The thing with innovations these days is they are fads more than fashion. They need to constantly trigger interest in us consumers, otherwise forgotten.

Guess what?! We have a new love – 3D TV. Not that we are fickle-minded, but AR is losing its sparks.

What is 3D TV? To make it simpler, it’s like being able to see Spider-man climbing out of the mega screen outside Shaw House or watch Avatar (3D) at home and sometimes, without those goofy glasses.

Welcome to ‘Human Augmentation’.

Like AR, 3D TV will be another media medium for advertising. But why will advertisers be intrigued by this possible ‘nausea-inducing’ mode?

Simply, clients are getting away from a Traditional Media Push model (TV, Radio, Press) and are looking for new way to differentiate their products.

In parallel, advertisers are looking for constant new ways to expand revenues and propose new solutions to their clients.

Therefore, 3D represents now one of the new ‘hype’ solutions for advertisers that could meet client new needs.

So, what magic can we create with 3D TV?

Well, potential are HUGE and possibilities immense. Designers can express a depth of field and emotional connection they could not represent completely before. It gives them a new way to express their creativity.

Our CD was thinking of stacking a couple of 3D TVs vertically and create a ‘Niagara Falls’ without the real water mess. =)

Sounds too good to be true?! What is the real deal?

Like all campaigns and their creatives implementations, the process is never easy. Definitely, there are a couple of considerations when 3D TVs are concerned.

First, are they going to use a Display that requires the usage of glasses to wear the 3D (like Avatar) or if you use a new technology that allow you to watch 3D without glasses like the company called ‘Alioscopy’ (we went to their HQ in Singapore and their 3D displays are really cool! ). Their technology uses special screen and can reproduce any 3D without the inconvenience of wearing glasses.

Next, the technical process - How different is creating an ad for 3D TV different than regular TV?

For Alioscopy, you need to create a source from 8 different point of view of the same scene that will be merged together. Alioscopy is actually building HD camera to film directly in HD 3D. Some other solutions will use a filtering system based on frames or polarizing …

The most important will be to think 3D before you shoot. Somehow this is one of the key success of the Avatar movie. Scenes are not artificially merged to force fit a 3D scene, they are designed to support it. Same will goes for the 3D Ad. First, the message and the concept should require 3D and then the entire shooting should integrate it in the process. There will be technical constraints linked to that as well compared to a standard shooting protocol. For example, Steadicam might not support it but should be post processed.

How can brands take advantage of 3D TV?

This should come first with a real need on differentiation and show case. Brands who wants to have a major impact on their audience for a major event or product launch or show case their solution / technology / product or service – 3D TV provides a good way to differentiate.

Second, do not use 3D just to use 3D. Always evaluate what is the impact on the brand , and consumer. As questions like

- will it bring difference or not ?

- How does it generate more sales, NPS, brand awareness,?

- How can I measure it ?

Speculatively, we think high profit margin product like luxury brands, institutions like governments, organization like Olympics committee, mass market sports products , jewelry, sports , travel , Casino, pharmaceutical labswill be among the first advertisers on 3D TV.

Agencies can prepare for the entrance of 3D TV by:

1) Understanding the technology, understand what it offers and integrate it in the creative process.

2) Evaluating client who would need it or the campaign who would be able to afford it

3) Assessing which audience will benefit it – outdoor, mass media or convention?

Conservatively speaking, the setbacks involved in advertising on 3D TV will not be any more than any new technology. Costs to create an ad (or to get involved with 3D TV at all) may be higher than with traditional TV but it should be compensated by a higher ROMI.

3D TVs can be very successful or not depending on how it is used. For example, marketers complained on the non efficiency of banners ads . Ad banners are not wrong, what is wrong is the way we use them. All those new tools require innovation way of thinking, a different approach to customer needs and client problematic. 3D advertising will not solve your sells problem or your customer perception if you use them the way you used to use your own advertising.

Marketers and agency needs to adapt to the new World and evaluate differently the customer needs.

3D is a huge opportunity as well to cinema industry to sell the same movie through different medias (flat, HD, 3D, portable) and limit the risk of piracy.

3D is not new, it has been 15 years companies try to convince us about the need to switch to it. Not surprising, considering it took 10 years for HD to reach the home masses.

It is, however, only recently with the technological progress (High Definition, high refresh rate) that is really works.

This is an exciting time for marketers, agency and consumers.

It’s been 2 months since the iPhone was launched in Korea. More interesting phenomenons that have developed since.

Apple was never a big player in the Korean consumer electronics market. Whereas the iPod was synonymous with mp3 player all over the world, Korea had its own brands such as iRiver, Samsung and Cowon that provided better functions at a more competitive price. There was a time in Korea when the iPod was ranked 13th in mp3 player sales.
In the personal computer market, with most of the internet sites in Korea utilizing Activ X, and all of the online games being played on a window environment, other than professional designers, consumers weren’t considering the Mac as an option at all.
Apple was a niche brand that only the early adopters praised, a computer used for design work and nothing else.

And then came the launch of the iPhone in Korea.
The iPhone sold over 200,000 units in a span of one month, topping the best seller list in the local smartphone market in the shortest period of time.

Rumor has it Samsung tried to strong-arm the Korean Telecom companies into not launching the iPhone in the Korean market. SK telecom, the biggest telecom company in Korea, gave into the pressure of Samsung, while the chaser KT chose to defy them. Samsung’s displeasure in KT’s action was reflected in the price of the Omnia II smart phone. The Omnia II for KT was priced approximately 200,000 Won higher than the same model for SK telecom or LG telecom.

A recent research done with smart phone early adopters in Korea provided more bad taste in the mouth for Samsung.
Overall satisfaction, recommendation, and repurchase intentions were measured. iPhone scored 85% in all 3 categories. The other smart phone group, which consisted of Sony Ericsson, Nokia and  LG among others, scored 60% in overall satisfaction and recommendation, and 30% in repurchase intention. Samsung’s Omnia II scored 44% in satisfaction, 51% in recommendation, and 28% in repurchase intention.
The research mentioned iPhone attained the highest score ever, and no Samsung phone ever attained such a low score.
8 categories were scored to assess the satisfaction score. iPhone received the highest score in4 of the categories, the other smart phones received the highest score in 3 of the categories, while Samsung Omnia II received the lowest score in 6 of the categories.

A high ranked officer of Samsung Electronics recently noted that the sudden popularity of the iPhone in the Korean market was nothing more than a fad created by the netizens. Samsung is confident that they will be back in the smart phone market with a strong line up of products that are lined up for 2010.

Since the launch of the iPhone, the brand Apple isn’t a niche brand anymore. The iPhone is currently the trendiest item to have.
Daum, one of Korea’s biggest portal site, NCSoft, one of the world’s biggest online game creator, Doosan, a Korean conglomerate, advertising agencies and other companies gave all of their employees an iPhone.

Where the iPod was the bridge that closed the gap between the mass consumers and the Mac OS worldwide, the iPhone is spearheading the same role in the Korean market. Sales of Apple’s Macbook in Korea has gone up dramatically.
Compared to last year, before the launch of the iPhone, Macbook sales in January has increased by 50 to 60 percent.

Motorola just launched its Android phone Motoroi in Korea. Because of legal issues between Apple and Nokia in the U.S., there are rumors Korea might be one of the launching grounds for the next iPhone. Samsung and LG are rumored to have Snapdragon based smart phones released soon. With the Google phone Nexus looming as well, 2010 will be an interesting and exciting time for the smart phone consumers, while the competition has gone up a notch for all of the smart phone providers.

One more interesting situation that has arisen with the launch of the iPhone is related to the iTune Shop. Because the Korean government requires all computer games pass a local regulatory approval before launch, and because there are already thousands of games pre-existing in the iTune Shop that hasn’t passed this old, outdated regulation of trying to control content with physical borders, Apple didn’t include the Game section in the Korean iTune Shop. Of course, this doesn’t mean iPhone users in Korea aren’t playing any games with their iPhones. They have found loopholes in the iTune Shop registering process and and are downloading and installing all the games they want and bought. No news on how the Korean government agencies are reacting to this new borderless world…

Just when you thought that Macbook Air was the slimmest laptop that you could find in the market, think again. Dell launched the Adamo XPS laptop which is just 9.99mm in thickness.

It doesn’t really look as heavy as its weight of 1.5 kg. This wonderful piece of technology comes with a full-size keyboard and a 13.4-inch widescreen LED.

On top of that, Dell’s Adamo XPS laptop has unique functions such as the lid’s heat sensing strips for unlocking the laptop where all users need to do is stroke it, an angled position that provides for a more comfortable typing experience then using a laptop keyboard when the set is place on your lap.

Besides that, the laptop is designed in a way where the computing hardware is located under the screen instead of the common laptop where the hardware is found under the keyboard.

It definitely has better functionality than other netbooks available in the market taking its multi-tasking ability into consideration. Dell Adamo XPS will certainly attract working adults as its portability, stylish and the modern design overcomes the liability of it’s weight.

The battery life however, is rather disappointing considering the laptop weighs 1.5kg but has a maximum lifespan of 2.5 hours. It won’t even last that long if the user is running multiple programs on the Adamo XPS such as playing online games, listening to music and running Windows messenger . But the ability to go into sleep mode when the battery is flat makes up for the short lifespan. The user would then be able to swap batteries when the laptop goes into sleep mode without losing important documents.

Dell Adamo XPS, the one laptop working adults would want to get their hands on.

Aiming to fend off competitors in a bid to expand  Microsoft’s consumer reach, CEO Steve Ballmer announced a new slate computer on 7th January early this year,as he kicked off the annual International Consumer Electronic Show. Teaming up with HP to introduce what they called “Slate PC”, Microsoft and HP unveiled Windows 7-powered touch screen tablet

In an on-stage demonstration at the consumer indusrty’s biggest annual gathering, Mr. Ballmer showed the small touch-screen device, which looked like an enlarge version of Apple’s iPhone. It runs Amazons’s Kindle eReader software and can be used to play games – then main functions expected  to be offered by the  rumored Apple devices.

Introducing the latest machine by Microsoft, Ballmer said ” We’re talking about something that’s almost as portable as a phone and as powerful as a PC running Windows 7. This emerging category of PCs really should take advantage of the touch and mobility and capabilities of Windows 7, and are perfect for reading, for surfing the web, and for taking entertainment on the go. Our OEM partners are doing some great work with Slate PCs that will be rolling into the marketplace this year.”

However, ther were dissappoinments from many as there were no details specifications given on the slate PCs. I personally think that the Slate PCs are not a “wow” announcement as compared to apple’s iPhone when it first announced.  it was more a shiny new thing announcement to add into another Microsoft products. It looks almost similar with a laptop with no keyboard in it (it used multi touch interface). One great feature that impressed me is the “natural user interface” , – which allow users to interact with a device through motions and gestures.

Although it aims to bridge the gap between laptop and smartphones, the size of the machine is considerably big compared to other mobile devices. Besides, there is not much information given by Mr.Ballmer about Slate PC, which many have expected that the devices will feature two 7 inches screens joined by a hinge, the multi-touch screens are designed for writing, with the ability to be controlled by either finger or a stylus. The leaked prototype reportedly includes Wi-Fi, an iPhone-style home button, a camera and even an inductive charging pad similar to the palm’s pre’s Touchstone charger. but it was all not mentioned in his speech on tablet PC.

In the first week of the New Year, Skype announced partnerships with LG and Panasonic to offer Skype-enabled HDTVs.  This would mean free online calling service on a widescreen TV and because it’s free Skype-to-Skype, you can call as often as you like.

This announcement was timed to coincide with the opening of the annual consumer electronics show held in Las Vegas, where both LG and Panasonic demonstrated the service.

Skype software will be embedded into the new internet-enabled, high definition televisions from Panasonic and LG, namely Panasonic’s line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs and LG’s 26 new LCD and plasma HDTVs with Netcast Entertainment Access. Both lines of HDTVs are expected to be available in mid 2010.

Both television makers will also offer separate HD web cameras, optimized for Skype video calls that can be plugged into the compatible TVS. Skype claims that these HD webcams will include special microphones and optics that can pick up sound and video from a couch-distance. Soon you’ll simply be able to gather the whole family on the couch and communicate with your overseas family and friends from the comfort of your living rooms.

This collaboration takes Skype to another platform, in addition to the computer and the mobile phone, which is the technology heart of the home, the television.

“The popularity of Skype video calling has increased substantially in recent years with an average of 34 percent of Skype-to-Skype calls now including video,” Skype chief executive Josh Silverman said.

“Many people who are video calling on Skype… expressed a desire to communicate with their friends and family from somewhere comfortable, and preferably on a big screen,” Silverman said. “Logically, this led to the development of Skype embedded on HDTVs.”

Well, now the TV is not just a one way entertainment device but a two way communication device and a portal in other people’s lives. The plan to move video conferencing to the big screen makes sense because as much as the ability to make free video calls is nice and convenient, but having to speak to a laptop web cam is not the greatest user experience. This move will open up a new whole way for users to connect with friends and family from the comfort of their living room.

Personally, I feel to bring Skype to TV is a great approach for people who often communicate with their families and friends who are overseas. I could imagine how close these users would feel when they are able to chat and watch what the other parties are doing from their wide TV set. This makes having dinner together while far apart possible.

Also, no more having to miss your favorite TV show while waiting for your love ones to skype you : ) But the TV program will stop when the chat is on. Technology today does not allow you to watch TV and chat from there at the same time ;p

Sometimes, I’m wonder if innovations are created by brands and their ideas or by consumers and their desires…..
A perfectionist once mentioned that GPS systems that are integrated into the dashboard are neater as compared to those sticking out from the windscreen.
Well, to that perfectionist, you may get more than what you wished.  At the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it seems that Internet is making its way to dashboard; much to the dismay of drive-safely advocates.

It seems big technology companies like Intel and Google are keen to spread the power of personal computers to the cars. Largely know as the ‘infotainment system’, it will be make available in the US market later this year. Drivers will be able to retrieve information as they drive, like wikipedia entry, photos, reviews of nearby restaurants of the area and animation of the various ways to get there, not to mention other functions like watch movies, play music and double up as cell phone.
Most car manufacturers insist that safety usage is their key concern, with several features put in place to ensure that such as voice commands, active web browser when car is parked, etc… However, there is a limitation to the number of safety features built-in. Subsequently, car manufacturers will give in to customer’s demand for flexibility in terms of the features.
As a non-driver, I’m not sure how less distracted you will be when a voice kept droning, “ if possible, try to make a U-turn …… try to make a U-turn… ”
But as a passenger, the presence of some form of in-car entertainment is quite exciting especially when you are in for a long journey.
I guess creating an awareness of responsible-driving is the way to go in the long term; though it will face the same challenges as other similar campaigns.

Speaking in Singapore context, I think the ability to register the ever-changing ERP charging system and provide alternatives cheaper route or the function to locate the nearest car park with available lots might boost its popularity than the mere basic giving directions or playing music.

After getting a DSi, I was shocked to realise that there is yet another DSi launching early this year, called the DSi LL. My disappointment vanished after I’ve read the features for the new DSi (because I realised I probably don’t have a need to ‘upgrade’).

What is different about this DSi LL is that it is physically bigger in everyway – the double screen, the physical size, the camera hole… even the pen. Whilst everybody is busy thinking of how to shrink their devices (think PSP Go, PSP Slim, Mac Airbook, even DSi was smaller than DS Lite), Nintendo does the opposite.

I can’t say what’s the trend for 2010 will be like but it may be likely that the DSi would start to get popular with the giants and the men (big = manly). Unlike the PSP, the DS has been thought of as the more feminine of the handheld consoles with its cute little size, creamy colors and popular domestic games such as Cooking Mama and Mario. It also has a relatively wider array of casings and accessories catered to the female audience than the PSP.

Aside from my so-called relief, I am actually quite disappointed at Nintendo in another way. Nintendo has always been the more creative of the console companies, coming up with double screens and motion-sensored Wii, so I was expecting something different from the new Nintendo DS. It may be the case that the information for the new DS is still kept at bay, and we may be able to expect some surprising add-ons (even an upgrade in camera and screen resolution would be pleasant enough) nearer the date of the release, but as of now, this seems the current case now.

I’m currently awaiting its release and the results, as it would be interesting to see how the market responds to this new version.

Yes, you have heard me right. Data is not boring. Data analysis would most probably be voted as the most boring/confusing part of any marketing campaigns. However, as disliked/confusing as it may be to traditional marketers, data is essential in understanding the marketing campaigns and also in trend making. Most interestingly, these seemingly useless, incomprehensible data actually forms a beautiful story when it is being woven correctly.

With 1 trillion internet users around the world, 31 billion online videos watched in a month in the US, 10 million searches conducted in a month, 1.9 Million of tweets per day, have you ever wonder what are these data being used for?

1) Art/ Design

Some innovative curators decided to put these useless raw data into a pure aesthetic form of the data visual using search patterns. They might not have any business use, neither do most of them make any sense, but don’t they just look good?

2) Cool stuff to know

With the constant chatter online, some websites decide to look into these chatter and put them into FYI sites for your leisure viewing. Cool to look at, good to know, but these data do not make any business sense. Purely just for your entertainment.

3) Making sense of the raw data online

If we start framing some of the cool data into categories, we would actually have interesting information generated.

One of the most popular data visualization is the Nike Plus website. After the runners transfer their running data to the website, this website collates the information and show runners how they are progressing.

4) Putting the sensible data into marketing use

Practically, business people do not normally appreciate the value of any marketing tools unless they help increase sales or boost the value of the company.

A small data visualization project that we worked on in F5 last year was to segregate the online consumers in Asia according to their Internet penetration rate, Number of internet users and their GDP/Capital. Interestingly, we found that the Asian countries were grouped into 3 distinctive categories (very developed, developed and developing) and China and India stood alone. In the marketing sense, marketers should develop their marketing strategies accordingly to these categories rather than mass online marketing to the whole of Asia as these 5 different groups are different in their rate of development and their marketing needs would differ.

With this entry, i hope i have changed your perception on data and you will learn how to embrace it instead of shunning away from it. To end of my entry, this is my favorite data visual by far. Enjoy!

The web we know as today is DEAD. Web 2.0 is just the beginning of this intense relation between innovations and consumers. Consumers are more and more impatient, they want solutions instantly and information immediately. Therefore companies and agencies are forced to go faster and faster, integrate more and more information to cater to the market demands.

From sekai camera to iphone, Augmented Reality (AR) has been generating ripple-like interest in the market. With more and more use of AR in mobile phone applications, this is regarded as an upcoming phenomenon in 2010 digital arena. It is foresee that AR applications will get more ubiquitous and more sophisticated.

AR reflects the merge of 2 worlds, virtual and real. Such integration can be done in 2 ways, one of which is to overlay a virtual layer through the webcam over the real-life environment. USPS has created a very functional use with this technology.

Another way is kind of ‘ inverted’ as with taking pictures with iphone. By adding an AR layer, information on the environment can be revealed; thus making it similar to GPS, but more ‘adaptative’ in a way.

The most popular are location centric such as the above example. Personally, I’m pretty sure that companies will propose tourist guide in Singapore where for example you would be able to have a layer of information. For example if you take a picture of the Merlion, you are able to obtain some information about its history at the same time.

All in all, AR should be linked as a real solution to a problem. Currently, most of applications are fun but except some very isolated cases, they do not bring added value to the consumer.

Naturally, both agencies and clients will attempt new solution to increase their communication.

Although AR based advertisement is another derivative, its potential of growth in Singapore appear dim. As of now, AR is more a toy currently than a real solution. The only real business case I can see so far is when you are in a shop, your AR layer can guide you to the next promotion item for example and then you could see the offer. That would be great. You might see some cases of AR advertising based, but we need to measure and prove their efficiency

Static websites are now slowly integrating multimedia and step-by-step, social component, interaction with their audience. But the future is a complete virtualization of the information. Where consumers do not go from one place to another anymore but from hubs to hubs that know exactly who they are and what they want. Real measurement of consumer needs can be better meet with 1 to 1 marketing. FujiXerox Solution and their Ignite program is one solution that achieve that via personalization of entire message to consumer and communicate with them seamlessly mail, SMS and eDM. This is really what consumers are appealed to.