Gen Y’s lifeline is their phone, and it’s one of marketers’ (best tools to reach them. More than just mobile ads, brands need to build mobile experiences for consumers; that means a mobile website, a mobile marketing plan, and maybe an app. Speaking of mobile, what we like best about smartphones is the apps, but sifting through the seemingly endless iPhone and Android app stores to find the hidden gems is a pain… Enter Appolicious and Best Buy with a new curated app discovery store featuring top sellers, as well as suggestions from Best Buy’s Blue Shirts themselves) (MediaPost)
It’s taken the auto industry a while to catch up to Gen Y’s (views of cars and driving. Unlike previous generations for whom cars opened up a new, wider world, for Gen Y, cars take them away from their friends who are online. Hyundai is hoping to change that with a highly connected car designed just for Gen Y. The Veloster can run an Xbox, share its/your location with friends, and send text messages based on voice commands. Hyundai took the time to understand the passion points for young drivers — ahem, music — and incorporate them into both the car and its marketing program. We’re excited to see the results of its Regeneration music program, which, much like the role Hyundai is taking in the traditional auto industry, mixes the best new technology with classics from previous eras) (Fast Company) (Ad Age, reg required)
We can’t wait to check out the Wild West adventures of Sheriff Oki and Deputy Peck (in “Oki’s Oasis,” a new preschool-targeted program from Disney Junior. Don’t worry, Sheriff Oki seems to have swapped her gun for a guitar. Slated for a 2013 premiere, the show stars Mandy Moore and will include two new songs per episode. Yeehaw!) (Kidscreen)
Most loyalty programs fall short of engaging Millennials (who are more interested in strategizing to save than simply racking up points. They respond to the gamification of marketing, and that can easily be translated to loyalty programs that are specifically designed to engage Millennials) (Biz Report)
Girls tend to read more than boys, but that might be changing (with a new imprint just for guys in middle grades. A former Scholastic Exec is launching Move Books next year, with the mission of “moving boys to read.” Algonquin Press is expanding its business to include a Young Readers Program that will include about six books a year to start) (Publishers Weekly) (Shelf Awareness)
If you’re already sad for the end of another season of ‘Jersey Shore’ (here’s just the thing to tide you over: a Season 5 teaser trailer. Am I the only one who doesn’t feel sorry for Pauly D in this clip?) (Perez Hilton)
We love the equally adorable and creepy (balloon called B. Boy that Tim Burton is creating for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. B. Boy’s slightly maudlin backstory is that he was created, Frankenstein-style, from all the left over balloons from children’s parties. Is it too soon to ask for a B. Boy movie?) (NY Times, reg required)
And finally for a little friday fun… (Here’s a look at how “Back To The Future” should have ended. To paraphrase Doc Brown: Roads? In a galaxy far, far away, we don’t need roads) (Geekyrant)