There are two givens on the annual summer getaway to the family cabin in Wisconsin: the boat won’t start and I’ll get a reality check on whatever progress I believe that we’ve made with mobile adoption.
Sure enough, the boat worked for one day, then crapped out for the rest of the trip despite actions to prevent such an occurrence. But there was no woe be us -- we rented for much of the week and made the best of it.
As to wireless usage, one might say that no use would’ve been appropriate given that we were on a vacation. But while others were at “Digital Detox” camp http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/01/tech/mobile/digital-detox-camp, those around me were as connected as frustration and my putter.
Specifically:
My 83-year-old mother in law was streaming classical music via the iHeartRadio app on her iPhone.
There was an extended discussion among five about smartphone ringtone selections with Marimba receiving way more support than the choice to have the device ring with a dog’s bark.
Photo sharing was as common as the swatting of a mosquito with shots of sunsets, eagles, and family members being sent to Facebook, Twitter and via email to those away from the action.
Navigation came through apps rather than maps.
Access to information was a close as the phone’s browser and apps with answers coming on forgotten movie titles, hours of operation for the town’s best pizza joint, and the best prices on hotel rooms for the upcoming business trip.
There was relatively little discussion about mobile marketing and advertising, but the sense I had was that brand messages delivered with personalization, relevance, and offers would be welcomed and acted upon.
On the way home, we spent an evening in Minneapolis with long-time friends in their 60s who said that they wanted to further their education on “gadgets”. Rather than ask me questions about phablets and the coming iWatch, they were fascinated to have me walk through use of my iPad 2.
“Who makes the iPad?” asked one, who is the owner of a Samsung smartphone.
Apple awareness clearly hasn’t reached the 100 percent mark.
(article first appeared on imediaconnection.com - http://blogs.imediaconnection.com/blog/2013/07/09/a-summer-check-in-on-mobile-adoption/)
