Four Click Freedom

http://bit.ly/173fzI

SmartKiosk Media will deliver Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) advertising via interactive “SmartKiosks,” smartphones, internet social networking sites, and a unique format of direct mail print advertising to consumer households.

Now this is pretty amazing and along the same line as my idea.  My idea again is to use the web, print and outdoor advertising to collect coupons via a coupon code that can be collected using your phone number, on the web or by texting.  On the web these ads can be on social networking sites or use of local targeting software agencies.

The kiosks in my theory was for pre-shopping and collecting of additional deals of the day at your grocer or mall outlet.  When these coupons are then validated at the point of purchase using your phone, and it doesn’t have to be a smart phone, then the retailer is sent the validation as well, eliminating cheating coupons.

The final step is the print media sent to the users house.  Now I am pretty sure that the material this company is sending is just Direct Mail full of ads, even if they are targeted or not.  My idea is to link your magazines and newspapers to your shopping history, something you can also tailor online.  Then when the magazines and newspapers of your choice come to your house they are full of relevant advertising that make a difference to you.

With all the screaming and hollering about the print industry dying it is any wonder why they haven’t tried to absorb this idea.  But the good thing is, if I can get the numbers, I now have something to pull from to allocate risk analyses and profit margins. So, go Smart Kiosks!

Well, things could be changing for me.  My oldest Chinese friend, Zhang Kai, went with me to a party over the weekend.  There, with a bunch of his friends, we ate at the local foreigners bbq house.  We started to talk about Clickboards and how the CEO of mGuanxi liked it and then about what I do.  I told them I was the Chief Editor of the local foreigners magazine and they started to take interest.  I found a copy at the front of the restaurant and let them take a look.

I told them that this magazine probably makes about RMB1,000,000 a year.  That got their attention and they asked if I could do it on my own.  I started telling them about printing, which is probably RMB2 per copy, the staff needed, and fact that the magazine should probably be an emag.

They are still interested in we are in the midst of thinking this over.  My idea would be to make about a forty page editorial and journalistic magazine.  We would launch it at the same time as our new website.  The website would have all the listings and maps and relevant info on it.  And I will discuss the Clickboards option with them.

What I want is to have all the information on the website able to be sent to your phone.  So if you are looking at a listing or a coupon, you can send it to your mobile.  So in a sense we would be launching three things at once: a website, a magazine, and a mobile application.

The mobile application would be created by Alvin from mGuanxi, this group I am now in contact with would create the website, and I would create the magazine.

I would also be responsible for bringing all the advertising clients from Jin and Tianjinexpats to the new magazine lineup.  I want to call the magazine and website ‘The Grind’,  but I’m sure I will think of something better.  Selling advertising in the beginning is going to be hard and cheap.  But I think I could get people to sign contracts that they would start at a base pay and then month after month the price would go up 5% until the retail price has been met.  However, with the whole operation based on advertising sales based on a very infantile start-up, things are shaky.

So let’s see.  I want to do this, thing is I will probably have to support myself till there is actual revenue.  Hopefully the others feel the same way.  Maybe my old professor Shafa could help out because he keeps telling me I should buy Jin Magazine, where I currently work.

So here is my plan.  The customer when finished eating or shopping at a store will send a text message with the stores name to Clickboards.net phone number.  The website will then transmit data to the store computer and its personalized software that this user is waiting to connect via bluetooth along with the coupons available for that store that the user has acquired.  The website will also send back a passcode via text message back to the customer to connect to the store bluetooth device.  The computer will then send a bluetooth message to connect to the phone and acquire pass code  and then display the coupons that the customer has to choose from.  The customer will select the coupons and bluetooth back to the store computer their selection.  The store computer will then catalog the information for the store and the discount will be applied.

I need to do more research but sounds like a plan to go after.

Great news, I think I am going to be able to do the Clickboards.net locally here in Tianjin.  This new portable receipt printer that I found makes everything happen.  Basically as long as their is a computer in the restaurant this will work.  And from what I found there always is.

The printer is programmable and every individual one you can upload the store logos and id for the printer onto it.  Then by simply having linked to the computer through IrDA, Bluetooth, Infra-Red, or WLAN the coupons from Clickboards.net can be printed for the store at the store.

Currently I am thinking all discounts that the user has for the store will all be printed and then they will have to select at the table or check out which ones they want to use.  The store keeps the copy of the used coupon(s) and the user takes the rest home with him.  He can re-enter the coupons back onto his profile when he gets home with the pin number for the coupon.

But better yet, this portable printer has the option of coming with a magnetic card and smart card reader.

Brilliant