The Email Wars

A recent experiment that was FORCED on me the past weeks while at SXSW and OMMA West was not having the ability to send email - from either the wifi at SXSW (I started this article there) or at my hotel via wifi or ethernet. Then at OMMA in Hollywood same issue again, plus while trying to tweak my configuration with other ports (yes total geek speak here), I killed my ability to receive email. I was blind! Unable to use my trusted inbox while on the road, what was I to do? Could I survive? Would someone send a search party to pull me out of this situation and see if I still had a pulse?

So what happened when email was turned one way to the inbox? Well it changed the dynamic. I became a listener and not a participant. How was that you ask, as I am never one to be quiet. It was different. Not complete hell, but close. It drove me to thumb bending feats of danger across the city of Austin, the airports of Denver and LA, and the city of Hollywood. I was a corporate road warrior and I had no inbox pillow to rest my head.

I survived. I reverted back to IM, Blackberry, Twitter and shouting across rooms. Hell I even picked up the phone and had conversations using my voice with people I would typically email. I first thought that it was the massive amounts of free booze that they were supplying to all SXSW attendees. Later I figured out that the REAL reason for the free booze was the BAD wifi and fear of a GEEK revolt. ( I mean you heard about what happend with soda and Sarah Lacey, could you imagine redbull and vodka?) Keep the natives intoxicated and they will fear sending email. It was a localized comunication shift based at this event. But then it got comfortable.Not just for me but for everyone. The iPhones and Blackberries were blazing, on the streets everywhere, text thumbs flying at every corner, bar, restaurant and concert. We were a mobile society.

Did I need an inbox? Or was the inbox defining me? And really what is an inbox? This is the bigger question in my mind, Where does communication need to take place? One device, one location, one way? No, it happens everywhere. You are reading communication right now, Thoughts from me (sorry to pain you with the hamster wheel always running in my head) that I place out there in the open in a blog post. Or on Twitter the entire SXSW. Note to self: You don’t want to follow me on Twitter unless you are truly looking for odd and flash updates acrosss the US.

I was still slightly blind when I returned to Portland, with some IP lockdown wifi hell continuing, but I can still see through other devices and systems. What I did realize with blackberry only access is how many brands, agencies and publications DO NOT actually format the text version of their emails in a nice way at all. Many of them just trust that the ESP or in house email system they use will make the right version. DO NOT TRUST the automation of a TEXT ONLY version. Take the time to edit it. Make sure to narrow it down, place more focus on the content and the usability rather than all the tracking links. And here is a novel concept, send it to your other another’s mobile device and look at it.

I know I am an anomaly of the corp road warrior, but this was not a choice for me. It has opened my eyes to where mobile is going, How WE should all be thinking different about it, and these lessons learned are going to make me strong and my clients campaigns even more impactful.

Imagine a world where communication no matter the system all aggregates into one device or location. It will be here in 2-3 years and we will be ready.