We live in an age where everyone has a smartphone or at the very least a digital audio player like an iPod. Thus if you wanted to listen to audiobooks, all you’d have to do is download it to your device. So, given that fact, why would anyone in their right mind want to come out with a single use audio player that only has one book on it?
Here’s why:
- Schools and libraries. They are perfect for this sort of device as they can lend it out like a book and they don’t have to worry about device compatibility.
- Those who don’t need or want a smartphone or digital audio player, but still want to listen to audiobooks on a device that’s easy to use. Seniors or the visually impaired for example.
Enter the Playaway Light All-In-One Audiobook. It’s a simple device that allows you to listen to a single book without having to go through gymnastics to do it. Here’s what comes in the box:
Everything comes in the box. Batteries, headset, and of course the Playway Light. It’s small and to give you an idea of how small it is, here’s a picture of it next to my wife’s iPhone 5:
Clearly this is something that is going to fit easily into your pocket. Now the Playaway Light only comes with a single audiobook on it and you can’t add anything else to it. That’s what makes it ideal for libraries and schools as you could have a selection (and there is quite a selection available). The one that was sent to me was Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman! which was written by Richard Feynman who is one of the world’s greatest theoretical physicists. Since my wife is the one in this relationship with the science background, she got the task of testing this out after I had a chance to look at it. Here’s what we collectively observed.
- You can skip between chapters and adjust the volume easily (though using the lock function on the device doesn’t stop the volume buttons from working). Another thing that we noted about the volume controls is that if you have it in your pocket it can be hit or miss as it may suddenly increase or decrease if it presses against something. If you have it in a purse it can be awkward to change the volume as you have to fish it out to do so. This is where a headset with a volume adjuster on the wire is handy.
- It has the ability to increase or decrease the playing speed. You get 5 speeds from -2 (slowest) to normal to +2 (fastest).
- When you turn the Playaway Light on, it automatically restarts where you left off.
- My wife found the headsets to be finicky. But when I briefly examined it, I did not notice that. I did use my own headsets rather than the supplied headsets, so perhaps that’s why I did not notice that.
- I found the sound quality (again with my own set of headsets) to be quite good. My wife found that with the supplied headsets it was difficult to hear in noisy environments.
- When you start the Playaway Light, the display (which by the way is very bright and easy to read) say “now you see me” and when you shut it down it says “see you later.” My wife found it to be cheesy. I really didn’t pay attention to it. But then I’m male so that likely accounts for that.
In terms of price, depending on the book you can expect to pay $34.99 and up for them. This may seem like a lot for a single function digital audio player. But if you think about it, this is actually around what CD-based audiobooks cost, so you aren’t paying too much of a premium over the content alone.
Our verdict (seeing as both my wife and I contributed to this review)? Libraries and schools should take a look at the Playaway Light as this devices are perfect for them. It also will make a great gift for mom or dad as it’s very simple to use. Just pick the a book that they’d like and go from there.
In Depth: @Gileschev And Their Use Of Social Media
Posted in Commentary with tags Social Media on May 9, 2014 by itnerdA couple of weeks ago, I got Giles Chevrolet of Stouffville, Ontario as a new follower on my Twitter feed. I decided to follow their Twitter feed back and I expected to see a car dealer trying to sell cars via their Twitter feed or a lack of a coherent focus on posting to Twitter. After all, in most cases the person who is responsible for marketing a company on Twitter or Facebook is simply the person who has the passwords for those accounts.
Instead, I found these sorts of examples:
Posts like the above outnumber any attempt to sell cars or promote their service department. It wasn’t what I was expecting, and as a result it intrigued me. I reached out to them and got in touch with Jamie Tieche of Socialyze Inbound Marketing Solutions who works with Giles Chevrolet to find out why they decided to take this approach.
Q: What made Giles Chevrolet decide to use social media as part of their marketing?
A: Giles Chevrolet decided to utilize our social media services to help increase brand awareness, as well as build a community of advocates that will ultimately increase word of mouth referrals.
Q: It seems to me that you’re using social media to have conversations with people rather than trying to overtly sell cars. Why use this approach?
A: We believe that each social media channel plays a very particular role, but none of them are meant to be advertising channels. Users visit social media to connect, learn and communicate, not to be bombarded by sales messaging.
Our strategy with Twitter is to provide an abundance of relevant, useful information in the form of links, quotes, and informative messaging, which helps cement us (Giles) as a thought leader and a reliable source of information.
Q: Besides the obvious goal of selling a few more cars, what’s the goal Giles Chevrolet using social media?
A: Ultimately, Giles Chev hopes to create a new channel of communication that didn’t exist prior to social media. Due to the “always on” nature of social media, it’s an ideal platform for collecting information from customers and also providing information to them in a casual setting.
Q: Giles Chevrolet made the decision to have you run their social media campaign rather than do it in house. Why is that?
A: To do social media correctly takes an extreme focus and a keen understanding of the various channels, including what works on each one. Their goal as a business is to be profitable, and so they felt it was more economical to outsource to a company with the knowledge and expertise to get them to a profitable position the fastest.
Q: Do you think companies big and small need to have a social media strategy?
A: Absolutely! Without a clear understanding of where you’re at and where you want to get to (using social media), your essentially just “pissing in the wind”! Social media is a tool just like any other form of marketing, and therefore it must be treated as one in order to be effective.
Q: What can we expect next from Giles Chevrolet’s social media presence?
A: The immediate plan is to continue providing useful, relevant content on a daily basis. The long term plan is to grow the audience, and incorporate more original content ie. videos and blog posts, into their digital marketing plan.
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