As Technology Converges, What Should the Strategy be for Point Technology like GPS?

Convergence has been a hot technology topic for a long time. Today's New York Times takes a look at the downside of convergence for GPS manufacturers, in "Sending GPS Devices the Way of the Tape Deck?"

Smartphones, especially that particular one that promotes itself by saying "there's an app for that," is where so much technology is converging. (It hasn't been easy finding a simple cellphone that only makes calls for several years.)

And while that's good news for users by reducing the number of devices we must carry, that's not the case for some of the technology providers.

GPS, for example, is now included in many smartphones, decreases sales of dedicated GPS units. No doubt the dedicated GPS units do some things much better than the GPS on your iPhone such route planning , identifying points of interests, remembering key addresses, and working when outside of cell coverage. Dedicated GPS units can also be much faster than GPS-enabled phones. Plus, you can carry on a conversation while also looking at your map, which you can't do with a smartphone and directions.

Still, it seems inevitable that sales of GPS devices will decrease -- that is GPS for driving. Specialized GPS devices for hiking/offroad and boating will continue as a niche play.

The challenge for TomTom and Garmin, two of the best known GPS manufacturers, is how to survive.

While I prefer Garmin's Nuvi line, I'd have to say that Tom-Tom's strategy appears to be superior to Garmin's.

According to the Times, "TomTom, based in Amsterdam, recently announced that it would introduce a portable navigation application for the iPhone this summer that would feature turn-by-turn directions and audio prompts. Unlike existing GPS apps for the iPhone, TomTom intends to charge a one-time flat fee rather than require users to pay a monthly subscription fee.'It’s the manifestation of our strategy to make TomTom available across different platforms, including the smartphone,' said Tom Murray, the company’s vice president for market development. "

According to the Times, Garmin "is taking a different approach...(and) plans to release a combination navigational device and cellphone called the Nuviphone later this year." The problem: "The company’s bet — that it can beat established smartphone makers like R.I.M., Apple, Palm and HTC at their own game — is a risky one at best, said Julien Blin, principal analyst at JBB Research, who follows the industry."

I totally agree with Julien Blin -- Garmin knows how to make cool devices, but smartphones are difficult, and require additional skillsets than what Garmin has shown previously. It's going to be a tough sell.

We see more technology companies developing technology components to make their apps available cross-platform. Our client, Avistar, recently announced a new videoconferencing solution, the C3 Media Engine, that does just that -- allows developers to embed videoconferencing capability into their applications. Spreadsheets, word processing documents, presentations all can easily have a button that enables you to communicate and collaborate with clients, colleagues, etc. from within the app. No switching back and forth from one app to another to the videoscreen.

I don't usually mention clients in this blog, but I think that smart companies are adapting now to imminent convergence. I think TomTom is making the right bet, and so are companies like Avistar.

What do you think smartphone convergence will look like?

Scenario Planning: WSJ profiles JDS Uniphase for its annual planning session -- Is annually enough?

Today's Wall St. Journal included an article about scenario planning: "Pendulum Is Swinging Back on 'Scenario Planning' JDS Uniphase Prepares Responses for a Range of Business Situations, Helping Company React Quickly to Change."

Here's how the article defined "scenario planning": it's "preparing responses to imagined changes in conditions." However, "'It's not about predicting the future,' says Peter Schwartz, a partner at Monitor Group, a Cambridge, Mass., consulting firm. 'Scenario planning is a tool for learning' and making better decisions."

My question: is scenario planning on an annual basis the right timetable to really enable a company to "react quickly to change?"

Given current conditions, I think annual planning isn't enough because conditions are so fluid, often in negative ways -- a reason to never take clients for granted.

On the other hand, we picked up a new client earlier this year, and our work for them has enabled us to pitch other, non-competitive companies in that sector, one which I would not have identified as a sweet spot six months ago. (We had the relevant experience, just had not seen much activity in that area for us.) The result: we're packaging our very current results and experience and placing a bigger bet on that sector.

We hold scenario sessions twice a year, and even that may not be enough. Some questions we consider include:

• What are current media trends? We compile these trends each year in Dec. for the following year.
• How might these trends impact our business, including our ability to generate media coverage? We then regularly brief our clients on our thoughts and recommendations.
• What trends are we seeing with our clients? We ask this on an individual client basis as well as on a macro level that includes prospects.
  
• What are clients asking us for -- and in what ways does this represent a change?
• What do we need to have in place to take advantage of potential changes?

Some of the results of our internal planning sessions have helped us enter new markets, develop expertise in new areas, etc. But we find that once a year planning isn't enough.

Do Blogs Have to be Accurate? Some bloggers say it's better to be fast than accurate

A lot of blogs, because they don't have the time, resources, or inclination to do otherwise, publish rumors -- and fast, to get a jump on competing blogs and on mainstream media.

In an article that points out that problem (published by the New York Times, the pinnacle of MSM), Damon Darlin wrote an illuminating article, "Get the Tech Scuttlebutt! (It Might Even Be True.)"

Darlin cites the rumored acquisition talks between Apple and Twitter, which several blogs ran despite a sense that the talks were not taking place. As TechCrunch's Michael Arrington said, "It was interesting, and it didn't hurt anyone to write it."

That casual attitude towards accuracy, Darlin notes, was a component of early 20th century newspapers, known as "yellow journalism" and typified in "Citizen Kane," "The Front Page" and dozens of early movies whose settings included the newspaper. But newspapers eventually realized they needed to be accurate.

Not the case with blogs.

As Arrington told the Times, "Getting it right is expensive. Getting it first is cheap."

Or, as Brian Lam, who built Gizmodo, said, "The only way to compete with a news organiztion with more resources is to fit between the cracks...If we don't do have rumors, what do we have as journalists?" His answer: "You have press releases," which is how he justifies what they do. "So maybe there is some honor in printing rumors," he told Darlin.

For PR functions, this article and quotes are instructive. These are sites that don't honor embargoes (check out Can PR Embargoes Survive in a Web 2.0 World?) and have already said they prefer to post stories quickly rather than fact check them. I understand that, and it makes sense for them. It just means PR people need to be careful when approaching these blogs.

Are Blogs Dead? Some Reasons They're Still Alive

In Dec. 2008, I wrote a post, Are Blogs Dead?, in response to Jason Calcanis' now-famous proclamation that blogging is dead.

I answered that blogs aren't dead, certainly not to be replaced by email, as Calcanis suggsted. And I still believe that's the case.

Brandon Mendelson's Soap Box Included presents "10 Reasons Blogs Are Not Dead" basically providing reasons why blogs will continue and will not be fully replaced by social media.

• The blog serves as the cornerstone for your campaigns.
• Your existence on a social network is based entirely on the whim of that network.
• Your posts on social networks will not be indexed by a search engine or archived years after you have moved on to a new network.

These and the other points are pretty good, and worth discussing. Especially for PR functions who are wondering whether to launch or to continue their blogs.

10 Signs Your Governor is Having an Affair with a Woman from Argentina

I don't usually do this, but it seemed irresistible. With all due apologies to David Letterman:


10. New cabinet position: Secretary of the Tango.
9. The Governor ends all tough press conferences by singing, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina."
8. Asks the legislature to repeal law forbidding the Lambada. (Sorry, that's how to tell your governor is having an affair with a Brazilian woman.)
7. Has renamed weekly radio address, "Stand Back, Argentina."
6. Makes fun of governors whose girlfriends come from less exotic places, like New Jersey. (I'm talkin' to you, Spitzer.)
5. New state holiday: May 19, Eva Peron's birthday.
4. Refuses to answer questions about affairs of state.
3. Spends lots of time "hiking on the Appalachian Trial."
2. New official state song: "The Girl from Ipanema."
1. Offered up the rights to his story if Andrew Lloyd Webber would write "Evita 2."

Is Twitter Right for Your Brand?

MediaPost's MarketingDaily has an interesting post, "Is My Brand Right For Twitter?"

There are some good questions along with some brief case studies of organizations doing a good job.

Some key questions include:

• What's your position, your brand's history? Can you sum it up simply?
• Who maintains the brand's voice? Does a brand ambassador exist?
• How well do you know your brand's age demographic?
  

Worth reading and discussing.

Do you have additional questions to help organizations determine if they should get on Twitter?

How Many 10 Commandments of Social Media Do You Need?

Recently Carrie Yatman, a PR specialist in San Francisco, asked an interesting question on LinkedIn:

"Would any of these be in your own 10 Commandments of Social Media...or Top 10 Tips List?"

• Fast Company 10 Commandments: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/lon-safko/ten-commandments-social-media/ten-commandments-social-media/

• Maccabee Group 10 Commandments: http://www.maccabeegroup.com/images/CommandmentsSocialMedia.jpg

• Wordymouth.com Blog: http://wordymouth.com/2009/05/13/the-ten-commandments-of-social-media-engagement/

• Kyle Lacy's Blog: http://kylelacy.com/the-10-commandments-to-understanding-social-media/

Check 'em out. Actually, each of those 10 Commandments offer some valuable guidelines.

40 Commandments seems like a lot, yet they don't cover everything.

Which is a key point: that social media isn't a commodity the way a press release can be. One organization's social media experience will probably be different from the next, due to different needs, different set of audiences, different brand values, etc.

A decade ago, a press release was the standard tool. But because social media is new and evolving quickly and because we don't have a standard set of benchmarks across clients, each organization will need to explore social media, determine what works for them, and then continue to gain experience.

What's also interesting is, as with the real 10 Commandments, organizations have to make a leap of faith to social media before it pays off.