Social Media - Multimedia.
The Myth of Social Media lay in the simple question, is it millions of eye balls you want, or is it targeted marketing?  We have all been overwhelmed by Social Media, but now, its just a flood.  Its become a shotgun approach, not a rifle, and so far, no tangible proof that having your customers "Like" something, generates sales.  For the small to mid size retailer, there is no budget for creating and keeping up with the content.  Social Media has reached the same point we experience years ago with email.  Now, its basically SPAM, and the real opportunity is in improving Service Quality. Facebook having nearly 1 Billion memebers, and most people having 1,000 friends they don't even know, how does that translate to you being the one shinning light that stands out.  The cost of time and money is not worth the rare and overrated benefit.

Coupons and Loyalty
Over 300 Billion Coupons were issued last year in the US, Only 0.6% were redemed.  Coupons are meant to drive your customers into the store, not cut your profits when they are already there.  With the advent of Daily Deals such as Groupon, we've heard the horror stories, and with 173 unique National Daily Deal Coupon services including Living Social, Google, Facebook, and more, as well as 1,000's of local services, how likely is that coupon going to reach the right customer, and if they come in, how likely will they buy more or even return?   Coupons are a myth, and with no National Standard, there is no clear method of redemption in your store, or anyone elses.  Loyalty cards at first glance always seem to be a positive.  Yet when on the phone, its difficult to keep it on the top of the digital wallet.  With 100's of 1000's of apps, how can you expect your customer to see that loyalty card.  Further to the point, Loyalty Card Points are considered a cash value, and are a liability o your books.  Its Quality of Service you need to improve, not mehtods that hurt your bottom line.

Keeping Up with Technology & Cost
HWhether your large or small, keeping cost down and profits up is your primary goal.  When we look at technology, just keeping up with it is a fruitless goal.  When you have to build an app that works on everything from Apple to Android, as well as spend the time and money to market and promote it, is it worth it?  Not to mention that most Mobile offerings are designed and built in a vaccum.  In the real world, we have low bars, dead zones, and phones with so much bloatware that its tough to make  your app move, much less stand out.  Companies have to consider spending money only when they get  return.  Upfront costs are killing retailers, and service costs demand a high price, with limited return.  Narian's Pay Per Use Model, charges a dramatically low price, but only when you get a successful return.