October 2005
Is Your Content Mobile?
Berry, Pod, or Palm—the device is only as useful as the content on it.
By Celia Canfield
I've just returned from a vacation to Europe where I came to fully appreciate the power of mobile communication. Yes, I probably should have completely disconnected, but we all know that's virtually impossible given today's climate of fast-paced, all-access information.
I stayed connected to my information-rich life with a number of devices, including an iPod (for music and podcasts), a BlackBerry, a cell phone, and a Palm. All of them helped me in different ways: I used my Palm to locate the phone number for La Colombe d'Or to let them know that we were running late for our dinner reservation. Podcasts, downloaded in advance on my iPod, enabled me to catch up on some programming that I had pushed to the back burner while in the office. Instant access to news via my BlackBerry allowed me to track the latest Hurricane Rita reports to see which friends I needed to be in touch with by email.
"The "cool" factor for a device wanes quickly when it's difficult to ferret out
the content
you want." While I loved the instant access to information these devices gave me, I also discovered that they demand information that is more substantive and organized than their print and Web counterparts.
For example, while news headlines always need to be accurate and descriptive, when viewed through these devices the need becomes even more important. The headline is the sole entry point, and the only way to scan is to press the "more" button in order to get the complete story. When lead-ins (headline, subhead, and lead paragraphs) are vague, the experience quickly becomes frustrating and tedious.
The same is true for the organization of my iPod. The "cool" factor for a device wanes quickly when it's difficult to ferret out the content you want. And using up valuable battery life while trying to find that entertaining song grouping or podcast that's going to get me through a three-hour train ride made me acutely aware of something: Using basic content organization principles is key to a successful experience.
While in Europe I learned of a conference dedicated to the subject of content and mobile devices. A glance at some of the featured topics provides a snapshot of the issues and opportunities for the specialized, rapidly growing mobile content market:
- Giving content vitality—creating media that sparks the imagination
- Creating content that resonates with consumers
- Using mobile content to complement existing channels and deepen customer relationships
- Delivering high-quality brand experience with mobile content
- Captivating the music audience—durability of mobile content
- Increasing user personalization and customer satisfaction
- Producing focused and localized content—giving consumers something personal
- Maintaining consumer excitement—how to stop the novelty from wearing off
- Maximizing a new channel for branded content
- Developing enticing browse and buy experiences for the consumer
- Raising brand awareness with the youth market
Of course at Tendo, we understand that these issues are the same for any form of media delivery: print, broadcast, Web. The key is to work within the limitations of the medium to craft content that provides customer satisfaction in proportion to the amount of time and money invested in the device.
The ability to execute well on these content implementations is always best left in the hands of a crack editorial team, in our humble opinion.
About the author:
Celia Canfield is the CEO and founding partner of Tendo Communications. email her with your search successes and failures.
