Mobile micro-volunteering makes everyone “extraordinary”
		Just launched: America's largest mobile payments app
		Let your stories take flight

Ask a stylist app puts sartorial experts on call


Debit cards still whipping out more often than credit


U.K. coffee shop's Dis-Loyalty program sends customers to competitors


Service is the new marketing


Mobile micro-volunteering makes everyone “extraordinary”

Volunteerism gets a smartphone brain-boost courtesy of the on-demand and on-location application the Extraordinaries. All one needs to lend a helping hand is a few minutes and an iPhone. The free app unlocks a bevy of community outreach opportunities, ranging from tagging photos for the Brooklyn Museum's online archive to helping to build a database of dog shelters for GoodDogz.org. All micro-volunteering opps are conveniently sorted by category and purposely small in scope. Most tasks are set up to take just a few minutes time. Since launching in mid-2009, the service has completed over 240,000 “microtasks.” As the recent outpouring of text-messaging donations for the people of Haiti showed, consumers are ready and willing to provide aid when it seamlessly blends with their busy lives. The Extraordinaries levels the volunteering playing field by removing ample free time or abundant cash as a requirement to get involved, and consumers like the feeling that comes from doing good in their (all too rare) downtime. ISM believes mobile technology will continue drastically reshaping the nature of volunteerism as crowdsourced activism takes off.

Mobile payment systems are proliferating like flowers in spring, but none seem to be gaining real-world users. That could all change dramatically in coming months, as Starbucks releases an iPhone app that takes its prepaid cards into virtual, mobile space. The app allows users to add funds to the card, see their current balance and it displays a swipeable bar code. As an enticement, the app comes with a package of freebies like free condiments, a free brewed beverage with purchase of beans and two free hours of in-store WiFi every day. The clincher: The app will be accepted at all Starbucks, including those inside Target stores. That's 1,020 locations. Like smartphones themselves, ISM feels a category giant might just be the fuel needed to establish a foothold in consumer behavior. iPhones did it for the hardware; now Starbucks could do the same for mobile payments. Convenience, connectivity and convergence make up the trifecta of mobile payments systems. From ISM's perspective, it won't be long before you see the emergence of virtual debit and credit cards on smartphone screens everywhere.

As you look around your business, there's probably some great stories you tell to every prospective customer or potential employee. The things that you feel distinguish your brand and make you unique. After all, storytelling has been how we've educated, entertained and shared information for millennia, and today's social media platforms help amp the power of these stories exponentially, making them easier to distribute, react to and share than ever before. What's critical to the modern story is that it is now almost always rendered in images so it requires you to think of storytelling in visual terms and not just words. The good news is that you're probably already sitting on all kinds of visual assets—film, video, stills—that can potentially be repurposed into a bit of great storytelling if you apply some creativity. A great example is a video of the making of the Emirates version of the Boeing 777. Using existing footage, ISM worked with Emirates and Boeing to create a unique 90-second view of just what it takes to create this amazing aircraft. See it for yourself on the Emirates Boeing 777 channel on YouTube

Personal stylists aren't just for celebs or the wealthy anymore. An app created by Glamour and Like.com makes eight experts available to anyone with an iPhone. Using the Ask a Stylist app, advice-seeking consumers select a stylist and send him or her a photo of an outfit or accessory and a question about how to wear it. The stylist sends a text response in real time; their solutions may range from “lose the jewelry” to “wear it with jeans.” The team can also recommend purchases by sending links to retailers' items. Consumers have access to a wealth of information and knowledge—but that doesn't mean they can always find the answers they need. Tools, from brands they trust, that give them access to the experts help them feel confident that they're making the right choices. More than just fashionistas, ISM believes there's a wide array of consumers who would welcome real-time guidance for their unique body and lifestyle needs.

In May 2009, Visa announced that debit transactions had surpassed credit billings for the first time in company history. One year later, MasterCard announced that their cardholders had also debited more than they'd charged for the first time. In the first quarter of 2010, MasterCard users spent $118 billion with their debit cards, more than was charged on credit accounts. Analysts believe that many younger consumers are embracing debit cards in increasing numbers because they enjoy their convenience, they're managing their money better and they don't have access to as much credit as older generations. Despite the ups and downs of a sluggish recovery, ISM believes that the long-term changes in spending behavior are here to stay. The nationwide shift to debit cards and away from credit will continue long into the future. ISM senses that consumers are eager to see more companies honor this shift by, for example, offering rewards programs connected to debit, providing greater security or allowing more customization and flexibility in debit products.

A U.K. coffeehouse believes it's got the best brew. Prufrock Coffee created the Dis-Loyalty program to help customers come to that same conclusion by encouraging them to sample competitors' cups. Customers get a free cup of Prufrock's coffee after testing the eight East London shops listed on their Dis-Loyalty cards and having the baristas validate the purchases. Prufrock makes the taste-test tour super easy by listing the other locations' addresses on the card. Sending shoppers to competitors? Now that shows this barista has some ... er, confidence in his brew. Customers will likely take it as a queue—whether they test it out or not—that the shop is serving quality coffee. Introducing customers to rivals might result in a few defectors, but from ISM's viewpoint having the guts to go head-to-head with the competition shows that the brand really stands behind their stuff.

The first Monday of every month MediaPost's Travel Marketing blog features a post from ISM. For a look at our latest article on the marketing power of service, click here.

© 2010 ISM and Iconoculture, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published monthly by ISM in partnership with Iconoculture.