The folks at Pinger have created a tool they call Pingercast. In their words, Pingercast "enables independent bands, bloggers, comedians and entertainers to connect directly with their audience by sending audio broadcasts directly to their fans’ mobile phones." It's a way to engage fans with brands.
The way it works is pretty simple. Broadcasters place a widget to collect names and phone numbers onto a web site or some other property (will it work with a Facebook fan page, I wonder?). Fans register, and then are able to receive messages. Because they're messages, rather than calls, there's a certain kind of inherent virality to a Pingercast.
The beta is free, but only available in the US. Too bad, that! It looks like it might be a cool way to promote the SquawkBox.
Sign up at www.pinger.com/pingercast for the beta.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
