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!