SnapTell, which we’ve covered before, is a leading provider of image-recognition based mobile marketing services, that today announced they’ve reached a milestone with their revolutionary service.

With their recently released “Mobile Entertainment Explorer” user’s can simply snap a photo of things like CD covers, DVD and BluRay covers, and various games with their camera phones, send it via MMS to SnapTell, and instantly be returned a series of content related to the specific title.  Content like reviews, prices, run times, descriptions of the content and links to buy the DVD, CD or video game, plus more can be sent back to the user via MMS.

Even though it’s still a relatively new service, SnapTell has already grown it’s database to over one million titles, which is quite an accomplishment.  Since it’s ever-growing, it won’t be long until users can access just about any information regarding any media title available using it’s image recognition technology.

The system uses their popular Snap.Send.Get platform that’s available on any mobile device with a camera.  Since it uses MMS transmissions, it needs no special software running on the device, and since the image recognition server can decipher an image of low or poor quality, almost any camera phone can be used to snap the photo.

“…We’re dedicated to providing consumers the simplest means to access desired information on their phones, and now reaching one million in entertainment titles empowers the consumer to make smart decisions when they are out and about and away from their PCs,” said Gautam Bhargava, CEO and Co-Founder of SnapTell. “As we push the image-recognition technology frontier, we will provide solutions similar to the Mobile Entertainment Explorer that help consumers with their day-to-day decisions…”

If you’d like to try out their Mobile Entertainment Explorer, head over to their website to view a demo.  You can simply snap a photo of a DVD cover they’ve displayed, send it as an MMS to fun@snaptell.com, and see the technology in action.  Pretty cool stuff.

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Don’t have a ticket to the big concert? This may be the last time you’ll have to miss the hottest show in town.

Like movies and commercials previously, the mobile marketing channel is poised to both promote and present concerts in real time on web-enabled mobile phones.

Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, for example, recently announced their joint venture to deliver “a live global mobile simulcast” featuring performances from Madonna’s April 30^th concert in New York City at the Roseland Ballroom.

According to the news release, “The simulcast, which expands Vodafone’s exclusive mobile content distribution and promotion deal with Warner Music International in support of the new Madonna album Hard Candy, will feature four live songs from the disc.”

If all goes as planned, Verizon Wireless will begin the mobile broadcast at 10 p.m. EST on April 30^th via the V Cast Performances channel, with Vodafone Live’s broadcast beginning at 3 a.m. for the international community. In “on-demand” fashion, V Cast Performances will also archive the performances for the entire month to follow.

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I love watching Top Chef on Bravo TV and think that Bravo is one of the very best at integrating mobile into TV. I notice the most “here’s how to interact with us via mobile” notifications during Bravo shows. So I decided it was time to review one of their mobile sites.

URL:
wap.bravotv.com
Click on the Top Chef banner

Quick Site Description:
The mobile site for Top Chef.

First Impression:
Easy to recognize that it is Top Chef and looks like I could find out just about anything on my favorite contestants and judges.

What’s Here:
It’s all about the contestants and their food. And the judges. Perfect, all the reasons I love the show.

Ease of Use:
The site is hard on my eyes because they use white text on an orange or red background. I can read the site, but honestly don’t want to spend much time here because it hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. It makes this a quick check in site, not a site on which to spend any length of time.

Take away point: color contrast is even more important on mobile than the full screen web. Anything that reduces the readability of a mobile site, even by a little bit, impacts the visitor by a lot.
.
Find Stuff Factor:
The site is fairly well organized, but often things are one more click away than I am expecting. For example, when looking up Recipes, the first click is to the contestant’s name, then the second click is on the name of the recipe, this screen shows a quick one liner about the recipe from the chef and then finally with a third click I can get to the ingredients. It requires another (fourth) click to get to the instructions.

On mobile even one extra click can be annoying and so everything should be found in as few clicks as possible. I would suggest that the quick one liner be on the page with the recipe name. Not only would this reduce the number of clicks to get to the recipe, it would help pull a visitor into a recipe.

Best Part(s):
The Fun & Games section. I especially like the Rate the Plate where visitors get to rate a dish. This is what we want – to interact with the show and feel like we’re a part of it. The Test Ur Top Chef Knowledge section is totally fun too.

In my opinion this section should be much closer to the top of the mobile site and given more exposure. This is what would keep me coming back to the site.

Where to Use It:
While watching Top Chef. Use it to rate the plates you’re seeing on TV. Anywhere you happen to be when you simply have to know what happened – the Episode Recap could save your curiosity. Somewhere with decent lighting and/or you have remembered to bring your reading glasses.

Bottom Line:
I wish the site was easier to read and stay on longer. It could be so much more fun if it didn’t hurt my eyes. I will go to the site for the Rate the Plate opportunity.

Score:
3 out of 5

Site Powered by Starcut.

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The celebrities are coming! The celebrities are coming!

Indeed, there is no better guage of a product or service’s power and popularity than the willingness of celebrities to associate themselves with it.

Almost overnight, mobile marketing has taken Hollywood by storm. Well, at least some of the biggest talent agencies. Celebrity super agents from William Morris, Creative Artists, and International Creative Management, have been deluged with requests from major companies to have top celebrities appear
in their mobile marketing campaigns.

Let’s face it, for many, this might be the only way Madonna, Tom Cruise, or Donald Trump will ever “call” your cell phone.

From “celebrity voice mail,” a service announced from Alltel Wireless to countless mobile ads featuring the likeness or voice of Hollywood’s biggest stars, mobile marketing has not only paid enormous dividends to companies who have skillfully harnessed its power, celebrities, too, have begun seeing the financial upside to associating with this service.

A number of prominent talent agencies are now reportedly developing divisions charged solely with managing “mobile marketing bookings” for their famous clients. Now that Hollywood has discovered the money and exposure offered by this booming business, you might want to keep a more watchful eye on
your mobile phone.

There’s a good chance you’ll be starstruck before you know it.

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Undoubtedly one of the coolest sites I’ve come across in a long time, Myxer.com is not only where millions of people go to download from the Internet’s largest collection of ring tones, wallpapers and videos, it has also provided more than 13,000 bands with a unique opportunity to reach their fans and network with peers through the vast and growing Myxer audience.

An advertising supported site, virtually all of the content (250,000 pieces in all) is free and compatible with more than one thousand handsets in nearly one hundred countries.

According to their website, “Myxer began three years ago with one goal in mind — to be the champion for indie bands and musicians that want their voice heard in the mobile space.” To this end, Myxer has cataloged and presented an unbelievably impressive collection of multimedia content that is uniting people through music, direct interaction, and most of all, through inspiration.

A rapidly growing site (in content and following) Myxer recently announced the launch of BrandTones, “a unique, cost-effective brand extension program designed to make it even easier for companies to connect with consumers through mobile.” Essentially, BrandTones are free, customized ring tones that “enhance the traditional digital marketing components of an advertising campaign.”

To date, Adidas, Volkswagen and Lowe’s have tapped Myxer for these creative campaigns that “express their brand personality while delivering relevant content to consumers – generating viral buzz, extending reach and strengthening loyalty.”

Check out Myxer.com to see what all the excitement is about. Chances are, you’ll bookmark it, too.

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Sonic the Hedgehog may soon be coming to a mobile phone near you.

In hopes of attaining greater exposure on wireless carrier decks to promote and sell their burgeoning line of mobile games, longtime video game maker Sega is preparing a mobile marketing campaign to help launch several new games currently scheduled for release this summer. 2007 marked the first mobile marketing campaign for Sega, now planning to introduce ten more mobile games into the market by the end of 2008.

According to a press release from the video game manufacturer, “The integrated marketing campaigns on track to launch in June for both Beijing 2008 and Sonic at the Olympics feature short codes on print and online advertisements that consumers can interact with by using their cell phones.” As it stands, other potential mega-hit games on the backburner for this year include “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” “Crazy Taxis,” and “Sonic Spinball.”

“Mobile phones are like traveling advertising and marketing tools,” says Carrie Cowan, director of mobile marketing at Sega of America, San Francisco. “Most people have one in their pocket.”

To date, Sega has experienced “moderate success,” in their mobile marketing endeavors, but this summer will mark Sega’s first “full scale” mobile marketing campaign intending to foster a one-on-one connection with consumers that will hopefully create a “unique opportunity,” that is, an increased number of ways to successfuly integrate mobile marketing with other media and services. “One under consideration,” says Cowan, “is a subscription-based service for mobile games. The challenge, however, becomes how to bill it - directly or through wireless carriers.”

Fortunately for Sega, the multimedia faculties of the iPhone, for example, are comparable to those of the popular Sony portable gaming console known as the PSP. This affords an outstanding opportunity for game manufacturers and developers like Sega to create “feature-rich games specifically for this device.” Best of all for both mobile gamers and manufacturers, new interfaces on phones allow game makers to branch out from the uncomfortable 12-key number pad and navigation toggle. According to Cowan, Sega has “already built a prototype version of Super Monkey Ball for the iPhone and iPod Touch that uses the iPhone’s accelerometer as a way to interface with the game by tilting the device from side to side.”

Unfortunately, marketing to avid video gamers who tend to favor mobile video games has been particularly challenging. AT&T, Verizon, Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile are renowned for trying to keep consumer data “highly confidential,” which, in turn, makes it painfully difficult for game makers like Sega to figure out what gamers like and how their preferences are changing. “It’s difficult to market to customers you don’t know,” says Cowan, “because carriers don’t dig deep enough.”

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URL:
newhair.mobi

Quick Site Description:
A mobile site for finding hairstyles.

First Impression:
What a great idea!

I am actually compiling a list of mobile sites I wish I could find. A hairstyle finder was on my list, but not anymore. If you have any thoughts about what mobile sites you wish you could find, please comment and I’ll add your ideas to my list for when I post about it.

What’s Here:
Photos of hairstyles you can use to show your stylist to get the look you want.

Ease of Use/Find Stuff Factor:
NewHair.mobi works great. The photos are organized exactly how they should be, with Women’s at the top (we’re most likely to use the site), Men’s, Kid’s and Celebrity styles are here too. For fun they have a Bad Hair Day section featuring celebrities and real people with bad haircuts. There is also a Salon Finder and Hair Tips.

The hairstyles are in great categories too by length of hair and whether or not the style is straight or curly. Easy to see what you want because the categories are separated by photos.

Best Part:
The photos – finding the right cut is important and then having the photo with you when you get to the salon is also key. NewHair.mobi combines both.

What’s Missing:
The ability to click on a photo and send it to someone else to get their opinion. This would not only be a great service to customers, it would be a terrific marketing tool for the site too.

Where to Use It:
No where in particular springs to mind, but really anywhere you are with a few minutes to spare and a hair appointment coming up.

Bottom Line:
As long as they keep adding new hairstyle photos to the site I will keep coming back.

Score:
4 out of 5

Site Powered by:
MobiSiteGalore powers the site built by IdeaEarth.

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