Google Wallet, ISIS’s biggest rival and frontrunner in the mobile payment race, already has check-out scanners in more than 100,000 retail locations, including the Gap, Office Max, and Walgreens, and many retailers will even offer both ISIS and Google Wallet as mobile payment options. However, there is little word regarding the lack of smartphone support for either system – Google Wallet, for example, is currently available on only four Sprint smartphones.

ISIS’s concrete stake in the race has launched the discussion of the future of mobile payment straight from conjecture into plan-of-attack. Our most recent Potty Posting offers a whole slew of information about the implications of mobile payment for brands and marketers, the technology used, category competitors, and the possibilities of what’s ahead. We’ll continue to track developments in these trends as the push for mobile payment progresses.

But as for now, it’s clear that brands, retailers, and even marketers who aren’t fast enough to keep up with the demand for mobile payment will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage when it comes to leveraging the opportunities it offers. Stay smart about mobile payment by keeping up with the Awesome Blog – we’ve got you covered.

Debit and credit cards are so last year. Checks have all but crossed the line into social taboo. And cash is basically, like, archaic.

Ugh, it’s like retailers don’t even want our money.

But wait! A few days ago, a Pew study found that 65% of surveyed tech critics and stakeholders believe mobile payments will replace cash and credit by 2020.

Even though mobile payment is still in its infancy, it seems like everyone is hopeful about its future, especially when it comes to improving the process with updated technologies.

Unfortunately, good citizens, we have cynics among us – those who worry about things like security, standardization, and the cost of new gadgets.

But fear not. We wouldn’t want you stranded in the Dark Ages of outdated currency. With this handy guide, follow us into the realm of information so you, too, can help welcome this brave new, digital-financial world.

What Is This Sorcery?

Put down the torches and pitchforks, townspeople. Brands that you already know and love have signed on to create promising mobile wallet apps, using these new technologies:

NFC, or Near-Field Communications, allows you to pay simply by waving your mobile phone at an NFC receptor at the register.  RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is like NFC but can be used at a longer range. And 2D barcodes can even be scanned at the register from a customer’s phone to charge a pre-paid account.

Rather than producing your credit card at every purchase, mobile wallet apps store your financial data and use these technologies to pull it for you automatically, at the point of purchase.

The Google Wallet app, which uses NFC, currently only works with Citi Mastercard and the Google prepaid card, but it does sync with your Google Offers and hopes to soon hold all card types.

Acceptance is liberation. (credit: fullissue.com)

Like Google Wallet, ISIS, a joint venture of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, will also use NFC and will hold credit cards, loyalty cards, and promotions.

PayPal also plans to release its PayPal Wallet app soon. Unlike Google Wallet, it won’t use NFC but will let you change your payment method up to 7 days after you pay.

These apps will soon be able to hold multiple card/account numbers and allow you to choose which account you’d like to charge when you wave your phone at the receptor. They will also have the ability to store coupons, receipts, and past purchase information to facilitate discounts and returns easily.

However, as mentioned earlier, there are dissenters. They wonder if it could be easy for someone to access your bank accounts just by waving their phone near yours (no.) They don’t want to have to buy NFC-enabled phones (they’ll change their minds). And they complain about the lack of standardization in mobile payment technologies (ok, that might be a good point).

How Can Marketers Conjur This Black Magic?

What the dissenters don’t see is that evolving mobile payment platforms are prime real estate for marketers!

Imagine the ease of distributing targeted promotions! Using NFC, mobile wallet apps can already track a consumer’s location and purchase history, allowing brands to send her coupons for the store she’s browsing in or updates on items she frequently purchases.

Think of the social media integration! What if a check-in immediately rewarded her with a coupon loaded to her mobile wallet, and her purchase was discounted automatically at the register? And if she allows Facebook to post which coupons she was receiving, not only would it encourage more check-ins, but it would encourage her friends to adopt the app, too.

Plus, there’s potential to move into other forms of media – MasterCard’s QkR app can pull purchasing information from just about anywhere, including QR codes, TV signals, and the Xbox Kinect. Praise technology of the future!

Say NO to the tyranny of physical currency! Demand your NFC-enabled smartphone today!

(credit: venturebeat.com)

The opportunities of mobile payment are looking promising. While the technologies and full capabilities of the apps are still to be cemented, brands are sure to see significant benefits when the rough edges are smoothed out regarding standardizations and security misperceptions. But, once mobile payment technology is ready for the mainstream, brands can use it to inspire action and usher in the glorious age of mobile finance!

Recently hitting 10 million unique monthly views faster than any standalone site in US history, Pinterest is becoming too big to ignore, especially for brands and marketers. Curious about what this site is and how to utilize it? Check out our new Potty Posting, which takes a look at how brands can use this site to “pinspire” consumer action.

The Ego to Her Id

Do you often find yourself planning a hypothetical wedding, decorating a hypothetical house, or building a hypothetical shoe closet out of items you probably can’t afford?

If so, you might have a Pinterest problem.

At least you’re not alone. Apologies in advance to anyone who’s already familiar with it, but Pinterest is a social media site for users to gather, organize and share things they find on the Internet in a visually-stimulating, digital scrapbook. With over 11 million unique monthly visitors in January and referral traffic equaling that of Google and Twitter, it’s gaining a lot of attention.

“NOOOOOOO!” you exclaim in a fit of rage. “I can’t keep track of all these stupid social networks anymore! What makes this one different?!” Geez, calm down.  Have some pins to help you relax.

A user’s Pinterest boards, or categories in which she “pins” items, are filled with inspirational quotes, entertainment ideas, parenting tips, recipes, decorating palettes, and everything else she can relate to. Even if the user doesn’t have the time, money, or energy to achieve or own all of the cool things she pins, she can still customize her scrapbook so that it becomes a visual representation of her ideal self, or what she would do if she could. Essentially, Pinterest is the organizing, rational helper to her passionate, impulsive instincts – the ego to her id.

In this way, Pinterest is the perfect platform for brands to connect with users. Whether they realize it or not, brands and marketers have been tapping in to the id and ego for decades, convincing consumers to satisfy their impulses by rationalizing those choices for them. That’s why brands have really started taking notice of this new platform. Some active brands on Pinterest, like Chobani yogurt and Gap clothing, post photos of recipe ideas and clothing combos (respectively) to allow users to save the brand as a “maybe someday” wish, without the immediate commitment to buy.

And when these brands trigger her lustful impulse to pin their attractive or delicious products, she shares it with the entire Pinterest community (there are no privacy settings on boards yet), and it guarantees that she’ll recognize it and be more likely to purchase it when she sees it in real life. Plus, on Pinterest, brand content doesn’t come in the form of a sponsored story or a traditional ad – it’s mostly re-pins from other users, which is, essentially, a recommendation of that brand by other community members. This recommendation is invaluable, because every marketer knows that people trust friends and virtual strangers more than advertising.

There’s only one problem: brands have to make it seem like they’re not selling anything. This is easy when it’s other users re-pinning a brand’s content, but with the ability for brands to create their own profiles and boards, the directness of the brand’s self-promotion could make users wary. A user’s boards are really personal – they’re an open exhibition of her philosophies, goals, dreams, and lifestyle. This puts brands at a disadvantage: a Pinterest user is not going to respond very well to impersonal ads and marketing messages taking advantage of the personal information she shares on her boards and cluttering up her ideal-self-collage.

This makes it necessary for brands to use Pinterest’s platform, and the nature of a user’s impulsive id, to do the marketing for them. On Pinterest, images take center stage, so brands should focus on eye-catching photos of their products to encourage re-pinning. Descriptions should be kept short and sweet, with just enough information to warrant a click. An important but often overlooked rule of thumb is to make sure pins are added to the right boards; if a brand offers a great product for a user browsing a “Midnight Snack” board, it’ll be a perfect match.

In addition, since Pinterest doesn’t have an established revenue plan, brands can leverage this user-driven community for creative advertising. For example, Corona could host a “Pin Your Beach” contest based on its “Find Your Beach” campaign, in which users pin images of their perfect getaway and win prizes. Her re-pinning the image, and the next user re-pinning it from her, will ensure a degree of separation that still brings a brand’s image to a user’s board, but without the directness of something that could be considered an advertisement.

The opportunities Pinterest offers brands is enormous, and by getting savvy to the platform and inspiring action in re-pinning, a brand can target a user’s impulsive instincts and ensure its place on her ideal-self-collage.

In our take on Mindfulness as an important shift in consumers’ attitudes this year, we were careful to note that we’re not predicting scads of new Buddhists across the country despite mindfulness’ origins in Buddhist teachings. So although the article does acknowledge this association in the reporter’s description of a mindful meal in an actual Buddhist monastery, he also includes evidence of a wider embrace of mindful eating on the part of experts who study Americans’ often tortured relationship with food. The article includes quotes from Prof. Brian Wansink, from the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University and the author of “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” as well as from Dr. Lilian Cheung, a Harvard nutritionist who has devoted herself to studying the benefits of more mindful eating, and is “passionately encouraging corporations and health care providers to try it.” Dr. Cheung has already sparked a monthly mindful lunch at that arbiter of all things cool in the corporate world, Google’s corporate HQ.

As noted in the NYT piece, eating with mindfulness is not so much about what we eat, but how we eat. The frantic, hyper-speed pace of modern life is influencing every facet of our lives, from how we think, shop, work, and eat. We’re eating on the go, at our desk, and we’re often racing through our meals without noting not only how much we just scarfed down, but how much we actually enjoyed the experience of that particular food, snack or meal. As noted in our trends report, brands who can remind their consumers to slow down a bit, enjoy the moment, and truly savor the experience with their product stand to benefit from this growing awareness that mindfulness will forge a more emotional and fulfilling connection with that consumer. Food for thought indeed!

Welcome to Upshot’s 2012 Trends Report! We’re so glad you could make it.

After you’ve clicked the link above and given your brain a totally unfair advantage, please be excessively generous about passing around this trend report. Click right here and we’ll automatically tweet on your behalf, or just pass the following link around to friends, family, followers, foes, and former flings: j.mp/upshot2012.

Here’s a quick peek at our 10 course menu for 2012:

• Guruism (SourceRank 83): Will your brand be the go-to guide on a given topic?
• Collective Curation (SourceRank 91): Credible brands can become hubs for Collective Curation, bringing a focused theme to life through the voices of others.
• Anarchy in the Aisle (SourceRank 82): The Path to Purchase is dead. Long live the Path to Purchase.
• Mindfulness over Matter (SourceRank 65): Situated between a tumultuous past and an uncertain future, consumers are increasingly finding solace in the present moment.
• Seamless Tech (SourceRank 60): Technology-enhanced marketing will increasingly provide seamless, simple experiences.
• Gender Bender (SourceRank 68): Between better-educated women, drastic household changes, and shifting collar colors in the workplace, traditional gender roles are fast becoming relics.
• Cause with Effect (SourceRank 82): With the lingering threat of a “cause bubble,” cause marketing must increasingly focus on making relevant, visible, and inspiring impacts.
• World of Wellness (SourceRank 80): Brands must reevaluate their roles in the diverse wellness ecosystem, ensuring that they’re contributing to a better quality of life for consumers.
• Recession Rejection (SourceRank 86): Shoppers are on a quest for control. And when they set their sights on smaller, more personal spheres, they’re optimistic about their prospects.
• Hack My Brand (SourceRank 53): Marketers are embracing benevolent hacking for innovative, entertaining, and practical solutions.

Keep checking back in with The Awesome Blog to see how these trends grow and evolve throughout 2012. For now, enjoy!

Stay tuned. Full 2012 trends report arrives soon.

Sara
What I’m reading: “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins
Why I’m reading it: I was inspired by an article I just read in the New Yorker about Wilkie Collins and the creation of the detective novel genre.
On deck: I don’t know yet what’s on deck. The beauty of owning a Kindle is being able to decide what I’m reading next while I’m on my commute in to work.

Paul
What I’m reading:“I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59” by Douglas Edwards
Why I’m reading it: It’s the inside scoop on Google’s first director of marketing and brand management complete with the evolution of the company’s famously nonhierarchical structure and the many ideas that never came to pass. I’m anxious to see if it ends with him cashing out as a kabillionaire.
On deck: “21: The Story of Roberto Clemente” by Wilfred Santiago

Stacie
What I’m reading: “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” by Stieg Larsson
Why I’m reading it: I started reading the series because pretty much everyone I’ve talked to has raved about it so I was interested in seeing what all the hype was about. TGWKTHN is the last in the series and now I just want to know what happens!
On deck: “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger

Leah
What I’m reading: “Lit: A Memoir” by Mary Karr
Why I’m reading it: I’m a sucker for a sad/true story. In this one, Mary Karr recounts the desperation of trying to be a mother and wife while battling alcoholism and mental illness.
On deck: “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand and “The Hunger Games” (Series) by Suzanne Collins

Adam
What I’m reading: “The Lost City of Z” by David Grann
Why I’m reading it: It’s about the legendary explorer Percy Fawcett who went missing in 1925 while trying to find a “lost city of gold.” With our lives surrounded by technology, it’s fascinating to read a true story about an adventurer that explored mosquito-filled jungles without a GPS (or a decent pair of boots).
On deck: “Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers” by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo

Mary
What I’m reading: “Embers” by Sándor Márai
Why I’m reading it: NPR profiled another one of Márai’s books earlier this year, which I read and loved. “Embers” is supposed to be even better.
On deck: “IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea” by Sara Harrison (From the Source collection!)

Jaclyn
What I’m reading: “The Interwebz” by Al Gore, a robot or two, you & me
Why I’m reading it: To be smarter, learn what’s up and laugh.
On deck: I don’t think I’ll ever stop reading it. Sooo tmrw’s pixels, probably.

Neil
What I’m reading: “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer” by James L. Swanson
Why I’m reading it: The story of Lincoln’s assassination turns out to be surprisingly interesting. The modern equivalent would be like if George Clooney killed the president and escaped into the woods for two weeks. Bizarre.
On deck: “In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin” by Erik Larson

Liz
What I’m reading: “Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body” by Jennifer Ackerman
Why I’m reading it: I’ve become a science junkie over the past few years. My intellectual crushes now include Atul Gawande and Jonah Lehrer. Swoon!
On deck: “Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It,” a collection of short stories by Maile Meloy

Kelly
What I’m reading: “The Hunger Games Trilogy” by Suzanne Collins
Why I’m reading it: Kind of got sucked into it. My tween cousins raved about it so I figured I was too old. Then I slowly heard chatter at work, so I caved, got ridiculously sucked in, and read all 3 books in a week. They’re perfect, mostly-mindless, quick reads that were so good I tuned out all the background noise on the train—not an easy feat!
On deck: A fellow Upshotter suggestion: “Girl in Translation” by Jean Kwok.

Taylor
What I’m reading: “In the Garden of Beasts” by Erik Larson
Why I’m reading it: I loved “Devil in the White City” and wanted to check out what else Larson had written. Plus, non-fiction in the guise of a novel is truly wonderful.
On deck: a collection of short stories

Julie
What I’m reading: “How We Decide” by Jonah Lehrer
Why I’m reading it: Always been curious how I (and we) make decisions and the mechanics of the process. Some decisions are quick, some are right, some are wrong and some just take too long! Why is that?
On deck: I can’t decide, ha. (Get it?) No really, it’s a toss-up between “The Bedwetter” by Sara Silverman and “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.

Go ahead and share what you’re reading in the comments.

It’s about time they said these things to a bigger audience.

Starting Monday, we’ll be adding a whole bunch of new voices to The Awesome Blog. You’ve heard from some of them before. Others are highly-touted blogging rookies with “tremendous upside potential.” Either way, it’s going to be… well, it’s going to be friggin’ awesome.

Please welcome them with open arms!

Nice work, Upshot! (And thanks for giving us something to post while work keeps us from our SXSWrapup. We’ll be back with Part 3 next week. We promise.)

Meet our SXSW Interactive visualizer (at sxsw.upshot.net), which’ll help you navigate the onslaught of tweets that are cascading out of Austin. Click on any of the five featured hashtags to monitor the conversations about those panels, or just watch the steady stream of tweets in the background.

Plus, as shown in the image below, you can scroll to the bottom of the visualizer to see what Upshot’s own four correspondents have to say about the proceedings. Either way, we hope that this’ll help you feel like you’re here too. Except for the 80° weather part – not much we can do about that.

Of course, stay tuned to the blog all week for the big-picture takeaways and in-depth analysis of the panels. Don’t miss a thing – follow us on Twitter and/or subscribe via email through the link at the top right of this page.