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My Third Klout Perk – Windows Phone – Part 2

// December 20th, 2011 // No Comments » // Mobile, windows phone

Yesterday I detailed my third Klout Perk, this one from Windows Phone that included a free Windows Phone device, along with VIP access to a private party and concert in Dallas with Young The Giant. You can read about the party here, but today I want to talk about the device. I also want to make it clear that I’m not intending to complain about a free device. Rather, this type of thing is directly related to my current job at RadioShack as Social Media Community Manager, so this is more of an analysis, really.

I registered for the Windows Phone #WPDAL Klout Perk on November 8th, and when I did, I got the friendly message that ‘Your phone is on its way!‘ Great, I thought, and the aforementioned party was 8 days later, on the 16th, so I assumed I would get the device in time to use it at the party to post to my social networks about how awesome it was, and snap photos showing off its camera, and all that sort of thing.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The party came and went (they also didn’t hand out the devices at the party, which would also have made sense) with no sign of a device. Finally, three weeks later, I reached out to Klout to ensure my shipment hadn’t been lost in the mail. Klout responded and assured me that Microsoft was sending them out, and had experienced some delays. No problem, but still no ETA.

I then tweeted about it at four weeks, and finally received a response that the Windows Phone team had shipped them out the previous week, and they should begin arriving any day now – great.

Now, I did have some assumptions about this device. Given what I saw at the party, and the fact that it was all about the ‘new’ Windows Phone (codenamed ‘Mango’, though they didn’t talk much about that at the party) and whatnot. All of the phones on display at the event were the ’2nd Gen’ hardware, such as the Samsung Focus S, HTC Radar, HTC Titan, etc. The second wave of Windows Phone devices to hit the market. Thus, I assumed that the device I would receive (as a VIP) would be one of these. Awesome.

It wasn’t. I received a Samsung Focus, which officially launched in the market in November 2010. A year ago. Also, it wasn’t brand-spanking new. My box had been opened, presumably so the phone could be updated to the new software.

It also came with a SIM card pre-installed. Cool, I thought. Maybe I get a couple months of service to really check it out. Nope, this SIM was issued to Beth Goza, and it was still in my phone. A phone number was listed on the baggie, but the SIM doesn’t appear to be active. So…..I honestly don’t know what to think of that, but it’s a pretty poor user experience.

So, to recap, the phone arrived 4 weeks later (3 weeks after the actual event highlighting the phone), and it was a year-old device, despite the new devices being demo’d at the event itself. It was also previously opened (and presumably used), and arrived with an inactive SIM addressed to someone else inside. Hmph.

One thing that DID impress me, though, was the box it arrived in. In fact, I made a video of the box (and didn’t bother to do anything for the phone). You can see it here:

We’re constantly looking for ways to improve the experience of people who interact with RadioShack socially, and this is a great example of attention to the small details of the experience – such a fun box. However, something that I mentioned previously and discovered was still true, is that there was no paperwork included in the box. No card thanking me for being social, no pre-printed form letter congratulating me on the Klout Perk and giving me info about the product, nothing. Just the product.

If a company were sending you a special something for engaging with them in the social arena, what would you expect to receive?

My Third Klout Perk – Windows Phone – Part 1

// December 18th, 2011 // No Comments » // Social Networks, windows phone

Klout has been a hot topic lately, with many social media folks declaring it bunk, crazy, and making a big hooey about deleting their accounts. Instead, I’ve been exploring it, trying to find the value. While this is interesting to me as a consumer, it’s also directly related to my job as Social Media Community Manager at RadioShack. My first Klout Perk was from Axe, and my second was the #KloutChevySonic. The third was a two-parter from Windows Phone that included a free Windows Phone device, as well as VIP access to a party in Dallas.

The Party

The party was held in downtown Dallas at a snazzy fashion place. I’m not much into the ‘club’ scene, so that’s about all I know. They had the line split in two – VIP and ‘the regulars’. However, I was able to get my wife in the VIP line with me easily, and was also able to transfer my friend Philip from the ‘regulars’ line to the VIP easily, so they weren’t too strict on it. Once through the line, you registered, connecting your wristband to your Facebook account. The wristband was used to ‘check-in’ to various points throughout the venue to be eligible for various drawings.

They had food and drinks, but you got tokens when you checked in to be able to get the food and drinks. Since I was registered officially as VIP, I got a couple of drink tokens and a handful of food tokens – my wife and Philip weren’t ‘officially’ VIP, so they only received food tokens, and would have to buy their drinks (the alcohol ones, anyways. Sodas were free). They only had one food line, and it was INSANE, so we opted out entirely. The drink line was relatively short, and the waitstaff was friendly. They did have cookies and such that didn’t require a token at all.

The room was setup with live device demos EVERYWHERE, but oddly, there were only about 4 different models shown. Basically, there were probably 30-40 different devices on demo, but they were pretty much all the same. Also, Windows Devices (for now) are pretty much all the same hardware, thanks to Microsoft’s requirements, so aside from a few style cues, there’s not much differentiation between them.

There was a small stage in the middle, and they used this as a launching point throughout the night for device giveaways, as well as the Young the Giant concert. The stage was on the floor and it was quite the intimate evening.

If I had never seen a Windows Phone before, I would likely have enjoyed the evening. The music was hopping, there was alcohol, and the crowd was pretty young and preppy.

Tomorrow I’ll share details about the device portion of this Klout Perk.

OnStar RemoteLink On The #KloutChevySonic

// December 16th, 2011 // No Comments » // android, Mobile, technology

The Chevy Sonic that I had the chance to drive for a weekend through a Klout Perk also came with OnStar pre-installed. My GMC truck doesn’t have OnStar, so I was pretty excited to see what cool stuff you can do with it. I did have to send a few emails to get a trial setup, but it was well worth it.

You can read all the features of OnStar here – you’ve probably seen their TV ads, too. The base features include roadside assistance, emergency contact, and now, voice-guided navigation. I didn’t actually try any of those features – what I was interested in is the OnStar RemoteLink app for your smartphone that lets you control the car and get helpful information. The app is free and currently available for iOS and Android. I used the Android version for this test.

Here’s the main screen – this syncs with your car when you tell it to, and shows information such as current fuel level, average MPG, and that sort of thing:

You’ll also notice three little dots along the bottom. You can swipe to the side from here to also get a readout of your car’s tire pressure as of the last time you started the ignition:

Pretty cool, huh? Just wait, it gets cooler. If you touch the ‘Remote’ button at the bottom of the app, you get this screen:

Now, this is freakin cool. From the app on my phone (after going through some verification processes including a security pin and whatnot), I can lock or unlock the doors, activate the horn and lights, and even remotely start the car. Yes, you read that correctly - I can start my car from my phone. A-mazing.

There are some caveats, though. Even with my phone showing a full 4G signal (I know it doesn’t in these screenshots, but I took these later), it took over 30 seconds for the command to be sent to the car and the action to take place. It’s not instant like you see in the commercial. The time-delay is a bit ridiculous, honestly, but let’s face it – starting your car from your phone is just plain awesome, no matter how you look at it.

Also, the remote start seems cool (obviously), but if, like me, your car sits in the garage overnight, this is NOT an option you want to use in the morning. Having a car running in the garage with the doors closed for even 10 minutes is a highly dangerous situation. You would only want to use Remote Start if you park outside, such as in your driveway, at the mall, or at work. Also, I couldn’t figure out a way to switch from ‘remotely started running’ to ‘I’m ready to drive’ running – I had to use the app to cancel the remote start before it would even let me put the key in the ignition. Again, I didn’t read the manual, so maybe I missed something.

The other features of the app are still interesting – the ‘Nav‘ button lets you setup a navigation path on your phone and then ‘send’ it to your phone, while the ‘Assist‘ button lets you get access to roadside assistance.

OnStar services normally cost ~$20/month for everything except for navigation, while the navigation option adds about $10, so $30/month. If I had the option on my personal car, I would totally pay for the $20/month package. The peace of mind knowing I have access to help anywhere, and the security features of OnStar, such as the ability to remotely kill the engine, as well as the OnStar RemoteLink application are totally worth it.

I’m due for a new truck in a few years, and I know that I’ll be making OnStar a requirement.

In The Driver’s Seat – #KloutChevySonic

// December 13th, 2011 // No Comments » // Family

I’ve already had to return the Chevy Sonic that I had on loan for a weekend through Klout, but I did manage to shoot another video of the interior of the car, this time with my 6-foot frame stuffed inside. The Chevy Sonic is definitely a compact car, but it was actually quite nice for a few days. Here’s a peek at the inside:

We had a great time cruising through the backroads of Texas in the Chevy Sonic. It performed great on the highway, streets, and even dirt/gravel roads winding up the hills of Texas. It rained/drizzled the entire trip – from the time we left our driveway to the time we returned, so we were really grateful for the wipers on the front windshield, but also the rear wiper, so I could see what was coming up behind me.

The Chevy Sonic came with several music options, including XM Radio and inputs for my iPod. The XM Radio was awesome – hundreds of stations, mostly commercial-free, and they worked everywhere, without having to re-tune when we came in or out of range. It was beautiful. The controls on the steering wheel of the Sonic also made it easy for me to adjust the music without taking my eyes off the road.

The iPod hookups weren’t as easy. There are 2 standard 3.5mm audio-in plugs on the Sonic – one in the front dashboard and one in a small compartment above the glovebox (shown in the video above). These work as expected, and were how we used the iPod. There is a USB input in that small compartment, and when I plugged my iPod’s USB cable in there, it was a more robust connection, showing the currently playing song on the radio display and allowing me to browse the current playlist with the steering wheel controls. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to figure out how to browse through the rest of the iPod this way – if I wanted to load up a different playlist, for instance. I did not read the manual, and it’s entirely likely that I just missed a button somewhere, but it wasn’t obvious, so I didn’t use that option.

How do you listen to music in your car?

On The Road: #KloutChevySonic

// December 12th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Family

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of cruising through the great state of Texas with my wife, our child, our chocolate lab, and the new Chevy Sonic. I introduced you to the Chevy Sonic previously, so I wanted to give you a better idea of the size of this little car. For the trip (just an overnighter to Blanco, TX), we had the baby, along with her impressive number of…..accessories, along with the dog in the backseat. However, at one point, Reese needed a bottle, so Christina had to get in the backseat with the two of them to feed it to her. All three of my girls in the backseat of a Chevy Sonic was….hilarious. Here’s the video:

Httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fWPrluj36c

As you can see, while we were indeed able to fit quite a lot of stuff in the back of the Sonic, it was incredibly cramped. This would be a great car for a roadtrip with two people, maybe even a third if they all packed light. However, for a family with a baby and a dog? I would not recommend the Sonic for travelling. Or even for driving around town. To get her carseat in, I had to have my seat scooted up slightly further than was comfortable.

What’s the smallest vehicle you’ve ever tried to travel in?

Introduction: #KloutChevySonic

// December 2nd, 2011 // No Comments » // blogging

A few weeks ago, I got an email that I was eligible for a new Klout Perk from Chevy, so I clicked over to check it out. Apparently, Chevy is launching a new vehicle called the Sonic. It’s their new super small car, and they offered folks with certian Klout scores a free 3-day loan to test the car out and see what it’s about. So….I filled in my information and picked up the car this afternoon.

Here’s my quick walkthrough video of the car itself:

Apologies for the crappy quality – I have a new ROM on my G2 and I experimented with the 720p settings. I’ll use a different phone the rest of the time.

In any case, that’s the car – I’ll be logging the trip each day, highlighting new discoveries of the car and cool features. I’ve never ‘reviewed’ a car before, so I’m pretty jazzed for the opportunity.

My First Klout Perk

// November 17th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // marketing

I don’t remember when I started using Klout. Given that it seems to track everyone’s Twitter account by default, I suppose one never really ‘starts’ using Klout (rather, you simply start using Klout more…). In any case, earlier this year, Klout launched one of the most logical monetization strategies for a company who classifies people into various ‘levels’ of influencers – it sells access to different levels of users to brands. This is in the form of a ‘Klout Perk‘. The naming is ingenious – it makes you feel like it’s an extra that you get as a thanks for using Klout, as opposed to a vehicle for advertisers to reach you. Either way, a Klout Perk can be awarded to you based on your level of influence around a certain topic. Advertisers, such as Axe, may say ‘I want to send a free sample of my new hair gel to males aged 18-34 that talk alot about technology’ and Klout is able to serve those demographics up.

This was an actual Klout Perk, and the first one that I bothered to redeem. Redeeming a Klout Perk is easy – you just click the ‘Claim This Perk’ button and off you go. A few weeks later, the package arrived in the mail:

Not bad, and the card is pleasantly polite. On the back are a list of ‘code of ethics’ that anyone who’s done any sort of brand ambassador work is familiar with:

1. Klout will never sell or give away your contact info

2. Participating (or not participating) will not change your Klout Score

3. You are receiving the product because your are influential and have authority on tipics related to the product. You are welcome to tell the world you love the product, you dislike the product, or say nothing at all.

4. If you decide to talk about the product, we will ask you to disclose that you received a sample (Klout.com/perks/disclosure).

Standard stuff. Overall, not a bad experience, but having done this a few times for Nokia and RadioShack, I immediately notice some room for improvement:

1. The confirmation on Klout.com says I should receive my sample in 1-2 weeks. It took three for me to get my sample. Always under-promise and over-deliver. I would rather be told it will take 3 weeks from the beginning.

2. The package came in a plain white envelope, standard ground. If you’re not going to pony up for faster shipping, at least pony up for some branded packaging. The Klout Perks icon is an orange/red box with a blue inside, so why not use something similar to actually ship the Perks out in?

3. There is absolutely no documentation about the product itself (Axe’s new Hold+Touch ‘spiking glue’ (that’s hairgel). Why is it better, are there any usage tips? If I want more info, what’s the URL? Sure, most of that information is on the tube itself, but a small insert highlighting why it’s so cool would have been a big improvement.

Have you received a Klout Perk yet? What was your experience like?