September 2, 2010 – Atlanta, GA USA – This is the 2nd in a series of 12 theoretical examples of GREAT! ideation to help Six Flags Theme Parks* increase Sponsorship revenue from a new category (and celebrate the 50th birthday of Six Flags in 2011).

GREAT! Concept:

To celebrate Six Flags Theme Parks 50th birthday – in 2011 – all babies born in 2011 will receive a special free admission Season Pass to Six Flags – good through 2020 – when accompanied by two paid adults. You must register with The Baby Registry at BabiesRUs.com now through 2/28/12 to receive the special pass.  [Since under 2-years-of-age are already free: this is an extra eight years of (qualified) free admission.]

Expecting in 2010? Register now and so you can create a baby gift wish list for family and friends. Then, just update The Baby Registry at BabiesRUs.com profile when your baby is born. It’s free to register.

Logistics:

Six Flags and The Baby Registry at ToysRUs.com will mail you a special Six Flags 50th Anniversary / BabiesRUs.com special season pass for your child to be admitted free through 2020 at your “home” Six Flags Park when accompanied by two paid adults. You will also be asked to show a copy of your child’s birth certificate. You will also receive a free stroller rental each visit, as needed. (Free stroller subject to availability.)

Plus, you get The Baby Registry at BabiesRUs.com benefits including:

• Gift Wish List – of all things you would like to receive for birthdays, holidays and other special occasions.
• Share Your Registry – you can send your wish list to family and friends so that they can give you exactly what you want!
• Add a gift Wish List for all your kids
• You can step up your Gift Wish registry to be viewable online and at the store – plus, as items are purchased, they are removed from the list.

Eligibility:

Baby must have been born in one of the 50 U.S. States or Washington, DC in 2011. When registering, specify your “home” Six Flags Park.

Examples of Potential (New) Sponsors:

• Diapers: Pampers, Huggies, Luvs
• Baby Formula: Enfamil, Similac, Earth’s Best
• Other (Major): Gerber, Johnson & Johnson, Babies ‘R Us, baby.com
• Other: Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Refill Bags
• Categories: Baby Gear, Baby Feeding Products, Baby Clothing, Baby Gifts

Note: This Sponsorship could continue beyond 2011 since it is win-win for BabiesRUs.com and Six Flags.

Related GREAT! Blog Post

• GREAT! Idea: Nike ‘Just Do It’ Experiential Sports Themed Trash Cans at Six Flags Over Georgia
• GREAT! Idea: Six Flags 50th Birthday ‘New Baby’ Promotion to Generate New Sponsorship Revenue

*Disclosure: Neither Six Flags – or companies mentioned – are GREAT! clients (though Six Flags did provide me with free, front-of-the-line passes, meal vouchers, parking and swag for six of us to experience Six Flags Over Georgia together.) This is a GREAT! theoretical idea.

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August 20, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Here are my notes for my session Saturday (8/21/10) at Product Camp Atlanta: Social Media Meets Quick Response (QR) Codes: 25 Great QR Ideas in 10 Minutes: Then We Brainstorm (25 More Ideas).

QR Code For A Cause

In this session attendees find out how to integrate Quick Response (QR) codes in their product, product packaging and marketing to increase customer engagement resulting in increased: sales; product use; satisfaction; and fewer call center calls.

1. If your company has a product that requires installation, please raise your hand. A scan code on the outside of the box: launches How to Install [a ceiling fan] video on the outside of the box.
2. If your company has training videos, please raise your hand. A scan code on your software box: launches a training video for your software.
3. Scan codes on retail “shelf talkers” launches backstory features and benefits video for each product. (Example: Say Cheese)
4. Does your company seek print media coverage? Have your publicist give scan codes to print journalists – and distribute with your PR Newswire Release – to help activate print editorial coverage. The Oprah Magazine uses scan codes in advertorial pages in its September 2010 issue, as reported by the (excellent) 2D Barcode Strategy blog by Roger Marquis. (Example: Laptop magazine used 13 scan codes in its June 2010 edition to add video to its product reviews.)
5. If your company helps non-profits, raise your hand. Keep it raised if you have a video showing what your company did to help the non-profit; or how you can help the non-profit.  A scan code launches a video backstory about your company making a difference in the community.
6. Does your company run conferences or events that use registration badges? (Hands raised please.) The scan code on each name tag enables each guest to quickly and easily exchange contact info.
7. Do you work at a TV network? (The Weather Channel? CNN? TBS?) The scan code in your marketing campaign launches video of your new TV show or special. FOX TV Network launched its FOX CODES brand Quick Response (QR) codes (8/2/10) teasing its Fall Shows. The Weather Channel is also using scan codes. As of 8/17/10, 22,200+ views on their YouTube channel showing how The Weather Channel is using the QR code.
   

   Say Cheese: (Scan Code--> Video: Why This Cheese Is Unique)

8. How many here are seeking their next employment opportunity? Put a scan code on your business card and LinkedIn Status Update that points to your contact info. Print scan codes on Avery labels and place the code on all your name tags for the networking events you are attending. How many here today are self-employed? Then, it should be an easy-fast decision to add a scan code to your business card: even just to spark some conversation that you are using one of the latest social media tools to increase engagement. If you work for a large company, time to get scan codes added!
9. Please raise your hand if your company has ever sponsored a run, a walk or used street teams or product samplers? Include a scan code on the event t-shirt that launches a pre-filled in tweet. You can create a scan code t-shirt via Zazzle.
10. Does your company post videos to YouTube? (Hands please.) Include a scan code on your marketing tools, product; product packaging. Anywhere that’s appropriate to re-purposed your videos on YouTube. I’m amazed at the number of How To Videos are available on The Home Depot website: Learn How To Start and Maintain A container Garden. You’ll find scan codes in The Home Depot gardening department. There’s a video from American Standard regarding “innovative flushing systems” comparing the features and benefits of the Champion 4; Cadet 3 and their Renaissance Toilet To Go (Really!) I suspect you’ll  start to see scan codes for these videos when you are in The Home Depot looking at toilets.
11. Does your company giveaway promotional products? Swag? Show of hands please. If you put a website address on the item, it’s probably appropriate to also put a scan code on the item.
12. Do you want people that see your marketing message to call you now? Put a scan code on it that auto-dials your phone number. There’s an easy-to-use scan code to do that!
13. Have you ever run a sweepstakes? Scan2Win. There’s a scan code for that too.
14. Anyone here ever assemble IKEA furniture? I could have used the how to assemble video while I was assembling my IKEA desk. I learned about torque when I sheared off the screw. I had to make a separate trip back to IKEA for a replacement. A video might have saved me by showing me how hard to turn the screw. Howcast, the how-to video network, posted an excellent “how to assemble an IKEA table example from their blind pitch to IKEA.
15. Are you doing a PowerPoint or Keynote Presentations? Make it easier for your audience to get your contact info into their contacts.
    

    Calvin Klein Jeans Outdoor Teases Video

16. Do you have an RSS feed that would be appropriate to view on a Smartphone? Enable your audience to scan the code and go directly to your RSS feed.
17. Who uses Direct Mail to your own database? Image a unique scan code for each recipient that launches a micro-site customized to that recipient. Any field in your database gets populated on that web page.
18. Anyone from AutoTrader.com here? In July 2010, Kelly Blue Book introduced a scan code virtual or physical sticker kit that dynamically points to the current Blue Book price of the specific used car – or Craig’s list ad – that the potential buyer is scanning. That’s dynamic content.
19. Anyone here from Verizon Wireless? How many scan have you had of your two dimensional (2D) EZcode? (More than 200,000 as of 8/17/10) That’s the most scan codes to-date in a single campaign. Scan codes activate print. Where ever you use a web address or phone number, it’s probably appropriate to include a scan code.
20. Show of hands. Raise your hand if your company uses video testimonials? Video testimonials are prefect for scan codes. Let your customers speak for you or your company.
21. Where are the New Biz Dev people in the audience? Any of you had a hard time getting in to see a potential prospect? Try delivering a cake with an edible image of a scan code on top that launches a video that you create especially for the recipient. Or, use the scan code cake for a product or service launch party or other special event.
22. You can use a scan code to automatically address an email from a Smartphone
23. How about a Smartphone menu of three choices: Watch video. Email Us Now. Call Us Now. Buy Now. FOX Network’s FOX CODES gets you to a menu of choices.
24. Anyone staying for the Product Camp Atlanta After Party? If you had sponsored the After Party, you could have placed a scan code on the cocktail napkins with Scan-Nap. It’s likely that nearly everyone attending the After Party has a Smartphone and would be curious enough to scan it.
25. Social Scanning Around Bar Codes: creating community/word-of-mouth around your product. See 5 Huge Trends in Social Media Right Now by Mashable/Social Media (Jennifer Van Grove) (8/20/10). The first huge trend: Social Scanning! (Stickybits, Bakodo) And, iPhone App Makes Barcode Scanning a Social Experience by Mashable/Tech (Jennifer Van Grove) (8/16/10). And, watch this YouTube video for TOTem’s Tales of Things (1/20/10). [Thanks to my colleague, Eileen Lichtenfield, for calling my attention to this video.]

Okay. That’s 25 scan code example in 10 minutes. Let’s brainstorm 25 more examples …

Do you have a scan code example to add? Your name and company please …

1. Please raise your hand if you are from a service business? Your name and company please … Other ways you might use scan codes? Who has a scan code use for …
2. Another service business …
3. Please raise your hand if you are from a company that has a physical product? Your name and company please. Other ways you might use a scan code? Who has a scan code use for …
4. Packaging use? [Reach Toothbrush example by Roger Marquis (2D Barcode Strategy) – Reach "By Design" QR Code 8/18/10)
5. Product use?
6. Other marketing use for scan codes?
7. Other ways to increase sales?
8. Other ways to reduce call center calls?
9. Other ways to increase product or service use?
10. Other ways to increase product or service satisfaction?
11. Where else might you share contact info?
12. How about an event and share a calendar item?
13. Other uses?

Questions? Discussion?

GREAT! That's more than 50 scan code uses. For more uses, please see my article: 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App.

Thank you for all your great scan code ideas today. Give yourself a round of applause!

Related That’s GREAT! blog posts:

• That’s GREAT! – 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App (6/12/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Reasons ScanLife EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/11/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Integrating 2D Quick Response Codes In Your Marketing Plans (8/2/10)
• That's GREAT! (8/20/10) Product Camp Atlanta: Social Media Meets Quick Response (QR) Codes: 25 Great QR Ideas In 10 Minutes (Then We Brainstorm 25 More Ideas)

Got more examples? I look forward to reading your Comment. Thanks!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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August 2, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Here are the Top 10 mistakes to avoid when integrating two dimensional (2D) codes – such as Quick Response (QR) Codes, Scanbuy’s ScanLife EZcodes or Microsoft Tag scan codes – in your U.S. marketing plans.

EZcode Example – Text SCAN to 43588 to get a free scanner app. Scan this EZcode to launch a video shout-out for Photographer Dan Smigrod

The sooner you get started with 2D codes, the sooner you may receive traditional media coverage; buzz; and word-of-mouth for activating and engaging your community on their smartphones.

But, careful in your gold-rush to launch to get that extra buzz. Making a mistake with your 2D code marketing plans is easy. While you might get an “A” for effort, you could easily get an “F” – flamed for an easily avoidable tactical execution error, as New York City was by Mashable and describe in the Top 2 mistake (below).

Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Integrating Two Dimensional (2D) Scan Codes in the U.S.

1. Not Linking the Scan Code to Content That Adds Value – adding-value might include a “how to install” video or video teaser for a new TV show; sweepstakes; launch an app in the Apple iTunes App Store for immediate downloading; an RSS feed (dynamic info) optimized for a smartphone; or walking directions from an outdoor poster to a hard-to-find venue. It’s unlikely that linking to your home page will add value. See The Three Rules of QR Codes posted by 2d code online magazine Editor Roger Smolski. As Roger says in his third rule, Make the content valuable. Scan codes are about engagement and added value. Engage! Add value! And, make sure your landing page is working! Sounds obvious; though obviously often overlooked. When possible, thank your guest for visiting via a scan code. It may be his or her first time using a scan code. This Ironman 2 movie poster created (4/14/10) by Warbasse Design includes a scan code to: a) view the theatrical trailer; b) buy tickets using their smartphone; c) see movie stills; and more. That’s adding value to make print clickable.
2. Not Linking the Scan Code to a Mobile Site – (and not explaining what content that the code links to) See The Three Rules of QR Codes posted by Roger at 2d code. As Roger says in his first rule, Mobilize the landing page. While New York City generated a ton of media converge for their big, innovative use of QR codes, unfortunately, as Mashable reported (6/10/10), “the QR codes miss the mark and don’t provide an optimized experience for scanners on their mobile device. … a nice first try … we hope future endeavors will yield QR codes that provide scanners with much more exciting and mobile-friendly content.” Ouch! Also, keep in mind if your team is designing on big screens, make sure they are using smartphones to make sure their work is viewable/readable/working on a small smartphone screen. Plus, if your mobile site requires Adobe Flash Player on a SmartPhone, you’ll create a non-working mess for your Apple iPhone audience (including me). Unless you are selling an Android specific app, don’t go there!
3. Not Tracking Your Scan Codes’ Usage – use a service that allows you to track the data and analytics from your scans. And, use multiple codes in a campaign even if all the codes goes to the same video or webpage. This way, you can track usage by media placement. Plus, the destination for a code may be different depending on how it’s used. For example, a code that appears on an item that requires installation might link to a “how to install” video while an outdoor board might link to shout-out videos from happy customers. Make print clickable. Now you will know if your print campaign is ‘mobilizing’ your community to take action; rather than relying on circulation and readership audits to validate a print buy. And, with digital printing, you can use individually unique scan codes linked to Personalized URLs (PURL) to send recipients to “their” own micro-site.
4. Not Providing Directions on How to Get a Free Scanner App – in the U.S., telling your audience how to get a free scanner app is (almost always) a must. In the 2D Barcode Strategy post (7/9/10), Roger Marquis writes about the New York Magazine house ad that “does not tell the readers how and where to get a QR code reader app, so that the QR code can be scanned in the first place. … companies should not assume that consumers will know what 2D barcodes are and how to make use of them. Because 2D barcodes are still so new in this country [United States], companies should fully explain the codes they are using, where and how to download a reader app and what the code will link to.” The Calvin Klein Jeans – Get It Uncensored – outdoor teaser campaign, reported by Mashable (7/13/10) is an excellent exception to this rule: both because of the content and the medium. The online code magazine, 2d code, has a list of around a dozen QR Code/2d code mobile scanning apps. On my iPhone 4, I have the following scanner apps: ScanLife, i-nigma, NeoReader, RedLaser, stickybits, SCVNG and Microsoft’s TagReader.
5. Not Having at Least Two Modules of Space Around the Scan Code – sweat the details! It’s not enough to proof your codes when they are generated, they need to work when placed in your marketing tools next to text or art. Plus, the background and scan code colors can also affect the scan-ability of your codes. Before you begin production, test with different mobile scanning apps – and smartphone devices. Content that looks great on my Apple iPhone 4 (love it), may not look so great on a BlackBerry, Android or Evo smartphone.
6. Printing the Scan Code Too Small – the size of a QR code may vary based on the code’s density. (I have received business cards where the QR codes was printed too small for me to successfully scan.) When/where size matters, EZcodes can be as small as a dime, I wrote in my That’s GREAT! blog post: Top 10 Reasons ScanLife* EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/22/10). “Typically QR codes are anywhere from 2x the size of an EZcode to 10x the size of an EZcode, but the QR codes that [ScanLife] generate can always be a minimum of 1 inch,” according to a representative of ScanBuy. Typically, QR codes that are not generated by ScanLife, are larger because the information is include in the code itself (rather than the EZcode that “points to” a database for the content or call-to-action).  Using an EZcode scan code leaves more room in print media to use for something else. “The size of an EZcode does not increase based on the information which it is linked to, while other formats are directly proportional to the amount of data delivered [except when generated by ScanLife],” says a ScanLife in its “EZcode Benefits” brochure. See page 2 of this brochure for a terrific chart showing a comparison of size examples of EZcodes versus QR scan codes.
7. Placing a Scan Code Where There is No Internet Access – for example, until the New York City subway system has reliable, free internet service, why place the code inside a subway car? (That’s exactly what Freelancers Union did! Ugh!) It’s worth quoting a comment to this blog from Karie: “Is is just me or is [the Freelancers Union] campaign somewhat misguided – we have little or no Internet access in NY subways and so trying to scan and reach the web site from this QR is next to impossible. I have never been able to get a clean scan on one of thee ads (despite several attempts – I use MSFT’s Tagger). Isn’t this a lesson in how NOT to use QR in advertising? Have others had better luck?” (Wi-Fi is coming to New York City Subways by 2,016, reports Mashable/Tech (7/30/10).
8. 

   QR Code Example – Text SCAN to 43588 to get a free scanner app. Scan this Quick Response (QR) code to launch a video shout-out for Photographer Dan Smigrod

   Not Using a URL Shortener – For example, if you are using a URL for walking directions for Google Maps, you must use a URL shortener, to avoid a humongous size QR code. See The Three Rules of QR Codes posted by Roger at 2d code. As Roger writes in his second rule, Keep the url short Click here to see the URL that Nordstrom used. It works fine when you are on a desktop. When you put all that data inside of a QR code, may be (needlessly) making your code dense and big. You either print it full-size (and take up too much space) or you shrink it (and your audience may not be able to scan it).  Read more about the Nordstrom’s (bad) implementation at 2d code “How To Score 0/30 For Your QR Code” (7/26/10)
   Not Having Enough Bandwidth To Support Your Success – surprise! You’re campaigns a success, but you don’t have enough bandwidth to support the traffic. Ugh!

9. Not Getting Started With Scan Codes – Stuck in research mode? Trying to navigate a multi-silo organization? Get started now. Just do it! Carpe diem (before your competitors’ Carpe dim)! Yes. It’s a new way to engage your audience. The value of traditional media coverage you may receive by starting with scan codes now may exceed the entire cost for a year of integrating scan codes into your marketing. Wait too long, and you may miss that valued-added buzz-marketing, grass-roots opportunity.
10. Using a Free Scan Code Generator for Business – if you use a free scan code generator on the web for business to create your scan code – you will: a) not be able to change the URL that is “hardwired” into the code (static versus dynamic); and b) not get usage analytics. Plus, your audience may have trouble reading the scan code either because of their scanning app, smartphone or mobile browser. You are also at risk of making a BIG-SIZE scan code. If you shrink the scan code when you print it, your audience may have difficulty scanning it. And, if you keep it full size, it may take up too much space (e.g. business card, poster, print ad)
11. Bonus Mistake: Not Engaging a Scan Code Expert – It is rocket science! Just because QR Codes work in Japan it does not automatically mean that the different smartphone technology in the U.S. will work fine with your scan code. For example, dense QR codes that can be read in Japan with an auto-focus smartphone can be difficult to read on a non-auto-focus smartphone camera in the U.S. My Agency, GREAT!, provides two dimensional (2D) scan code implementation, scan code management and scan code consulting to clients and their agenices. Please contact me; or ask your agency to contact me so your company can avoid the top 10 mistakes when integrating 2D scan codes into its marketing.

EZcode Edible Image Cake - Scan the Code to Launch a Video from Atlanta Fashion and Glamour Models for Photographer Dan Smigrod (Text SCAN to 43588 for scanning app)

Related That’s GREAT! blog posts:

• That’s GREAT! – 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App (6/12/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Reasons ScanLife EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/11/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Ugh! Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Integrating 2D Quick Response Codes In Your Marketing Plans (8/2/10)
• That’s GREAT! (8/20/10) Product Camp Atlanta: Social Media Meets Quick Response (QR) Codes: 25 Great QR Ideas In 10 Minutes (Then We Brainstorm 25 More Ideas)

Special Thanks:

Thank you to the team at Scanbuy (ScanLife) and for fellow LinkedIn 2D Codes for Global Media group members for contributing to this That’s GREAT! blog post.

Comments Welcome:

Got an example of a bad 2D scan code implementation? Please share a link and description via the Comments section (below)! (I applaud early adopters to new marketing technology. The risk is not trying. That said, the more bad 2D experiences consumer have, the longer it may take for the scan codes to be pervasive in the United States.)

Postscript – 8/6/10

Clikbrix – Clikbrix versus the “10 Mistakes to Avoid When Integrating QR codes (8/6/10) – Clikbrix, a service for Realtors to help them sell homes by leveraging Quick Response (QR) code technology, smartphones and on-demand content, uses this (above) blog post to “audit” their use of QR codes, and, offer their recommendation for another mistake to avoid. If you are already using QR codes, please considered “auditing” your service and reporting your results.

Postscript – Examples of Bad QR Code Implementation [An "A" for being early Adopters]

1. FOX CODE – What’s bad about it? – a) in the U.S., Quick Response (QR) codes are hard to scan on TV or computer monitor (particularly if you don’t have an auto-focus smartphone like the iPhone 4); b) Fox fixed the example “Launch & AIM” code so that it launches a video. When the FOX CODE service premiered Monday (8/2/10), I was unsuccessful scanning the code with multiple free scanning apps on my iPhone 4; c) the How to Use Step 1 download section does not include either links to – or names of scanning apps. This page assumes their audience either has or knows where to find a scanning app. While not list a few free scan code readers such as: ScanLife, i-nigma and NeoReader? Here are some more scan code readers. The language on the site needs to be “cleaned up/simplified/illustrated with photos.” For example, show a picture of a person using their iPhone to scan a code. The good news, in this FOX TV Network Lone Star scan code example, the landing page is optimized for smartphones for this new TV show that premieres 9/20/10 on FOX. Landing page options include: Videos Photos and more. (8/30/10)
2. NYC Garbage Trucks – What’s bad about it? – a) the QR code is way to small. I can’t even see it; let alone scan it in this photo; b) hopefully, the code directly launches the recycling video (not to a non-mobile menu page of videos). If you scan the code, please let me know via a Comment. (8/3/10) For excellent commentary regarding why the NYC Garbage Trucks implementation is an example of “how poorly the campaign was executed,” see the 2D Barcode Strategy article by Roger Marquis, “What’s Missing from the QR Code.” (8/8/10)
3. AT&T Create-A-Code – [2d Code Blog by @RogerSmolski] Use The AT&T Code Generator And Show Your Ignorance (8/5/10) In light of AT&T Wireless exclusive with Apple’s iPhone, it’s hard to believe that AT&T could launch this service without  a working scanning app for the iPhone. Also, see Mistake #10 above.
4. Laptop magazine (8/9/10) – In its June 2010 issue, Laptop magazine used 13 EZcodes to “… direct you to the corresponding bonus content.” While it’s great that Laptop magazine used EZcodes instead of QR codes [See my article: Top 10 Reasons ScanLife EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/11/10)], unfortunately, it was NOT bonus content! Many of the EZcodes: a) are inactive (pages 6, 27, 37); take you to old content (Page 13); or link to unrelated content (Pages 29, 31, 38 and 98) or link to non-mobilized Laptop magazine menu pages (Pages 11, 21, 51, 75 and 89). The good news is that since Laptop magazine used EZcodes, each “point to” link can still be corrected! In many instances video content exists, but Laptop magazine failed to link directly to the corresponding bonus content video. I suspect that Laptop magazine will conclude that the EZcodes don’t work (when, clearly) Laptop magazine failed to implement the EZcodes correctly to fulfill its promise of “bonus content.” Particularly disappointing is that when you scan the first code on page 6 that explains the use of the codes throughout the magazine, when you scan the code, you get this text: “This code is currently inactive…” Ugh! And, while Laptop magazine reference the instructions on page 6, in future editions, Laptop magazine really should include “Text SCAN to 43588 to get the free ScanLife app. Then, scan this EZcode to get [be specific].”
5. Macy’s – (8/13/10)  “Okay, here’s the plan, let’s buy a full-page, four-color ad in a national consumer magazine, lace a 2D barcode in the ad and then have the barcode resolve to a promotional video that doesn’t work,” reports Excellent analysis by Roger Marquis at 2D Barcode Strategy in his excellent analysis, Let’s Throw Marketing Dollars Away. As Roger points out so well, just because it’s a big brand, doesn’t mean that the implementation is done well. Again, A+ innovation and D- for execution. Also see his blog post, Macy’s Missteps with 2D Barcode (8/10/10).  How does this happen? (See Top 10 Code Mistakes Above!) Plus, also see Roger’s 2D Barcode Best Practices (6/20/10).
6. 

   Can You Spot 7 QR Code Mistakes In This IL GUFO Ad?

   Il Gufo – (8/17/10) – Here are some “Top 10 Mistakes” examples identified by Roger Marquis in his 2D Barcode Strategy analysis, Italian Cothes Designer uses QR code (8/17/10). Roger identifies these mistakes with the Il Gufo ad (pictured near-by): 1) scan code next to the spine of the magazine making it harder to scan; 2) no explanation for the QR code; 3) no instructions regarding how to read the scan code or how to get a scan code app to read the code; 4) “no call-to-action” for the ad as a whole or tied to the [code]"; 5) when you call the phone number in the ad, you don't get much help regarding which app to download to read the code; 6) no added value content in the video that is launched [I liked the fashion catwalk by the kid models: just needed to tell the ad reader what to expect when scanning the code.]; 7) ad assumes that U.S. market knows as much about scan codes as European markets.

Disclosure:

GREAT! is a value-added reseller of *Scanbuy's Scanlife 2D and 1D Platform for Quick Response (QR); EZcode; and Datamatrix codes. GREAT! provides two (2D) scan code implementation, scan code management and scan code consulting to clients and their agencies. Contact us.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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July 27, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Neatoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

On a scale of 1 to 10: my new, first-off-of the production line* Neato XV-11 All Floor Robotic Vacuum System
is an 11. It’s an understatement to say, I am thrilled with my Neato that arrived Tuesday, July 13th. Who knew that vacuuming could be so much fun.

In the last few months, my wife and I noticed that she had been coughing a lot in the bedroom, so we (or I should really say she) did a deep clean of the bedroom: tumbled-dusted the curtains in the dryer; vacuumed under the bed (with our Oreck XL PRO PLUS Vacuum that we also love for its light weight and deep cleaning); changed the bed liner (already hypo-allergenic); removed dust gathering magazines: you get the picture. While the bedroom felt much cleaner, she was still coughing intermittently. So, perhaps she needed to visit an allergist.

Neato XV-11 Robotic All-Floor Vacuum System

Then, “I” vacuumed the bedroom with my Neato XV-11 (including under the bed). I couldn’t believe how much dirt was in the dirt bin. So, “I” immediately vacuumed the bedroom with Neato a second time, and, while not as much dirt, enough that I ran Neato two more times: four times in all. The result: my wife no longer coughs in the bedroom. Period. That’s huge! My wife agrees that Neato’s best feature is its ability to vacuum under our bed (and do a deep clean of the carpets. (A close second is that “I” vacuum more more frequently!) We love that Neato does base boards, corners and cleans around bed legs and support posts. It just works!

I suspect that even if Neato hadn’t done such a great job in the bedroom, I’d still love it for its geek-chic appeal. I’m a (relatively) early adopter of new technology. I have an iPhone 4 (love it); I have a Flip UltraHD Camcorder (loved it ’til I got the iPhone 4); had two Tivos shortly after Flip UltraHD Camcorder (loved it) was introduced (until we switched to AT&T U-verse U450 with highest internet speed possible (love the service; hated the seven truck-rolls for installation); bought a Pioneer Elite Blu-Ray player with Pioneer Elite 50″ HD shortly after its introduction (5x the cost of today’s better version); got an Apple TV (love it) not to long after it was introduced; Netflix; switched my GREAT! Agency to Macs from PCs in 1988. Plus, we’ve started a Geek Night – not Greek Night – show-and-tell dinner party for our other Geek-chic friends. You get the picture.

That’s a long way of saying, it’s fun to watch Neato vacuum. (“I am” vacuuming now.) Press the start button, and Neato comes alive. First, Neato starts out slowly to get the “lay of the land” and then – those nice, neat(o) rows that gives the carpet a “racked” look like a lawn that has been professionally cut. Plus, “I” can vacuum while we’re out to dinner. In my home office, about the size of four bedrooms, Neato needs to re-charge once to complete the space. That said, Neato “knew” it needed to re-charge (in its charging based station); re-charged and remembered where it left off to finish the cleaning – all on its own. “I” vacuum frequently, now that we’ve got Neato. (Hopefully, I still get household “points” for vacuuming!) You can get the Neato specs; see videos; and answers to frequently asked questions on the Neato Robotics home page. Below this video is more on my first-person experience vacuuming with Neato.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Video: To get this "Neato-Cam" video, I mounted my FLIP HD Ultra to the top of the Neato XV-11.]

The first time “I” vacuumed, I wasn’t sure if the laser-guided Neato would be misguided by my movements in the room. (So far, my sense is that I am free to wander the room while Neato vacuums: just not get in its “face” …)

I mentioned that I received Neato on a Tuesday. I held off until that weekend to take it out of the box (that’s five years in Geek years) figuring that I would have to do some assembly; and, (aghast) read the manual ’cause this was new, new technology that would be hard to figure-out and use. Guys and their high-tech gadgets. It takes so little to entertain us. It’s part of our DNA. Well, I couldn’t be more wrong about ‘our” new Neato. Getting started with Neato, was as easy as … 1-2-3:

1. Charge Neato into the charging base station
2. Fully charge (solid green light) Neato before “you” start vacuuming
3. Press START to wake-up Neato and then press START again to vacuum. Now that’s out-of-the-box thinking! (And, beautifully and safely packaged.)

I do recommend reading the 50-page (big print) manual. It’s a fun, helpful and light-read. “Though it may seem pet-like, do not bathe or otherwise submerge your Neato XV-11 vacuum in water. … It doesn’t mind being cleaned and groomed with a damp cloth, however.” (Thank you Neato Robotics for having a sense of humor!)

Neato XV-11 Box

Neato doesn’t like curtains, so I used monster clips to “pin-up” our bedroom curtains before letting Neato do its thing. Plus, I picked up some small area rugs; and used the 15-foot Boundary Marker (included) to “rope-off” the ’spaghetti’ of cables under my desk in my office.
In an anthropomorphic moment, my wife asked me what name I would give “our” Neato. (She named her Cello … Monte … so it was a given that Neato would get a new name!) First, some backstory. I grew-up watching the “futuristic utopia” Hanna-Barbera animated TV series The Jetsens featuring “elaborate robotic contraptions” living in “Skypad Apartments in Orbit City” cleaned by “humanoid” Rosie the Robot Maid (XB-500). Rosie was – “an old demonstrator model hired by the Jetson family from U-RENT A MAID.” So, in an homage to Rosie the Robot Maid in The Jetsons, I’ve named “our” Neato … Rosie! (Not to be confused with, Rosie, one of my fashion and glamour photo shoot models.)

And, should our every-other-week housekeeper be concerned about her job being replaced? Not just yet. Among other things, Rosie doesn’t create a rose out of the end of the toilet paper. (Note to Neato Robotics Engineers: we’d love a robot that can change bed linens too please.)

So, after two weeks of Rosie vacuuming, here are some suggestions for Neato Robotics:

Per-orders now through 8/10/10:*** At $399 from Neato Robotics (0r $399 from Amazon), the Neato XV-11 is pricy:** particularly because you (probably) still need a regular vacuum, even if it is just to do steps or area rugs. That said, if my wife had to visit the allergy doctor, the time and expense of the doctor and prescriptions would have exceeded the cost of a Neato. Perhaps allergy doctors should counsel their patients to get  a Neato XV-11 Robotic All-Floor Vacuum Cleaner!

While the Roomba robotic vacuum had always been on my radar (Reminder: I’m a Geek – I am expected to know these things!), my sense is that the Neato is in a (cleaning) class by itself. Like the Neato Robotics website says, “Smart. Powerful. Methodical.”

In a word, how do I feel about Rosie, “our” new Neato XV-11 ‘housekeeper’?

Neatooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

# # # # #

Suggested Reading/Viewing:

• BotJunkie – BotJunkie Review: Neato Robotics XV-11 (5/18/10)
• The New York Times – Neato Introduces the XV-11 Vacuum Robot (6/29/10)
• Neato Robotics Press Release – Neato Robotics Ships Smart, Powerful Robot Vacuum Cleaner To Keep All Types of Floors Meticulously Neat (6/28/10)
• Gizmodo – Robot Vacuum Cleaner. With Lasers. Robots. Lasers. Cleaning. Awesome. (12/16/09)
• Wired: Gadget Lab – Neato Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Challenges the Roomba (12/16/09)
• ABC News/Technology – Neato Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Challenges the Roomba (12/21/09)
• RobotShop Community Forum – Neato Robotics Vacuum Cleaner Available at RobotShop.com (7/16/10)
• Engadget – Neato XV-11 ships out next month, will assassinate dust bunnies for money (6.29.10)
• BotJunkie – iRobot Roomba 560 vs. Neato XV-11 (6/4/10)
• All Business – How the Digital Revolution (and Uncle Sam) Can Revive the Economy (7/15/10) – an interview with Neato Robotics CEO Max Saffai
• Engadget – Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum review (8/24/10)

• Neato Robotics – Home Page
• Neato Robotics – Facebook Page
• Neato Robotics – Twitter

Notes:

• Once you buy your Neato, please Comment (below). I’d love to hear your thoughts …

*Disclosure: I won the first-off-the-production-line Neato XV-11 at the Last Gadget Standing competition at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas by screaming the longest and loudest that I want the robotic vacuum cleaner. (I lost my voice for a day!) For details, please see my blog post: First Ever Booth Babes Bingo Held at 2010 CES Trade Show in Last Vegas – ‘We Have A Bingo!’ In my YouTube video that looks like the Blair Witch Project, you’ll hear me scream for “our” Neato XV-11 vacuum cleaner.

PostScript (7/28/10)

Chinavasion – Intelligent Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Wireless IP Camera (via Yug’s Comment to this blog post)

**PostScript (8/5/10)

In my July 27th post, I said “the Neato XV-11 is pricy: particularly because you (probably) still need a regular vacuum, even if it is just to do steps or area rugs. …”

Since that post, I would revise that to say the Neat XV-11 is either a “great value/must buy” or better than our Oreck XL PRO PLUS Vacuum with 8 Attachments and an Oreck XL Handheld Vacuum ($384.95 from Amazon). Here’s why:

• “I” vacuum frequently now that Rosie does all the work. Our home is cleaner and feels cleaner. (And, my wife is still not coughing!)
• Rosie does a better job meticulously getting all possible areas than I did with the Oreck: especially under the dust collecting bed and cabinets (even though the Oreck is light and is relatively easy to vacuum under the bed)
• It’s easy for “me” to vacuum

So, looking back to when we purchased our Oreck to replace a heavy (failed) “self-propelled vacuum, we – both of us agree – would buy the Neato XV-11 vacuum and the lightest/cheapest handle-held canister vacuum I could find – (the Dirt Devil Breeze Bagless Canister Vacuum at $81.54 from Amazon) – for vacuuming drapes, door frames and inevitable cereal spills in the kitchen.

I incorrectly observed that since our Neato is so small, it can’t be as good as our Oreck vacuum. My mistake. The world of vacuum cleaning is likely to undergo a shift to robotic vacuum cleaners just as we are shifting to HD from analog; and to digital from film. It’s just a world of difference having Rosie vacuum for us; it just may take awhile for every to recognize the difference. (It night take everyone to recognize the change. My “Neato-Cam” videos have had more than 700 views in the first week. That’s 700 views watching the carpet in my office being cleaned! How crazy is that!?)

PostScript (8/9/10)

• While you can order the Neato XV-11 now, Amazon (now says) it will begin shipping the Neato XV-11 All Floor Robotic Vacuum System on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 (rather than 8/10/10 as Amazon previously indicated.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Video: To get this video, I used my FLIP HD Ultra on a micro-tripod]

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July 26, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – How do you increase Sponsorship revenue for a theme park? Start with a GREAT! idea.

I am a GREAT! IDEAologist. I love thinking of ideas. Big ideas. Ideas that can generate revenue. Increase audience. Increase attendance. Increase sales. Ideas that can help make a difference.

Here is the first in a series of 12 theoretical examples of GREAT! ideation to help Six Flags Theme Parks* target to a potential Sponsor.  In a moment, the idea: first, some additional benefits for this GREAT! idea:

• Create extraordinary ‘word-of-foot’ value for Nike* brand; including pressworthy launch
• Create an experiential opportunity for Nike – without staffing!
• Turn hundreds of per-park Six Flags trash cans into mini-entertainment experiences.
• Reduce – or eliminate – trash on the ground (Reduce staff time to pick up trash.)
• Use the Six Flags employees’ t-shirt real estate for something that generates revenue; instead of: Have A (Heart), Do Your Part, Help Keep The Park Clean.
  

First, some backstory about Nike’s aggressive plans for growth:

• Nike Inc. CEO Mark Parker wants to aggressively grow Nike to a $27 billion company by 2015: a 40% increase from today – even “while Nike sales growth in the U.S. is slowing,” according to The Wall Street Journal (5/10/10). That’s an opportunity for all Six Flags Parks!
• The Six Flags theme Park audience is perfectly aligned with Nike: the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel.

GREAT! Idea: (Concept) [Test at Six Flags Over Georgia before rolling-out to other Six Flags Theme Parks]

• Text on Trash Can: Just Do It and the Nike Swoosh.
• Nike’s Agency, Wieden+Kennedy,* designs experiential sports Interpretations added to the trash cans – and surrounding pavement:

1. Add a basketball hoop and backboard (and court)
2. Add baseball strike zone / baseball stadium motif
3. Add a football goal / stadium motif
4. Add a bowling alley motif (alley on pavement)
5. Add an archery target
6. Add a lacrosse goal / motif
7. Add track & field shot-put motif
8. Add a soccer goal / stadium motif (soccer field on pavement)
9. Add a golf putting green motif (golf green on pavement)
10. Add an ice hockey goal / hockey rink area motif
11. Add tennis net motif (tennis court on pavement)
12. Add a volleyball court motif (also court on pavement)

Plus, add a Quick Response (QR) code to each trash can that features a Nike sponsored video (e.g. licensed video clip of a great soccer goal, tennis shot, basketball shot, etc.)

Kick Off:

• Pressworthy: Nike flies-in sports stars to Six Flags Over Georgia to “shoot baskets”, “pitch baseballs” and “score goals” by tossing trash into the Just Do It / Swoosh trash cans.
• Nike Sponsors “A Walk In The Park” fundraiser … plus, kids collect Six Flags arcade game tokens as they walk by each Just Do It trash can to win Nike apparel
• All Six Flags employees t-shirts say, Just Do It with the Nike Swoosh
• All Park employees wear imprinted Nike apparel for a week: or ongoing
• Add a Niketown pop-up store to one or more Six Flags Parks

Notes:

• Guests will pick up trash – of other guests – as soon as it hits the ground so they will have “balls” to score a basket, throw a strike or score a goal. Guest will save their trash until they locate a Just Do It trash can. And, they will actively seek out the trash cans! (Kick off the launch with the “Just Do It Trash Can Bingo Game at Six Flags & Win” using your camera in your GPS SmartPhone).
• To see how this might work, see my (hypothetical) idea for Booth Babes Bingo at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show: http://ht.ly/1JKcR

Hundreds of trash cans per Six Flags Theme Park can generate revenue for Six Flags while creating extraordinary ‘word-of-foot’ value for Nike; an entertainment experience for Six Flags guests; and collect trash (more effectively so that employee t-shirt ’signage’ can be deployed for still other marketing opportunities). Nike not interested? Take this idea to Dick’s Sporting Goods, Footlocker, Sports Authority or Adidas America.

[Thank you David, Ben, Jason, Caryn and Bethany for your help thinking through this idea and other GREAT! ideas while experiencing Six Flags Over Georgia rides, attractions, shopping and meals together.]

Related GREAT! Blog Post

• GREAT! Idea: Nike ‘Just Do It’ Experiential Sports Themed Trash Cans at Six Flags Over Georgia
• GREAT! Idea: Six Flags 50th Birthday ‘New Baby’ Promotion to Generate New Sponsorship Revenue

*Disclosure: Neither Six Flags, Nike or Wieden+Kennedy are GREAT! clients (though Six Flags did provide me with free, front-of-the-line passes, meal vouchers, parking and swag for six of us to experience Six Flags Over Georgia together.) This is a GREAT! theoretical idea.

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June 12, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – 2010 is the year of quick response (QR) code in the United States.

By December 31, 2010, a major broadcast or cable TV network and one or more national brands – or Facebook – will do for QR codes in the U.S. what American Idol did for mobile texting. If you work at a major broadcast or cable network or major U.S. consumer brand and are first (in a big, useful, powerful way), you’ll also benefit from a massive amount of traditional consumer and trade media coverage; social media and word-of-mouth buzz.

This means you need to get started – today!  QR codes just took-over Times Square, reports Mashable (6/11/10). Facebook is experimenting with quick response codes, reports TechCrunch (3/16/10). Google started testing the scan code waters, also reports TechCrunch (4/7/10). Now is the time to figure-out which scan code uses makes the most sense for your business. Like Twitter, scan codes cross corporate silos. (Marketers must take the leadership role among silos so that your company takes the correct scan code path to success from day 1.)

Tech-savvy U.S. marketers will choose to use the ScanLife EZcode brand version of quick response scan codes, rather than the QR code first developed by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994 and now ubiquitous in Japan. (The Top 10 reasons EZcodes will win the defacto standard battle in the U.S. is the topic of a another That’s GREAT! blog post.) To download the free ScanLife app for your smart phone, text SCAN to 43588; search your app directory for ScanLife; or go to getscanlife.com)

Here is my list of 101 actual or potential uses for quick scan codes for smart phones (with cameras):

1. 

   Dan Smigrod • Business Card (front) • Text SCAN to 43588 to get free scanner app, ScanLife. Then, scan this code, to get contact info for Dan Smigrod

   Scan Code Meets Street Team Meets Flash Mob 2.0 – scan code meets flash mob meets Street Team – scan the code on the t-shirt to send a Tweet.

2. Business Cards – recipient scans the code to import your contact info. [Download the free ScanLife Smart Phone scanning software and try it on my business card.]
3. Logo Jet – scan code on the exterior of a jet: be first and watch it go viral. Unexpected = traditional media coverage
4. Clothing Designer – Who are you wearing? The fabric design incorporates the scan code. Scanning the code launches the designer’s website. (Now let your customers order an outfit via the web incorporating THEIR scan code into the design of the outfit. (Think HP fashion-meets technology on Project Runway. HP should be sprinting to a personalized scan code leveraging their personalized fabric printing solution.) Scanning the code might take you to a Twitter profile.) See photos of scan codes meet fashion. And, here’s a photo of scan code dating dress! Band/models/rocker chicks wear scan code dresses along with scan code accessories (video). Designer Lendorff Kaywa servers up this high-end fashion scarf with a scan code. And, “tush” codes in France. And, this from Ralph Lauren, as reported by Time magazine (8/14/08)
5. Head of Lettuce – find when and where the lettuce is grown: it’s already being done in Japan.
6. Website – on the Contacts page. Here’s how we use the scan code on the GREAT! website. [Fast Company uses a scan code to take the reader directly to the writer's Twitter feed. This example is from 6/22/10.]
7. Big Box Retailer – Manufacturers provide how to install videos via scan codes. Place scan codes on all their product boxes. If the manufacturer is not already doing so.
8. Product Packaging – If you sell a product that requires installation, including a scan code on the box (to play the how to install video). This helps sell product; helps with install; helps reduce call-center calls; and reduces returns.) Lighting Labels Blog writes: QR Codes are Coming to Packaging (3/16/10). Putting Dots on Paper blog post says, The Stars Align for QR Codes (3/16/10)
9. Magazine/Newspaper Ad – scan the code to launch a how to video; a calendar item; or pre-filled in tweet (Click here for Macy’s Kenneth Cole fragrance ad example) Click here for an example of Ford in The Times of India newspaper. (3/28/10)
10. Magazine/Newspaper Editorial Coverage – scanning the code launches digital content such as video coverage or updates for news by topic or story. Car and Driver magazine includes a code with each car pictured for additional information.
11. Outdoor Billboard – great for a teaser campaign for a new movie or TV show. Scan the code to watch the trailer, sneak preview or teaser episode. Mashable reports: City of New York Blankets Times Square with Giant QR Codes (6/10/10)
12. Interactive Television – imagine the TV show story line incorporates scan codes that reveal additional information for the character or viewer.  (For the viewer the scan code might include the backstory on how this stunt was done. Think mash-up of movie DVD bonus content meets TV show. Viewers are engaged with the programming) ["EZcodes are a key ingredient in the new season of La Carte Aux Tresors (Treasure Hunt), a popular French prime-time TV show modeled on America's Amazing Race," according to the ScanLife.com website. Click here to see a video clip of the show using a ScanCode. Click here to see a video showing how The Weather Channel incorporated a scan code into its weather forecast (2/10).
13. Name Tags – create and add your scan code to your name badge to make it easy for conference and exhibit attendees to get your contact info. Print your scan code on Avery labels and you are done. (Avery: it would be great to have a 3/4" square Avery label for scan scan codes! While the initial interest may be small, you'll get media coverage for being innovative. I'd like to buy the first box of these Avery Easy Peel labels for EZcode scan codes please.) Conference event organizers can automatically generate scan codes for name badges too. Click here for a name tag example reported by Fast Company (3/16/10) at the South by Southwest conference in March 2010.
14. 

    Scan the Code to Launch a Tweet • Text SCAN to 43588 to get free scanner app, ScanLife. Then, scan this code, to send a tweet to Dan Smigrod

    Books-Books-Books – Text Books – until all text book content is delivered via an iPad, add scan codes to text books to “add” video to the book. Children’s Books – add scan codes to help make learning fun! Novels – add scan codes for sidebar stories about the characters or author commentary. Recipe Book – scan the code to see the “how to” video (cooking technique, how to make this dish, inspiration from the author). Non-Fiction – add scan codes to add content updates since the book was published. Brand Digital book by Alen Adamson includes a scan code on the back cover to take you to the Amazon page to order the book.

15. House For Sale Signs – add scan code that launches video or photo tour of the house. Realtor Lesley Lambert in Western, MA uses scan codes to help sell her clients’ homes (see her video).
16. Land For Sale Signs – add scan code to get details about the land
17. Luggage – add your scan code to your luggage
18. Train – add scan code to get a schedule and route
19. Train Ads – add scan code to get contact info
20. Toys – manufacturer includes on each toy for an extended experience. For example, when you scan American Girl, you get an additional story about your American Girl.
21. Games – scan codes an extra interactive game play dimension that launch a video
22. Appliances – Can’t find the instructions for the vacuum cleaner you bought two years ago? The scan code launches the appliance manual on the website
23. Museum – scan the code for audio commentary for this piece of artwork
24. Theme Park – create a scavenger hunt with scan codes (Click here for a “SCANvengerHunt” example in Dayton, OH) SCVNGR is a scan-venger hunt game app ….
25. Historical Site Markers – scan code reveals video or text about this historical location
26. Facebook – scan code provides your info. FaceTime Strategy blog “predicts Facebook will use the codes for profile information and status updates.”
27. Groceries – scan code for a recipe added either by the manufacturer or the retailer
28. Restaurant Menu – scan code for the recipe
29. Restaurant Menu Item – Click here for a scan code on a McDonalds hamburger wrapper in Japan. (nutritional info)
30. LinkedIn Page – add your scan code with your contact info
31. Travel Brochure – scan the code at the hotel will call you (mash-up of scan and Live Chat) Click here to see how the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino uses the EZcode.
32. Free Digital Asset – Scan this code to get animated wallpaper from Nike.
33. CD – Scan the code to get bonus content: free wallpaper, video, ring tone and tour schedule.
34. DVD – Scan the code to get bonus content: video
35. Catalog – Sears uses EZcode scan codes to show product review and specs. Click here for “This Is Canada” brochure with extensive use of scan codes. (6/10/10)
36. Airport Signage – passengers on the go get connected to airline’s flight status
37. College Campus – Case Western Reserve University student organizations use their scan codes to promote their campus events
38. Google Maps – scan code to get a walking map from here to the Georgia Aquarium. (An extremely long URL – such as a Google Map with directions – can be a simple scan code!)
39. Calendar Item – scan this code to save the date, time and place for the Big Boi release party
40. Discount Code – scan this code – now – to get a text message with the promo code to get 25% off your purchase today.
41. Call Us! – scan this code to call us now to place your order!
42. Email Us! – scan this code to email us now (from your smart phone)
43. Movie Ad – scan this code for your choice: watch the movie trailer, find the closest theater or buy tickets now. Every movie ad should let you see the movie trailer – now!
44. TV Show Print Ad – scan this code calendar entry code to save an event to your smart phone calendar including: date, time and place (TV channel). [CNBC ran a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal (6/22/10) print edition that contained a scan code (Microsoft Tag) to launch a video (on YouTube) promoting the CNBC original, American Greed Special Presentation: Mob Money.]
45. Tweet This! – scan this code to tweet this story (with suggested text for your tweet)
46. Concert Venue – guests scan the code when existing the concert venue to tweet: a) they enjoyed the show; and b) promoting the next event at this concert venue. This helps: a) build the concert venue brand; and b) promotes the next event
47. How To I Get There From Here? – this scan code contains the Google Maps URL for directions from Point A to Point B. For example, If you have been to the Millennium Park you may be surprised to learn that there is a 1,500+ theater underground: the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. How about scan codes located in the Park to help promote the theater?
48. Craker Jack caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts snack – Free Prize goes digital – these scan codes fulfill digital assets (it’s a surprise until you scan the code; or, your choose of free digital asset)
49. Chicago Water Taxi – place the scan code of the roof so that tourists crossing over the bridges when the water taxi passes can find out how where/how much/frequency for a water taxi. (You missed a sale!)
50. Hallmark Greeting Card via SmartPhone – I saw an ad (poster) in the Chicago O’Hare International Airport this month for sending Hallmark Greeting Cards via smart phone. I would have preferred a scan code instead of texting to get further instructions. (It’s easier and faster …)
51. Media Release – add scan codes to media releases
52. In Store – add scan codes to all signage. Examples include: Tweet this to a friend; save the date for our fashion show; see a video about this product
53. Wall Painting – add a scan code as tall as the building for dramatic impact (Think gigantic spectacular sign in Times Square) Click here for a blog post that includes photos from Times Square to Tokyo from InventorSpot by Ron Callari.
54. Restaurant Business or Post Cards – scan the code to make a reservation via Open Table.
55. Grocery Shopping Cart – on sale this week (scan code remains the same: content changes weekly)
56. Bus Shelter – scan to find out when’s the next bus (launches app for that!)
57. Taxi Stand – scan to call a taxi
58. In the Mens’ Urinals – first use gets traditional media coverage! [GREAT! proposed and implemented the first interactive urinal communicator for CMT Outlaws. ("Don't miss Outlaws on CMT. You seem to miss everything else.")]
59. Scan2Win – for your chance to win, scan this code. This functionality is built into the ScanLife EZcode scan code service.
60. Email Signature Block – add a scan code with your contact info or a calendar item for an upcoming event such as the premiere of a new TV series
61. Teaser Mailing – imagine ’snail mailing’ a potential Client a Scan code (that’s it! It’s a teaser mailing!) that auto-generates a tweet back to you from the recipient to schedule a lunch meeting [For example, I mailed a scan code on Monday, June 7, 2010 to a hard-to-reach senior marketing executive that I would like to meet for lunch to discuss a (GREAT!) idea. Let's see if he uses the pre-filled in tweet to reply to me to set up lunch!]
62. Direct Mail – include various scan codes (call us; watch a video, launch website, enter sweepstakes)
63. Instruction Manual – include scan codes for watching the installation; repair or trouble-shooting videos
64. Invoice – turn an invoice into a marketing tool with a scan code that launches a video or website
65. Truck – got one or more trucks that include a phone number or web address? Include a scan code too!
66. Video Game – add bonus content, clues or links within a video game
67. There’s An App for That – add a scan code that takes the consumer to the mobile app that you want them to download on an iPhone. For example, The Wall Street Journal ran a 1/4 page house ad (6/9/10) to get their podcasts on-demand from a mobile phone. The ad included a scan code that launched the Apple iTunes App Store on my iPhone and took me directly to the free app (Stitcher) to install. It’s just an easier/faster way to find/install a new app. 325,000+ apps should be using a scan code to launch “Install” the app in the Apple iTunes App Store
68. Restaurant Guide – include a scan code for each restaurant to launch map/directions
69. Trade Show Management – your scan code on traditional collateral launches your trade show app
70. Conference – BMO Capital Markets included a scan code in their print ad to get their conference materials on your mobile
71. Music – if your audience is music, take ‘em to your music or music video on YouTube.
72. Film – if you want to get people to watch your movie in the theater, have them scan the code to watch the movie trailer – now! The 2009 film, Surrogates, starring Bruce Willis, used the code for a Scan2win sweepstakes to see a advance screening. Click here for an Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull poster using a scan code in Australia.
73. Tickets – add a scan code to provide advance info for your guests (or help activate word-of-mouth). For example, launch a tweet: “Just got my ticket to BLUE MAN GROUP at THE VENETIAN in Las Vegas. NY Times says, ‘THE SHOW ROCKS!’” (Use the code codes to sell tickets too.)
74. Vacuum Cleaner – Bissell vacuum cleaner brochure has a scan code that launches their mobile website. I’d like to see the scan code on the vacuum too! For example, launch a video to show how to replace the fan belt.
75. Temporary Tattoos – if you have ravening fans, let them show it – and share it – with a scan code. For example, the scan code might launch a tweet to the rock star. First one that does this idea (for the right product) will generate huge trade and/or consumer press. Click here for some non-commercial temporary tattoo examples.
76. Photography Art Exhibit – Imagine an art gallery that has 20 different framed scan codes: that’s it. Each scan code reveals a different photo from the photographer. The photographer can “rotate” the photos daily, weekly or monthly so that the exhibit changes. [This idea is inspired by an exhibit I saw many years ago at the Chicago Art Institute. Each "painting" was a different date in black Helvetica type on a white background. Meaningless? Now image that the date happened to be the day you were married. That's an image that's bigger than life that the artist couldn't possibly capture on canvas, but just did simply by displaying the date. I'd love to link to the Artist's work ...] [They beat me to it! QR Code Show 6/23/10]
77. Uniforms – if all your employees wear the same t-shirt, adding a scan code on their tee can help create an interactive guest experience. And, the scan codes could lead to different call-to-actions.
78. Google Favorite Places – We’re a Favorite Place on Google – let’s go to the videotape for the backstory on the window stickers you will start to see. Lightning Labels Blog writes, “Google Sends Out 100,000 QR Code Stickers” (12/21/09)
79. Penthouse For Sale – Fourth largest U.S. real estate company announces (6/9/10) it’s first to market NY penthouses using EZcode scan codes.
80. Window Displays – learn more about the items in the window
81. Shelf Talkers – recipes for produce, meat, beverages, etc.
82. Standees – Xbox “Halo 3″ used Microsoft Tag scan codes
83. YouTube Video - scan the code at the end of the video to take you to a related video
84. TV Commercial – :30 seconds not enough? Scan this code within the commercial for expanded video content
85. Display Classified Ad – scan this code for a map showing the destination
86. Bedtime Story Meets Bedspread-Boy – a dozen scan codes: for different dinosaur  stories, photos, videos and more each week for 52 weeks – a mash-up!
87. Barbie Bedtime Story Meets Bed Spread-Girl – a dozen scan codes for a different Barbie stories, photos, video and more each week for 52 weeks – a mash-up!
88. Wheaties Cereal Box – scan the code to see video of the athlete on the box
89. Picture Frames – scan the link to see artwork that changes daily
90. Board Game Cards – turn that “take a chance card” into a video opportunity. We’ve scene games incorporate TV, CD and DVDs. Now games can include music, video and other multi-media without the expense of a CD or DVD packed in every game box. First game to integrate a mobile phone into the game experience will be rewarded with traditional media coverage and word-of-mouth buzz
91. Twitter – How about creating a TwitScan(TM) service that creates a scan code and provide a short URL to it!
92. Webinar – integrate scan codes into your webinar for additional content
93. Teaser – place scan codes in unexpected places without an explanation to tease (movie, TV show, new product, new service)
94. PowerPoint (Keynote on a Mac) – engage your audience with bonus content; first and last slide has a scan code with your contact info
95. PayPal Payments – scan the code to make a donation to the non-profit via PayPal
96. Made you look! – oh! Those Brits!
97. Rubber Stamp – with your scan code! (on your forehead?)
98. RSS Feed – convert your RSS feed to mobile and assign it a scan code
99. Building – Here is a photo of a scan code building in Tokyo (12/09)
100. Wine Bottles - Lighting Labels Blog writes about two Portuguese wineries using scan codes on their labels (3/18/09)
101. Political Campaign – scan the codes to: volunteer, donate, see the candidate speak on an issue. Click here for First Political Campaign Poster with a 2D Code (2d code blog) 9/23/08.  Click here for “Use QR Codes for Political Action” by David Rogers (4/9/10)

Look for me at the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association (AiMA) Mobile Marketing Bootcamp on Thursday, June 24, 2010.* ** I will be wearing a TWEET ME tee. When attendees scan the EZcode on my tee (pictured), they’ll be able to re-tweet this message:

RT @Smigrod 101 Uses For Quick Response Codes: Creating Audience Engagement http://www.blog.GREATtv.com #QR #AiMA #Mobile #Marketing

[If you would like a unique TWEET ME tee customized to your Twitter account, please tweet: "@smigrod I want a TWEET ME tee UNIQUE to ME" ... I will tweet you back within 48 hours so you can buy your unique TWEET ME tee from the uSCANmeSTORE I set up on Zazzle to demonstrate this EZcode brand version of a quick response (QR) code example.]

Got additional ideas for how quick response codes are used/can be used? Please add a Comment (and include a link, if appropriate). I would like to expand this blog post beyond 101 uses. And, please check back for more examples.

(For the backstory on scan codes – including EZcodes, Quick Response (QR), Data Matrix, High Capacity Color Barcode – please see: Barcode in Wikipedia, Mobile tagging in Wikipedia, ScanBuy or ScanLife.) And, join the scan code conversation via the LinkedIn Group: 2D Codes for Global Media.

Related Links

• Mashable - 5 Unique Uses for QR Codes (1/7/09)
• QR-Blog – See Great Dino Roar movie 100 ft. tall spectacular sign on Madison Square Garden using a QR code, trade show badges using QR codes
• QR Code - Tracking service, News, Videos, Forums, Focus groups and more – See Google.com/favoriteplaces video, “check-out” the artist rendering of a potential Dubai QR Code Hotel
• Sinap – QR Code Sand Castle in Japan (7/28/09)
• Shopper Marketing Magazine – Quick Response (QR) story (undated)
• CNET TV – How To: Use QR codes (3/24/10) [excellent overview video]
• Design Taxi Blog – Inventor of the QR Code Develops a New Reader Application (for iPhone) (6/11/10)
• Twitter – ScanLifeSupport, uSCANme, QRMe
• Maximim Management blog – QR Codes Still Looking For The Right Business Model And Problem To Solve (1/24/10)
• CenterNetworks – Why QR Codes Will Be Big Business in the U.S. (2/8/08)
• Advertising Age – Google Bets (Again) on QR Codes (12/7/09)
• 2d code – comprehensive site about all things scan codes
• Lexington eBusiness Consulting: Mark Sprague’s Blog – Understanding QR Codes: Improving Website Performance/Drive traffic using QR Codes (4/26/10)
• TechFlash – Microsoft officially releases Tag, its mobile barcode technology (5/27/10)
• Associated Press (via USA Today) – Bar codes used for more than just groceries ((6/7/10)
• PR Newswire – Inventor of the QR Code Develops a New Reader Application (6/9/10)
• PR Web – Mobile Discovery’s QR Code Campaign for Canada Tourism Makes Headlines Across the U.S. (6/10/10)
• Marketing Daily (Commentary by Jeff Weidauer) – Next In Mobile Marketing: 2D Barcodes (6/10/10)

Related Links (after my 6/12/10 That’s GREAT! Blog Post)

Scanning Apps For Smartphones

• ScanLife
• i-nigma
• RedLaser
• NeoReader
• Stickybits
• Scvngr
• Microsoft Tag Reader
• 2d code – QR Code and 2d Barcode Readers

Scan Code Generators

• ScanLife – Generates EZcode, QR Code and Datamatix (jpeg, png, bmp formats)
• Kaywa QR Code – (Non-Commercial Use Only)
• Delivr
• QR Stuff
• 2d code – QR Code Generator List by 2d code online magazine

Special Thanks To

• Christian Oliver – the first business card I received containing a quick response code was from Christian Oliver

Postscript (after my 6/12/10 That’s GREAT! Blog Post)

• Cocktail Napkins – ‘buzz marketing’ – print your EZcode scan code on ‘web enabled’ bar napkins. Click here to learn more about ScanNap by NapkinsONLY.

Related That’s GREAT! blog posts: [Added 8/2/10]

• That’s GREAT! – 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App (6/12/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Reasons ScanLife EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/11/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Ugh! Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Integrating 2D Quick Response Codes In Your Marketing Plans (8/2/10)

*Thanks to those that – asked me about – or scanned my TWEET ME tee at the AiMA Mobile Marketing Boot Camp on Thursday (6/25/10). Keynote speaker – The Coca-Cola Company Group Manager for Strategy & Planning, Global Interactive Marketing Tom Daly – referenced scan codes multiple times in his opening remarks (and video) regarding customer engagement. With this extra boost of visibility for scan codes at the Boot Camp, I was surprised that I did not get more people asking about – or scanning – the EZcode scan code on my tee. Perhaps I should have asked one of my Atlanta fashion and glamour models to wear my Tweet Me tee at the event?!

** I won an Apple iPod touch from AiMA in their Text-to-Win sweepstakes. The Text-to-Win sweepstakes engine was from Whoop. You can’t win unless you enter! At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, I won a Neato Robotics Neato XV-11 robotic vacuum cleaner.

Disclosures:

• ScanBuy provided GREAT! with a free ScanLife EZcode scan code business account.
• [As of July 2010] GREAT! is a value-added reseller of *Scanbuy’s Scanlife 2D and 1D Platform for Quick Response (QR);EZcode; and Datamatrix codes. GREAT! provides two (2D) scan code implementation, scan code management and scan code consulting to clients and their agencies. Contact us.

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June 22, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – ScanLife’s EZcode brand version of quick response (QR) scan codes will win the defacto standard battle in the United States rather than the QR code first developed – and now ubiquitous – in Japan.

EZcode • Twitter Example (Text SCAN to 43588 for free scanning app)

I agree with Mashable Associate Editor Jennifer Van Grove (6/11/10) writing about City of New York Blankets Times Square with Giant QR Codes:

• Unfortunately, the QR codes miss the mark and don’t provide an optimized experience for scanners on the mobile device – which pretty much, includes the entire target audience.
• These QR codes are certainly impressive to behold and are a nice first try … we hope future endeavors will yield QR codes that provide scanners with much more exciting and mobile-friendly content.

New York City – that’s an “A Plus” for a great innovative idea and great timing with Internet Week 2010; and a “B Minus” for implementation.

Here are my top 10 reasons why EZcodes will be the scan code of choice by U.S. marketers and why the City of New York (“NYC”) should have used EZcodes instead of QR codes in their Times Square buzz-marketing campaign. (In this That’s GREAT! blog post, I have also included a recommendation for ScanBuy to help ensure that their ScanLife EZcode wins the defacto standard in the U.S.)

EZcode v QR Code

1. Analytics. Analytics. Analytics. – When you create EZcodes at ScanLife.com and the codes are scanned with the ScanLife app, ScanBuy provides you with data and analytics (e.g. gender, age, household income, zip code, smart phone model, mobile carrier, number of scans and date scanned). If you use a free QR code generator on the web, you don’t get analytics. Clients – and their Agencies – need data to help evaluate campaigns. (ScanBuy also includes data and analytics for QR and Datamatrix codes created at ScanLife.com and scanned with the ScanBuy app.) Any code created by ScanLife and scanned by the ScanLife app will generate “most data 100 percent of the time; and income and zip date about 10-15% of the time,” according to a representative of ScanBuy. My guess is that NYC used a free QR code generator that does not provide any analytics regarding the scanning of the QR codes in Times Square. [Kindly comment to this blog post, if you know otherwsie ...]
2. Size Matters – EZcodes can be as small as a dime. “Typically QR codes are anywhere from 2x the size of an EZcode to 10x the size of an EZcode, but the QR codes that [ScanLife] generate can always be a minimum of 1 inch,” according to a representative of ScanBuy. Typically, QR codes that are not generated by ScanLife, are larger because the information is include in the code itself (rather than the EZcode that “points to” a database for the content or call-to-action).  Using an EZcode scan code leaves more room in print media to use for something else. “The size of an EZcode does not increase based on the information which it is linked to, while other formats are directly proportional to the amount of data delivered [except when generated by ScanLife],” says a ScanLife in its “EZcode Benefits” brochure. See page 2 of this brochure for a terrific chart showing a comparison of size examples of EZcodes versus QR scan codes.
3. EZcodes Are Easier To Scan On A Smart Phone – the simplicity of an EZcode density design make it easier to scan. While EZcodes and QR codes may be equally easy to scan in a magazine, that’s not true of outdoor boards, clothing and other uses.
4. EZcodes Are Faster To Scan On A Smart Phone – the simplicity of an EZcode also make it faster to scan. Seconds count to get the call-to-action completed.
5. EZcodes Are Easier to Reproduce – the simplicity of the EZcode design means it’s easier to reproduce – even as small as the size of a dime, for example. If you make a QR code the size of a dime, it’s likely that the QR scan code will not scan!
6. ScanLife App Is Pre-Loaded on Many Smart Phones – Since the ScanLife app (free) that reads EZcodes is pre-loaded on many smart phones, you’re a step ahead. Plus, the ScanLife app reads every major barcode format including: Quick Response (QR) and Datamatrix scan codes. Millions of mobile phones with the ScanLife app can read EZcode scan codes. [Scanbuy reportes 25 million as of 6/23/10]
7. No One Ever Gets Fired For Buying From IBM – You’re in great company with EZcodes. Major marketers using EZcodes include: McDonalds, American Airlines, Sears, CitySearch, US Air Force, Case Western University, Sprint, Guinness, Billboard magazine, Morgans Hotel Group, and Car and Driver magazine.
8. Pre-Built Scan Code Tools – With EZcodes, in addition to launching a webpage, you can (easily) create a tweet; run a sweepstakes; automatically initiate a pre-determined phone number; send a text message; automatically open a message with the address and text fields pre-filled; launch a carrier specific menu; send all basic contact information to the address book;automatically save a calendar entry (and more). In the NYC Times Square campaign, I would have preferred pre-filled in tweets to create audience engagement, or at the very least, a NYC mobile optimized websites, as Mashable suggests.
9. EZcodes Are Smart (Change Info – Even After The Code Has Been Published) – You can print an EZcode scan code in a magazine without knowing the info that you will associate with that EZcode. Plus, even after the scan code is in use, you can tweak your content. Perhaps the production deadlines for the NYC spectacular signage was before NYC knew what content it wanted to provide, so it had to go with an existing URL at the time of production. Had NYC used EZcodes, it could have changed the URL that it “points to” during the campaign!
10. GREAT! Recommends EZcodes – Just because you are starting to see QR codes in the U.S., doesn’t mean that’s the best choice. Once you do your research, you’ll agree that the scan code of choice for U.S. marketers will be easy an easy decision – EZcode.

QR Code • Twitter Example (Text SCAN to 43588 for free scanning app)

Recommendation For ScanBuy To Help Ensure The Success Of It’s EZcodes

ScanBuy offers two pricing strategies for using EZcodes:

• pay a flat monthly fee, or
• pay a one-time project fee based on the scale and scope of the project and the window that the EZcodes will be used

The challenge with these two pricing options is that you have to have a conversation with ScanBuy for every project. At best, this is cumbersome in the get-to-know ‘em phase. (Personal usage of EZcodes is free, but no analytics and not all EZcode uses are offered.) At worst, some potential marketers will fail to test EZcodes and opt for a free QR code generator without knowing what they are missing.

I recommend that ScanBuy eliminate its free personal usage EZcodes and add the following ScanBuy Membership plan:

• $49 12-month ScanBuy membership; includes up to 5,000 scans per year (a penny a scan) and then 2 cents per scan. Offer a free introductory special now through 12/31/11 (via promo code); or $24.95 for the first 12 months including up to 5,000 scans free. Offer pre-pay options for various buckets of additional scans within 12 months. (e.g. pre-pay $50 for 5,000 additional scans.)

• The 12-month $49 membership offer enables an affiliate marketing program to be implemented to generate revenue to cover marketing this expense (even if discounted to $24.95); and, more importantly, enables offering the same EZcode service to every customer (offering analytics and all versions of EZcodes options) so Clients and Agencies can test a full-working robust account without having to disclose its marketing plans to ScanBuy.) Codes can be retired – and re-cycled – if the annual 12-month membership is not renewed.

• After 5,000 scans, the ScanBuy member can either pay monthly via credit card; cancel the account (all codes for this customer will no longer work); or – in the case of a major account, request and receive special one-time project or monthly pricing. (Large projects/accounts will need to know fixed costs up front in order to budget for the project.)

• Even once large projects end, ScanBuy members can still opt to pay the two cents per scan to keep the codes active (or, pre-pay for a bucket of scans for predictable savings.)

The annual $49 12-month membership revenue will generate substantial revenue for ScanBuy beginning with annual renewal of membership. Plus, by the 13th month, it’s a an easy business decision to renew the EZcode membership and to pre-pay for EZcodes in exchange for predictable savings.

[For 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App, please see my That's GREAT! blog post of June 12, 2010. To download the free ScanLife app for your smart phone, text SCAN to 43588; search your app directory for ScanLife; or go to getscanlife.com]

Related That’s GREAT! blog posts: [Added 8/2/10]

• That’s GREAT! – 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App (6/12/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Reasons ScanLife EZcodes Are Better Than Quick Response (QR) Codes For U.S. Marketers (6/11/10)
• That’s GREAT! – Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Integrating 2D Quick Response Codes In Your Marketing Plans (8/2/10)
• That’s GREAT! (8/20/10) Product Camp Atlanta: Social Media Meets Quick Response (QR) Codes: 25 Great QR Ideas In 10 Minutes (Then We Brainstorm 25 More Ideas)

Postscript:

• Here are some comments – via Twitter – to this blog post: @christianoliver, @christianoliver (Since most scan codes take you to a URL, your mobile still needs a data connection to the internet.)

• ScanLife VP of Marketing David Javitch posted (6/21/10) a comment on the LinkedIn Group: 2D Codes for Global Media regarding the difference between Japan and the United States regarding scan codes and camera phones:  “… The main reason that Japan worked so well is because all of the operators preloaded a reader on devices which run on 2-3 operating systems, and that had great AF [Auto Focus] cameras (needed to read complex QR codes). They also focused on the QR code as the primary point of interaction.  In the US for example, AF cameras just started hitting the market in the past 10 months, and there are 6 different operating systems that all handle the camera differently (even different devices on the same OS work differently). UPC code scanning has also become quite popular here which is great because it creates adoption, but it also adds another layer of complexity.  So, we need to prioritize both the handsets and the barcodes which are most likely to be used by consumers and businesses. Right now, that is evolving very quickly based on what the market wants, and we will continue to be flexible to do what is best for the industry. The market will standardize, but that will likely happen on different timelines by region.”

• GoMo News – BA’s barcode causes confusion – Datamatrix or Aztec? (7/20/10) [UK based]

Disclosures:

• ScanBuy provided GREAT! with a free ScanLife EZcode scan code business account.

• [As of July 2010] GREAT! is a value-added reseller of *Scanbuy’s Scanlife 2D and 1D Platform for Quick Response (QR);EZcode; and Datamatrix codes. GREAT! provides two (2D) scan code implementation, scan code management and scan code consulting to clients and their agencies. Contact us.

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May 30, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – What’s your brand’s story?

For 21-year-old Atlanta Whole Foods Cashier Sarah, she wears her personal brand story on her “sleeve” – literally – a tic-toc-toe board tattoo.

Sarah

“I am seeking ‘X’s and ‘O’s – hugs and kisses – for a lifetime of love,” says Sarah confidently with a huge, glowing smile pointing to her tattoo as she scans my groceries. Her brand is clear; concise; and is focused on the future; not the past.

But, that’s not the story Sarah shared with me two minutes earlier when I asked her for the backstory behind her tic-tac-toe tattoo prominently “branded” on her left arm.

“Please don’t judge me by my tattoo,” Sarah requested. “I got it when I was 16. I was hanging out with a friend who was getting a tattoo. While waiting, I saw on the board that if you got a tic-tac-toe tattoo, it was free. So, I thought I would be cool to get it … and in the most obvious place possible.”

Sarah's 'Branding'

“Are you happy with your tattoo,” I asked her. “No. I’ve looked into getting it removed – and covered – and it’s just too expensive. I’ve learned to just live with it,” she said.

“Sarah, you need a new story,” I suggested. She agreed. By the time I had paid for my groceries – I had re-positioned Sarah with a new “branding” story that didn’t require the removal of her ‘branding’ on her arm. [Sarah re-tells her "before" and "after" "branding" story in the video (below) while she was on her break.]

I am a GREAT! IDEAologist. I love thinking of ideas. Big ideas. Ideas that can make a difference.

For more than 20 years, clients continue to say, “That’s a great idea!” Or, “That’s GREAT!

Thinking of great ideas – to help a client with a marketing; promotion; buzz marketing campaign; or, social media marketing challenge – usually takes longer than the time it takes to ring-up $112.69 in groceries. Today, it took just two minutes to change how Sarah sees herself, her tattoo and her future – a future filled with X’s and O’s – hugs and kisses – for a lifetime of love.

That’s the power of a GREAT! Idea.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Postscript: (7/21/10)

Associated Press – What’s the big deal, Mom? It’s just a tattoo!

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May 28, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – Wow! Who knew Microsoft could be so hip or so social?

I was blown away by both the new Microsoft Kin smartphone launch party in Atlanta Thursday (5/27) night and how its Agency, Exposure, conceived, implemented and promoted the party. (Plus, six other Microsoft KIN launch parties across America.)

The time and location of the party in Atlanta was still a secret as of 3:49 pm Thursday – just hours before the concert! “FREE SHOW! More info @ 4pm!,” tweeted Hip Hop Artist YelaWolf earlier on Thursday.

At 4 pm, the Artists’ reveal tweets started to activate the flash mob partygoer fans:

YelaWolf's Tweet Reveals "Secret Party" Location

• “… big boi, yelawolf & jay electronica puttin’ on a free show at 8 pm @ the yaarab Shriners temple, 400 ponce de Leon ave in atl,” tweeted Hip Hop Artist Big Boi of OUTKAST.
• … Yelawolf with Big Boi and Jay Elecronica are putting on a free show tonight at 8PM at the Yaarab (cont) http://tl.gd/1h6fdf, tweeted Alabama Hip Hop Artist YelaWolf followed by “FREE SHOW LOCATION: Yaarab Shriner’s Temple 400 Ponce de Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA. 30308 Doors @ 8pm!”
• “8PM at the Yaarab Shriners Temple at 400 Ponce de Leon Ave in Atlanta. … Free parking on-site,” tweeted Southern Hip Hop Artist Jay Electronica.

Makeda Demos Kin

Then the Facebook posts … And, the re-tweets and Facebook “Like This” by the Artist fans.

And, by 8 pm the Yaarab Shrine Temple auditorium, the most unexpected concert party venue in Atlanta – transformed into an ultra-hip MTV-like party space – filled (comfortably) with hundreds of guests enjoying the music, the vibe and the open bar while hundreds were being turned away at the door to the hottest party in the ATL.

No newspaper ads. No TV commercials. No radio spots. Just Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, re-tweets, Facebook’s Like This, and other social media tools such as TwitLonger – and a KIN ‘socialogist‘ – to spread the word among the most likely prospective customers of Microsoft’s new Kin smartphone: the 18 to 20 something that connect and share with their friends through their mobile phones. (And, tweeted and posted photos and videos from the event while it was happening.) Now start adding legs like the viral Kin Facebook Sweepstakes for a chance to win trips to meet five of your Facebook friends (and, of course, post to their Facebook page that you just entered for a chance to win a trip from Kin to visit them!)

This launch party – a “secret show” – was experiencial marketing on steroids. The three Hip Hop Artists delivered exactly the right party crowd, plus the event delivered a healthy dose of traditional media coverage such as Associated Press and  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Big Boi at Kin Launch Party in Atlanta

Props to Microsoft! I can just image the their Agency’s pitch: Kin is all about social media, so we’ll use social media exclusively to promote launch parties across America – and we won’t tell anyone where or when the party will be until just hours before!

What a great Client to recognize a big, powerful way to leverage social media to deliver exactly the right audience to experience a Kin smartphone demo from one of many smart, 20-somethings like Makeda.

I loved how easy the Kin makes sharing/posting photos, video, stories and more via Facebook, Twitter and email. As an Apple enthusiast who drinks and shares the Kool-Aid – iPhone, iMac, Apple TV (and eying the iPad) – I can see why 20-somethings who have been craving an iPhone may just find a Kin more aligned with how they socialize with their friends. (I’ll stick with my iPhone.)

To learn more about the Kin social media marketing campaign, check out CNN Reporter Nick Valencia’s “Rapper headlines secret Microsoft concert” story and this blog post by the head of Edelman Australia Matthew Gains.

To learn more about the Kin, check out The Mossberg Solution column in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times Tech Columnist David Pogue in his May 26, 2010 column. To see the Kin follow-up email to my sweepstakes registration at the party to win two Kin phones, click here.

Disclosure:

While the launch party was free, I was a guest of Exposure. And, my “Plus One” party guest was Atlanta Hip Hop Artist Street Lotto: one of the ZOOZbeat Artists for our GREAT! ZOOZ Mobile iPhone app client. To learn more about the Kin social media marketing campaign, check out this blog post by the head of Edelman Australia Matthew Gains.

Postscript:

Microsoft announced it will discontinue its Kin phones after less than three months on the market …

• Reuters – Microsoft pulls plug on Kin phones (6/30/10)
• Sci-Tech Today – Microsoft Will Move Kin Technology Into Windows Phone 7 (7/1/10)

Click here to view the embedded video.

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May 21, 2010 • Atlanta, GA USA – If you want to start a blog for your business – and like “the look” of my blog — here are the free blogging tools I use to create it (and why):

• WordPress – our tech installed WordPress on the same server (on our network) that hosts www.GREATtv.com. (Our internet connection is via AT&T U-verse service with 24 Mbps down/3 Mbps up.) While it is probably easier to set up a WordPress account at WordPress.com, in the long run, you’ll be happier – and be able to do more things – if you set up WordPress to run on your server. While it helps, you don’t need to know a thing about html – nor do you need tech help – to do the following …
• HeatMap Ads Theme for WordPress by Stuart Wider – allows me to easily add and organize: Google AdSense; affiliate referral commission plans such as Amazon Associates; has 12 widget positions; connects easily with Google Analytics and Google FeedBurner; and is SEO optimized. Stuart’s HeatMap User Guide is easy-to-follow. While there is no free support (Hey! The Theme is free!), you can opt for a $35 12-month HeatMap Insider Forum 12-month membership for support and additional theme options. I use the following widgets that are included in HeatMap: 1) GREAT! Blog Categories; 2) GREAT! Blog Calendar; 3) GREAT! Blog Archives; Subscribe by Email; 4) Site Admin feature at the bottom of my blog; 5) GREAT Blog Tags (Cloud).
• Google Adsense Widget – While I make a few pennies every time you click on the display ad to the right or click on the Ads by Google links at the bottom of this page, I like seeing the nicely designed content-relevant display ads on my blog such as a Starwood hotel on my blog Travel page.  The Ads by Google content-relevant links at the bottom of the page help anchor the page. It’s free to set up a Google Adsense account.
• Google Custom Search Engine – With the HeatMap theme, it’s easy to ad the Google Custom Search contest relevant bar just above the headline. While searching Google means that you will likely exit my blog, it just feels right to add this feature to my blog. Plus, if you try a search, you’ll see Ads by Google listed at the top of your search and a display ads in the column to the right-bottom.
• Amazon Associates Affiliate Program – If you would like to make money with an affiliate program – look for “Affiliate Program” at the bottom of nearly every shopping website – Amazon is probably not the way to go. While I earn 4 percent a month for Amazon purchases – and sometimes more depending on monthly volume – nearly every other Affiliate Programs pays more. I like the the look of the Amazon display ads to the right: 1) GREAT! Recommends (books); 2) playing and buying .mp3 files and for providing; and 3) Amazon.com search “pre-filled” with my choice of words: “social media.” It’s free to set up an Amazon Associates affiliate account. If you buy a lot of books and/or merchandise from Amazon, it’s worth setting up the Amazon Associates affiliate account for your personal Amazon purchases. (If not, feel free to buy from Amazon through my Amazon Associates affiliate account by searching Amazon in the column to the right. Thank you, in advance!)
• TweetRoll by Tweetburn Widget – while there are many widget choices for displaying tweets on a blog, I like the inclusion of the “My Friends” photos and that it was easy to re-size this widget to fill the column width to the right.
• FeedBurner Widget – The FeedBurner widget is displayed in the top left of each post to my blog. Feedburner makes it easy for you to receive an email of each new blog post (or read via your favorite RSS Reader such as Google Reader). I also used the FeedBurner widget for the GREAT! Blog Subscription option in the bottom-right. This widget allows me to see the email address of my subscribers. If you click on the link for FeedBurner widget, scroll down for English.
• ShareThis Plugin – I place the Share This Story icon and text at the bottom of each blog posts. This happens automatically, once set-up.  (You can change the text or which icon to use.) ShareThis provides free metrics. I liked the ShareThis Widget the best of the social media sharing widgets that I tried. It’s simple. It works.
• Surveys Plugin – To see an example of my use of the Survey Widget, please click on January 2010 in the GREAT! Blog Calendar to the right. You’ll see my post about “First Every Booth Babes Bingo Held at 2010 CES Trade Show in Las Vegas – ‘We Have A Bingo!’” … Scroll to the end of this blog post to see —> Vote Now for your Booth Babes Bingo Top 10 (Pick Up To 10) …Then select Submit Survey. I tried other survey widgets. This Surveys Plugin works with the HeatMap Ads Theme for WordPress. Compatibilities of Widgets with a specific theme can be a challenge.
• Topsy Retweet Button Plugin – While this button – top-right of this story – is redundant to the ShareThis Button, I like how it looks and it makes it easy to re-Tweet this blog post; and to see whom has re-Tweeted the blog post. (And, thank you for re-Tweeting …) Again, not all re-Tweet Widgets that I tried worked with the HeatMap Ads Theme, so this was a bit of trial and error, to pick one that I like … and works!
• Tweet This Link – You’ll see this link at the bottom of each blog post. It is redundant to both the ShareThis Button and Topsy Retweet Button Plugin, but it still looks like it belongs where I placed it. And, once you set it up, it’s placed automatically.
• Viper’s Video Quicktags Plugin — While I know how to embed YouTube html code, I’d rather stay in the visual mode of the WordPress edit posting view. Alex’s (“Viper007Bond“) widget makes it easy to share video simply by doing a “copy and paste” of the video’s URL. (Plus, it works the same way to embed videos in the blog from 10 other video sources such as Vimeo, Google Video, Viddler, Veoh and MetaCafe. The ease-of-use of this widget for embeding videos outweighs some of the loss of customization you get by working directly with the html code.
• Akismet Widget – spam filter blocks hundreds of spam comments to my blog post. (Thanks Reggie for showing me how to implement this Widget at the Atlanta Bloggers WordPress night.) This is a “must have” widget, or you will spend hours deleting comments to your blog that are spam! It’s amazing how much spam arrives as comments to my blog posts.

Careful about adding too many Google AdSense display ads, widgets and plug-ins. While these tools can make your blog look great – pun intended – and blog creation easier; page load times can get out-of-control resulting in your visitors leaving your blog even before your page finish loading.

And, while all the tools listed above are free, it does cost extra to get a Bachelor of Arts Journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Go Tar Heels!

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Editor’s Note (5/21/10):

The Atlanta Bloggers Monthly Meetup 6:30 pm Wednesday, June 2, 2010 is all about using WordPress; including templates, plug-ins and more. This Atlanta Bloggers event is free. Search #atlblog on Twitter for updates on this event.  As many as 100 of 500+ Atlanta Bloggers members turn out for these meetups and we’re all delighted to answer (and ask) questions. This upcoming Atlanta Bloggers meetup – plus the questions that I get about my blog – inspired this blog post. This Meetup will be moderated by Marna Friedman – who along with Mike Schinkel – are the co-organizers of The Business of WordPress Conference.

If you are interested in a “deep dive” into WordPress, check out The Business of WordPress Conference in Atlanta June 22-23, 2010. The conference is about using WordPress for business: not about blogging. If you would like to recommend WordPress resources that would be helpful to share with those just getting started with WordPress, please Comment to this blog post.

While I have not read WordPress for Dummies, it’s probably a great resource to help get you started. (And, you can order it via my Amazon Associates affiliate website to the right and I’ll receive at least 4 percent of your purchase.)

Editor’s Note (5/25/10):

If you would like WordPress training, check out OSTraining.com. I met Open Source Training Director of Training Steve Burge at the ATDC Startup Showcase on Monday (5/24/10) in Atlanta.

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