More Thoughts on NFC and QR-2D: Defining a New Mobile Lifestyle Story

June 16, 2011 By

I’ve been mulling over how NFC could be a catalyst for cross-over, higher-budget and higher-profile, QR-2D applications in advertising and marketing, which in turn will drive greater user adoption as part of defining a new mobile “lifestyle.”

While “payments” may be the primary application with early NFC use, the range of it’s applications span a fair bit of territory where QR-2D currently resides.  From what I see, QR-2D is not delivering high-value campaigns that also serve to define QR-2D as being an essential part of  a User’s  mobile lifestyle – they seem stuck on delivering “information.”

There’s a big difference between saying “I’ll get you information when you need it,” and “I’m going to make your life more interesting.”

Looking at the video promotions for NFC here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/10/nfc_videos/

NFC is being promoted as becoming part of everyone’s daily life — and, improving it –  OK, the Nokia clip is pretty cheesy, but the message is clear.  They’re selling a good story.

This Barclaycard NFC spot is extraordinary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWp3pxatDyU&feature=player_embedded

As more money goes into NFC-based campaigns, someone is going to recognize that in many cases they should be complemented by QR-2D access as well.

I’m certain that NFC is both complementary to QR-2D in many applications as well as being a facilitator of defining how these related technologies are part of a new mobile lifestyle “story.”

We all know that we can launch more QR-2D campaigns today than NFC, simply due to market penetration.  That will level out over the next year.  The issue is how, or whether, QR-2D will leverage itself  to be part of the larger mobile lifestyle story that’s being told?

As a “mobile content company,” we see that using both technologies together will make sense in many cases; but the public perception of QR-2D needs to become part of the same story that NFC campaigns’ are promoting in order to legitimate media buys that result in high scan rates.

/adapted from LinkedIN post

Filed Under: Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, Mobile, mobile marketing, NFC, QR TAgs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

MySantaTalk by the Numbers – Interactive Story and Chat Analytics + QR, Tag, SMS

December 19, 2010 By

My Santa Talk was released 30-days ago as both a B2B Holiday Greeting (from http://contentAI.com) as well as a trial consumer-facing mobile web application with a soft online promotion.

Part of the consumer-facing effort was to get an indication of how Users would find and engage in a conversational mobile web application.

The methods a User could access MySantaTalk from mobile include:

  • SMS Shortcode and Keyword
  • QR Code
  • Microsoft TAG
  • Direct (Link) or typing URL subdomain

The promotion has been exclusively on-line and mobile, without any print collateral.  Therefore, the ratio of Direct to QR/2D cannot be presumed to be indicative of a print campaign.

Here is a summary of the analytics:

1)                  USER ENGAGEMENT

a.       Short = 1 minute

b.      Long = 19 minutes

c.       Average = 4 minutes

2)                  GEOGRAPHY

a.       North America = 70%

b.      International (32 Countries) = 30%

3)                  BARCODE SCANS, SMS and DIRECT Access

a.       QR = 9%

b.      Microsoft TAG = 2%

c.       Shortcode/Keyword SMS = 2%

d.      Direct =  87%

4)                  QR SCAN BREAKDOWN (34 Device Types)

a.       iOS =  46.1%

b.      Android =  21.3%

c.       RIM = 18.2%

d.      Symbian = 3.4%

e.       Other = 3.4%

The analytics on the QR Scan are from http://percentmobile.com and their http://delivr.com code generator.  These were the most comprehensive analytics and provided extremely valuable data.  AdMob’s mobile analytics had too high a ratio of “unknowns,” however, provided engagement analytics for the WAP/HTML mobile site itself.

While the campaign has not concluded and there are some last-minute pre-Holiday week PR efforts that will broaden the consumer-facing traffic, we wanted to review the numbers to-date and get a feel for the end-to-end User experience.

What can we extrapolate from this? Some of this was obvious (in advance) and some was new to discover:

1)      Providing multiple touch-points to access a mobile web application is crucial.  Including direct Links that can be forwarded and shared by Users

2)      Mobile Web (WAP and HTML) doubles the reach of an iPhone App at a fraction of the cost.

3)      The percentage of iOS users was nearly 50%, however, we project that would have been reduced if this were consumer-facing only, and did not include the B2B corporate Holiday greeting to advertising agencies and mobile partners (where iOS skews very high)

4)      Despite the comparatively low percentage of QR scans to “direct,” the fact that 34 different devices used a QR reader indicates that QR has a significant consumer adoption level at this point (it is not an iPhone or Droid-only phenomena)

5)      SMS Keyword and Shortcode Access was not as significant as we had anticipated.  While there is a location-based test underway this week that may change this evaluation, frankly, we’d projected that SMS access would have equaled or exceeded the QR scans.

6)      The duration of the engagements has been exceptionally encouraging, both in terms of quantitative and qualitative data.  With an estimated average of 4 minutes per Session, on a mobile web site, that is higher than projected and indicates that contentAI’s  “conversational mobile engagement” format is deeply compelling for Users.

Noting, apx. :30 seconds of most engagement included viewing of a mobile video clip.  We’ve moved that clip so that the conversational flow can be more readily measured during the final week of the campaign.

In conclusion:

The traffic levels have increased on a steady curve throughout the 30-day period with a few minor spikes.  However, the content and experience is most applicable to the upcoming pre-Christmas week; and, with the B2B effort concluded, and SEARCH making up 70% of the traffic to the online site (site optimization has raised MY SANTA TALK to a few key first pages on GOOGLE), it’s possible that we’ll derive additional insight in the forthcoming week on the overall campaign and user experiences.

If you haven’t experienced the MYSANTATALK mobile web story and virtual chat, the mobile URL is:  http://m.MySantaTalk.com – Or, look for the QR, 2D code or Shortcode and keyword over on:  http://MySantaTalk.com/mobileaccess

Happy Holidays.


Filed Under: AI conversation, AI conversational network, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, holiday mobile marketing, mobile marketing, QR TAgs, sms, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

QR and 2D Codes — Real Numbers (Finally) — Ready for Primetime?

October 13, 2010 By

It was great to see some real campaign numbers released on a QR or 2D campaign today.  The more we see like this, the more it’s clear that QR and 2D in the U.S. is about to shift from “early adopter” to “mainstream.”

http://www.gomonews.com/mobile-barcodes-allure-results-from-microsoft-tag-725k-give-away/

That can be combined with Scanbuy’s “general” numbers that were released last week here:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://blog.scanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ScanLife-Mobile-Barcode-Trend-Report_9.10.pdf

It’s still about “what does the QR/2D lead to?”  Is it valuable and intuitive for the User’s mobile experience?

But, as a legitimate new mobile marketing and content distribution channel?

It’s arrived.


Filed Under: AI conversation, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, holiday mobile marketing, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs, Virtual Agents, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Store Mobile Marketing and Customer Engagement – Putting Virtual Agents to Work

October 5, 2010 By

While we’re watching a number of different “solutions” presented for engaging Customers in-store or at events, sometimes, well, we’re left scratching our proverbial heads.

We think about the Customer’s mobile engagement, their time and the value they receive, throughout the process of developing a Virtual character (Virtual Guide, Virtual Clerk, Virtual Agent…what’s in a name?).  We compare this to video, proprietary apps, even mobile web pages that require focused navigation to drill down to relevant data.

Basically, a Virtual Clerk needs to deliver a positive and memorable experience for the User quickly.  Not unlike the surprise many of us experience when we have a great Customer experience with a human — something that’s become too rare.  In fact, we want the Customer Experience to be be identical to when they find that great sales clerk, or waitperson or person behind the Counter who actually seems to care about them as an individual – the upside is, we can replicate that experience 24/7.

Yes, we want to clone your best customer support, wrap it up in a package and get it onto your Customer’s mobile phone.  We want to deliver consistent, wonderful customer engagements.

Filed Under: AI conversation, AI conversational network, Conversational AI, holiday mobile marketing, Mobile, mobile marketing, Virtual Agents, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Before QR and 2D are Established, Here Comes GOGGLES

September 29, 2010 By

As the debate over proprietary QR and 2D formats moves into full gear – In the background, Google (with Android rising) and it’s GOGGLES technology are already making reference to “No QR, No Download.”  It’s interesting to consider how the evolution of print-to-mobile (or some screen-to-mobile) will take place and how Brands and Agencies may embrace one format over another.

This was from a Google announcement yesterday found here:

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-does-future-of-display-advertising.html

The relevant passage here:

You might be familiar with Google Goggles, a way to search the web on mobile devices just by taking a picture. We gave a preview of some experimental uses of Google Goggles that could one day enable advertisers to deliver great display ads to users. Imagine pointing your phone’s camera at an ad for a car in a magazine, and having the car appear in 3D in your mobile device. Or pointing at a movie poster and having the movie trailer play in the device, right in your hand. No QR codes, no downloads!

/////

“One day” is probably a lot sooner than most think. The integration of GOGGLES with ANDROID seems more “around the corner” than some distant future. Integration with other mobile OS would be App based, so, not an intuitive. But, not a huge leap.

I have to wonder if QR is the advance guard (fodder) for leading consumers to another format altogether, in the quest to migrate Users to Mobile experiences? Will Agencies and Brands adopt the GOGGLES non-Tag format (or, some other emerging non-Tag format) given a chance?

For today, QR and 2D are great tools to migrate and transport Users to mobile experiences.  We wholly support innovation and efforts to expand these formats.  But, we’re also thinking of how this will evolve.

Ultimately, we’re “content” people.  Our “content” can flow across almost all digital channels and can be reached via QR, 2D, or, one day, GOGGLES.  The key is providing Users with great content and mobile experiences so that they look forward to their next adventure into a Brands mobile space.

Filed Under: AI conversation, AI conversational network, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

QR and 2D Tags for Mobile Marketing – SOME NUMBERS!

September 28, 2010 By

It was great to see SCANLIFE release a comprehensive, global report on QR and 2D usage today:

http://blog.scanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/ScanLife-Mobile-Barcode-Trend-Report_9.10.pdf

There have been a number of discussion over the past month with Industry associates about the need for getting some hard and fast numbers disclosed.

One major take-away: Mobile Web is the winning combination with QR.

Thanks SCANLIFE for providing these numbers.  It’s a nice start to getting a picture of the marketplace.

UPDATE: Upon review of the numbers, one curious item pops out.  Either stereotypes are collapsing, or Males are scanning some unusual items based on traditional concepts:  45% of the Category scans fall into the Health/Beauty, Kitchen and Grocery categories, while 74% of the scans were conducted by Males?  Is it couples shopping and Males scanning?  Some other explanation?  Opinions would be welcomed.

Filed Under: AI conversation, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , ,

QR — 2D — AR — Motion Detection…Redefining “Camera” to “Sensor”

September 27, 2010 By

We really like QR and 2D Codes.  They are a visual cue to Users that there is a -available to take them into some wonderful mobile experience (complementing their real world exposure).  We like the idea of extending a Brand’s story from realworld to mobile with blended, integrated campaigns.

So, we think about QR and 2D Tags a lot.

There are a number of tech blog posts and analysis of advertising’s use of QR and 2D Tags and the (often) failures to properly instruct the public with a simple “how to” use the applications.

What I have not seen addressed is that the general public are coming from a 200-year old, ingrained definition of the concept of a “camera.”  i.e. Something you use to snap pictures of people, places and things, put in a box, and then look at some day.

Educating the general public in QR/2D Tags seems to have leapt over the fundamental disconnect between a User’s general understanding of the concept of a “camera” and the “how to” instructional mandate.

While digital cameras in industrial/medical applications have long done more than “snap pics” — for the general public, they haven’t.  But, with QR/2D, Augmented Reality (AR) and Motion Detection on gaming platforms, “a camera is no longer a camera” – It is a “Sensor.”

More precisely, it is an “interpretive sensor,” taking in visual data and interpreting that data to deliver some new product/experience.  It does far more than deliver you a picture, that you place in a box, then look at 30-years from now.

That’s an epochal shift in the fundamental understanding of the word “camera.” The “picture” means nothing, but the interpretation is where the value resides. In some respects, I wish that mobile device manufacturers started referring to the devices “Sensor” and not the “Camera and pixel resolution” — They are selling their devices based on the old definition of “camera.”

It’s a transition phase as we move from “camera” to “sensor” in terms of a broader, general public, understanding ofwhat this item on our mobile phones is capable of.  It would be nice if some campaign came along and started shifting general public awareness at this root level:

A camera isn’t just for taking pictures anymore.  It’s a sensor, a bridge, for delivering new experiences (as well as snapping pics).

Kids under 15 will be the first Generation growing up understanding this new definition without a second thought.  For the rest of us, we need to relearn the meaning of the word “camera.”

When our root level definition changes, the “how-to” instructions won’t even be needed.

Filed Under: Brands and Mobile, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs Tagged With: , ,

QR Tags as Killer App – IF: “Content Remains King”

September 24, 2010 By

It’s an interesting day in the news.  It’s hard to remember so many Mobile Marketing articles all pointing in the precise direction we have embarked upon.   From MOBILEMARKETER.COM comes a very timely article re: QR Tags HERE.

These are the salient points:

*  “QR codes are very close to the ‘tipping point,’ and the fourth quarter will push us over the top…”

*  “Carriers are doing their part to create awareness. For example, Sprint is preloading the application and Verizon is using codes in marketing….”  (OUR NOTE:  T-Mobile is doing a terrific job as well)

* QR Tags:  “established the dialogue with the consumer…”  (OUR NOTE:  Particularly, when using Conversational Mobile Marketing!)

*  “Codes offer a great way to drive people into the store, or incite purchase on the mobile device…”

*  “Ensure that the consumer’s experience and privacy of interaction is safeguarded in all instances….”

*  “Have fun and get creative in the campaigns that you deploy…”

*  “You have to provide end users with compelling content at the end of a scan…”

OK, for anyone who’s read our Posts here about QR Tags, this concise summary is going to appear rather redundant.  We aren’t in the QR Tag business, but, we do launch our Interactive, Conversational Engagement from QR and 2D Tags (or, even image detection that resolves to a mobile URL).  We think they can be part of an intuitive and natural User Engagement.

The only thing lacking in the summary was raising the questions:  Can QR Tags lead to conversational text engagement, since that’s how Users typically use their mobile devices?  Or, can a QR Tag lead to a Virtual Agent conversation?  Can a QR Tag deliver great Customer Relations Management?

Of course they can.

Filed Under: AI conversation, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, holiday mobile marketing, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs, Transmedia Content and AI, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Holiday Mobile Marketing – Opportunity for Brands

September 24, 2010 By

This is one of those rare articles that is on-point on so many items.  It’s worth a full read at MOBILE COMMERCE DAILY.

Best take-aways:

* …allow advertisers to engage in a deeper dialog with mobile users…”

* “There is a new retail audience that can only be reached through mobile and that means it is imperative to invest now in mobile for this holiday season or risk missing out on revenue that can only be gained through mobile…”

* “it is imperative that brands double down with mobile for the 2010 holiday season…”

It is late in the Calendar for new commitments to media buys and campaigns for November/December — As we just launched our WAP conversational mobile marketing channel, we’re introducing our  Virtual Character Holiday themed chat application and can deliver for the Season.  Hope we can get this one in the market this Year…it’s an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the engagement value that conversational marketing can deliver.

Filed Under: AI and Twitter, AI conversation, Brands and Mobile, Conversational AI, holiday mobile marketing, Mobile, mobile marketing, QR TAgs, WAP Chat Tagged With: , , , , , ,

QR Tags and Interactive Conversation = Instinctual Engagement

April 29, 2010 By

In digital-years, our awareness of QR Tags was pretty late in the game — about 1.5 years ago – but, in market-year (U.S.) the shift in general awareness over the past year and a half has been remarkable — with market-years “use” just coming into play in a serious way.

In that same time period, our interactive narrative engine has been evolving with a focus on mobile engagement.

The intersection of QR Tags and Interactive Narrative (SMS, IM, Mobile Web, Apps) seems like the most natural end-to-end mobile “pull” engagement because it replicates the User’s typical mobile engagement with friends and family.   So, instead of migrating online ad units to a mobile space, we engage with Users through what is unique to mobile: QR tags are unique to mobile; interactive text conversation is the most common use of a mobile device.

We use medium-specific tools for instinctual engagement.

Mobile marketing has been limited to “push” marketing and very brief, generally non-contextual engagement.  That all changes now.   As we see Central Park being “tagged” with QR Codes (pointing the direction toward “episodic” QR Tags and conversational story episodes), we’re seeing the “internet of things” come to life…

29 April 2010

Filed Under: AI conversation, Brands and Mobile, Mobile, QR TAgs, Transmedia Content and AI Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,