I am sitting on the side of the street, pirating a wireless signal, and typing as fast as my thumbs will deploy my thoughts into an iPhone. Certain that we’re all sufficiently tired of the ever present Apple plug, a rant or rave, I want to delve into what the latest firmware release means for the digital neophyte marketer.

While many of the now commercially available features were accessible for those willing to hack their iPhone, this latest software iteration packs the convenience of not having to fight with Apple to prevent your phone from being blocked or banned due to an update. What’s most interesting is the convenience of being able to download most applications, under 10MB’s, directly over the airwaves. Simply put, it is truly going to revolutionize mobile market.

With the addition of new features such as the creepily big brother like “location aware”, the iPhone passes into a new realm of portable computing and interaction. Users can now conveniently share photos on Myspace, Facebook, twitter and more, all within a reasonably simple interface. Programs available for free or purchase can be accessed anywhere with the Application Store, with most of the worthy applications being for free. I’ve spent/ wasted my weekend playing with just about every free app they offered, noting the gem’s while loathing the crap. This is a Mecca for opportunity.  There are more ways for marketers to connect with consumers while not being so obvious and annoying about it.  I’ve found at least three location aware communities now ready for the 2 million plus iPhone users. As a digital junkie, I’ve been most fond of the ability to share photos and blog with ease without having to hack my phone.

Most of the smart, and well funded, social networks have built community apps, quickly being voted either worthy or worthless in the ever so democratic union of iPhone/ iTouch users. Ironically, some brands have flopped with little to no effort to re-think how they can connect with users over this interface. The Bank of America application being scorned as little more than the BoA iPhone site wrapped in a pretty skin. Other companies, such as Ebay, brought the convenience of bidding and watching your bids with the Ebay app, but failed to really revolutionize the Ebay world by not creating a quick system for snapping photo’s and posting items for sale, a truly brilliant direction.

Love it or hate it, the portable PC is now part of our lives. We may not think of the iPhone as a PC, but it sure is, OS and all. Marketers and advertisers are sure to follow, creating apps that are as pointless as they are effective. Negativity aside, the marketing and advertising world has a true chance to change the interaction we have with our users. Instead of simply shoving apps at the audience, we can ask questions, change and evolve our offerings to reflect what consumers want. This democratic coding will morph media, computing and consumer brand interactions in a soup of magical cost effective connections. Brands always looking for a way to integrate themselves into consumers’ lives (as demonstrated by Nike and their running community) can now create direct connections to consumers in as personalized a manner as they please.

As much as some of us want to pull the plug on the ever present web, it is becoming less and less common to find people who are not continually plugged in, a trend that will increase in proportion to G3 penetration. As forward thinking marketers, we must consider how we can allow our audience to plug into our products and brands in a manner and method convenient for them. Consider how our products or brand integrates or interacts with our audience. How can we help them streamline their day, or make the most of their interactions with us? With this as our compass, we will build and create quality applications that users care about and for. Without it, we will be another wasted B of A application, garnering the democratic scorn of an every picky consumer.<-->