Organize me please

Everyday we get bombarded with thousands of messages, while at the same time we are trying to get our errands, work, hobbies done. With so many things being processed by our brains it's no wonder we don't forget more of the little things that need to be done. This is where your electronic calendar comes in handy and why a lot of people find Outlook/other software so valuable. Combine that with a mobile device that can download this information and you have less chance of forgetting those important smaller things such as "Pay off Credit Card", "Send Shirley Birthday card", etc.

Is there an opportunity for marketers/companies to further utilize this powerful tool? I would say so.

As a member of the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association I am sent emails advertising upcoming webcasts. When I sign-up for one of these webcasts, 2 minutes later I get a confirmation email with a meeting request that puts the date into my calendar. Perfect. Two weeks later when I am scrambling about my office and no doubt have forgot about the informative webcast, ta-da! A reminder comes up. It's just like Ron Popeil used to say "Set it and Forget it". Granted that was for some kind of a rotisserie cooker, but a great slogan none-the-less.

So why aren't more companies taking advantage of these electronic planners to increase focus from prospects? Here are some examples I thought of that i'd like to see.

1. Television Shows - When Fox spends millions of dollars creating Fringe and then promoting it, they want people to show up for their premieres right? Well since there are now about 3000 channels to choose from and 100 new shows happening each night, why not give people the option of accepting a meeting request to watch this new show if they visit the website. So when 9pm on that Tuesday evening rolls around and you have no idea what is on...ta-da! Your calendar reminds you that this new show you were interested in is premiering.

2. Dentist/Doctor/Auto Repair - Would it be that hard to implement a system that used email to send out confirmations for all of your appointments such as these? I realize that most of these businesses would have their own appointment scheduling software, but there must be some way to work it so they can kick out electronic attendance reminders.

3. Vacations - When you receive a confirmation email from Expedia after booking a two-week holiday with your Gramma in Rappahannock County wouldn't it be a nice touch for them to include a calendar placement that tells you your flight details on the days you fly out and return?

Seems like these type of things should be rather simple and incredibly handy for your customers, but not enough companies are taking advantage of them.....which means i'm gonna keep forgetting to send Shirley a birthday card while taking my car in for servicing before my dentist appointment.