Clouds Aren't Just for Web 2.0

Can we treat old dogs new tricks?

The use of clouds to display information isn't just for tags and search terms. They are a useful metaphor for any repeated data. Typically a cloud represents the relative number of times a term is repeated by changing the size of the font -- think search or tagging. They become even more interesting when the color is used to measure another metric.

Here's an example of using clouds for lead generation based on TV.

The font size measures the frequency of airing spots and the red indicates the lead volume for that spot.

We can quickly see that the distribution of ads in the media plan is relatively flat (all similar sizes) but certain programs generate better lead flow.

The New Sticky Note

Where is text marketing valuable?

It seems that an under-appreciated value of text messaging from a marketing perspective is the ability to provide the consumer with a sticky note. Texting becomes the analog to jotting things down. Too often I see billboards with a long URL that I never remember or I'm in places where doing something else is not going to happen (like being in a theatre) and need a means to capture information.

The use of a short code to retrieve a reminder (phone number, URL, event, location) is an interesting approach.