Now THIS is mobile marketing with content you can USE!
Kids, adults, ANYone who’s been cross-legged while out and about at a street fair has no doubt wondered why Google Maps street views or Twitter Maps or any of the brilliant GPS mobile mashups haven’t tapped into how to use the media’s pragmatic side quicker…Piddle spots!
Not just ‘plant your marker and identify the public port-a-pottie’ type of access, but REAL relief, based on user updates rating hygiene and cleanliness. (hey, I’m picky)
MizPee enables you to set your cellphone preferences to bypass icky restrooms or pay stalls…find diaper-changing, handicap access, or even check hours if the list shows the closest public access in a nearby store…all FREE! How? They’ve tied into a useful ad rev/mapping model that taps convenience, value, and the burgeoning mobile market by taking a “while you’re in the hood, click here to check the deals” approach. (Users show retailers the cell’s promo screen to access the VIP discount, so it’s noninvasive)
It’s an ingenious use of data pooling which should catch on in a flash in multiple cities, if one of the behemoths doesn’t snap ‘em up and integrate the platform before they get out of beta. Easy to launch, you basically open your cell browser, navigate to MizPee.com, type in a street address or intersection, and whammo! A list of nearby loos!
You can also text 415-350-2290 to receive an SMS link…
They’ve tossed in some fun elements too, like a spot to post profoundities and quotables shared from stalls hither and yon. (I’m sure that’s moderated, or ‘potty mouth’ could devolve into a whole new level of crass)
The cute logo, TP icons (instead of rating stars) and simple graphic interface is a plus, but as a name generation exec, I might’ve gone a bit more generic. (certainly is memorable, targeting a certain hipster urban demographic, but suburban soccer moms packin’ cells need nearby toilets too)
User-wise, I suppose you could also Twitter your pals with an S.O.S. “tweet” using Twitterific, but this seems like a slam dunk use of mobile-social media sharing relevant content in a snap if they don’t junk it up with noisy pop-ups or banner ads to ruin the clean, ‘opt-in’ usability of ‘as needed info only, please.’
Who are the smart brains behind this cool new start-up? A couple of mobile veterans with some serious chops in the conception and deployment of successful applications for Nokia, Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, US Cellular, all biggies.
MizPee Founder Peter Olfe, (fluent in Japanese after 9 years of market research at Nokia in Japan!) notes that MizPee just placed second at Sun’s StartUp Camp. Impressive. VERY promising…Thanks, guys.
Can we add you to our Shaping Youth technology team of advisors?
After all, so far this is a great example of “using the power of media for positive change” …An open-source service linked to ad rev that’s handy, not invasive, accessed only when asked for. Encore!
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