A favorable juncture of circumstances

Historic Lamp

Throughout life I have found myself blessed with opportunity. The word itself, opportunity, represents an entire process and train of thought completely independent and unique within different frameworks of thought. Most recently the process of opportunity recognition in my life has been illuminating for me in determining my professional and personal goals. The last ten months has provided me with many great opportunities to build and explore a professional freelancing career. This process has filled out my portfolio and built up a marketable skill set. Currently I find myself at a crossroad. One where I will need to better define and specialize the skill set I offer to clients, and a crossroad where I must set personal goals so that I can better access new opportunities.

In thinking about opportunities and more specifically opportunity recognition I have thought deeply about the following ideas/keys:

1) Being observant: I want to continually challenge myself to quickly notice others and the world around me. My Uncle Michael told me a long time ago, it is good to “be observant”, I want to think more about this quality and react to this quality. Observant is a very active state of being despite its connotation of inactivity. I will see how it goes trying to be more actively observant!
2) Suspend Judgment: One of my Professors told me “You can’t see something new if your mind is full.” I think the creative process of de-programming what I know or preconceived norms with in an organization is one way to find innovation. I think this process of questioning and deconstructing industry standards can lead to powerful opportunity. So what is an effective ways to do this! This is where my goals will come into play once I define them. This outlook on opportunity will help me challenged and measure my own goals.
3) Ask questions: The art of critical thinking and inquiry. Not accepting ideas at face value and asking tough questions is key to understanding or discovering an opportunity. I believe even the simple “dumb” questions can reveal an often overlooked problem. Questions are key to interaction and development of innovation.
4) Define: I think defining a need, a space, a world, is key to understanding a problem or opportunity. By defining the platform it creates a canvas for creation. I think this idea is where I need to find a niche and understand where my strengths will be best used. The definition of my platform will fuel the direction for my next opportunities.

From these opportunity recognition key points I will be able to start to define my goals. I think opportunity recognition and goal setting are important skills to practices and hone for every individual. By re-discovering and thinking about these processes I know I will be able to confidently integrate my strengths and define my goals for my future.

Point of Purchase-Proximity Marketing

        In the event management field proximity targeting is quickly being utilized to offer more comprehensive sponsorship packages. The popularity of SMS proximity targeting is due in part to its higher demographics capture rate, in turn offering a higher ROI then traditional promotional mixes. In analyzing Bluetooth or proximity targeting I will apply it to a point of purchase promotions event. My artifact will be a sample SMS graphic based message that could be applied in a point of purchase proximity marketing campaign. For this campaign I will use a POP-now event kiosk and Pepsi event as my hypothetical case study. 

        The basic function of proximity marketing is to target mobile phones and web 2.0 browsers at a certain physical location. In my example I will be using point of purchase locations such as Wal-Mart as regions to target and capture brand demographics. “Proximity marketing is a means by which brands can deliver branded content to the mobile phones of their target audience based on individual’s proximity to a location like Bluetooth and infrared (Haines,23,  Journal of Sponsorship).” This idea of capturing your consumer at the point of purchase increases chances of selling a good, and follow up with the consumer about their experience. It is important to recognize the role the web 2.0 and mobile advertising revolution plays on this process. It essentially creates the sub culture and demographic to advertise to. By targeting an online sub culture, in my example, online gamers, Bluetooth/SMS can be personalized to each demographic. The digital content offers consumer choice in the advertisement and promotions they choose to part take in.

       By utilizing SMS targeting at a point of purchase event consumer and brand value is created. The promotion itself offers consumer value, as well as the digital experience and coupons offered via Bluetooth/SMS. In today’s increasingly mobile web society Bluetooth/SMS marketing is an important one to understand.

Great user experiences are the cornerstone of engagement…Consumers who are having great experiences while immersed in a consumer community are harbingers of engagement. Whether they podcast, vblog, mblog, generate there own content, upload mphotos…really simple syndication it is all interactivity (Sharma,80, Mobile Advertising).

Capturing markets and follow up via the web increases brand equity and connects the consumers mind to a brand through a community and experience. It is what event sponsorship prides itself on doing, connecting an emotional experience with your supporting brand sponsors to increase consumer good will. Translating this into increased sales/brand usage. 

The chart above illustrates a study conducted on measuring brand awareness created as a result of proximity marketing campaigns. It compares modernized economies. These numbers can be translated into the effectiveness of Bluetooth proximity targeting that can be utilized at point of purchase event sponsorship.

        At a point of purchase gaming event hosted at a Wal-mart, Pepsi co, can achieve a successful proximity marketing campaign by integrating it with there gaming event (see 1a). This in store gaming promotion provides the excitement and brand interaction Pepsi wants to achieve, but it ends with the event. By utilizing Bluetooth/SMS at the proximity of the event they are able to continue brand communication into the future, thus increasing the value of the sponsorship.

 

1a) Pepsi gaming kiosk: Used for Gaming Promotional Events.

        By capturing an online community, such as national gaming organization, they have a base audience to deliver a message too. By linking current branding efforts with their Mountain Dew brand to the World of Warcraft game. Pepsi can effectively capture male demographic of 15-25 year old gamers; A demographic that over 50 percent have mobile phone technologies (Adams, 88, Electric Tribes). Integrating Bluetooth/SMS technologies with a more traditional promotional event allows for the sponsorship to achieve a higher ROI, and measurement of the effectiveness of the event. The proximity targeting capabilities also allows Pepsi to create a network for future promotions and events to solidify brand loyalty. 

This graphic based SMS illustrates the link to a promotional event and the follow up of the promotion activity via a web based promotion. Creates more consumer value then a one-time promotion.

        Mobile advertising solutions like Bluetooth/SMS proximity targeting have great implications for the future of advertising. As consumer increasingly rely on the web and mobile technologies in there daily lives our privacy will be increasingly tested through new marketing practices. Implications of this targeting while new and cutting edge could soon become a consumer annoyance. It is an important technological issue to research in the coming months/years in advertising.

Adams, T., & Smith, S. A. (2008). Electronic tribes :The virtual worlds of geeks, gamers, shamans, and scammers (1st ed.) Austin: University of  Texas Press.

Haines, E. (2008). Brand activation and ROI using bluetooth proximity marketing solutions in event sponsorship. Journal of  Sponsorship, 2(1), 22-30.

Sharma, C., Herzog, J., & Melfi, V. (2008). Mobile advertising:Supercharge your brand in the exploding wireless market. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.