By Jill Schmidt, Finn Digital, www.finndigital.com
What You (And Others) Are Doing Now
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No matter where you fit in the interactive marketing mix, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the hottest trends in technology. Two platforms topping that list – mobile applications and barcode technology. And although both formats are making headlines, the most buzz-worth applications stem from a combination of the two technologies.
Mobile
There are currently over 50 million active smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android) in the United States. The hottest mobile apps, like foursquare and Gowalla, make use of location based technology. These apps encourage “check-ins” at restaurants, events, and any other place with an address in order to collect digital badges. After its first year, foursquare acquired over 725,000 users across the country, with 22+ million check in’s. Local businesses have been cashing in by offering special discounts to the “mayor” of their location, a badge received by achieving the most visits/check-ins at any given venue.
Mobile and Barcode
Barcode marketing allows for machines to scan and read a digital representation of data. Although this technology has been around for some time, the recent marriage of barcode and mobile technologies has caused it to quickly rise to the forefront as a medium for consumer conversation. Perhaps one of the most promising uses of this technology is the ability to attach marketing messages, web links and videos to actual barcodes. Users who scan a barcode with their smartphone cameras have the ability to pull up a related website or coupon. Clever advertisers have begun extending the life of their print ads by attaching a barcode and incentivizing readers to scan it to receive related bonus material online.
stickybits is a mobile app that makes use of both mobile and barcode technology. Attach a unique digital barcode to real world objects (e.g., the UPC on a bottle of mustard or a book) and users can add digital “bits” such as comments, video or images. When other users scan the same barcode they‘ll be able to view existing bits or attach some of their own. Giving a presentation? Add a barcode to it and allow attendees to add questions and comments. Looking for a job? Attach a barcode with your resume to your business card. Hosting a book club? Have members scan one book with their mobile smartphones and attach their questions and comments prior to the meeting. Check out stickybits in action:
- Go to www.stickybits.com
- Download the app on your mobile phone
- Scan the barcode 4.
- Use the stickybits app on your phone to “attach a bit” to this article.
