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Episode #456: How the smartphone is ushering in the age of the home robot – with Romotive co-founder Keller Rinaudo

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:49:46 +0000

In this episode shot live at Relay Ventures' Strictly Mobile event, I talk with Romotive co-founder Keller Rinaudo about their first home robot, Romo, and the implication the smartphone will have on the democratization of the home robot.

Episode #455: How this first-time mobile entrepreneur was featured 3 times by Apple – with Ben Broca, founder of Now

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:12:51 +0000

Ben Broca is a first time entrepreneur tackling a huge challenge - real-time. This episode dives into why the world needs another real-time social discovery application, how he has morphed his company from consumer focused to that of one targeting businesses with big data, how he built his "perfect experience" first and scaled it using software and how he ended up being featured by Apple on 3 different occasions.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #129: We are on the fringe

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:02:13 +0000

On the show today: Facebook rumoured to be in talks to purchase Waze for $1 billion; Square set to check in to Foursquare's neighbourhood; BlockAvenue launches to give your city a grade; Unilever goes hyper-local with rewards program; Outback Steakhouse jumps back in time to when check-ins were the rage; The VERY cool Pennies for Life campaign by Microloan; Pew enlightens us on the state of location in mobile; Plus special guest Duncan McCall, CEO of PlaceIQ.

Episode #454: How the Khan Academy is approaching mobile learning – with founder Sal Khan

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:47:27 +0000

In this episode I talk with Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, about the coming impact that mobile and pervasive computing will have on the education system and the new ways we will learn as a result.

Episode #453: How to increase reach, retention and revenue for your mobile app – with Scringo co-founder Ran Avrahamy

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:14:32 +0000

Episode #453 Reach, Retention and Revenue are the new three “r’s” of business. One of the single greatest challenges in the mobile app ecosystem is building a product that is compelling enough to have users come back to use it a second and third time. A one-time user does not build a sustainable business. There [...]

This Week in Location Based Marketing #128: The Idaho Show

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 06 May 2013 18:35:09 +0000

On the show: ISIS brings loyalty to vending machines, Dwolla closes their $16.5 million series C, Kiip powers the "sour to sweet" campaign for Sour Patch Kids, MoodMedia pinpoints you by the music your hear, Google Now! comes to the iPhone and leaves a lot to the imagination, Foursquare is about to sell your data, PJs that tell stories + our very special guest, Ben Broca, founder of Now.

Episode #452: From novelty apps to the cusp of a new trend – the evolution of Twist’s Edward Marks

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:29:58 +0000

This episode with Edward Marks takes us back to the end of Inedible Software and the start of new companyTwist, the venture funding process, the 18 months it took to build a business while building a team, the marketing tactics, the importance of partnering properly, the power of contacts and the super power known as context.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #127: The get places, do things, pay less show

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:16:21 +0000

On the show: Tracking school buses and the children on them in the UAE and United States. Swipp brings sentiment to everything. Punch.in remakes the punch clock for the mobile era. Visa works with Fandango for location-based offers. Fiz brings location and leisure together to help discover things to do. Independent fuel retailers band together to create their own payment and loyalty initiative. Our app selection of the week is Foursquare's visualization of your checkins for the last year plus the resource of the week is the history of location-based games in one infographic and special guest Edward Marks of Twist.

How to Market Apps in App Stores – IABC Podcast Guest Appearance

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:00:04 +0000

I had the privilege of being on The Voice, a podcast produced for the IABC, with Matt Palmer from Appclover to talk about app store marketing strategies.

Episode #451: Why the calendar is the next mobile operating system – with Tempo founder Raj Singh

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:40:41 +0000

Raj Singh started Tempo.ai out of SRI (incubators of SIRI, Summly and Tempo) with absolute intent - they didn't begin at the calendar, they ended up there based on what they wanted to achieve. Raj takes us through this journey of identifying the market opportunity, the covert beta test (in Canada - under a different name), the launch, the outcome, the things he'd have done differently and where he sees the calendar as the platform concept going in the near future.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #126: Faith is the price of progress

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:52:48 +0000

On the show: Stay within walking distance to your meetings with Walkscore; Nike uses 3D holographs to sell shoes in Amsterdam; Paying by sound in Beijing; K-Mart uses checkins to promote the world's largest bake sale; Asif's retail RAMP summary; Accenture's "Seamless Retail Study." Plus Rob's app fascination of the week is Tempo and special guest Raj Singh, founder of Tempo talks the calendar as the operating system.

Episode #450: How NARR8 is rethinking the publishing industry and keeping everything free – with Darya Trushkina

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:44:21 +0000

This is the story of the success Game Insight has had and how Darya and her team plan on duplicating that success with NARR8. There is a heft here - a confidence reserved for only those that have hit on something or see something that others don't and I like it. They have audacious goals of world domination, of building incredible product every single time and of disrupting a staid and insular industry in serious peril and need of new thinking. After listening to this episode you get the sense that they are just starting to hit their stride.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #125: Shazam, Layar and the quest for digital dollars + Darya Trushkina of Game Insight

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:55:40 +0000

On the show: Why Shazam could be the biggest retail enabler on the planet; can Foursquare discover a revenue source with version 6.0; will Layar help print turn digital dimes into dollars and will you pay $360/year for WiFi in the car plus other stories from ESRI and TouchMedia, our resource of the week and special guest Darya Trushkina, VP Business Development at Game Insight.

Episode #449: How Beergram builds loyalty and net new revenue for craft breweries through mobile – with founder Andrea Sanchez

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:48:54 +0000

Niche and net new revenue are at the core of mobile. Knowing the audience you are selling to and converting them into repeat (read: loyal) customers is at the core of what Beergram is doing for craft breweries in neighborhoods across the United States. This is the story of Andrea Sanchez and turning her passion for this business into a business unto itself.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #124: When whispers are louder than words

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:30:15 +0000

Welcome to episode #124: One ad metric to serve them all with Starcom and PlaceIQ. Tata Docomo makes it easy to check in without GPS or internet (but why?). Glympse moves onto the streets inside of BMW. Whispering Windows shows sound makes money while Whisper is the not so secret social network with a revenue model. Special guest David Lieb ushers in the age of inference and we all take a much needed mobile moment thanks to Chadwick Martin Bailey.

Can mobile eradicate laziness?

Rob Woodbridge — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:42:34 +0000

I use my smartphone to run much of my life. It is with me wherever I go so it seems logical that I use it as often as I can to enhance the things I’m doing. At the gym it feeds me audio books while I track my workouts. In the car it feeds me [...]

Episode #448: How this first-time entrepreneur built his mobile games company – with Sylien Games founder Sylvain Rochon

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:32:53 +0000

Port 200 games in 4 months. That was the challenge put to Sylien Games founder Sylvain Rochon by Microsoft and, like a true entrepreneur, he accepted it. That challenge is what drew me to ask him on the show but I soon found out (as will you) that the story leading to that Microsoft ask is much much more interesting.

THE mobile summit for mobile execs: Venture Beat Mobile Summit Day 1

Rob Woodbridge — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:12:11 +0000

I’ve just returned from day one at the Venture Beat Mobile Summit in Sausalito, California. It’s an invite only event for 180 mobile executives from across North America with the focus on creating a blueprint for the growth of this nascent industry. While day 1 was only a quarter day – 3 fireside chats and [...]

This Week in Location Based Marketing #123: The beer show

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:34:13 +0000

Welcome to episode #123 of This Week in Location Based Marketing. On the show: The Singapore government to roll out location-based services. Google's Niantic Labs (makers of the popular location-based game Ingress) gets into book publishing. Locu uses big data to track Pabst Blue Ribbon consumption (and identify the Hipster density). Apple acquires WiFiSlam + Tibco acquires Maporama. Jay Shells takes us on a location-based rap lyric street art project. Plus special guest Andrea Sanchez, co-founder of Beergram and our resource of the week.

Episode #447: How the Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets embraced mobile to enhance the in-game experience – with WillowTree Apps VP Design Blake Sirach

Rob Woodbridge — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:33:17 +0000

There are scores of great examples of it out there but have you ever noticed that very few companies break away from the norm? Most look to the examples that have paved the way and incrementally move the needle forward - not inventing but more closely refining someone else's invention. This has worked out well for the industry for sure - better user interface = better user experience = better products - but I hope we can break some of the patterns we are seeing and really start innovating at a UX level again. This is where WillowTree Apps and their VP of Design, Blake Sirach want to play - and doing a fine job incidentally. To do UX properly there needs to be this convergence of timing, need, want and budget which is exactly where Blake and his team found themselves as they began developing the mobile experience for the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center and the relocated Brooklyn Nets. This conversation, while fixated on how this happened and what they learned, also dives deep into the thinking around the in-game or at-home fan experience. It touches on lessons learned, opportunities still in the queue for development, what the "multi-screen" world may look like and we even dive into an old-fashioned "Apple UX vs Android UX" slap fest.

This Week in Location Based Marketing #122: Foursquare’s identity crisis

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:55:00 +0000

Welcome to episode #122 of This Week in Location Based Marketing. On the show: Can Foursquare make the switch from checkins to discovery? Apple, not YouTube, awarded a patent for augmented reality on top of live video. Volkswagon makes driving more social. Microsoft testing yet another option for mobile payments this time using bluetooth and the Kinect. The most important mobile payments infographic ever, Rob's location app fascination of the week (TWIST) and our special guest, Todd Greene, co-founder and CEO of PubNub on the emergence of real-time apps.

Case Study: Localmind – Know what is going on right now anywhere in the world

Rob Woodbridge — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:09:47 +0000

Technology supporter and vocal pundit Robert Scoble called Localmind the "best SXSW app" for 2011. High praise for a company launching their very first app at that festival in the spring of 2011. Coming from Robert Scoble also meant massive exposure in a community of early adopters.

Episode #446: Entering the era of real-time mobile infrastructure as a service – with PubNub co-founder Todd Greene

Rob Woodbridge — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:51:58 +0000

It has been almost 2 years since we last connected with Todd Greene, since then Loyalize was acquired by Viggle and his new startup PubNub closed their first round of funding (also in December of 2011). This episode focuses on the concept of software as infrastructure, the real-time mobile world, how companies are and will use this technology, the Loyalize story, how PubNub was conceived and the patience it took to wait for the right moment to jump in

This Week in Location Based Marketing #121: Where are my Cool Ranch tacos?

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:58:23 +0000

Welcome to episode #121 of This Week in Location Based Marketing. On today's show: LinkedIn is rumoured to be acquiring the Pulse News Reader for $50-100M, Posse saddles up and moves to the United States, the earth's magnetic field may hold the key to indoor location and Quri gives brands a little leverage. Plus our resource of the week and special guest Shuli Lowy from Ping Mobile on SMS marketing.

Mobile Strategy: How to increase customer satisfaction with mobile

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:30:32 +0000

You all know it is far cheaper to keep existing customers than to find new ones and mobile can help do that quite effectively. We are all guilty of leaving a paying customer in the dark - it happens. We work hard to attract them to our company, harder to convince them to part with their money but once they do we often move on to the next potential customer. This is where mobile can help with customer attrition if done right.

What can the plight of Mailbox and Google Reader teach us

Rob Woodbridge — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 10:35:27 +0000

Here are 2 products that millions of people use every single day. Both are tackling the problem of too much information. Both are now close to dead with Google icing Reader and DropBox acquiring Mailbox. What is the lesson to learn from these two products?

Episode #445: How Budge Studios built a mobile business of brands – with co-founder Noemie Dupuy

Rob Woodbridge — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:17:23 +0000

Noemie Dupuy, co-founder of Montreal-based Budge Studios shares some of her great insights into approaching and working with brands including their negotiating strategies (simpler than you think), their revenue aspirations, their "all-in" approach to partnerships, their revenue tactics, how they market the games and their competitive advantage (aside from being incredibly smart Canadians).

This Week in Location Based Marketing #120: A tale of two pivots

Rob Woodbridge — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:04:43 +0000

Welcome to episode #120 of This Week in Location Based Marketing. On today's show: Our DX3 Canada wrap, ShopSavvy transitions to a retail app, do taxi companies need a platform or just customers, U-Haul brings augmented reality to Detroit and do we need to regulate mobile retail. All this plus Spindle - our app fascination of the week - and special guest Blake Sirach, VP Design for WillowTree the makers of the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center mobile app experience

How to start building your customer-facing mobile strategy

Rob Woodbridge — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:03:20 +0000

Most companies are looking to mobile these days for outward-facing initiatives and for good reason. A high majority of the 1.5 million apps out there are either new business ideas, reinventions of classic business models (and businesses) or existing brands looking to extend the conversation and relationship they have with their customers onto their phones or tablets. And, by proxy of those devices, gaining access to their living rooms, offices, bathrooms, bedrooms cars, vacations, malls, restaurants, coffee shops and so on. You get that.

Episode #444: How to succeed using location based marketing – with Ping Mobile’s Shuli Lowy

Rob Woodbridge — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:53:24 +0000

Answering the key location based marketing questions - and a ton more - is Shuli Lowy, Marketing Director at Ping Mobile. She offers up a number of very specific tactics and tips as well as pitfalls to avoid as companies contemplate and embark on location based marketing initiatives.