Do You Poken?
This post is not so much about Loyalty but about a really cool tech gadget that is making big waves in Europe and just starting to catch attention in the U.S. The device is called a Poken and at its most basic form, it is an electronic business card. You meet someone who has one, you put the two devices next to each other and they wirelessly transmit information about the owners. Then when you get to a computer, you can upload the people you met automatically and now have access to their social networking sites (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). Personally I think this is one of the coolest new devices I’ve seen and I can imagine a lot of very practical uses.
Imagine walking around a conference where networking is one of the most valuable things you can do. Instead of handing out tons of business cards or collecting tons of cards, you simply touch your Poken to their Poken and you’re done. When you get back to your computer, you upload and all your new contacts are organized for you. You have details of the date and time you met but you can also see a picture of your new friend and link directly to their LinkedIn profile to get connected. This could be a huge timesaver.
But I also see this at work in social settings such as at a bar. No more writing phone numbers or email addresses on scrap paper. Adding someone to your cell phone seems like going overboard for someone you just met. Poken is perfect! Just tap and go and decide later if you want to connect.
Poken was featured recently on NPR and has been getting some good coverage in Europe. If you want to buy a Poken, go to PokenPlace.com. I’ve set up my own little Poken store just to sell the devices since I’m such a big fan. Enter the promo code “Loyalty” at checkout and I’ll give you 5% off. Remember, you read it here first – Poken will be HUGE!