Email Marketing Disruption

 MailChimp email marketing has become too expensive. 

Amazon's geeky SES service is 34 times cheaper and in the future will shape email marketing industry.

The promise is there. Play with Sendy and MuxMail.

CRM Tool

HubSpot - small business CRM I like to use.

HubSpot is all about inbound marketing, and it offers a free CRM that helps businesses organize and track customers — as HubSpot says, its CRM “automates the tasks salespeople hate.” The platform tracks interactions automatically, and it compiles data about deals on a single dashboard so the entire journey is visible. Beyond its CRM, the brand offers blogging, landing pages, email, lead management, analytics, web, social media, SEO, ads, and integration with Salesforce.

Digital Marketing - Free Tools

Zero costs.

Google Digital Garage

Valuable certificate

Free online courses by Google guide you through everything from search engines, to social media and beyond. Valuable online resurce to get the digital skills you need (SEO, SEM, SMM, Email Marketing and more ).

After completition of the courses, you get official certificate of online proficiency straight from Google.

Mobile Experience Company

What ? That too ? ;)

Not just mobile computer maker, but ''mobile experience company'' too ;))
Nokia speaks out.
You know, they would like to be called like that.

Nokia and Google team up around search products for upcoming Nokia models.

Agrokor, T-Mobile And EPH In MVNO Croatian Adventure

Croatian business games with telecom flavor

Are they nuts ? Spring 2008 ?

Croatian consortium is preparing to launch KMOBILE brand next spring. I suppose MVNO but it's not clear yet.
''In order to expand mobile telecommunications offer on Croatian market.''So they say.

The members are: Agrokor Group, the largest privately owned company in Croatia and leading retail company, EPH - the leading Croatian Publishing House and T-Mobile Croatia the leading mobile communications company on Croatian market.

At the end of a day. It could be success.
Still, wise concept and execution is the key. I belive they have researched the market extremelly well. It's their modus operandi.
I'll be watching this unusual mobile move in Croatia and report back ;)
I have my opinion on this one, but won't tell ;))

But you know what ?
I read Ivica Todoric's interview given last week to Jutarnji list. Eventually, they ( or he has that big dream about ''global'' Agrokor ) could try to become global company with mobile business in the new ''new'' telecom business , but not in a Kmobile-way. No, no. ( yes, I forgot that's not their core business )
The strategy should be different.

MVNO is usually about simplifying mobile products and service ( overcomplexed businesses, like telecoms are ) with simple message- proposition and tailored marketing push.

Pop-Corn :)

iPhone launch in UK and Europe

Few people in the stores

Might be premature for any conclusion, but The Register has an interesting article.
United Kingdom stood cold to iPhone hype. At least for now.
Interesting part is when they cite mr. Ian, a reader from Souththampton, who offered his analysis in a post to Slashdot.
Might be very true for whole Europe:

Quote:

As to why, I'm sure everyone knows, but here's a recap as to why it's not the saviour of the UK's mobile industry;

1. We're used to either paying for the phone, or the contract, but not both;

2. We're used to accessing mobile internet on 3G, which was rolled out wider and earlier here than across the USA;

3. There have been several competing devices launched recently, which appeal to a range of demographics; for example, techies will like the N95 while fashion victims will like the Prada wotsit;

4. It's quite chunky as phones go - which might sound pernickerty but the market here is very much geared towards fashionable, neat phones (for example, no manufacturer would dare launch a phone with an aerial here within the last few years as they look so dated, while I hear they're still available in the US).

Engage user's pocket

Look back in the year 2005 and messianic prophets talking about mobile advertising.

Financial Times run a piece about mobile advertising on the front page ( April 6th, 2005 edition) presenting interview with Andrew Robertson the CEO of BBDO, the global advertising agency ( the world's third largest ) .

Why he thought mobiles will become key ad medium in the future ?
It's easy to understand why he thought like many of us, but I wouldn't call it ''key'' medium cause it's just one piece of the advertising puzzle .

The trouble is in the execution. So, rightly he said :

'' You have no way to interrupt because they ( users ) can choose what they can do.The opportunity is if you can create some content that they want to engage with, they can do that all of the time from anywhere.

We´re delighted that many of the smartest thinkers in traditional agencies share our vision of the future. The question for advertisers is whether agencies can do more that talk the talk - does their current business model and company structure allow them to embrace this new future.

We find that Agency chiefs do want to move forward, but find themselves limited by the fact they are essentially factories devoted to creating TV commercials.''

The forcast by Mr. Robertson was way ahead of time and the promise is still not fullfilled. Since then, there was story about YouTube not MobileTube we all know very well...

Mobile phones are just in the ''waiting lanes''.

Social signs in your hand

What your mobile phone says about you:

Nokia

Family-minded
Middle aged managers
Balance seekers
Health conscious

Motorola

Fashion conscious
Under 24
Fun seekers
Individualistic

Sony Ericsson

Ambitious young men
Professionals
Success driven
Individualistic

LG

Favourite of mums
Stay-at-home parents
Success driven
Harmony seekers

Samsung

Young women
Career focused
Success driven
Fun seekers

Via: WirelessDuniya and Stuff.co.nz