Advanced PSYOP Targeting: iPads

Although I have been a part of the high tech world since the punched card era, I rarely become enamored with technology. Sure I liked the idea of schlepping a sewing machine sized computer on a cart and calling it a “luggable” and I was on board for early laptops including testing out encryption on the TRS80.

The Nexgov posting “iPhones and iPads Poised to Win Key Pentagon Security Nod Next Week” (see: http://www.nextgov.com/mobile/2013/05/iphones-and-ipads-poised-win-key-pentagon-security-nod-next-week/63065/?oref=ng-dropdown – which is also the photo source) did strike a responsive chord for me.

I’m on my second generation iPhone and bought my first iPad at the end of 2012. I constantly marvel at the elegance of the technology, but beyond the glitz is a competitive war the likes of which the world has not seen because there are literally thousands of Aps fighting for your attention and your wallet.

From a MISO perspective the iPad owner is more than likely to be one of the elite unless the AO is a very developed and Internet savvy one in general. The power of imagery is one of the ways that set the iPad (and to be fair many of his competition) off as a medium. We’re talking the full range of senses here meaning that video and sound are a part of the game.

Consequently there are a number of MISO challenges in targeting such an advanced device:

1.       Credible Source – the target has to go to the message even if it’s a txt and a link.

2.       Timing – the pace of the iPad and smartphone centric worlds is staggering and missing a window by a few moments could prove disastrous.

3.       Dazzle – the message has to grab the view.

Some Aps may be good development tools, but since iPad like most other Apple products requires either a rabbi to tell you the secrets or the laborious process of divining out the proper Ap and how to use it. You can short cut the process a bit by getting one of your youngest relatives to test a bunch for you. They’ll think it’s fun and you’ll save a lot of time.

As always – reader comments encouraged.