When we are talking about the internet world, it is impossible to miss out The Matrix trilogy. This film is dissecting technical things and cyber-world philosophy. This trilogy was directed by the two brothers of Larry and Andy Wachowski and has becoming a cult film for its geeks like hackers and cyberpunk.
This science-fiction stories is a bit complex, in general the superhero is Neo or “The One”, who was starred by Keanu Reeves. He is hardly fighting against his enemies, whether they are machines, human and mainly virtual human. In facing his enemies, Neo should be on-and-off entering the real world and virtual world.
These real world and virtual world in this film is pictured in parallel life. If they want to enter the virtual world, Neo and his partners should be connected to the machines through their brains. But if they are in the virtual world and want to back to the real world, they have to pickup the telephone call from a friend on the real world.
When these heroes are in the real world, their physical body is still in the real world (which is connected to that machines), but their spirit is in the virtual world. Though their worlds are separated, the physical body and the spirit is actually still be united. If the spirit is wounded in fighting against the enemies in the virtual world or even die, the physical body can also be wounded or die. And in other hand, if the physical body is unplugged from that machine, the spirit will also die.
The Matrix can give inspiration that in this new wave marketing era, the connection between virtual world (online) and real world (offline) should be without interruption or even totally dropped, always-on connection. This connection shall also be a mobile connection, not fixed connection anymore. Therefore mobile connector is needed in-order easier us to access the changes happened in the business landscapes.
This mobile connector can be a cellular telephone, laptop, smart-phone or other devices that enable people to do online connection in wireless mode, for instance Kindle device from Amazone.com.
Nowadays more people are becoming road warrior. Work location is no longer limited in the offices, but can be at home, cafes, client premises, or even while we are on the car.
This is also driven by technology advancement that enables mobile connector devices more conveniently used. Laptop is getting lighter and its battery life is getting longer. Smartphone is also easier to be used and its features are already supported for internet access. In short, from the point of view of supply and demand of this mobile connector is already supporting each other.
Based on its offering, the mobile connector can be categorized into three types: Ad-based, Content-based, and Reward-based. Ad-based is any kind of advertisements offered through our mobile connector. The forms can be text like SMS, pictures, photos, or videos.
However, quoting from Seth Godin, it should be a permission marketing, not only interruption marketing. The incoming ads to the cellular phones or to the laptop when we are online, as much as possible will not annoying but should be benefits for the user.
This kind of thing has been practiced by Virgin Mobile in the US since last 2007. This cellular telephone is offering user to choose whether receiving SMS ads or see 45 sec video ads when they are browsing the internet over the cell-phone. As the reward, they will get 1 minute free talk-time. And those who are willing to participate online questionnaire will get addition 5 minutes free talk-time.
Content-based is a service that offering content to user. For instance the most popular one is ring back tone. Or in iPhone, this would be applications like iLighter that can displayed the flames like lighter to be waved during to music concert or Koi Pond showing the Koi fishes moving in the pond.
Reward-based is the services that can give reward, not only to customers but also to merchants for a rebate or point-reward accumulation. MORE (Mobile Rewards Exchange) program of Mr. Kendro Hendra’s inTouch is the real example for this reward-based.
This mobile connector has been one of the important elements in this new wave landscape. Mobile connector as part of Connectors will be more enable companies to access the other three elements: Change, Competitor and Customer.
By Hermawan Kartajaya @ Kompas.Com - 2008/10/08
