If anyone doubted the momentum behind the value of iPhone applications this should give them something to ponder.

The investment firm KPCB has created a new fund dedicated to investing in cutting edge iPhone applications that leverage the functionality that is available in Apple’s latest release. Shockingly it’s called the iFund – I know you could have seen that one coming…

Regardless, it’s a great idea and should further propel top quality developers and big idea people to dedicated time and resources to release even more cutting edge applications.

I know some gaming applications have had over 400,000 paid downloads establishing the iPhone as a legitimate gaming platform as well.

If you want to find out more about visit http://www.kpcb.com/initiatives/ifund/index.html

Mobile payment is the collection of money from a consumer via a mobile device such as their mobile phone, SmartPhone, or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Mobile payments can be used to purchase a good or service online, pay in a retail location, or transfer money to another person. There are many methods for mobile payments, such as premium SMS (Short Message Service), WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), and NFC (Near Field Communication). Following a few key points about these particular methods.  Read More »

Today was a great day! I spent the whole day on a client off site on South Beach in perfect Florida weather and we got to discuss some really fascinating new approaches to their strategy while in a great outdoor atmosphere. I love being in the company of bright people!

Beyond that I had two interesting updates on previous posts to the site.

First, I was tipped off my friend, and Sapient Creative Director, Juan Morales that Deep Focus apparently knocked some sense int AMC and they turned the twitter accounts back on for most of the Mad Men characters. I haven’t had this officially confirmed and I’m not sure how they’re managing the accounts right now, but hopefully they’ve come up with an approach that keeps the fans and the management team happy.

Second, I got an email from a friend at Google who contacted me after the blog launched and sent back some nice feedback on the site. He was able to get me onto the Friend Connect beta. That mean’s we’re going to be able to test out Friend Connect functionality right here at “Take Me To Your Leader”.

I would like to thank Ryan, Sami, and Mussie at Google! You guys made my day!!!
PS – Sorry about the late post everyone. Rob and I are going to be more conscious about posting in the morning.

If you’re in advertising, or even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard someone mention the AMC drama Mad Men by now. The acting is solid, the story line is intricate, and the general art direction is excellent and time period accurate.

Recently the show started using Twitter in a really innovative manner to extend the storyline into the social media space by extending the story line in the twitter community. The buzz around it was great and I believe everyone was impressed with creative thinking of the campaign. Unfortunately, there was no strategic thinking and this wasn’t a move from AMV.  Read More »

The application we developed for Coca-Cola’s brand Burn just recently crossed 150,000 installs with over 85,000 users active on a monthly basis.

This app allowed users to create a customizable virtual avatar, and then “go out”- either with existing friends, or new ones. The next day, users could check their avatar’s blog to see what went down the night before, and view images that showed both avatars hanging out. The end result was that, just like actually going to a club, users received a story and a shared experience with a friend the next morning. Brought to them by the makers of the night-extending Burn energy drink.

Burn Alter Ego

We used technology in an innovative manor as an additional method to make the application stand-out in a sea of competitors. I’m proud to say the application is a finalist in both the MIXX and OMMA awards. Please wish us luck!

If you’d like to see a demo of the application without installing it in Facebook click the link below.

View Demo Video