Rockfish Blog

9 Pinterest Users for beginners and pinning pros

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Pinterest, the very popular social bookmarking site, is well known to many but a bit more difficult to grasp for some. Below you'll find a list of people who are great both for beginner pinners and pros. The best way to learn the game is to play, so sign up already and get to pinning.

Ben Silbermann

As CEO of Pinterest, Ben is a power pinner with almost 4,000 pins in a variety of genres and interests. His boards also are perfect for the minority of Pinterest users — men. Some of his best boards include “You can’t have too many t-shirts,” “Infographicon” and “Man Crafts.”

http://pinterest.com/ben/

West Elm

This upscale-furniture brand REALLY gets Pinterest, and with 8,658 followers, it shows. Do you ever think to yourself, “Hmm, I wonder what I could do with chevron stripes in the living room?” Look no further. West Elm has you covered with their “Chevron” board. The best thing about this brand is that they obey the unspoken (well, sometimes spoken) rule of Pinterest: Don’t just promote yourself; be an inspiration.

http://pinterest.com/westelm/

Bonus Tip: If you’re a brand, claim your page now. You’ll be glad you did down the road.

Keegan Adriance

According to Keegan’s profile, he’s a designer and student from Spring Arbor, MI. His boards are great for beginners and certified pin-addicts. He keeps his boards simple and straightforward with names, such as “Tilt-Shift Inspiration,” “Illustration” and “Food.”

http://pinterest.com/keeganadriance/

Susan Gregg Koger

The founder of ModClothe, a popular vintage-inspired clothing website, is already a pro at using social media to promote her business. Susan shows she knows how to use Pinterest the right way, too. Pinterest users heavily frown upon promoting one’s own products. So, Susan’s boards are all about things she personally loves. For example, her “lovely vintage,” “50’s and 60’s inspiration” and “cute hair” boards are especially fun and quirky, just like her brand.

http://pinterest.com/susangkoger/

Joy Cho

Joy’s Pinterest account is an explosion of all that is sparkly, yummy, pretty and fun. She has a little bit of this and a little bit of that with boards ranging from “Cute Overload” and “Florals” to “Photography” and “Typography.” She’s an accumulation of everything that has propelled Pinterest into the spotlight and is a great person to follow.

http://pinterest.com/ohjoy/

Christine Martinez

Pinterest is more than pinning pictures, it’s for video, too. Christine pins her favorite YouTube videos to share. If you’re an avid Instagram user, keep all of your Instagram pictures in one place like Christine. She has a “The Dogs of Instagram” board that’s worth checking out.

http://pinterest.com/chrisem/

Bonus Tip: To create your own Instagram portfolio, publish your Instagram pictures via Twitter, Facebook or blog. Then, click on the link and pin. You can’t pull pins directly from Facebook. So, you’ll need to click the link below the picture. You also can pin your Instagram pictures from Statigram, a site that displays and gives you stats on your Instagram photos. The site also lets users view the pictures they follow and comment directly on the site — no autocorrects!

Michael Gass

I stumbled across Michael’s board about agency interiors and thought Rockfish would make a great addition, especially with the new offices that we opened this year. It also is fun to see how the “other side” lives and get design inspiration..

http://pinterest.com/michaelgass/

Water.org

This non-profit is curating its boards with things they care about and love. Their boards revolve around water, their mission and ways to help. Followers will see pictures of beautiful ocean scenes along side facts about drinking water across the globe. This is one collection of pins everyone can get behind.

http://pinterest.com/waterdotorg/

Roadtrippers

This start-up is all about travel and leisure, bringing a sense of wanderlust to its boards. For anyone itching to find a new destination, check out its “On (and off) the Road” board. Roadtrippers also pins pictures from its own trips. So, if you’re stuck in the office, you can live vicariously through these professional travelers.

http://pinterest.com/roadtrippers/

Foursquare Explore: The SoLoMo Search Engine

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

This article was written by Rob Reed, CEO of Momentfeed and originally posted at iMedia Connection

Foursquare Explore is a social search engine for the real world, and it can be optimized.

Foursquare has made its previously mobile-only Explore recommendation engine available for the web. The feature provides personalized recommendations based on a user's check-in history, the histories of their friends, their current location, and other preferences. Not only does the Explore feature considerably increase Foursquare's value proposition for users by facilitating the discovery of new places, it significantly changes the value equation for brands as well. Indeed, Foursquare Explore is the first SoLoMo search engine.

I wrote about this potential in November of 2010 in a post entitled "Why the Hell Would I Do That? Four Reasons to Check-in."

"The promise of intelligent recommendations is the feature that gets me most excited. Based on the data I volunteer through checking-in everywhere I go, whether it's a public or private check-in, location-based services can use their aggregate data to accurately recommend other places I'll like."

Foursquare Explore is powered by algorithms that intelligently recommend places to consumers based on a broad range of criteria. These recommendations ultimately drive foot traffic (and sales) just as Google Search drives web traffic. As such, brands need to optimize their locations for search, discovery, and engagement in this new medium.

With the introduction of Foursquare Explore, as well as its counterpart with Facebook Recommendations for Place Pages, it's crucial that brands optimize their locations on these platforms. This goes well beyond simply claiming or registering them.

Optimizing a brand's locations is an ongoing process, much like that of search engine optimization (SEO). In fact, there are many parallels. Following are the three primary areas of optimization:

1. Venue Registration & Optimization: This is a multi-step process, whereby a brand's locations (venues) are claimed and registered on Facebook and Foursquare. By taking ownership of these venues, the brand unlocks valuable data about its customers and how they're engaging. The first objective, however, is to optimize the venues for search and discovery. Much of this has to do with accurate venue metadata such as the geocodes (lat/long), street addresses, and descriptions. In SEO terms, these are akin to having proper tagging structure and keywords. It is relatively straightforward, but with hundreds or thousands of locations, it's easier said than done. Above all, the geocode must be pin-point accurate for each location. As we've found, proper venue optimization alone can increase location-based engagement (LBE), including check-ins, by 100%.

2. Engagement Campaigns: LBE has tremendous value. Each engagement represents a customer sharing their brand experience from a smartphone at the point of sale. Each is distributed through one or more social feeds, and each provides insightful data about that customer. With the introduction of Foursquare Explore and Facebook Recommendations, these engagements serve yet another objective: increasing the likelihood of a referral or recommendation. In SEO terms, LBE is like fresh, original content and inbound links from highly ranked sites. It is the currency of the SoLoMo economy. The more engagement a brand earns, the higher it will rank and the more incremental foot traffic it will drive.

3. Competitive Intelligence: Competitive benchmarking is now possible at the local level on a one-to-one basis. Through the MomentFeed platform, one can track and measure individual competitor locations relative to their own. In turn, these data can be analyzed at the regional and global levels. This provides valuable insight about how competitors are performing within the LBE platforms, from which other metrics such as sales and foot traffic can be inferred. With the introduction of Foursquare Explore and Facebook Recommendations, these data also signal the likelihood of one location being recommended over another. The reality is that multi-location brands don't compete at the national level. They compete at the local level and should be measured and optimized accordingly.

Rob Reed is Founder and CEO of MomentFeed, the first location-based marketing platform for the enterprise. MomentFeed brings together Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter as a holistic solution for increasing customer engagement at the point of sale. Reed recently authored The SoLoMo Manifesto - Or, just about everything marketers need to know about the convergence of social, local, and mobile. It is now available as a free download.

WPP Announces 'the store'

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Earlier this year WPP sought to provide a one-stop shop for retailers seeking expertise in shopper insights, store design, customer relationship management, in-store communication, packaging and e-commerce. Today they formally announced the launch of a new initiative that brings together the best in shopper marketing - The Store. The goal is to provide a simple portal that allows retailers to search for the right agency based their unique needs and connect them with the best experts to achieve this. We're thrilled to be listed among WPP's experts in the space with 14 other agencies including JWT Action, Landor, Wunderman.

Three takeaways from CES

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT

CES took over Las Vegas again last week and over 150,000 bright-eyed techies showed up to see what the world's technology companies have been toiling away on over the past year. Since not everyone at Rockfish could attend, we rely on those who did to bring back the latest and greatest that's happening in digital. Chief Growth Officer Michael Stich was able to breakdown his experience at CES into three notable themes for Rockfish and our clients.

Connected Everything – UnitedHealth Group had a huge presence in the Digital Health area, focused on using digital to drive health (vs. just insurance). WPP partner agency RLM Finsbury did a great job with MSFT to bring this up. With more connection points, our clients need to think about both newly-connected experiences (car, TV) and resulting partnerships (Google, Apple, etc..) as a new lens for their digital plans.

Gesturize Everything – Panasonic had a booth with full gesture-based menuing for iTV. Apple TV (later this year) will have Siri integrated in. We’re in front of voice recognition, gesture-based interfaces and underlying AI - it's going to pay off soon.

Windows 8 – This is still to be determined. The $1M question to me will be how consumers take to the UI. Phones / pricing / unified platform experience will all be there, but will consumers prefer the navigation vs. iOS/Android? This is worth keeping up to speed on. Security is also better so I’m expecting a regular refresh cycle for business, assuming cloud-based OS stays at bay for now.

If your curiosity is piqued, check out the articles below for more on CES.

the solomo manifesto

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Brand Ventures is going strong in it's first year, from inception in March to investing in 3 startups including, Tap.Me, MomentFeed and Promoboxx. One of the benefits of working with these startups is getting to know the founders and learning from their unique point-of-view. Rob Reed, CEO of Momentfeed, recently released a whitepaper titled The SoLoMo Manifesto which takes an indepth look at the intersection of social, mobile and local. Reed begins by saying:

"Social. Local. Mobile. These are the sweeping trends in marketing today and for the foreseeable future. In terms of media consumption, they've come to dominate consumer attention. In terms of targeting and communication, they've opened dynamic new channels. In terms of data and measurement, they are nothing short of revolutionary. And in terms of technology, they are disrutping entire industries. While each is a powerful force unto itself, the focus of this paper is on their nexus".

The SoLoMo Manifesto looks at location-based engagement as a new marketing channel by reviewing major platforms, applications and contexual layers. Reed also highlights the challenges that marketers will face and the new opportunities that are being presented. Even if you're not a digital marketer you might stumble across a platform that you haven't used before (Are you on Localmind?).

This is a light read packed with tons of great information for any one in the space. You can download a digital copy here.

Rockfish Rewards moves to youearned.it

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

*Originally posted to Kenny Tomlin's personal blog.

At the end of the first quarter last year we launched a new program at Rockfish that we called Rockfish Rewards. As our company grew I was getting frequent requests from people who wanted to recognize a co-worker with a gift-certificate to dinner or small gift for working extra hard to meet a deadline or exceed a clients expectations. I liked the idea of peer recognition and wanted to create a more formal and exciting way for Rockfish to manage this, thus the beginning of Rockfish Rewards.

We built a catalogue of items that each had a point value. Everything from online gift certificates to iPads to Ducati motorcycles. Everyone at Rockfish was then given points each quarter that they could use to recognize a colleague(s). When a co-worker awards you points for a job well-done then you can immediately redeem those points for something less expensive or save them up for something really spectacular. It’s been a big hit at Rockfish. Recently one of our employees posted a review of her experience on our blog that’s worth a read.

Last year we managed Rockfish Rewards through Excel spreadsheets and email. Not a bad way to get started but a significant administrative hassle. In true Rockfish style, we decided to formalize Rockfish Rewards as a SaaS application called YouEarned.it. We rolled it out to Rockfish to kick-off the year and intend to make it available to any company that wants to use the software very soon. In the meantime, if you want to be a beta user of the service send me a message on Twitter (@kennytomlin) and I’ll see about getting you set up.

Following are a few screen captures of the application:

Happy Holidays (To Me!)

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Written by Kayla Bond, Digital Strategist - Dallas

With the holidays quickly approaching, it’s only fitting that we take a moment to reflect on the past year. We’ve made momentous strides in terms of the size and growth of our company/family, but also in the individual skills and talents that each of us possess. I am amazed each and every day at the creativity and brilliance of my coworkers – and they deserved to be thanked.

Enter “Rockfish Rewards.”

Want to thank that Designer for pulling an all-nighter to get your comps out on time?
Think that Strategist did an awesome job with a digital roadmap?
Can’t believe that your Developer cranked out a mobile app in four weeks?
There are points for that.

Rockfish Rewards allows us to award points to our coworkers for a job well done, whether it’s going the extra mile, being helpful (when they really didn’t have time to be), or exemplifying one of the company’s core traits: Innovative, Versatile & Driven. The beauty of this system is that it allows you to personally show your coworkers that you care (let’s be honest – sometimes saying “Thank You!” as you’re running to your next meeting doesn’t really cut it).

The other beautiful thing about this system is that it actually works. Once you’ve accumulated a few points, you can trade them in for actual goods. That’s right – the points have value! The Rockfish Rewards catalog is updated bi-annually and includes items for just about anyone. From stand mixers and luxury accessories to electronics and gift cards, there’s bound to be something that catches your eye.

In my case, it was love at first sight.

As I sat in the lobby of our Dallas office at 5:30 on a Friday, waiting patiently for the FedEx truck to deliver my hard earned, self-indulgent reward… I couldn’t help but realize how incredible this system truly is. While I know how and when I earned the points (jumping in on projects, cleaning the kitchen, etc.), I wasn’t motivated by the thought of getting something in return – I was just doing my job.

Some people are unfortunate enough to have employers that don’t acknowledge or reward hard work. Some people are unfortunate enough to also have coworkers that wouldn’t stop in the middle of a dead-sprint towards a deadline to help you with a task – no matter how small. I’m lucky to have both – and a pair of Louboutins to prove it.

PR for Startups: Lessons from Zaarly

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Have you ever baked a dozen cupcakes for a stranger and delivered them for $20? Or maybe you couldn’t get those concert tickets you really wanted, but found them for the exact amount that you were willing to pay (and $50 under what they originally cost) from someone you’ve never met? If so, you may have used Zaarly, a virtual marketplace for the buying and selling of pretty much anything. The startup has only existed for 7 months and already has a solid base of passionate users and is a popular subject of both tech and retail reporters across the country. Their success can be partially attributed to stellar PR efforts, a subject that often befuddles startup founders. I was lucky enough to sit in on a presentation by Heather Whaling (or @prtini) from Geben Communications, a PR agency in Columbus, Ohio. Below are the top 4 takeaways from Heather’s case study on Zaarly and for more information, check out the Slideshare below.

1. Craft consumer friendly messaging – Simplifying your company’s communication means losing the industry talk and keeping the message simple and flexible. Illustrating what your company does with a colorful story is much more PR friendly than a four line description from CrunchBase.

2. Act as your own media – Creating content is half the battle and social media is the perfect channel to spread the word. Building this into your launch will help keep your communications on track. Also, don’t forget to keep everyone in your organization in the loop too.

3. Use social media to track media – Twitter is an ideal way to both learn about what reporters are interested in reporting and a perfect way to initially reach out to them. The list function also makes it easy to privately or publically group together reporters who are at the top of your list. Sidenote: Many reporters also have their own public pages on Facebook, with the advent of Facebook subscriptions. For example, Liz Heron, Social Media Editor for the NYT, is always updating her page and there’s always a lot of conversation happening in her posts.

4. Find the right person, not the right firm – There seems to be a lot of disagreement in the startup world over whether or not to hire a PR firm. Working with startups and in PR, my opinion is that a company should base this on their individual needs and goals. Zaarly wanted to scale quickly and carefully planned PR – with a bit of luck – helped them achieve what they are today. Heather’s point is that startups shouldn’t hire a PR firm based on their accolades, but instead of on how the individual handling their account would fit into their own organization. As a small business owner, Heather is passionate about startups and isn’t a stranger to hustling and pivoting, like so many startup founders. So hire the person, not the firm.

Zaarly: A Startup PR Case Study

View more presentations from Geben Communication

how to be awesome at twitter

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:15:00 GMT

By Laura Gardner, Marketing & PR Manager, Cincinnati
@lauramgardner

In the most general sense, there are three different types of users when it comes to Twitter: Regular users, those who avidly use Twitter to connect, communicate and explore; lackadaisical users, those who have an account, but rarely post and interact over the platform; and non-users, those who need a little explanation and a lot of experimenting to understand the meanings of “@” and “#”.

For the latter group, there are a few ways to break it down. I used to point to the example that likens Twitter to a bar, telling them “you don’t want to be that obnoxious guy talking loud on his cell phone and blowing cigar smoke around the joint, do you”? With some additional detailed description this works for many, but it’s nice to have an online reference that clearly explains EVERYTHING. I haven’t found one that is as easy to understand and just plain fun as this one by @princess_misia. This Slideshare entitled “How To Be Awesome At Twitter” serves as both an introduction for beginners and a good reminder to those of us who are super users, but may have gotten a bit lost along the way.

How To Be Awesome On Twitter

View more presentations from Marta Majewska

America's Health Rankings launch this year with new site design and increased social media presence

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:00:00 GMT

Today marks the annual release of America's Health Rankings, a project that we're very proud to be involved in. The rankings are essentially a report card of our state's health measured by various factors and this year we did an aesthetic redesign of the site and strenghened their social presence for a greater call to action.

There is also an interactive map that shows various health statistics state-by-state. As you click through the map, you can compare states measured by different factors such as air pollution and early pre-natal care.

You can also go to the new Facebook app called "Take Action For Change", where users can pledge an "Act of Health" and vote for a non-profit partner that will receive a donation from the United Health Foundation.

Also don't forget to follow @AHR_Rankings to learn more.

Movember comes to a close

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMT

A month of men's health awareness comes to a close tomorrow, with almost a million men around the world sporting more facial hair than their fathers did the 70's and we here at Rockfish are no exception. As you may remember, our 4 offices put together the first Rockfish Stash Off. Until we're able to reveal the results we leave you with mustache data visualization:

Don't forget to donate to the cause by visiting movember.com. Infographic originally appeared on dailyinfographic.com.

Sam's Club for ipad is here!

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:00:00 GMT

We're excited to announce Sam's Club for iPad has hit the app store! The timing couldn't be better, since the holiday shopping season is about to descend upon us. Members will be able to skip the crowds and complete everything from browsing to check-out all from their iPad. Non-members can still enjoy tons of free recipes, comparison shop, or easily sign up for a membership.

You can download the app here and tap into these features:

• Shop products available in-Club and online

• Join, Upgrade and Renew your Membership

• Find New Items at your local Club

• Create customized shopping lists that are automatically synced with your Smartphone app and on SamsClub.com

• See what products are being sampled in your local Club

• View Instant Savings

• View order history

• Plus Members view your eValues dashboard with current, expiring and new eValues

• Explore new recipes using Sam’s Club products? and see their ratings

• Find a local Club and view information like hours, directions and featured items

your customers are mobile, are you?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 GMT

VP of Mobile, Mike Yonker, was recently interviewed at Ad:Tech NY about why brands need to have a mobile strategy.

Rockfish is up for iMedia Agency of the Year

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:00:00 GMT

We're really excited to be nominated as a finalist for iMedia's Agency of the Year. In order for us to seal the deal, we're going to need your help. Voting is really easy, so take a break from tweeting, pinging, texting, or whatever else you're doing and follow these steps to have your favorite agency in town (us!) win the big prize. Our very good friends and neighbors at Empower MediaMarketing are up for best agency out-of-home and best agency for integrated media, so show them some Midwest agency support too.

1) Click this link to view all the nominees: http://www.imediaconnection.com/awards/agency2011/

2) Sign into your iMedia account or sign up if haven't already

3) Vote Rockfish for Agency of the Year

4) Fill in the remaining categories

5) High-five!

*Photo credit: http://www.ihighfive.com/

Join our Roundtable on the Future of Digital Marketing

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 GMT

By Dave Knox, CMO

@daveknox - E-mail - Linkedin

cell: 513.658.0868

This week I am taking part in a fun experiment with a new startup called Roundtable. Roundtable describes itself in the following way:

At Roundtable we’re all about empowering meaningful conversations – between thought leaders, between friends, and between curated communities of strangers.

It is a really neat concept and one I became interested in after reading a Roundtable on Startup Funding that was hosted a few weeks ago. I decided to jump at the chance to have Rockfish host a Roundtable on the Future of Digital Marketing. After all, we call ourselves a “Digital Innovation Partner” so it is a topic that is at the heart of what we do.

My goal was to bring together Marketers, Venture Capitalists and Startups to discuss and debate on where Digital Marketing will go in the next few years. We were able to pull together a really world-class group of digital thought leaders including:

Chris Erb, VP of Brand Marketing for EA SPORTS
Chris Fralic, Managing Partner at First Round Capital
Jason Falls, author of “No Bullshit Social Media”
Jon Steinberg, President of BuzzFeed
Pete Blackshaw, Global Head of Digital and Social Marketing for Nestle

What is really neat about Roundtable is that anyone can join in the commentary with this great group of all-stars. So please take the time to head over to our Roundtable this week and share your thoughts on the Future of Digital Marketing.

This post originally appeared on Dave's blog - Hard Knox Life

Grab an empty shoe box and give back

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:20:00 GMT

It's always rewarding to support clients, but it's even better when you can get behind a campaign that will make a difference in the lives of others - in this case our troops. American Signature Furniture and Value City Stores have partnered with Blue Star Mothers to collect shoe boxes filled with goodies that will be sent to U.S. troops serving overseas. To participate, just fill an empty shoebox with candy, an interesting article, mini football, batteries, soap, toothbrushes - whatever you believe will put a smile on a soldier’s face. Once the shoebox is filled, it can be dropped off at the nearest Value City Furniture or American Signature Furniture store, then the Blue Star Mothers will pick up the packages and ship them to our troops. You can find more information on Value City Furniture's Facebook page and American Signature Furniture's Facebook page.

Rockfish Stache Off

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:00:00 GMT

It's Movember again, so you know what that means - Rockfish Stache Off.

The rules are simple:
Contestants will start clean-shaven on November 1st. All facial hair, except in the mustache region, should be shaved daily, through the end of the competition on November 31st. A mugshot is needed from contestants at the beginning and conclusion of the contest so that they may be judged by their Rockfish peers to see who has the very best stache. Stay tuned for the winner.

Rogers Open House

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Our new space in Rogers is ready for it's close-up, so on Thursday, October 27 we're inviting our family, friends and colleagues to join us in celebrating our new home. If you're thinking about attending, you can find all the information below:

Michael Stich and Dave Knox recognized as Agency Innovators

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:00:00 GMT

COO MIchael Stich and CMO Dave Knox were both named this month as Agency Innovators by The Internationalist. You may remember that CEO Kenny Tomlin was named to the list last year. According to The Internationalist agency innovators are "leading lights - champions of multinational strategy, adept at innovative communications, individuals who think about advertising in new ways, and advocates of responsible brand-building". Not too shabby.

iOS 5: 5 Features That Marketers Will Love

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:10:00 GMT

Written by Mike Yonker, VP of Mobile

With Apple's release of the iOS 5, the question in most people's minds may be “will there be more levels added to Angry Birds?” While I can't answer that, there are many new features that marketers should pay particular attention to that could affect the ways they reach, engage and convert customers.  Here is a look at 5 features for marketers, in honor of iOS 5:

1. Twitter Integration – This is probably my favorite new feature.  From the slick, creative treatment when selecting a photo or page to tweet, to the automatic application of Contact's twitter handles as users start typing, to the easily applying location to your tweet. Twitter was already quite popular among iPhone users, with 40% of tweets originating from mobile. This feature adds fuel to the fire for many of my socially connected colleagues.  Expect more tweets, twitpics and more location in tweets.

2. Notification Center – This is a feature that Android has excelled in over iOS for a while.  Without true multitasking, the need for great notifications is key to any sort of push communications and service.  Although I'm not fully sold on the implementation, Apple has designed a much more configurable and visual way for apps to get messages in front of consumers who choose to allow them.  It's still key that there is true value behind them, otherwise, the user will either never enable them in the first place or turn them off in Preferences.

3. Reminders – It's hard for me to write this with a totally straight face, but yes, Reminders.  The ability for an app to set geo-fenced reminders will be interesting to remind about events, track shopping lists, and actual store visits for brands, consumer packaged good companies and retailers.  Reminders for me to buy Tide when I leave work and to look at my eValues as I approach Sam's Club are both useful and cool.

4. Safari – It's faster and more complete with new features like a reading list that syncs between mobile and desktop web browsers.  The trends are clear – smartphones and tablets drive almost 7% of all digital traffic in the U.S., according to a report release by comScore released this week.  Better browsing.  Happier mobile browsing.  More cowbell!

5. PC Free – This goes hand in hand with #4.  iOS 5 syncs over Wi-Fi, to the cloud.  Well, to the iCloud.  The bottom line is that we will be using our mobile and tablet to interact with our favorite brand's digital assets more and more.  Just look at the ways our younger kids interact with digital, my daughter knew how to use the iPhone before she was 2 years old.  My theory is that they will grow up and look at our computers like we look at mainframes and minis. Apple is making iOS devices more and more independent, removing unnatural reasons to go back to the PC.

Apple claims there are over 200 new features in iOS 5, so this is just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many other elements, like iCloud, which could allow marketers to synchronize their content across a customers entire set of devices and computers to deliver a smart, seamless experience.  The list goes on, but one thing is clear, mobile's importance in your marketing toolset is growing.  If your digital drive-through window (mobile) is not great, your customers will drive on and go somewhere else.