In past blog posts I have pointed out that Millennials are big users of radio, the original ‘mobile media’ (Millennial Media: Radio and Magazine Deserve a Second Look). Last year, time spent with radio by 14-24 year olds increased 11% while time spent listening to iPods decreased 13% (Age Age). Now I read that Microsoft’s Zune is partnering with the radio industry to leverage the popularity of both FM radio and MP3 players. The idea, called ‘song tagging’, is very cool. An FM radio tuner is incorporated into a cell phone or MP3 player so when consumers hear a song on the radio, they can buy it right from their device. So far, it has rolled out to just 450 stations nationwide, but there is a push to sign up more.
Whether Apple adds FM and social tagging to the iPod and iPhone remains to be seen. However, according to digital media expert, Adam Broitman of Crayonville, new apps for the iPhone that leverage the social media capabilities of the PHONE itself are coming. Broitman writes this week in imediaconnection article, “The Best Branded iPhone App Available“, that Obama Team hit all the core elements an iPhone App should posses: Added Value Content, Localized Content, Localized Social Networking and use of the phone’s core functionalities like GPS and text. Here’s what Broitman has to say:
“The Obama application allows users to call other people (from within the application itself) in order to urge people to vote for Obama. The application records the number of calls made and displays them in the app and on the web. It integrates your phone book right into the app, truly exploiting the most basic function of the iPhone—making calls. Seeing this application was and “ah-ha” moment, as well as “duh-why didn’t I think of that” moment. With the coming of Android applications and the growth in the social networking sector, we are going to see a great deal of innovation in the space—keep an eye on it.” (Adam also blogs at amediacircus )
What, you may ask, is an ‘Android’ application? Android is a year old open mobile software platform that has been subscribed to by 34 handset manufacturers. I also saw it mentioned by Antonio Lucia, CMO of Visa. “…Some of the first reiterations of the user interface will be featured with Android.” Android is the basis of the G1 “Google Phone” introduced last week by T-Mobile. I also hear Android mentioned in a report this morning on NPR and in an article about Visa in last week’s Ad Age. Get ready for a flood of more articles showing how Android is supporting Millennials’ desire for extreme mobility.
