little more about Dada Labs and find out why you should check out our application!

Q: What is Dada Labs? 

A: Dada Labs is a software company that creates mobile applications for products such as the iPhone.

Q: What kind of applications do they make?

A: As a blossoming company, Dada Labs has successfully created and released one application called Knotbad. Knotbad is essentially a guide to tying ties and full of interactive features that set it apart from similar apps. This application is available for FREE DOWNLOAD exclusively in the AppStore. Check it out for yourself! 

Q: Are there any new applications coming out?

A: Yes! A couple months from now we are anticipating the release of a grocery list and a pirate game. Trust me, I will keep you all posted on their progress! 

         I hope this first blog cleared up some confusion!! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let me know! Thanks :)