_This article is by Guest Contributor Kate Trgovac._
“Kraft Foods”:http://www.kraftfoods.com has created a collection of “100 classic summer recipes”:http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/ff/ipod/ipod.html that can be downloaded and read on an “Apple iPod”:http://www.apple.ca/ipod. Using the “Notes” area of the iPod, users can browse recipes on grilling marinades made with Kraft’s Zesty Italian dressing or deserts with Kraft’s Jell-O and Cool Whip. This program is part of Kraft’s use of the mobile channel for marketing. Their future channels include PDAs, cell phones, and Blackberrys.
Kraft’s choice of testing mobile content with the iPod is a good one. I certainly see it as more likely that I will bring my iPod into the kitchen than my laptop to look up recipes. There is something to be said for small and compact. Kraft is also hoping that customers will have their iPods with them in the grocery stores, where they can find something fast to make for dinner and buy the appropriate products. It would be neat if they included scannable coupons with the recipes; I could just flash my iPod at the cashier, and he could scan the bar code for cents-off Cool Whip.
For me, two larger questions come from this promotion:
# Which mobile device will win for ubiquity (iPod vs. cell phone)?
# Will iPods ever support RSS (beyond podcasts)?
This kind of content – recipes and coupons – are ideal for an advertiser to provide via RSS. I could subscribe to the feed(s) for the type of product or meal that I wanted and have them delivered to a device I carry with me on a regular basis. Much better than email — no printing required; much better than cell phone — no airtime charges.
“Kraft is quoted”:http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45876 as saying that “several thousand” people have downloaded the recipes since their July 25 launch. Their next issue of Kraft’s Food & Family Magazine is due out in November. Prior to its release, Kraft will be evaluating whether to create another set of iPod recipes. Additional features such as allowing customers to download their own Kraft “Recipe Box” favourites are also being considered.
“Kate Trgovac”:http://mynameiskate.typepad.com/about.html is currently Manager, Web Evolution for Petro-Canada. Prior to joining Petro-Canada, Kate spent eight years developing user experience strategies for clients at several interative agencies in Toronto. She writes about technology, branding, user-experience and other topics of note on her blog “mynameiskate.ca”:http://www.mynameiskate.ca.