What we have been noticing lately is either the delay or overly speedy adoption of the iPhone for brands. Depending on the brand and its culture, either of those scenarios can be a bad thing. First, let me say that I am impressed that Duke University has an iPhone app for its students to use. While I am not sure of the utility and functions of the app, the fact that a university has quickly adopted to the lifestyle of its students speaks volumes. Duke continues to make themselves relevant to their students, also known as the tuition payers (remember when they gave out those iPods to the freshman class a few years ago?).

Duke is the perfect example of when speed is a need. When your target audience is speedy and constantly evolving, it only makes sense for the brand to do the same. Staying ahead technologically is wise. If they can’t stay ahead, there’s no reason why the brand should not be in-step with technology though.iPhone apps, if executed correctly, can help users get more information at their fingertips or can make difficult, time-consuming processes a little easier or more acceptable since it can be done on-the-go (which means they can kill wait times, boredom, free time, etc. by interfacing with the brand).

In contrast to Duke, you have brands like Chipotle, though visionary, may have acted too soon in releasing an iPhone app that allowed users to place to-go orders on their phones. Though this idea will one day be common practice and standard for many restaurants (our prediction), there are too many obstacles that have to be worked out (ie tie-in to POS systems, credit card processing over the iPhone, etc.) before allowing this evolutionary idea to be built and be effective.

007 iPhone App

So, what are our thoughts on iPhone development for brands? First, iPhone development makes sense for some right away, for others in the foreseeable futures, and for others not so much. As stated, if your audience is there, you should be too. Please keep in mind that teens and twentysomethings are not the only audiences largely adopting the iPhone. Second, planning the functionality and user experience of the app should not be taken lightly. There are so many useless brand apps that provide no solution to a problem customers have when interfacing with the brand. These useless apps also provide no utility, or cool widgets, that would produce worthwhile word-of-mouth marketing. Thirdly, make sure everyone behind the brand knows about it and can speak intelligibly about it with customers. Even though it’s an odd point to make, chances are an employee will likely be asked or prompted to mention the iPhone app and will ruin the likelihood of adoption (or downloading) if they have no clue of what the app does, can’t do, or will do in the future. #AppFAIL

So, what’s the SXSW Accelerator? It’s a new product showcase and competition (friendly…or at least that’s how we’re viewing it) that takes place at SXSW. It’s divided into several categories, but our category is online video. Similar to TechCrunch50, the Accelerator allows finalists to present their apps, sites, and technologies to a panel of judges and a room of bloggers, media folk, and other tech enthusiasts. Although the prize for the winner of each category are still being ironed out and firmed up, we’re just happy to be one of four. We don’t know how many people applied, but from Twitter searches, it had to be quite a few.

As we begin to get prepared for the presentation, we’ll keep you posted here about the latest and greatest with MotionNotes. For now, I hope that you can at least plan to check out the Accelerator at SXSW if you plan on going to see us present.

The slides were posted on Slideshare and featured on the home page on Wednesday (Jan 21)! Someday soon, I’ll expound upon some these issues here, but go through the presentation for now. Hopefully, it’s a help!

On the afternoon of December 17th, our chance came to sit down with Simon Reynolds, Whiteboard Labs’ 2008 Employee of the Year. Our internal interviewer (with an impeccable journalistic integrity) gave Reynolds some hard-hitting questions.

Simon Reynolds, illustrated by Simon Reynolds.

Chris Pitre: In your interpretation, what do you do at Whiteboard Labs?
Simon Reynolds: Play a lot of games. (lol)…No, just kidding. That’s a good question. I do all client-side design, as well as design and implementation support for some of WBL’s product lines.

CP: Why design? What made you go down this path?
SR: I wasn’t smart enough to be a doctor. (lol) I was always attracted to the arts as a child. I wanted to pursue a career in a field that would lend itself to it. My first job was at a silk screen printer, and I got exposed to the design world a lot there. To this day, I still get really excited about projects that I get to work on.

CP: If you could be any part of a keyboard, which part would you be and why?
SR: The <Delete> key. That way, I could just delete anything I didn’t like. If in a meeting, someone says something I don’t like, just hit <Delete>!

CP: If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you?
SR: Jack Black!

CP: If it rained music, what would grow?
SR: Hmmmmmm…giant JCM 800 trees! (JCM 800 is a brand name of an amp)

CP: You play in a band, Trian Woodburns. How is that going?
SR: Good. Very good! We are playing in Austin on Friday.

CP: If you were a superhero, what would you want your powers to be?
SR: Time-travel!

CP: What would you add to the water supply to improve humans?
SR: Patience.

CP: What’s one thought that you had today (or this week) that if implemented would change the world?
SR: Free cable tv! It has advertising on it! What’s the incentive of paying $100+ bucks a month to have to sit through advertising?!

CP: What is the one question that you were afraid that I would ask but didn’t? What is the answer to that question?
SR: Do I sometimes wear Jamie’s (girlfriend) dresses? And <pause>…no. (lol)

1. Always choose a co-location facility that is completely self-contained
2. In a lease agreement, always look at the time the landlord has to restore the building before you can walk away from the lease
3. Always take a hurricane seriously

So, here I am more than two months after the storm – still at a temporary location and not quite certain when we will be back in our space. The landlord is telling us mid-January, but that seems hard to believe.  Our team has been awesome and has made a huge effort to adapt to this crazy, no-office scenario, but it’s getting old!  I want to expand on those 3 quick initial thoughts that came to mind right after the storm so that the lessons become part of our corporate memory … Plus, I told Chris Pitre I would send him this to post on our blog, and he will drive me crazy until I do it!

1.  Always choose a co-location facility that is completely self-contained

We have used the same co-location facility for almost 10 years (it is now owned by Data Foundry).  We have never had a problem before… But, then again, we had never been hit this hard by a storm since we moved our servers there.  The facility lost power, like everybody else, their back-up power kicked in, BUT the chiller that allows for the cooling of the space broke.  Data Foundry told us it was not their fault.  That particular point of failure resided with the building itself and it was out of their control!  I want a co-location provider that controls everything in that facility.  Considering the seriousness of what was going on around us, we were not down for a long time. BUT, this scenario was exactly why we pay the cost of co-location year-round… For that one day when a hurricane hits.  The bottom line is Data Foundry failed us… And I wanted to kick myself for having overlooked what seems like such a logical requirement.
If you are going to co-locate your servers somewhere, make sure your co-location provider cannot say that they are down because of a failure they do not control.  Things will fail eventually, and you want one entity to be accountable for everything.

2.  In a lease agreement, always look at the time the landlord is allowed to restore the building before you can walk away from the lease

Lease agreements are huge, and because they are supposed to be pretty standard, I have tended to not use a fine-tooth comb when it comes to reviewing them.  WELL… I should have… It turns out our landlord has 12 months to fix our space before we can walk away from the lease.  60 or 90 days would be acceptable, but 12 months?!!!  Lawyers are paid to think of worst-case scenarios and build contracts that address those.  A tornado hitting our building during Ike, the roof of our building flying off, our office located on the top floor… I really needed to read that contract from a worst-case scenario perspective to have concluded that particular clause mattered.

3.  Always take a hurricane seriously

It seems obvious, right?  But, living where we do, we tend to assume the storm will never hit us and get lazy with the preparations.  We prepared, but we did it all with the unspoken assumption that Ike would not affect us that much.   Believe me… We all need to prepare as if the storm is hitting us for sure… It’s worth the hassle.

There are some important post-Ike lessons I have jotted down and will need to expand on and save for a later post.  Our company continues to operate, serving clients and advancing the developments of our products, thanks to the great attitude and dedication of our team members… We were hurt, but not injured.

Recession = Planned Spending

Sometimes, during times of panic, our logic is rather illogical. Why do people run upstairs when being chased by a masked murderer (scary movies)? Why do people take $20 million in bonuses before declaring bankruptcy (Lehman Brothers)? Why do people flock toward strange, loud noises and riots in public? These things, when you think about it, are kind of unwise, if not painstakingly stupid. Yet, the idea of cutting spending in marketing during a recession is just as illogical as all these examples.

For some unknown reason, when people hear recession they think people and companies stop buying altogether, and they make horrible decisions off this misconception. Listen here and listen good: No one stops buying in a recession(!); people prioritize their purchases and make plans to purchase. This means that your marketing needs to convey the reasons why those most likely to buy should. And give them incentives to buy in that same message. (Did you feel that? The earth just shook from this GROUNDBREAKING revelation! Ok, not so much, but it would have been rather biblical and prophetic if so.)

During a recession, it’s important to think of ways to (cost-)effectively put your message in front of your key audience. By ways, we mean channels. Not to worry, we’ve already got some ways just in case you were still coming up with goose eggs. Surprisingly, most of these channels are digital; however, all are interactive in nature. To make it easier for you to absorb, we’ll go ahead and list them out for you, as well as star the ones where we can help. (Yes, shameless self-promotion rears its gorgeous head; did you think we wouldn’t??)

1. Your Website *

Your website can be a baaaaad mamma-jamma if you want it to be. If you prune it to be. If you intend it to be. Notice we say ‘if’ and ‘you.’ By if, we mean that it won’t happen by circumstance or divine intervention. You have to make it so. That means that you have to think about the strategy behind your website. You have to be proactive and diligent in making sure that you present both strong content and strong design. Equally. When one lacks, everything lacks. It’s like having a really good hair day and wearing a hideous outfit. And vice versa. Your website must speak to, motivate, and convert your visitors. If not, it will surely fail. How can you persuade with a dated website or stale copy? That’s right what you’re thinking; it’s a shame. Does your site follow the latest in web standards and usability? Is your content pertinent, easy to read, and comprehensible? When was the last time you updated it? (Study long, study wrong!)

2. Social Media

Dun, dun, duuunnnnn. Yes, we’re using the ’s-word.’ To those who think that social media is for the youngin’s, the web geeks, and angry bloggers, you are truly missing out on one of the cheapest and most interactive forms of media to date. Every tool available in the social media jungle may not be for your company or situation, but we promise that there is something for you. Try us. We use Twitter. And we have this blog. We also cheer our employees who Twitter and blog. While our clients may not be on Twitter, our future employees may. Vendors are. Partners are. Referrers are. Heck, the whole world is! There’s something for everyone out there. You have to research and test it out for your situation. And, remember, employees are a community that deserve attention, too!

3. Online Video*

Truth: We're not Halle, but we can still win with online video.

With the advancement of the web’s infrastructure and technology, online video is more readily accepted and viewable than ever. However, the growth with this medium in the corporate arena is dismal. Online video is cheap compared with advertising on TV, radio, and in movies. Plus, the barriers to entry - creating your own content - are extremely low. With a Flip video camera, you can create relevant footage that peaks the interest of your core buying audience (CBA). People want these elaborate sets with Hollywood lighting and special effects when your CBA will be impressed with the ingenuity and information contained in it. You are not submitting the video for an Academy Award, but you can still have fun. Part of the ploy is to entertain them. Dazzle them with your wit. And if you need a delivery tool once you have the video, check out MotionNotes! We have a few new enhancements for our corporate audience that have not been added to the website as of yet, but we can demo those for you if you are so inclined.

4. Interactive Experiences (Face-to-Face)

What seems to be a no-brainer actually is left off many lists. Get in front of people! People go to (and in many cases are sent by their companies to) conferences covering the issues and topics that matter most to their businesses. You offer products and services that solve the issues and topics that matter most to their businesses. Why are you not there? Demo-ing. Sponsoring. Meeting people. Engaging them in conversation. By exhibiting at and attending trade shows and other conferences, you present yourself, your company, and your products to a targeted group, which should also be your CBA. (Imagine that!) That level of interaction and information exchange is priceless. Not to mention, if you have been in your industry for some time, you may be deemed an expert and knowledgeable enough to speak at these conferences. Another great way to interact and get your name out there.

5. Widgets and Apps*

Technology is not for the cool cats any more. Truth be told, you should want to be a cool cat any how. Cool cats get the business. They close the deals. They get the attention and recognition. They get the freebies and harassing phone calls from the very people from which you want to receive phone calls and freebies. Look and see where your company can advance it’s technological infrastructure. Whether it’s client-facing or internal. Either will increase productivity and the bottom line. It’s also a great marketing tool if executed correctly. Custom applications and widgets should distinguish you from your competition, not help you to blend in. For instance, we built an iPhone site for a spa booking engine. No other spa management tool has gone that far with their technology. Likewise, look at the opportunities and holes that are open in your industry. Be the first, not the last, to make a leap into innovative technologies.

Hurricane Ike at its peak.

Anyway, our office, though on the top floor of the building, was flooded. Crazy! Right? A tornado touched down and tore the roof off the other side of the building. Water came in and flooded our entire space. Not to worry, our CEO’s office suffered the most damage, so there is a such thing as poetic justice. LOL (Do NOT attempt this joke at your place of business if your CEO does not have a good sense of humor like Rod.)

In the interim, some lucky employees have been telecommuting and others have taken over a not-so-roomy office about a block away. The one revelation we had during this time apart from each other is the necessity of communication. Without being around each other, it’s very easy to drift apart and let small things slip through the cracks. So, for those of you reading who may have to experience a similar situation, we’d advise you to think of a solid communication strategy for both projects and internal relationships to make sure culture, process, and community are not lost or easily forgotten.

Rod, our fearless leader & CEO

According to the general contractor, we should be back in our space by mid-January. And, yes, we are taking that with a grain of salt. This ain’t our first rodeo. The good news is that we will be able to extend our space and get more square footage! Yippee! We will be able to have a larger kitchen, conference room, and CEO office (where’s the justice!?! LOL. Rod deserves it though. He puts up with our antics rather effortlessly). To see what our space looks like bare, check out the video: Office Under Reconstruction

Make your reservation

The site, which is the first of its kind for the industry, guides users through a process of selecting a location, choosing a spa, reviewing treatments, seeing available appointments, and booking a treatment. SpaLinx then emails the user and spa a confirmation. “For a mobile browser, there’s still as much functionality as the online version of SpaLinx,” says Drew Rosser, VP of Business Development of Whiteboard Labs. “The main difference between the two is the screen size; we had to change up the process flow for the iPhone from the website,” continues Rosser.

The iPhone site came as an idea to Jim Whitney, Chief Technology Officer at Whiteboard Labs, after he saw how quickly the iPhone became popular in such a short amount of time. “I knew we had to leverage this phone’s popularity with our applications, so I started researching the platform and how we could tie it into our SpaLinx system,” says Whitney. SpaLinx was built to provide luxury spas the ability to distribute their inventory online, manage operations, and give customers a rich user experience as they book. After the successful launch of the iPhone site, Whiteboard Labs is offering their iPhone development services to clients and companies who want to make their brands and products available to the mobile consumer.

Whiteboard Labs, a leader in hospitality technology, started in 1994 and has grown into a team of web developers, designers, leaders, and visionaries. The company is based in Houston, Texas, and has an office in Shanghai, China. Whiteboard Labs became the first company to develop a Rich Internet Application and continues to build upon the success of its products and skills of its team.

As we’ve come to realize, our business is an idea development business. We take ideas, whether yours or our own, and put them through a process of development that results in the creation of a stellar site, application, or service. With that, we coined the new tagline: Great ideas. Developed.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll see our site grow into an idea hub, idea generator, idea promoter, and so on. But, as we delve into building our identity, we encourage you to visit your current identity. You might find that an update is in order. After handling ours, we’re sure we can help you with yours. It’s ok to rely on our ingenuity; we’re good for it. ;)