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The iPad is a dream. Got it?
eMarketer reported today that iPad sales are expected to more than double in the coming year. With some 8.5 million of the devices sold in the U.S. in 2010, that gives Apple a sweet 88% of total U.S. tablet sales. And, while the devices are big in the U.S., total global sales of all tablets are reported by Gartner at 19.5 million for the year — and that’s not shabby either. No wonder other brands are scurrying to develop their own tablets and trying to swipe some market share from Apple. eMarketer predicts iPad sales to be in the neighborhood of 20 million for 2011 and reaching 30 million by 2012. Those are some massively impressive numbers.
At T2 + Back Alley, we’re finding more uses for the iPad on a daily basis, both internally and as solutions and innovative marketing tools for our clients. Apps are touted as the websites of the future and our creative team is digging app design, creating other mobile marketing solutions and doing tons of experience design.
Our favorite use of the iPad this past year might have been the way the fashion industry embraced new media and started creating content for use on tablets and other mediums. This moved designers into the realm of not only designing and creating beautiful clothing, but designing and creating content to showcase the fruits of their labor as well. We predict there will be more and more unique and innovative ways that brands use tablets like the iPad and that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg so far. And with Wired reporting that Apple’s version 2.0 of the iPad is rumored to be delivered in April 2011 (along with some intel about some spiffy new cases that are in the works), we’d recommend postponing a holiday purchase and waiting for the new, improved model.
What about you — any innovative uses of the iPad that have been your particular favorites?
I love my iPad. And so when I read AdAge’s piece about ABC launching an iPad app in conjunction with the premiere of its “My Generation” series, I was intrigued. Now, instead of being annoyed by pop-ups on the screen, viewers can participate in polls, trivia, social networking features and other interactive elements on their iPads. This is yet another innovative step in brands’ quest for the oh-so elusive, yet highly sought after “engagement element.”
The My Generation Sync app will keep up with the series, whether or not you’re watching live and the “sync to broadcast” app is part of the magic that everyone seeks – value for both advertisers AND viewers. So far, this app goes a little further than others out there, following along with the episodes intuitively.
ABC isn’t alone in their quest to bring interactivity to the TV viewing experience. Some networks have partnered with companies like GetGlue and Miso and feature all the social connectivity, rewards for checking in (similar to Foursquare and Facebook Places) and perhaps even couponing and other specials.
Bottom line, devices are front and center in our lives today. Interactive TV, whether served up on the iPad, SmartPhones or via social networking is here. It will be exciting to see what develops in the coming year.
Reading a piece in the Harvard Business Review about devices and how integral they’re becoming to the art of the pitch really struck home with me.
As a creative services shop, we pitch new business all the time. And, being immersed in the digital space, we’re always considering how our clients’ products and services can best be maximized in that space. So even when our clients come to us asking for what they think they need, we’re always thinking about what they might not know they need, but what would make their end result even more impactful.
The reason the HBR piece hit home is because it mentioned that at Fortune’s recent technology conference in Aspen, it was not unusual for innovators to pull out their smartphones and run through a quick presentation on their device when asked for more information. Seeing really is believing and the author of the piece said just that. When you can touch, feel and experience a concept, and see all the different applications while holding a device in your hand, it really makes the selling process more personal.
It’s not unusual that we use our seemingly omnipresent iPads during new business pitches or even during meetings with existing clients. We use them to demonstrate an idea or walk them through a presentation or an experiential design piece and that really seems to resonate with them. Sometimes we even build a technology element into a project for a client, that they can subsequently use for their new business pitches.
In fact, Michael Schrage, author of the HBR piece, put it this way:
“My professional bet is that “hand-it-over” innovation pitches will double smartphone and mobile device sales worldwide. Entrepreneurs, salespeople and innovators alike will socialize with at least two devices in the backpacks and breast pockets — one for their personal/professional use and the other to “hand over” for interpersonal play.”
Technology – it pretty much rules all of us these days. Thoughts?
The new rumors of an Android-based tablet from Motorola and Verizon have surfaced claiming the 10-inch device may be on store shelves by the fall. Motorola’s tablet would be a direct competitor to Apple’s iPad. But unlike Apple’s tablet, you would be able to watch television on the Motorola device thanks to integration with Verizon’s FIOS digital TV service, according to the Financial Times.
The Times doesn’t provide any detailed specs for the tablet, but does say it would support Flash video–another feature the iPad lacks. The 10-inch device would also have a rear-facing camera for taking snapshots and a front-facing camera for video conferencing. You would also be able to turn the tablet into a Wi-Fi hotspot, according to the Times, suggesting the device would likely have 3G connectivity provided by Verizon.
Reports have been circulating for some time that both Verizon and Motorola are planning Android-based tablets. In May, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam told The Wall Street Journal the carrier is collaborating with Google to produce an Android tablet that will compete directly with the iPad. McAdam did not say anything about a partnership with Motorola during the interview.
The tablet market is considered the next battleground in the mobile devices war and it will be interesting to see what transpires in the coming months. One thing for sure, we find more uses on a daily basis for our iPads.
T2 is a collection of artists who create stories and imagery for all types of media.
Back Alley Films is a daredevil production task force who creates messages across all media platforms.
