Smart Solutions

  • Smartphones. Not just for calendars and email anymore.

    By: Earl Borron, Creative Director/Vice President

    Just like the recovering alcoholic that feels ALL his friends have a drinking problem, I have recently seen the light and now believe that ALL clients should have … no wait … MUST have a mobile application or mobile website component to their marketing communications mix. Still think smartphones (i.e. handheld, web-enabled mobile devices) are just for yuppie, business-types to check their calendars or send an email? Or think mobile applications are for silly parlor tricks like pouring and drinking an electronic beer. Well think again, because these devices and their mobile applications have gone mainstream and are rapidly becoming one of the most preferred and widely accepted methods that consumers use to get their entertainment, stay informed and manage their daily lives.

    Think I’m crazy? Well, just look around. Right now, you’re literally surrounded by throngs of seemingly innocent-looking consumers who are discretely packing a smartphone equipped with an iPhone, Google Android or BlackBerry operating system.  And if you think the millions of smartphone-toting consumers are simply using these devices for silly games and texting, you’d be dead wrong. They’re doing their banking, checking their Facebook, receiving promotional information and discounts, sending/receiving Tweets, contacting customer service, scheduling a doctor’s appointment, ordering a pizza, navigating a theme park, preparing a grocery list, watching a movie, viewing a webinar, listening to a podcast, checking the headlines or sports scores, posting a rant, booking a business trip, or calling an exotic, far-away place for free. In short, consumers are using this technology to simplify and manage their daily lives.

    The Bottom Line

    If you’ve ignored or overlooked the idea of a mobile application as part of your company’s marketing communications mix, then you definitely need to reconsider. Smartphones with their thousands of mobile applications are a reality and they’re not going away anytime soon. Instead of fighting the inevitable, spend some quality time thinking about how your company could be leveraging its power to connect directly to your audience, enhance their experience, create efficiency and build a competitive advantage. Better yet, just give us a call and we can chat about the possibilities.

  • Let’s Get This Party Started

    By: Bob Dearing, Owner / President

    Welcome to the Smart Solutions section of haanmc.com.  In this area, we plan to share with you our thoughts and opinions on trends and technologies that affect our industry.  From my point of view, the web is filled with pass-along articles and garbage information <insert shiny object here>.  Hopefully, you’ve had enough of that.  I know I have.

    However, for those of you not satisfied with the current, constant clatter of internet noise, or if you are interested in a periodic, thought provoking insight or rant, this is the haanmc.com section for you. 

    So here’s the deal:  If we’ve got something interesting to say, we’ll put it out here.  If we don’t, or are actually too busy getting work done for our clients, we won’t.  Most posts will actually come when we are feeling bored or very self-absorbed.

    If there is something you’d like us to cover – send us an email.  The more ridiculous, the better.