Companies have a growing need to provide an engaging experience for their customers, and incorporating Gamification techniques is becoming an increasingly better way to do that. This concept has been buzzing around for some time now, but a deeper understanding is needed to effectively implement it into a real business; simply putting badges on your website and giving away mediocre prizes isn’t going to cut it.

There are two game mechanics concepts that game designers consider when building games that are also helpful when developing products, services, ideas or businesses. The first is understanding what players or customers crave above all else at the root level. The second is understanding what fundamentally motivates and drives consumers to act. At the end, we’ll tie it all together to show how these concepts need to be taken to the next level in the near future.

WHAT CUSTOMERS CRAVE ABOVE ALL ELSE
To start off, we’ll talk about what customers really want from your company. Gamification expert Gabe Zichermann explains that people want four different things: status, access, power, and stuff. Purposefully giving people these things will engage them far more in the short and long term.

These are ordered from most important to people to the least important to people. Luckily for marketers, they are also ordered from cheapest to implement to most expensive.

Status
People with status rank highly in the social hierarchy compared to others and this is very important to people. Depending on the person, status could look like getting a higher score than friends in a video game, being publicly recognized as being in an elite group such as a country club or airline frequent flier club. Airline frequent fliers track their miles like a gamer would track their high score because they are treated as more important than normal passengers when they reach the platinum level.

Access
Giving people access is all about giving people permission to be somewhere or do something that they couldn’t have done before. As usual, scarcity produces a higher demand. In a game, this is often implemented by giving bonus levels or some sort of special abilities. Businesses could give certain customers access to important people, places, tools, or technologies.

For example, a retailer giving top customers a shorter line to wait in when they check out is an example of giving them exclusive access to something. These types of promotions are very valuable to the consumer, but don’t usually cost very much to implement.

Power
Not surprisingly so, it turns out that people want power. Most often this looks like people having control over others or some sort of responsibility that gives them influence.

A great example could be making a top contributor on a company forum a moderator for the forum. They are then able to influence the content on the forum from a more official position. This influence is very valuable to people.

Stuff
Lastly, people still do want free stuff and businesses should continue to give them what they want. However, there are two downsides. The first is that it is usually relatively expensive. The second is that consumers value free stuff less.

People have a tendency to value the above intangible rewards such as a VIP express line more than they are actually worth because it appeals to what they really want. On the other hand, giving away a baseball hat that retails for $15 will never be worth more than that much money. It is much harder to assign a monetary value to something that isn’t normally sold.

Overall, consumers want status, access, power, and stuff and this is important to know when thinking about how to develop a product, promotion, business or idea. The second important component to consider is what motivates your customers to play a game or engage with your brand.

WHAT DRIVES CUSTOMERS TO ACT
Richard Bartel conducted research about how and why people play games and found some interesting results. He lays out four types of people that are motivated differently. Businesses need to design their products and services to specifically engage each of these types of users.

Achievers
The first is called the Achiever and they wake up every morning thinking about winning. These people are motivated by success and progress. The primary reason they play games or engage with a brand is to win. Brands can easily target and engage Achievers with contests and with auctions.

Social
The second type are the social players and the vast majority of the population fall into this category. They may play a game and even keep score, but the reason they play isn’t to get the highest score. The reason they play is to get the social interaction that playing with other people provides. Target this type of person by allowing them to interact with other people while interacting with your company

Killers
Thirdly, the Killers are similar to Achievers, but slightly different. They not only need to win, but they need for you to lose. In fact, the more people that publicly know they won, and you lost the better they feel. Give these customers an opportunity to compete directly and publicly against other people.

Explorers
The last type are the Explorers and they value the search, not necessarily the thing they are searching for. Target them by giving them an experience worth telling their friends about.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
Companies need to get to the point where they give incentives and rewards to get their customers to do what we want them to do. Hoping they do these things is not a very good strategy; we need to design for it. It doesn’t matter if your product, service, or business looks like a game as much as it works like a game.

We need to look at a store in the mall and recognize that shopping at the mall is where many people go not just to shop, but to socialize. Shopping is simply the medium to socialize and the mall is where that happens. Therefore, this is a game that isn’t as fun to play by yourself. It is better for the user to go with friends.

Understanding this helps this business in the mall to know to give incentives for people to come to their store together. So why not have a sale only available for people that come with 3 or more friends? This capitalizes on the social motivation of shopping while giving customers special access to something. This will appeal to what customers really want.

Specifically target all of the above customer wants and motivations like this to effectively implement game mechanics and game thinking into your initiative.

Mini Cooper created an excellent campaign that naturally drew in thousands of people to play a city wide game because it was designed to engage them. In short, Mini Cooper placed a virtual car in the middle of Stockholm and would give away an actual car to anyone who got within 50 meters of it at the end of the competition. Only iPhone users with the application could find the car or see where the other players were. The catch was that once someone claimed the car, anyone else that came within 50 meters of them could steal it so they had to stay on the move.

This campaign appealed to Achievers wanting to win, Social players wanting to play with and against their friends, Killers wanting to show how many people they beat, and Explorers wanting to tell the whole story to their friends. They also gave something away and made it only accessible by the iPhone community. Mini Cooper’s budget and team was no doubt bigger than most, but the concepts still apply.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Do you see a growing need to design business strategies around these gamification principals or do you think these principals are not relevant?

Welcome to the second half of our mobile advertising blog series! In part 1, we discussed how in-app ads are the future of mobile advertising and now, we’re shifting our focus to mobile sites and the important role they can play in advertising strategies. Currently, there are more than 72 million mobile web users and 69 million mobile app users, and both numbers are estimated to reach over 100 million by 2013. We’ve heard the debates regarding which is better (we’ve even had the debate a few times ourselves) and have concluded that both mobile app advertising and mobile web advertising are significant in today’s advertising efforts.

Apps (good ones) generally have easier navigation and interaction, use rich-media and phone functions (i.e. camera and GPS), and don’t necessarily need an internet connection. The rise of “bigger screen” tablets not only call for better apps, but also more mobile web browsing. An Adobe survey stated that 66% of mobile users prefer to retrieve information through mobile browsing instead of mobile apps. Even though apps can serve many purposes and have the advantage of being downloaded onto the desktop to develop long-term relationships, it can be tedious and overcrowding to download and install an app for every little thing you want to do – sometimes a simple mobile search will suffice. Furthermore, multiple versions of apps need to be developed for each smartphone platform and only 38% of the US own an app-compatible smartphone, as opposed to the universal mobile site. On top of that, app developers need to share revenue and get approval from the app store in order to be published or make any changes.

There is valid support for each side, but we say, why not use apps and sites simultaneously? Consider the option of building a mobile site first to establish consumer experience and trust. Then drive users to a more “hands-on” app that you’ve developed based on what you’ve learned from users of your mobile site. Another option is “appsites” which can be sites just for promoting your app, or a site linked within an app. For instance, NikeID’s mobile site features studio locations where you can receive personal one-on-one sessions, a video showcasing their immersive app and a link to download it. Likewise, Google offers specific apps that allow you to search via keyboard, voice or camera, but all drive you to their mobile site to find more information.

So, if you’re thinking about ramping up your mobile strategy, here are a few key things to include:

• Make your mobile site a mini-version of your website with touch-friendly features. Include larger and simpler graphics, easier navigation and plug-ins for faster loading and better user experience.
• Make your app have a frequent use to avoid sitting on the desktop. Offer more tailored features than your site and aim to be listed on top download listings which can be done through ratings.
• Use social media to promote and compliment the user experience. Brand all elements (social channels, app and/or mobile site) the same throughout with a simple logo/image, name, and/or tagline.
• Always upgrade based on trends, advances and consumer needs.

In the end, your mobile strategy ultimately depends on your business and consumer needs. Consider the context of your industry (ex. travel is location-based) and the strengths of each medium. Mobile sites tend to be better for commerce, while apps are better for games and entertainment. Nonetheless, both will evolve even more as mobile devices continue to advance. With the growing use of HTML5 and open standard APIs that enable developers to access phone functions, mobile sites are becoming very similar to in-app ads. Perhaps there will be a fine line between the two in the near future. But until that happens, including both mobile app and mobile web advertising can give you invaluable results for your mobile strategy.

Mobile advertising is becoming an integral part of advertising strategies due to the fact that it can conveniently reach consumers right in the palm of their hands. This year, it seems the best way to reach users are through apps as they are being downloaded everyday for almost any occasion, opening the door to integrate mobile advertising more fluidly in a campaign while search, shop and share tools, such as QR codes, continue to play a major role.

With 95% of mobile users downloading and using free apps, worldwide mobile app revenue will triple to $15.1 billion and downloads will more than double to 17.7 billion this year alone. While it is estimated that 51% of the US will have smart phones by the end of 2011, the popularity of tablets are growing as well with speculation that 50 million Americans will own a tablet computer in the next year. To keep the increasing number of tablet and smart phone users engaged through apps, iAds – a new form of mobile advertising that explores the capabilities of smart phones and tablets through rich media – is needed. Even more so when considering that mobile app revenue, especially for free apps, is made by cost-per-click mobile ads. While CPC mobile ads are a great way to advertise, CPC ad dollars are often wasted because users frequently click or tap the ads by mistake. In fact, a survey conducted by Pontiflex and Harris Interactive found that 47% of mobile app users click ads unintentionally with 61% being 18-34 year olds – the most active group of mobile users. However, the survey also found the solution that 71% of app users prefer in-app ads that don’t take them out of the app.

The Tron movie and Campbell’s Soup in-app ads are great examples that showcase the ease of use and creative possibilities of mobile advertising. The Tron movie in-app ad was one of the first highly interactive and graphical iAd campaigns featured on the iPad, utilizing videos, a photo gallery, theater locater with showtimes, preview and purchase of the movie soundtrack, and sharing through email and social media. Similarly, the Campbell’s iAd featured reformatted condensed soups, recipes, coupons and links to download all within an interactive and convenient interface. A survey focused on the success of iAds even stated, “consumers shown an iAd remembered the brand five times more often than TV ad respondents and the ad messaging three times more often.”

Based on our research of in-app mobile advertising, there are endless possibilities in combining full interaction and emotion with user-friendly aesthetics. Mobile advertising is different from online advertising; with innovative technology and interface capabilities such as swiping, sensors and GPS, it makes sense to create an app within an app for a more uninterrupted, engaged experience.

To heighten the engagement, having the in-app ad relevant to the actual app and following through on what is advertised is imperative. For example, since mobile gaming is the most popular app category, even mimicking a highly interactive game can engage and connect with users more.

Two additional features that should be utilized are location based ads combined with special offers. 57% of users are more likely to engage with an ad that is relevant to their location while 17% of consumers make purchases because of those ads. Ads containing local coupons, deals or newsletters are more likely to be clicked on as well. Lastly, don’t forget to also incorporate social media to top off the experience and allow others to be engaged.

As iAds and in-app ads are reinventing mobile advertising with fully interactive experiences and emotional impact, there’s more to be said about mobile websites and mobile search. Stay tuned for Mobile Advertising Part 2 in next month’s blog.

*BONUS* Check out this video that showcases the “flashy” interactive things that can be done with in-app ads:

With Red Bulls in hand and an awesome concept in mind, the Mindgruve Development Team joined fellow developers and designers at the 1st Annual Hackathon SD, brought to you by the folks at OpenCandy! Their mission: create an award-winning mobile application in only 23 hours.

Countless energy drinks, candy bars and three short naps later, we developed an app – The Golden Sanctuary – sure to be useful for people on the go, travelers and anyone else in search of the cleanest throne in the city – as well as some funny stuff to read and do once you get there. Check out our wireframes, comps and highlights from the event!

February 18, 7:05PM:
Team Mindgruve puts their thinking caps on and prepares for a long night ahead.

February 18, 7:45PM:
Team Mindgruve sketches out an awesome wireframe to set the plan in motion, determine navigation and much more.

February 18, 11:18PM:
As the clock draws closer to midnight, Team Mindgruve finalizes the logo as they begin to create a mock homepage in their dimly lit refuge.

February 19, 2:08AM:
While the rest of San Diego is sleeping, all teams stay up in the wee hours of the night, designing, mocking and coding.

February 19, 6:32AM:
Good morning! Team Mindgruve refuels with a somewhat nutritious (do licorice and Oreos count?) breakfast as they continue the HTML and CSS coding process.

February 19, 9:55AM:
Team Mindgruve makes coding look so easy, they can even do it with their eyes closed!

February 19, 10:00AM:
Shortly after 9:55AM (while Chris and Matt code their hearts out) our designer/designated photographer, Nate, is down for the count.*

Sorry, no picture available – for obvious reasons.
*PLEASE NOTE: Nate is the last to take his well-deserved nap.

February 19, 5:49PM:
As the final hour approaches, Team Mindgruve looks lively and adds the finishing code and design touches.

February 19, 8:00PM:
TIME! Laptops down! The coding may be over, but apps must be presented, a winner announced, then celebrations galore at Voyeur!

Curious to see this mobile app in action? Pull out your smartphones and try it out - http://thegoldensanctuary.com. Plus, there’s more to come! If you have any ideas on what you’d like to see in this quirky app, leave us a comment below with your suggestions!

If you’re impressed with our work and want to develop a mobile application for your brand, please contact Michael Garten at 949-698-2983 for more information on how we can partner.

Marketing within apps and games is revolutionizing how marketers reach new consumers

Due to the continued innovation of the smart phone, mobile apps have become a huge part of the new media industry. In particular, mobile games have seen a big benefit from this rise in popularity, accounting for 5%, or $500 million, of U.S. gaming sales in 2009 alone. These new mediums have given marketers a whole new venue to reach its specific target audiences directly and engage them in a way they have never been able to before. There are many advantages to the use of mobile ads and we believe that they will become a very effective marketing method due to their specificity and diversity.

One advantage is the potential for massive exposure because there are now over 49 million smart phone users. Recent mobile phenomenon such as Angry Birds and Words With Friends has shown that it is possible for marketers to get millions of impressions from a single app or game. Compared to console games which feature less intrusive advertising, mobiles games offer more direct advertising in order to leave an impression on its audience. This new medium also allows for a wide range of creative possibilities because of advanced smartphone technologies such as touch screens and gyroscopes that result in more clicks. For example, Greystripe has shown that their interactive ads for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment increased overall product awareness by 19%. Advertisements can now be just as engaging and interactive as apps themselves which will leave a bigger impression on users. Aside from engagement and production, there are also significant advantages demographically.

Mobile ads allow marketers to more accurately and effectively target advertisements toward certain demographics. In general, smart phone users are a valuable demographic because they are generally between the ages of 18 and 35 and have a large steady income. However, ads can still be placed within many games or applications to reach many specific demographics, making marketers campaigns much more effective. Marketers also have the option of reaching selected demographics by creating ads for a specific app store. Android users tend to be younger than Apple users while Apple users tend to be wealthier and more educated. Finally, ads can be highly localized because of most smart phones built-in GPS capabilities. This makes them particularly useful for local businesses and companies looking to reach potential consumers in a new and captivating way.

Mobile ads are an exciting addition for marketers looking to publicize their products in new mediums. They offer a different level of diversity, creativity and engagement that is difficult to find in other marketing venues. With many companies redeveloping their digital strategies and embracing in app/game advertising, innovation is sure to continue and these ads will become a mainstay for marketers moving forward.

In 2008, President Obama’s presidential campaign changed political marketing in various ways, but as a digital media agency we were intrigued with his use of social and mobile media to connect and garner support from the American people. After witnessing the overwhelming amount of success Barack Obama had with his voters, 2010 midterm election candidates on both sides of the aisle are embracing the power of new media, such as geo-targeted mobile ads, social websites and appealing designs that evoke a sense of sociability and openness, to connect with voters in time for election day.

Similar to President Obama’s mobile marketing efforts, candidates running in the 2010 midterm elections have stepped up their mobile advertising through geo-targeted mobile ads. Rep. Michele Bachmann used this tactic to target Minnesotans specifically at the state fair this past summer and as the Star Tribune notes, “campaigns are spending more of their budgets on sophisticated web ads that zero in on specific locations and demographics,” and rightly so. As we discussed in a past blog, mobile phones are a hyper-personal medium. Targeting smart phone users based on age, location, gender, search terms and residence can create awareness among groups of voters that matter most to a campaign’s overall success.

In addition to geo-targeted mobile ads, political parties have increased their social media use (of note, Republicans now hold eight of the top ten Capitol Hill Twitter spots, while 300 members of congress have turned to Facebook to stay in touch with the voting public) and taken steps to create community websites for constituents to interact with the political party and fellow voters. This past May, the GOP did this very thing when launching America Speaking Out. Its purpose is to solicit policy ideas from community members, who then vote for their favorite policy idea in order to create the GOP’s “Pledge to America.” The integration with Facebook and Twitter take this concept a step further as community members are able to share a policy idea and/or vote with their network of friends.

Finally, it doesn’t just end with new media channels. Design now plays an integral role in making sure the brand of a political party is open and inviting, encouraging a stronger social relationship. America Speaking Out moved in this direction with their website design and color palette in order to speak to voters who are unhappy with current leadership. Another intriguing web design change came from the Democratic National Committee. Armed with a new logo (reminiscent of Facebook and Twitter icons) and website redesign, the party’s new look was created to reflect what the DNC wishes to represent to America – “a community.”

Based on our observations of the new social media and mobile methods being used for the 2010 midterm elections quickly approaching, it’s obvious that new media is changing the face of political campaigning. With that said, we are confident that the new media tactics and strategies used today will empower politicians and political parties to expand their social reach by creating a network of supporters who will help spread their message to the American people.

Using robust Facebook Page capabilities, Mindgruve drives the community to 25,000+ members in under six months.

SAN DIEGO,CA – May 5, 2010 – Since launching the Sunfood Facebook Page in January, San Diego-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, has provided a series of social media initiatives to build the online community, Facebook.com/Sunfood, to over 25,000 members.

Leveraging a custom-built weekly deals Facebook application, an Earth Day Giveaway contest and other weekly promotions, Mindgruve continues to support Sunfood’s efforts with targeted Facebook ads, website display ads and email marketing. “The success behind our Facebook page is directly related the amount of work Mindgruve has done behind the scenes to help us develop the community. We couldn’t have met 25,000 members without their quick work and strategic planning in launching efforts like our Earth Day promotion and weekly giveaways,” explained Brian Bowers, Sunfood’s Director of Product Development.

As more people continue to join the page, Mindgruve moves to develop more immersive features for Sunfood’s Facebook page. The page will soon feature custom tabs, which will allow for shopping within Facebook while also giving health food enthusiasts increased opportunities to contribute and interact with other members.

“With nearly 100 interactions and almost 200 new community members every day, the success we’ve seen has been amazing. As Sunfood continues to find the best new superfoods, we look forward to developing innovative ways to share them. These include SunfoodTV, an online video channel for recipes and product reviews, and Superfoods Community, a superfood-specific online community focused on health, lifestyle and personal growth,” stated Chad Robley, President of Mindgruve.

About Sunfood

Sunfood is the world’s leading provider of high-quality superfoods, including sustainable, organic and raw products. Distributing over 700 different products, their website has become the nucleus of the growing superfood global community. Sunfood also provides staff experts, educational materials and various other tools used for integrating the health benefits of superfoods into their patrons lifestyles. www.Sunfood.com

Cause marketing is nothing new. Yoplait has been supporting breast cancer research for years. What is new, are the “New Affluents,” who spend over $303 billion a year in the U.S. on their favorite brands. With their spending power, this group is single-handedly redefining what makes a “good” brand, including if that brand represents integrity and authenticity through charitable efforts.

But that’s not all. According to a report done by Cone based on nonprofit partnerships, “59% of Americans are more likely to buy a product associated with the partnership.” Similarly, Bob Gilbreath reports that 71% of consumers continue to give despite the economic downturn, 87% would switch to a brand partnered with a good cause and 50% would pay more for cause-related products.

So what is a brand to do? Mindgruve believes there are some basic criteria you should consider before rushing into the cause-marketing space. Standing behind a cause with an innovative marketing campaign is a great way to connect with your consumers and build brand awareness. However, the wrong cause and campaign may force people to view your efforts as a weak attempt to stay relevant. Take a moment to review and carefully think about what will work for you.

1. Is your cause relevant to your brand? Tyson’s hunger relief program and Haagen-Dazs’ Help the Honeybee initiative both support relevant causes by giving food to those in need and saving honeybees, respectively. Coupled with engaging online efforts, such as Haagen-Dazs’ field tour, Beeboy dance video and personalized honeybees, they demonstrate an understanding of consumer interests and areas where their brand can have impact.
2. Is it meaningful to you AND your consumers? Just because a cause makes sense, doesn’t mean it holds meaning with your staff and your consumers. After surveying women around the world, Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty was created to combat low self-esteem and beauty stereotypes among young girls and women. Dove has been criticized for this campaign and called hypocritical, but they identified an issue many ignored and are providing meaningful conversation and support for it.
3. Will it engage your consumers? Pepsi has set a new standard with Pepsi Refresh Project. Not only did they take a strong step into social media, they got their consumers to actively participate in good deeds by providing the chance to submit a cause, vote and help determine how Pepsi’s donation will affect communities. The same individual impact can be found in the relaunched American Express Members Project, which also allows participants to vote for charities, volunteer and donate.
4. How do you want to commit? Long-term or short-term? Donor or defining the needs? While a lasting partnership like Yoplait has with the Susan G. Komen Foundation can span a decade and raise millions of dollars, it’s important to consider the growth, evolution and scale you expect for your company as well as its relation to the cause. Serving short-term needs, like Mindgruve did with client Sunfood to raise donations for the Haiti Earthquake through the International Rescue Committee, can also provide great engagement with a simpler company commitment.
5. **BONUS** New companies, can you build a cause into your business structure? TOMS Shoes, founded in 2006, saw a need and the opportunity to meet it. Its mission is simple, “with every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.” This is an extreme example, but should the opportunity present itself, creating a company around a cause can successfully serve the world while also building your business, brand and customer base.

Just like the examples we’ve listed, or with any successful campaign, a well done cause marketing plan is genuine, engaging and builds awareness. Think carefully about the details of a cause – How your brand relates to it? If your consumers will care about it? And what you can commit to it? – before making a decision. If you do, the cause and your business will both see great returns from your efforts.

For years, television has seen a steady ratings decline for prime time slots and major event broadcasts. Naturally, the consistent surge of websites (especially social ones) has been blamed, but the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics may be proving that trend incorrect. Earlier this year, televised events coupled with online campaigns and social media engagement, such as the #SB44 tweet grid and socially-influenced Grammy site, WereAllFans.com, saw a ratings spike when compared to the previous year, revealing a shift in media user behavior. This shift leads us to believe that 2010 will be the year that we finally see social and traditional media working in unison to carry the experience from one medium to the next and improve engagement/ratings.

Though we were less than thrilled with NBC’s West Coast time delay, the network took strong steps to create a cohesive online marketing campaign that pushed us to tune-in for the final results – whether or not we already knew them.

Considered “the first social media Olympics” by Alex Huot, head of social media for the International Olympic Committee, NBC kept pace with the development of features, including the “Athlete Twitter Sheet,” which allowed users to search for tweets by athlete or sport and “Twitter Tracker,” which gives sports fans the ability to see popular news. Additionally, NBC’s robust website housed tabs ranging from “Tweets & Blogs” to “My Hometown Coverage” to “Videos,” all of which had more features to browse through, such as Digg Olympic tags and event replays.

Businesses often ask, “If we’re doing A, do we really need to do B and C?” NBC’s accomplishments prove that the answer is yes. Vancouver’s opening ceremonies alone pulled nearly 33 million viewers, while the remainder of the 17-day event garnered high ratings, according to the Associated Press. The same can be said for other major televised events, including the 2010 Grammy’s and Super Bowl 44, which both received noteworthy ratings through some engaging marketing tactics.

According to Wayne Friedman, “fifty-five percent of users who visited NBCOlympics.com have been watching TV and the Web site at the same time.” This is also true for mobile NBC users. In this case, Olympic sponsors, such as Coca-Cola, used a virtual snowball fight and iPhone app with NBC to benefit as well as receive high scores in brand recall, media recall and brand likability.

Search engines like Yahoo, which drew 32 million visitors and 314 million minutes time spent online, also delivered interactive features (that we believe likely contributed to NBC’s ratings as well) and gave fans the opportunity to take part in the Olympic fun.

With the amount of new technology, tools and creativity available, the audience experience is changing to seamlessly carry through from one medium to the next in order to truly capture their attention. Let’s face it, the Olympic numbers show that engaging, multi-platform content is here to stay and we hope brands won’t shy away from it, but embrace it for what it really is – awesome!

Through an integrated social media campaign, Mindgruve increases raw lifestyle community to 10,000+ fans in 45 days.

SAN DIEGO,CA – February 25, 2010 – Starting 2010 with the goal of increased customer engagement for client, Sunfood, San Diego-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, launched a robust social media effort that included exclusive promotions, topical interactions and a special donation program for the Haiti relief efforts to propel Sunfood as the leading Facebook community for raw foodists.

In only 45 days, Sunfood’s fan page, Facebook.com/Sunfood, surpassed the 10,000 fan mark and continues to see over 300 new fans join daily. Supported by targeted Facebook ads, website display ads and email marketing, Mindgruve has involved Sunfood’s community on a new level. “Everyone could see the potential for success and Mindgruve made it a reality. Through their efforts, support for the page is growing with every interaction. The recipe submissions, photo sharing and personal recommendations show just how collaborative this group is,” explained Brian Bowers, Sunfood’s Director of Product Development.

Coupled with new product offerings, enhanced email marketing strategies and exclusive offerings, Mindgruve developed a comprehensive forum where raw foodists and health advocates alike can share common experiences, best practices and helpful tips. In addition, Mindgruve created new branded tabs to launch important initiatives, such as the “Sunfood for Haiti” donation program, which helped to raise over $6,000 for victims of the devastating earthquake.

“With the abundance of information, products and studies about the raw food lifestyle, we knew it was time to provide consumers with an in-depth location to discuss the latest trends, news and products, and it’s paid off. Interactions are over 400 each week and we have yet to reach ceiling in fan additions. This also translates into increased traffic and sales on Sunfood.com as well as more phone orders being placed,” stated Chad Robley, President of Mindgruve.

As Sunfood’s fan page continues to grow, Mindgruve and Sunfood work to develop premiere programs that allow shopping within Facebook, encourage more raw foodists to interact and evolve their lifestyle, and offer special online deals.

About Sunfood

Sunfood is the world’s leading provider of high-quality superfoods, including sustainable, organic and raw products. Distributing over 700 different products, their website has become the nucleus of the growing superfood global community. Sunfood also provides staff experts, educational materials and various other tools used for integrating the health benefits of superfoods into their patrons lifestyles. www.Sunfood.com

Robust new site offers travelers details, deals and planning for their next SoCal vacation.

SAN DIEGO,CA – February 24, 2010 – To provide visitors to the Carlsbad area of southern California with an easier travel planning experience, San Diego-based digital media agency, Mindgruve, recently launched a comprehensive, SEO optimized, conversion-driven and mobile friendly website for client, Visit Carlsbad.

Featuring an easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS), the new website can be regularly updated to keep its content fresh and relevant to travelers. “We wanted to ensure that if you were interested in southern California, you were provided with all the information you would need in a single location online,” stated Mindgruve President, Chad Robley. With tools that include interactive maps, an events calendar and integrated hotel booking, planning full vacations can now be handled easily at VisitCarlsbad.com.

Additionally, an updated design and social media integration have made the Visit Carlsbad brand more accessible to potential travelers. “From the minute people arrive at our site, we want them to experience Carlsbad. The new design along with the ability to connect, learn and share on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr gives them a taste of the hospitality and fun they’ll have when visiting,” explained Sam Ross, Visit Carlsbad Executive Director. Additionally, a travel blog provides an insider’s perspective on the best deals and activities for any type of traveler.

A second phase of the site will soon follow and include additional points of interest such as last minute deal offers. It will also provide a user portal for hotels, restaurants and attractions to update their unique pages with upcoming specials and events.

About Visit Carlsbad

Visit Carlsbad is the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Carlsbad area. It serves approximately 30 area hotels ranging from beach bungalows to luxury accommodations by presenting and promoting vacation ideas, packages, attractions and deals for the area. VisitCarlsbad.com.

Mindgruve looks to increase Tucsongolf.com bookings through improved user experience.

SAN DIEGO,CA – October 8, 2009 – Teaming with San Diego, California-based digital media firm, Mindgruve, TucsonGolf.com has launched their new website to a nation of happy golfers. Keeping in line with their tradition of treating each customer as a VIP, the new site provides a portal to serve every golf outing need. “We wanted to make sure that when a golfer was done with his or her purchase, every aspect of their outing was covered,” stated TucsonGolf.com Co-owner, Chris Smith. He continued, “With Mindgruve, we were able to deconstruct the experience, then rebuild it in an easy-to-use, service-oriented website.”

On the new TucsonGolf.com, visitors can find multiple tools to help them plan their next trip. “First, we redesigned the site to improve navigation. We then integrated a map search tool and custom quoting tool to better help customers find and gauge costs of their upcoming experience. We also provided a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool for better client interaction,” explain Chad Robley, Mindgruve President.

Just in time for the winter golf season in Arizona, the CRM will ensure a personal level of service unmatched by competitors. “We now have a much more efficient way to maintain a steady dialogue with all interested parties, as well as reach out to them whenever we have specials that they may be interested in,” explained Jay Warren, Co-Owner of TucsonGolf.com. “With the new website, we can serve as their golf concierge.”

About TucsonGolf.com

TucsonGolf.com provides golfers of any level a portal to book travel, tee times, lessons and a variety of other activities in the Tucson, Scottsdale and Green Valley areas of Arizona. Having researched golf amenities across the country, they have built relationships with the best available services to provide premier offerings at reasonable prices.

SAN DIEGO, CA – Honeymoonwishes.com, the world’s number one online wedding registry, along with strategic partner Mindgruve, a San Diego-based digital media firm, are proud to announce the relaunch of the Honeymoon Wishes website. This new state-of-the-art platform keeps Honeymoon Wishes at the forefront of the online honeymoon registry market as more and more couples consider this service a vital part of their wedding.

“We’re very excited about the relaunch of HoneymoonWishes.com. Our rapid growth trajectory over the past several years is more evidence of the shift in how wedding couples are utilizing registries. The old registry model of building just a hard goods registry is no longer the only option before today’s wedding couples. People are getting married later in life and typically have most of these standard household items. Especially in this economy, wedding couples need a registry that can help them pay for their honeymoon or help subsidize hard goods items typically not easily aggregated into one registry. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to capture a larger piece of this market.” says Mindgruve president, Chad Robley.

The new Honeymoon Wishes website features enhanced design and exciting additions for a completely new user experience including more personalization and advanced registry options. Kristin Stark, president of Honeymoon Wishes explains, “We know it’s important to continually update and improve our website to give the best possible experience to our users. Couples really like the new look and feel of the website, it is quicker, easier and more fun to set up an online registry. We’ve also added several new features that give users the ability to personalize their registry list. We are excited and extremely happy with the positive feedback we have received so far and expect the new website will greatly increase adoption and conversion rates over time.”