Soap Strategy Blog: December 2009 Archives

Augmented Reality Advertising

By ross on December 22, 2009 10:39 AM | | No TrackBacks

About 5 years ago I heard the then head of Mnet talking about the differences between advertising on the web vs mobile. He made some interesting simple observations around the fact that a mobile phone is personal and intimate device (even back then) and that the possible fallout from a misplaced ad or informal blanket brand message will be far greater than via receiving a message via the web or email.

When I read this Mashable post (Augmented Reality Advertising Is Here) I was reminded of these words.

Just because I’m outside a Starbucks and I’m the Mayor of a coffee shop across town I don’t necessarily want to see a Starbucks ad. In my opinion timing is a key element to contexual advertising.

I’m one of the most vocal lovers of GPS/contextual relevant messaging in the mobile space here at Soap however I think there needs to be far more consideration and sophistication given before brands and ads start being pushed.

I appreciate how import it is for a platform like foursquare to demonstrate a commercial and advertising value however I would have thought there would have been easier quick wins around offering real life rewards for engagement. If I’m the Mayor of the Aussie Youth pub, then I’d like cheaper drinks for spreading the word as a loyal customer.

Check out the article and let me know what you think. (if you’re not already off enjoying the festive sprit!).

New Barcode Apps Show Latest, Best Pricing

By ross on December 14, 2009 12:00 PM | | No TrackBacks

Interesting post over at Marketing Vox:

New Barcode Apps Show Latest, Best Pricing

“Mobile Apps that use barcodes to find the best and more recent pricing are, not surprisingly, becoming very popular as consumers shop for the holidays. These Apps, some of which have just rolled out, are part of the larger success story that is mobile retail: namely, anything that offers shoppers a bargain or price cut at the point of sale - coupons for example - is a winning strategy.”

The first barcode reference is actually for RedLaser. I found this read and registered really well and picked up most grocery and fmcg items I had lying around the office. After reading the barcode it presents the name of the item. This feels like a basic first step, adding a link to the brand site would have been a nice addition however I imagine a logistical challenge.

iBarcode currently only services UK, US, Germany and France.

What's the Next Marketing Platform? How to Measure Success?

By ross on December 11, 2009 11:50 AM | | No TrackBacks

“Consumers don’t say to themselves, ‘This is a traditional moment and tomorrow I’m going to wake up and have a digital moment.’ So it’s about time we get beyond that ourselves.”

Great article in Advertising Age.

Stand outs for me being:

Just what is the impact of buzz?

Tia Lang

“As far as big name marketers go, Burger King may very well be the king of buzz. But there are critics who think all that noise doesn’t amount to much in terms of sales. Tia Lang, director-media and interactive at Burger King, respectfully disagrees and said it all depends on how you define buzz. “Social media is very important in today’s environment and we think that generating buzz is a positive result in and of itself,” she said. “We have done that with some innovative campaigns that have helped lead to* 20 consecutive quarters of positive comp sales*. We’re pretty proud of that and that’s how we would respectfully answer our critics.”

Mark Stewart

“Mark Stewart, VP global media services at Kraft Foods, said in today’s environment marketers have to provide utilities, solutions and real services to their customers, citing Kraft’s iPhone application. “There’s real connectivity between consumers, brands and content that they love,”