Kraft iPhone is Tasty Service

Food companies have been offering recipes as a form of Marketing as Service for years. Consumers appreciate these recipes knowing full well that they will include ingredients from that particular company. Even occasional cooks like me find themselves wanting to whip up savory dishes like the green bean casserole offered in print ads by Campbell’s Soup!  So it comes as no surprise that this recipe for success has been update via the iPhone.

As reported by AdAge, Kraft’s iFood Assistant for iPhones has become a sizzling star:

Kraft Food devotees are actually paying to be marketed to on their beloved iPhones that the company’s iFood Assistant is now one of the device’s 100 most popular paid apps, and No. 2 in the lifestyle category. With its endeavor, Kraft is pulling off a rare trick: getting consumers to pay a one-time 99-cent fee for the app and also sit through ads on it. And in the process, it’s collecting useful data for targeting them more closely.

Kraft's iFood Assistant is both a paid app and contains advertising.
The lesson: When a marketer creates something that’s actually useful, consumers don’t really see it as straight marketing, or they’re at least willing to accept advertising as the payoff.

Thanks AdAge. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Next Gen Device Challenge

Okay, I admit it, I have iPhone envy. About a year ago I was one of the few bloggers not to rave about it. Why? Because I simply wasn’t willing to slide backward into AT&T’s spotty coverage in New York City. Since then, I have been forced to admire the device from a far, taking solace in the fact that other cool gadgets will come along soon enough. Here’s a round up of some of those devices and a challenge to you all to come up with your own concept–winner will get toasted with six bottles of Toasted Head Cabernet.

Chumby–got to love the name of this “compact wi-fi device that displays useful and entertaining information from the web,” according to its website. Who needs a clock radio when you can use this puppy as the ultimate Internet radio player via a wi-fi connection. At $180 bucks, it feels like a great belated father’s day gift for this gadget lover.

Kindle-One of my clients swears by his Kindle, using it to read his virtual New York Times daily and business books when he is on the road. Developed and sold by Amazon, this nifty device will certainly save trees and cut down on your need for new shelves as it provides wi-fi access to over 130,000 books. It is definitely one of those things that is best experienced first hand and at $360 dollars plus a subscription its hardly a impulse purchase. Nonetheless, I could easily see this on my side table in the not too distant future.

Nokia N800 Internet Tablet-According to CNET, this wireless wonder “is a nice, portable device for on-the-go Web browsing, and it has some worthy upgrades.” Not exactly a rave but at $279, this little puppy won’t set you back too much if you simply want a “travel friendly” gadget for Internet surfing and want to garner a few covetous stares in the airport lounges.

There are many others but I’ve got to get back to work. Be sure to let me know about any existing devices you crave and/or ideas for topping these three before the end of the month.�