You've gotta read this one!

Branding Unbound

The Future of Advertising, Sales and the Brand Experience in the Wireless Age

By Rick Mathieson

Copyright 2005

Amacom Books

244 pages with notes: Price $24.95

A great look at an exciting ....and frightening future that is here now!

When is a book too informative? When do you want to say Stop! I can't absorb anymore right now? When it is talking about the future of wireless communications in terms of advertising and marketing. Think about that for a minute. A book on marketing that throws so many marketing and merchandising ideas at you that you have to slow down just to process all the information. When was the last time you read anything on marketing that did that?  Until very recently, marketing has for the most part consisted of flat, two-dimensional ads, unwanted direct mailing pieces, and loud and obnoxious TV ads. This book, Branding Unbound, by Rick Mathieson, changes all of that. The book, subtitled, The Future Adventures of Advertising, Sales, and the Brand Experience in the Wireless Age, is crammed so full of ideas on how to reach, engross, enthrall and embed the consumer into interactive marketing experiences that you get the feeling that the opportunities are limitless. Hare are just a few:

*           Personalized advertising displays that call out your name as you pass.

*           Broadcast commercials that only you can hear.

*           Stores where you just walk in, put your stuff in a cart and walk out, the goods paid for directly out of your account. And, by the way, inventory updated the minute you put that product in your cart.

*           Buying movie tickets, pizza, music, books--anything anytime anywhere.

*           Checking on the status of your next flight from your phone. Without making a phone call.

*           Taxis with rooftop displays that change messages appropriate to the demographics of the neighborhood they are driving through.

*           Like a song on the radio? Hit a couple of numbers on your cell and up on the text screen will come the name of the song and the performer and the opportunity to order the song.

So how long do you have to wait to start enjoying all of these innovations? How long before you can place your order for the great number one value meal? Using your cell phone text messaging? How long before there are cabs running around Chicago, New York or L.A. with their rooftop signs changing as they pass through different neighborhoods? Not long at all. In fact, it is happening right now. Every marketing innovation that I have listed here is in the works as we speak. These concepts represent technologies that we are implementing right now. If you have not experienced it yet, then hang on because it's only a matter of a short time before it comes to an area near you.

The real question though is if all of this technology, all of this electronic convenience is really a good thing. Sure it makes life easier, faster and more fun and exciting, but then there is the flip side; here are a few things to think about:

*           Just about every company will know every thing about you. Your likes and dislikes your habits, where you are and where you've been. Is that a good thing?

*           We will never be alone. Do you really want Ronald McDonald whispering in your unique ear that you like fries with that?

*           Here's a simple one that makes my blood run cold: do we really want all those loudmouths on phones while we are trying to sleep, read or write on airplanes?

*           As it stands now we can't sit anywhere in most airports without a giant TV screen screaming at us?

*           And what about those terrorists? What are they going to do when we are all dependent on wireless to move money, make a business transaction, or get medical results?

Don't get me wrong. I think author Mathieson does a great job of telling us what is available and what companies are doing and that is what he has set out to do. The downside of all of this is not his fault; he is just the messenger. And I do believe his message. The question is what do we do with it?

There is a great bonus to this book; a cheat sheet on Page 11 where the author lists all of the cogent terms that we have been hearing the past few years. You know the ones I mean; those terms that we sort of, kind of know what they mean (but have been afraid to ask for fear of sounding technologically ignorant). You know the ones WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, etc. Well, relax. They are all here and that, in itself, is worth the price of this book.

On a personal note, I played golf with a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago and the cart had one of those new computer helpers. Frankly, I'll call it a nag. Besides telling us about every hole and how to play them, it also was constantly reminding us that we were 18 minutes behind schedule, 23 minutes behind schedule, 30 minutes behind schedule (we are not great golfers) and then finally issued a warning that we are playing too slow and pick it up a bit. That was beside the reminders to keep score and replace divots, etc. Is that really the way we want to play golf? Is this really the way we want to lead our lives?

Think about it.