So after a rather somber and sobering post around "recession retailing" and what that means for the consumer, retailer and other businesses in this current economic climate - I thought I was also time to look at some of the exciting and pushing the boundaries in 2009 - However I have another Blog where I will look at some of the new developments that will not hit the mass market until 2010 or so - but the technology is here now and will look at applications and delivery innovation.

So what will you friendly neighbourhood Madman be doing / hoping to do / blogging / tweeting... about in 2009!

As always with my rantings and raves is that what I talk about - is in effect what I end up doing and working with clients around the world on. So at this stage Conchango may or may not have clients lined up to do some of this work - but as always - feel free to contact me as you have continued to do throughout this year and see what is possible.

So {drum roll............} 2009...

m-commerce / Mobile Commerce / Mobile Retail / Mobile Innovation

One of the biggest winners and gains in 2009 will, at last be the humble mobile. Not so much humble but the converged device that can and will deliver work, media, games, LBS, commerce, apps, widgets, TV, VoIP... all great advances and opportunities abound. Mobile Networks will look more into media and community on how they can leverage some of the LBS (Location Based Services) as well as the old favourite RFID - or now known in the industry to get away from that aging tag - NFC (Near Field Communication) - I talked a lot about it this year - but only a few actually started to move with it (O2, Barclays TfL). Google & Apple will continue to grow with their mobile applications and great quick wins into the consumers hands via retailers, media providers or community aspects. Combine NFC / LBS with social apps to become a "Teenage Finder" keep track of your child's location??? Anyway maybe too big brother'ish - but if you have kids in this day - you are always keen to ensure that you are able to find them - and as their mobile is their device of choice...!

Retail / 360° Retail..

Still passionate about retail and the high street. However I want to see better standards, more drive and commitment and much more Retail Theatre. If you want to get people back into the high street and spend )(no matter how much or how little) you really have got to get back to basics and give the consumer a complete experience - a 360° experience. 2009 I will continue this theme and maybe publish the whole "bible" on where 360° Retail fits into other areas such as marketing, advertising, analytics, multi-channel, delivery...  Retail will also have a fall out post Christmas 2008 - there will be a lot of failed retailers - but there will also be retailers that will have survived and need to bolster their online presence, look to report and action correctly - they will have limited budgets, definitive ROI and KPIs so I will aim to continue the Open Source Platform and other vendors - as well as how you can add and grow your business in a cost effective manner.

ISPs

ISPs are looking to new ways to carry their business models forward as broadband penetration gets to the tipping point where growth is minimal and therefor capturing existing broadband customers with better, faster, more choice, more content no limits and no letters around illegal downloading ;) from their competition will be key to their continued success. Look for the mobile industry incentives coming here such as Free Laptops, Free Wireless Media Storage Routers, and of course Free Media Content! Free was the big buzz word of 2008 and in 2009 we will start to see how this can be utilised in a formulated business case. Here at Conchango we have developed a number of these for our clients and will see these to appear in early 2009. So what does that means for the you and me the broadband consumer? Well look for longer tie-ins only natural that they need to hold on to your £ for longer! The promise of gifts, free content and faster speeds.. Broadband on the move lined to your account with access to your virtual store is all in the pipeline. Mobile VoIP the list will be endless - more a case of who will be first out with a compelling offer that will lock in the customer for 24months...

Newspapers

The demise of printed media continues - news & media aggregation and distribution, where the media comes from | how it is managed and delivered | how is this then monitized  Affiliate / marketing strategies to help run the online advertising. There are a great number of ways that this can be achieved. However Newspapers will look for loyalty in this sector - but where is loyalty unless the news is relevant, upto date, accurate, well written and has images (whether that be pictures, video) the user will be more willing to get their information updates from that. The real wins for the newspapers has always been on the rich journalism and commentary. People from specific political and liberal views will chose to read a certain newspaper in the past because of the way, tone and spin that has been put on it. How can this then be digested in a digital world? Very similar apart from the user now has the choice and control. Perhaps they would like to comment, add pictures, add video, link it to their blog - the new way that we use the media is going to become a reality in 2009.

IPTV

Great challenges and development in this area. Working with our clients in OTT delivery (Over The Top) and how this is then distributed to the consumer is one key area that has been discussed in 2008 and will move into 2009. More and more companies will look to deliver their own version of IPTV from dedicated sports and lifestyle, to entertainment and recreation. We will have a mix of both retailers and content owners looking to deliver a similar service. IPTV gives a much greater reach for the advertiser and will be interesting to see how OfCom, ASA and other approach this level of direct targeting to the consumer. Delivering a live stream of content across an IP network has a much greater chance of conversion than say a blanket ad spend. Look at how bad ITV have come in the past year - ad spending has never been so low since 1992. Times are changing and advertisers would rather spend on a direct and as such interactive model than watch as their ad is delivered within a plethora of other messages vying for the consumers attention. mIPTV will also come into play (again) in 2009 - although I am not expecting anything too groundbreaking in this area until 2010 having the BBC iPlayer on a Nokia phone may be a good start but lets see what else will fall out onto the mobile device in 2009.

Surface

After seeing this at its very early stages and coming up with some new innovative ways to use Surface. Conchango worked with one of our clients this year and delivered a fantastic wine application with our partners in the US. This is just the tip of the "surface" no pun really... but I can see more application next year in this area using surface as a selling tool for services, hardware etc.. again the list is almost endless really down to how and what you can think of in terms of delivering a touch experience - as well as reducing stores head count and increasing conversion - more innovative delivery - travel centres, mobile stores, banks (what's left of them), restaurants...

Macro & Micro Distribution

Mr Reuben and myself have been "bigging" this up at this year with a number of our clients and potential clients and with how this can work for businesses's, groups and individuals. How the whole eco system of distribution and syndication becomes blurred and more exciting. How your products services, media can be shown, sampled, distributed, delivered and managed through a variety of new channels and with champions of your brand or products pushing them to a wider audience that you may have previously not been able to touch before. This is something that we will look and continue to pursue with our clients in 2009 and have some great examples and case studies of where and how this can work for your business.

Wi-Max

I have been talking about Wi-Max since its first announcement back in 2005 and where and what the potential was for it. I have looked and discussed with various people the ways that it could enrich and help some of the areas in isolated areas in Africa, Middle East and start to deliver communication and data services to people that could use it without the expansive and cumbersome satellite infrastructure. I know and spoke to companies out in the middle east that were developing Wi-Max infrastructure plans and how to deliver a managed service that could deliver the data, VoIP, media and access controls across the region on a free for all basis. We also looked at how we could create an African infrastructure that could deliver vital data and communication services to villages and people in medical and education which to me was much more than a business plan but a vital link to the outside world to help and push the availability beyond the developed world where we take it for granted. There are companies that have started to create a "blanket" over London for 100% wi-max broadband coverage - which Google will be happy with for their continued Android phone development! With a potential range of 30 miles in open areas (ie great for that  Out-Reach Project in Africa etc..) has average of 4 - 8 miles in built up areas VoIP & Wi-Max great for non mobile carriers to get involved in - services can be tied and linked to the apps coming from Google and Apple blanket coverage of say San Francisco could be controlled by a mainstay portal or municipal to ensure no abuse of the access this should be free and needs to be monetized.

So these are only a tiny snippet of what is going on within the technology space as well as some of the great stuff that is coming to and strategic nods and appreciation as well approach for our clients. However one final point of caution. I love technology and gadgets and new innovation - however what is vitally important is how or why this is good for the consumer or end user and where we can make a difference.

Conchango has and will continue to be, honest and open to our clients and deliver solutions and strategies that we build end to end that fundamentally will always have the end user at its core. User Centred design as well as user focused innovation...