songwhale

Entrepreneurial "Fashion"

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:39:11 -0400

I lived and worked in the same small city as Facebook’s headquarters for four years, and seeing a young CEO wearing a hoodie and jeans around town, or even in the office, was not a shock. It was just what everyone wore, CEO or not. I came to learn that in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship that is Silicon Valley, one does not judge a product based on a representative’s appearance; it’s all about results. So when I showed up for my first interview with Songwhale in Milwaukee, it was comforting to see the co-founders of the company in what I had gotten used to as “work wear”.

This brief article analyzing Mark Zuckerberg’s sartorial choices is an interesting read, and if you know the Songwhale team, you’ll know why it’s on our blog.

- Erika Juday

Meet Our Newest Whale: Kim Bozick

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 -0400

Hi, I’m Kimberly Bozick and I am the new Business Development Manager here at Songwhale. I am 25 years old from Wheeling, WV. In 2009, I successfully achieved my Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Design & Merchandising from West Virginia University. Fresh out of my cap and gown, I headed to NYC for an internship at Company Agenda, a fashion and arts public relations firm. Even though I loved the city, I decided to head back WVU to pursue a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. After two years of hard work and no social life, I can proudly say that I now have a Master of Science degree.

I’ll be helping our clients create engaging mobile campaigns that will strengthen their brands. I believe that creating strong customer relationships is the key to building brand loyalty. Whether you need assistance building SMS campaigns or managing your social media, I can help!

To contact me, feel free to email kim.bozick@songwhale.com.

Ty Morse Songwhale CEO discusses 3 ways to improve your direct...

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:54:08 -0400

Ty Morse Songwhale CEO discusses 3 ways to improve your direct response campaign. Check it out!

Songwhale Plays It Safe

Mon, 07 May 2012 11:47:15 -0400

Looking for a quick option to contact public safety while walking home through campus? Or maybe an easy way to call a crisis line without leaving a telling trail behind you? Songwhale has helped address these issues for our clients by developing and supporting safety initiatives through our platform and with app development.

Womansplace, a domestic violence shelter and counseling center, alerts their audience to text PURPLE to 94253 if they find themselves, a friend, or a family member in a potentially dangerous or harmful relationship. When the user texts this innocuous word, they receive a bounceback with live phone link for a 24-hour crisis hotline. If a partner were to search their text history, they would most likely not be able to distinguish PURPLE in the user’s history as a threat or call for help.

Students and staff on our college partners’ campuses are now able to download the Emergency App. The Emergency App turns the users screen into a call button with a direct line to campus safety and an accompanying optional alarm sound. When the text and/or email are received at campus safety, the student’s GPS location is noted with their call so an officer can be dispatched to them immediately.

Even Songwhale’s SMS alerts can create a safer environment for your workers, students, or audience by providing an instant way for you to communicate critical and timely information. For example, a plant manager could quickly alert his employees about a fire in the building, an accident in the area, or a production delay.

Feel free to email me at jill.bf@songwhale.com if one of these solutions could work for your business, school, or group. I look forward to hearing from you!

Improving Parent/Child Interaction and Literacy with Text Messaging

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:47:57 -0400

We recently teamed up with The Fred Rogers Company to focus on parent and child communication and literacy with an interactive game using text messaging.

Posters on local bus shelters prompt parents to text in to begin a series of questions and answers with their child that reference certain images or details on the poster. The game encourages parents to talk with their child about their responses and work through one of four different games.

You can read more about the project at http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12121/1228149-298.stm

We are always brainstorming innovative ways to incorporate SMS into the goals of an organization or company. If you’d like to talk about how text messaging can enhance your campaigns, please email me at jill.bf@songwhale.com.

Doodling for Dollars

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:02:07 -0400

Doodling for Dollars:

” Firms are holding training sessions to teach employees the basics of what’s known as visual note taking. Others, like vacation-rental company HomeAway Inc. and retailer Zappos, are hiring graphic recorders, consultants who sketch what is discussed at meetings and conferences, cartoon-style, to keep employees engaged.”

These are some nicely designed illustrations that show the...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:02:14 -0400

These are some nicely designed illustrations that show the changes in how the world receives it’s information. Take a look at the source article. -Andrew Merritt

Baseball season kicks off today, and Songwhale is proud to work...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:06:47 -0400

Baseball season kicks off today, and Songwhale is proud to work again this year with the Pittsburgh Pirates! Be sure to text your messages to the boards during the game, and email in fan photos to appear on the jumbotron. LET’S GO BUCS!

Pin It to Win It

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:29:06 -0400

Have you started pinning yet? Many brands are joining the Pinterest phenomenon to promote their products and establish a brand identity. Take a look at this great infographic that we found on best practices for brands on Pinterest.

Infographic by MDG Advertising

Sweden Moving Towards Cashless Society

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:38:30 -0400

Sweden Moving Towards Cashless Society:

The first European country to introduce bank notes is now ahead of the game in trying to get rid of them. Sweden is on the path of phasing out cash as a payment option, in favor of digital alternatives like text payments. It is becoming increasingly common in Swedish cities for public transit to reject cash and accept only prepaid tickets, some of which are purchased via text message.

The article notes the reduction in bank robberies in Sweden from 110 in 2008 to 16 in 2011, the lowest level in 30 years. While that number is impressive, it could be attributed to the decrease in cash in circulation and the transfer of that cash to the digitally intangible. Adversely, the number of computerized fraud cases jumped to 20,000 in 2011 from 3,304 in 2000. This raises the issue of privacy of the electronic trail of transactions. For a cashless society to succeed, there has to be security assurance and great rarefactions for fraudulent activity.

While I personally do not use cash 99% of the time because of its inconvenience, I have never really thought about what it would be like to live in a completely cashless society. I guess the idea isn’t so far fetched. We have been living in a digital age, and a digital economy, for decades now. While the reduction of cash transactions is sure to increase efficiency, is it worth the potential for increase in computerized fraud, traceability in digital trails, and assets backed by uncertainty? I do not foresee cash becoming obsolete as a form of payment, rather continue to decline as more payment options become available.

Do you think the U.S. will ever adopt the idea of a cashless society? How do you think mobile will play a role in this? Click the link above to read the full article and let me know your thoughts on this transition.

Sammy Frankel

Interning at a Start-Up

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:49:00 -0400

Throughout my college career, I have been fortunate enough to have several internships, one of course being here at Songwhale. After experiencing these internships, I have not only discovered what type of job I would eventually like to have, but more importantly the type of atmosphere I’d like to work in. To me, the start-up/small company atmosphere is one of the best opportunities for college internships and even entry level jobs. At a start-up, you’re able to be apart of every process. At Songwhale, the account managers are able to give input to our design/development team. And vice versa, the development team helps us explain certain technical aspects to our clients. Also, I feel as though interns are able gain more hands on experience. From what I’ve heard from my friends and peers who have worked in a corporate environment, it’s rare that corporate companies allow interns to deal and manage clients directly.

Personally, I believe that sometimes start ups and smaller companies are overlooked by students. Everyone immediately goes for companies they know and actually come to their campuses. Not enough students take the time to research start ups in their area. Fortunately for myself, after working for a small division of a company in Australia, I knew exactly what type of internship I was looking for and found Songwhale. I’d love to encourage all undergraduate and graduating students to consider a smaller environment. The experience benefits can often far outweigh any financial perks. I can honestly say that working at Songwhale has been one of best experiences for my career.

If you have any questions about working for a start-up or need assistance finding a start-up in your area, feel free to e-mail me at katie.stout@songwhale.com

-Katie

What is Predictive Gaming?

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:29:00 -0500

Songwhale recently launched an interactive SMS campaign with The Pittsburgh Penguins called predictive gaming. Prior to the launch, most SMS promotions were only used for fans on site at the game. Now, with predictive gaming, fans watching or listening at home can also participate in mobile trivia.

In the pregame show, radio and TV announcers will ask fans a question of the day such as: Who do you think will score today’s first goal? or How many power play attempts will the Pens have today? Fans are then able to text their response in to 32623 to see how their vote lines up with the rest of the population. SMS bouncebacks include the percentage of fans that chose the same answer as you. Each game, one grand prize winner will be chosen from the pool of correct predictions.

Predictive gaming is an outside of the box SMS promotion to engage fans that can’t attend a game in person. It’s not only a great way to include the radio and TV markets, but also allows the Penguins to build upon their existing mobile database…it’s a win-win for both the client and the community.

As Songwhale continues to work with professional sports teams, we plan to develop and implement new SMS promotions each step of the way. Look soon for promotions to buy merchandise and tickets through SMS! Mobile payment options will soon be included at all of your favorite sporting events.

For more information about predictive gaming and how it could be used for your business, feel free to contact me at christina.morgan@songwhale.com

- Christina Morgan

Introducing … Songwhale Milwaukee! Meet our launch team,...

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:18:35 -0500

Introducing … Songwhale Milwaukee!

Meet our launch team, Matt, Erika, Amanda and Allie, under the official “largest Songwhale sign in the world,” according to Jon (who would know). We just didn’t want anyone to miss it.

-Erika Juday

Why One Startup Wants Your Mobile Carrier to Act Like Your Bank

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:07:30 -0500

Why One Startup Wants Your Mobile Carrier to Act Like Your Bank:

We’re used to transferring money from one bank account to another, but what if someone told you they were transferring money to their AT&T or Verizon account? You’d think they’re crazy - no one has an account provided by their wireless carrier. Well, soon we just may thanks to a start-up called BOKU.

With BOKU, users get a credit card provided by MasterCard and a “bank account” with their wireless provider. They also receive an NFC sticker to attach to their phone that works with any retailer that accepts NFC payments. They then can deposit money in the wireless carrier account and use it to pay for anything.

The draw of BOKU is that there are no ties to specific phones or terminals. This means that if the merchant doesn’t accept NFC payments, the customer can simply use the credit card to get the job done. Because the account is linked to the customer’s wireless carrier, he or she can get updates via text message about his or her spending habits and any deals that are happening in the store, among others.

In addition, credit card companies get their usual merchant fee, and wireless carriers get paid when merchants send offers to BOKU users.

So really, this looks a like a win-win-win situation. We, as customers, get the convenience of NFC payments and accounts on our cell phone while being alerted about deals as we enter stores. The only problem is that only one carrier has picked up BOKU, and it’s in the UK. Here’s hoping that BOKU makes its way to the US!

What do you think? Does BOKU sound like something you’d use? Or does it seem like just another account to manage? Click the link above to read the full article and let me know your thoughts!

Dan Whitman

How Mobile Payments are Revolutionizing Public Transit

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:19:32 -0500

How Mobile Payments are Revolutionizing Public Transit:

2012 is the year for mobile. Companies, and now entire industries, are catching on to the craze that is mobile payments. Countries around the world have began testing mobile payment systems in the transportation industry for reasons of convenience and efficiency.

Imagine being able to reserve a taxi, track it’s status, and pay for service, all on a mobile app. Get Taxi does just that, and those living in London and Tel Aviv are incorporating its use into their daily lives. Get Taxi coordinates cab pickups and payments while eliminating phone calls and the frustration associated with unreliable service. Users of this app can track their reserved taxi in real time on a smartphone’s map. This app also benefits the driver by bypassing the need for a dispatcher and welcoming cash, credit cards and business accounts for payment.

So here’s hoping that it wont be long before Get Taxi makes it way to the US. Also mentioned in this article are VeriFone payment technologies and high-tech solutions for subway payment. Check it out to learn more.

Sammy Frankel

Pittsburgh Technology Council: Our Creative Tech Scene

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:27:51 -0500

Pittsburgh Technology Council: Our Creative Tech Scene:

Check out this cool video from the Pittsburgh Technology Council that features Pittsburgh based companies and their successful and innovative projects. Tune in at 1:45 of the video to see the shout out to Songwhale for mobile content!

Photo

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:46:24 -0500

Social Media and the Super Bowl

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:14:00 -0500

Social Media and the Super Bowl:

Social Media is changing the way we experience and enjoy important events, like last night’s Super Bowl. If you check out your Facebook news feed, I guarantee that at least one of your friends has shared his or her favorite commercial from last night. In the final three minutes of the game, there was a recorded average of 10,000 tweets per second (TPS)! This just goes to show the increasing relevance and popularity of Twitter during important events. While the majority of last night’s Twitter posts were about plays, scores, and athletes, others, like me, were tweeting about their Super Bowl food consumption.

To date, the event that holds the all-time record for tweets per second was the premiere of the Japanese movie “Castles in the Sky” with 25,088 TPS! What event do you think will beat out “Castles in the Sky” for the number one spot?

Check out the link above for some other high traffic Twitter events.

Questions or Comments? Tweet me @Sammyfrankss or @Songwhale

Sammy Frankel

The Super Bowl and Mobile Marketing

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:35:00 -0500

The Super Bowl and Mobile Marketing:

They are calling this year’s game the first “second screen” Super Bowl. How will you be interacting with the game and commercials this upcoming Sunday?

Check out this great article from USA Today that explains how you’ll see mobile used this weekend during Super Bowl festivities.

According to Google, more people have a mobile internet-capable...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:03:23 -0500

According to Google, more people have a mobile internet-capable device than a PC or laptop in the five key markets it tested (US, UK, Germany, France and Japan).

At Songwhale, we develop optimized mobile pages, ensuring that a consumer is never without access to client sites. Email me at any time to find out more: Matt.Lucas@Songwhale.com