ForRent.com embraces virtual communication through new Layar mobile application
Apartment seekers can search thousands of ForRent.com apartment listings through the world’s first augmented reality browser ForRent.com, anchor Web site of For Rent Media Solutions™,  has launched an augmented reality Layar mobile application. The application lets apartment seekers view their current location through the camera of their iPhone® 3G S or Google Android mobile phone with a “layer” that shows them all the available apartments on ForRent.com within a 10-mile radius.
As a free mobile application, available from the iTunes Store or from Android Markets, Layar shows users their surroundings by displaying real-time digital information on top of reality through the camera of their cell phone. Once the apartment seeker selects the property of their choice, phone and email contact information appears at the bottom of the screen. Through the Layar application, they can also access the ForRent.com mobile site for even more property information.

“Mobile media is a leading method of communication among consumers,” says Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “According to comScore Media Metrix, 80.1 million mobile users browse or use mobile applications. While an additional 31 percent use text messaging. The Layar application has been well received worldwide. We are proud to be connected to the next step in mobile technology and look forward to the future of mobile media.”

To find ForRent.com listings through Layar, apartment seekers must download the Layar application. Next, they search for the term “apartments” or “ForRent.com” to find the ForRent.com mobile application icon. From there, they simply point their phone in any direction and all available apartments on ForRent.com within a 10-mile radius will appear on the screen as colored pins.

The new mobile application is the latest addition to For Rent Media Solutions’ comprehensive mobile marketing suite of products that cater to the apartment seeker on the go, including the ForRent.com text messaging product, mobile Web site, and two additional mobile applications available through the iPhone™ and T-Mobile G1™ (GPhone).

To learn more about Layar and the ForRent.com application, please contact Mike D’Alba, director of mobile marketing at dalba@forrent.com.

This is NO DOUBT the next phase of REAL TIME conversational engagement, true Web3.0 stuff. If you have anything to do with Real Estate, you can't miss www.DemandSpot.com.

California-based fitness equipment company Expresso Fitness (www.expresso.com) will release its first interactive exercise bike, the S2r Exercise Bike, in April. The S2r is the first bike of its type to offer web-based exer-gaming features like the company’s signature road tours and off-road games on a 19-inch screen. The handles of the bike come equipped with integrated steering and shifting mechanisms and all Expresso bikes offer riders the option of riding cooperatively with friends or competing in real time against virtual competitors or friends in the same fitness facility.

We already know that photos, videos, V-flyers and Postlets can do wonders when it comes to advertising our communities; but I have a new favorite tool for resident retention and referrals that you are going to love! It’s www.RealEstateShows.com and it offers so MANY uses for our industry! I could go on and on about how great this is, but take the time to try it yourself with a free 14-day trial. You’ll be stunned by what you can do with 5, 9, or 15 photos, music, movement, and text; and you can even pull a traffic report to gauge the effectiveness of your marketing! My example (a change of address card for a new move in) took only 3 minutes to create; and this is retention- and referral-boosting, organic marketing at its best and a fine example of Referrals 2.0, going Beyond Resident Referrals. Go try it!!! BTW, I wasn’t being very creative so let your imagination fly. You have to look at everything this program does and not just at the video I created, because the system offers so much more including replacing the need for Vflyers, Postlets and several other apps.

You might not think of doing nothing special as a trend, but it is, and it’s called Nadaism. It’s a result of the clamor to grab and hold the attention of consumers whose attention is already at a deficit because of the jungle of marketing stimuli that surrounds us. Multitudes of companies respond by trying to do something—anything—just to rise above the crowd, which results in many of them doing nothing particularly remarkable. That sinking back into the sea of “unremarkableness” is Nadaism, and it’s to be avoided at all cost.

One of the positives of Nadaism is that when a company manages to avoid it—does something that is remarkable—it shines in bright contrast to all that is not. Here’s a perfect example of one company who is doing a very good job of avoiding Nadaism … a jewelry store spotted by Kayla Morris.

The message on the entrance side of the restroom door begins: “Wow. Here you are. Ring shopping. Pretty heavy stuff, isn’t it? You may have dreamed of this moment since you knew carats were more than bunny food…”

And yet another message on the bathroom mirror reads: “You look absolutely beautiful. Don’t worry this is not a two-way mirror. We just know.”

Another on the exit side of the door reds: “Clean hands? Check. Fresh breath? Check. Skirt not tucked in panties? Check. Okay, you’re all set.”

The hundreds of real-world examples out there—the ones that are truly focused on real consumer needs and wants—have been thought through, and reflect their Creator's enthusiasm. They stand out. They're interesting. And so they should be, because there is so much clutter, such abundance, such an onslaught of smart professionals and brands from around the world having joined the game, that consumers are indifferent to any new product, service or experience that is average. Mediocre. Run of the mill. Me-too. A duplicate.

So avoid the danger that overrides all other threats this year: Nadaism. The art of doing something that's just … nothing. Nothing special, nothing loved, nothing remarkable, nothing exciting. Nada.

We know you know this. But to prevent you from letting your standards slip or your attention waver, we wholeheartedly recommend marketing guru Seth Godin's blog.

Action: Visit http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ and sign up for his free e-letter.

Visit it daily and find anti-Nadaism gems like this one: “The sad lie of mediocrity: Doing 4% less does not get you 4% less. Doing 4% less may very well get you 95% less. That's because almost good enough gets you nowhere. No sales, no votes, no customers. The sad lie of mediocrity is the mistaken belief that partial effort yields partial results. In fact, the results are usually totally out of proportion to the incremental effort. Big organizations have the most trouble with this, because they don't notice the correlation. It's hidden by their momentum and layers of bureaucracy. So a mediocre phone rep or a mediocre chef may not appear to be doing as much damage as they actually are. The flip side of this is that when you are at the top, the best in the world, the industry leader, a tiny increase in effort and quality can translate into huge gains. For a while, anyway."

The antidote to Nadaism? Stand for something, and do it well. If you don't, others inevitably will, and they will be the ones your customers run to.