Connectivity (249)
Pillow talk
Willcom, a Japanese mobile provider, offers star-shaped pillows to its new customers as a welcome present. The cosy pillow is integrated with a microphone and speaker that connects to your mobile phone so you can talk and relax at the same time.
Why it matters
Besides offering technical or service related novelties, this brand is trying to lure consumers via a flashy gadget. Will we see more telecommunication brands trying to own specific emotional mood states?
The world's first solo marathon
On November 26th 2011, Sony Ericsson created the world's first solo marathon. Participants had to run at the same time, anywhere in the world, alone or with friends. All the runners needed to do was download the bespoke app, register on the brand’s website and send the results to the website after the race. Sony Ericsson offered places for the NYC marathon and Xperia phones for the fastest runners.
Why it matters
This operation is an innovative way for Sony Ericsson to test if sport represents a good opportunity within the smartphone market. Since the brand doesn’t claim any sports positioning on its Xperia range, the risk for the brand is not very high. It is also a good way to test the possibility of creating a sports community. What initiative could you launch to test your market while keeping a coherent brand image?
Loyalty through Facebook check-in
In December 2011, the hotel group Accor improved its customer loyalty programme by allowing guests to accumulate points by simply checking in on Facebook when they are staying in one of their rooms.
Why it matters
The firm’s use of Facebook is changing. It no longer uses the social network simply as a communication tool with a lot of branded content. Companies are now beginning to integrate Facebook’s features in different ways. By facilitating the use of some services through social media, brands are getting more intertwined in their customer’s everyday life. What service can your company integrate within a widely used social media network?
