The statistics are rolling in:  Mobile use increases concurrent with “Prime Time” television — Where between “mobile” and “tablets” the percentages of overall “time on device” ranges from 50-80% of a consumer’s time, while concurrently watching television.

If “geo location” mobile is worth $x.  Then “couch location” mobile is worth $x, or more!

Further, one of the main activities on “mobile” while watching television is “texting.”

So, what could be more intuitive than extending the television experience, to the end user’s mobile, via conversational engagement?

Chat with a character on Gossip Girl?

Chat with a character in a TV spot to extend the advertising experience?

Children’s content?

While “social” and “smart menus” and other “extenders” are entering the market — We are pleased to be focusing on extending the core television experience and emotional attraction itself – the stories and characters.

/////

We’re still pleased to offer solutions for intelligent and entertainment packaging and print.  But, the opportunity to extend experiences from the television screen to the mobile/tablet screen is something here at contentAI that’s in our DNA.  We come from film and television…after more than a Decade of hearing the word “convergence,” it looks like it’s finally upon us!

UPDATE(S):  Over the past week, more studies have emerged and the connection between “television and mobile” (meaning mobile, tablets or even laptops) is increasing.  Fully 30% of “tablet time” is concurrent television time:

http://blogs.forrester.com/sarah_rotman_epps/12-04-11-the_tablet_tv_connection

http://www.forrester.com/The+TabletTV+Connection/fulltext/-/E-RES61576?docid=61576&intcmp=blog:forrlink

http://gigaom.com/2011/12/07/interactive-ebooks-take-on-fiction-novels/

While our interactive narrative is a unique branch of “interactive fiction,” seeing this as an emerging topic is terrific.

We are releasing the 2001 MySantaTalk mobile web (and some native app versions) tomorrow!

The URL:  http://m.MySantaTalk.com will redirect to the new app as soon as it’s “live.”

Our new UI is featured — While the UI is still undergoing upgrades and responsive design enhancements, this is a true Ver. 1.0 release as we move out of Beta.

We’re looking forward to the “App of the Week” status from our friends at INTEL’s AppUP…We’ll post links there next week too.

Have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season.

And, have a chat with Santa while you’re out and about, from your mobile!

Oh, right, yes, all of our web properties are undergoing a makeover the next few days…so, that’s our final year-end clean up…

See you at CES?

Nice article and fabulous screenshot (gee, shopGirl looks familiar in her new interface!), even if we weren’t specifically mentioned!

http://www.remodista.com/starting-a-conversation-with-mobile-customers-cloning-your-best-sales-staff-with-mobile-virtual-agents/

Yes, that’s a preview of the new UI…though, it’s evolved a bit since that prototype…

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/09/06/quaker-uses-qr-codes-to-start-dialogue-for-nick-jonas-promotion

But, it’s an important step to see a major Brand move into conversation based mobile engagement — Our position that mobile devices are, at heart, communicators, is clearly key in the campaign thinking for the above.

Thanks @Mposada for sending the link and seeing the connection!

*****

UPDATE:  Another article this week with an excellent quote and perspective from Mike Wehrs of Scanbuy:

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/strategy/10915.html

“It is also an empowerment tool that allows for a one-to-one conversation…”

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=156030#

So I turn the tables on my better, skeptical half and pose the question to her. “How would your smartphone best serve you here?”

She is a lifetime shopper. This is actually a no-brainer for her. She points to the cosmetics counter as we pass. “Tell me what shades match my skin color. There are too many choices here.” We pass by the women’s clothing section. “Tell me what that skirt goes with that you also have in the store.” We go to a restaurant and she suggests, “Tell me what the nutritional value of this menu item is — and whether it has any ingredients my kid might be allergic to.”

In other words:  Let the customer ask a contextual and relevant question and give them a reply.

This is exactly what our MOBILE FAQ product offering is designed to fulfill.  In fact, we’ve started prototyping a cereal product that touches on the specifics in the quote (allergies, nutritional value, etc.).

Carrying this one step further, this is why we believe that personalized mCoupons are going to replace the one-size-fits-all model — Customers don’t want to be pushed the same offering that everyone around them is receiving — They want their smart phone to deliver “smart” to them.

The closing paragraph is worth inserting:

Why would we as an industry squander that opportunity on half-measures and disappointing brand puffery that runs the risk of poisoning the well and turning people off to the prospect of a clickable world. They can tell us what they want to know, apparently without breaking a sweat, once we stop trying to impress them with what is new and cool — and instead focus on answering their simplest questions.

People “get it” quickly.

Then, they start thinking, “hey kids don’t have smartphones…”

Here’s the study:

http://adage.com/article/adagestat/25-toddlers-a-smartphone/229082/

25% of TODDLERS have used a smartphone (never mind, our cereal box example is more for 4-8 year olds; well, plus those of us who are older and want to chat with Cap’n Crunch, so, greater than 25% of population).

Now if 40% of mobile users have a smartphone, this means that Toddlers and kids are one of the largest mobile demographics!

We like the cereal box example.

One day we’ll put it into practice.

“Precision oftentimes kills the ability of the learner to discover multiple real-life applications.”

There have been a couple of follow up blog posts to the WIRED article entitled: IN PRAISE OF VAGUENESS.

One notable blog post is here:  VAGUE STORIES HELP LEARNERS DISCOVER.

This is very consistent with the responses we’re receiving from ESL teachers that note how our ESL conversational simulations allow vague and varied responses — they don’t encourage precision and fixed responses — they encourage conversational exploration.  We allow the vague. 

Please stop by our http://ESLai.com unit and try out the simulation/stories developed with the contentAI engine. 

The articles are worth reading, here’s another quote. . .

“Sometimes, precision is dangerous, a closed door keeping us from imagining new possibilities. Vagueness is that door flung wide open, a reminder that we don’t yet know the answer, that we might still get better, that we have yet to fail.”

Does this same “wide open door” deepen user engagement for mobile marketing and entertainment applications?

We’re guessing, “yes.”

So, the first thought was:  Can our virtual characters and brand agents flow through Google Plus?  Looks like it’s Gtalk, where we’ve been for nearly two years. . .

So, voila!  We’re there.  What we’ll test next is how using Picasa and YouTube Links within the chat will enhance the UX  — The indication is that the files will open within Google+ and not require leaving the page. . .

Is this the only branded marketing or ad unit that can flow through Google+?  Maybe?  For mLearning?  Great potential too…

Back to testing…

We’re trying out new mobile web analytics this week; which include graphical representations of the devices which are accessing our mobile web applications – AND, our native-apps (Android, AppUP, etc.).

In a 24-hour period, this is the picture that’s painted:

http://www.gomonews.com/your-mobile-device-phone-web-browser%E2%80%A6-secret-lover/

This was perfect:

“People are experts at “humanizing” their devices, attributing human characteristics, moods and behaviors to their communications devices. Now, it’s nothing like the connection you have with an actual person. You can never feel as close to your phone as you can to a real person. But those feelings are there, even if they’re only faded reflections of the real thing. And I think that advertisers and marketers would be wise to pay heed to that…”