The Kings of User Generated Content Marketing

Five Brands Thats Have Harnessed The Power of User Generated Content Marketing...

User Generated Content (UGC) can be defined as anything on the web that users have had a hand in making. This can include videos, photos, blog posting, and snapchats etc. The key to modern day marketing is user engagement, and brands have tapped into the idea of using User Generated Content as a form of marketing.  In recent years UGC has risen with the number of global smartphone user and social media platforms (De Vries, Gensler & Leeflang, 2012). According to predictions, nearly 155 million U.S. internet users consume some form of user-created content -- up from nearly 116 million in 2008. This article will look at the brands that got their foot in the door, and developed some of the best User Generated Marketing Campaigns the world has seen.

1. Red-Bull 

Arguably the best form of content marketing to date, Red Bull's Stratos Jump made headlines intentionally and a view rate of 8 million people. The brand managed to hook users by defining the jump as "death defying", the more and more people became engaged. The more they shared the story causing the marketing campaign to reach vast levels (Warren-Payne, 2013). Red Bull certainly captured the publics imagination, thus creating an event that many will never forget. This campaign proved that the power of word of mouth still exists. 

2. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola's share a Coke campaign took the UK public by storm in 2013. The world's largest beverage company replaced its usual branding with 150 of the UK's most popular names. Each of these carried the hashtag #shareacoke to encourage users to promote the brand online through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This caused a social media frenzy, and caused the consumption from young consumers to increase by 7%, and their Facebook page's traffic to increase by 870% (Grimes, 2013). However, this campaign had little effect on Coca-Colas older generation audience. 

3. Starbucks

Starbucks is one brand that is using Instagram to fantastic effect. And, as is typically the case User Generated Content marketing, the customers are doing much of the legwork for them. In 2013, Starbucks began writing the name of the customer on their coffee cup once they made their order. Customers would then take a picture of their cup and upload it to Instagram, twitter, or Facebook with the #Starbucks. This a prime example of UGC marketing, whereby the customers are marketing the product themselves. This was a highly effective and inexpensive method of marketing for Starbucks. 

4. M&M's

Another UGC campaign which took social media by storm is M&M's "FanPic Friday" campaign. This involved customers uploading an image of themselves with M&M's and the Hashtag FanPicFriday. Each week this would cause a surge of pictures to be uploaded to Instagram, causing the brand to be advertised more and more. However, unlike other UGC marketing campaigns this campaign was restricted to one day a week.

5. Doritos

The Super-Bowl is the king of advertisement, with up to 100 million people viewing the event globally. The savvy marketeers at Doritos realised the potential for a UGC campaign, and implemented it to great effect. The "Crash the SuperBowl" campaign invited customers to create their own Doritos ads, with at least one fan-made commercial being guaranteed to air during the Super Bowl. An incentive for consumers was that whoever won would be granted a $1 million prize. By including the hashtags SuperBowl and Doritos, UGC flooded social networks and provided Doritos with endless commercials, whilst a low cost. The company did not have to pay for casting, filming, directors, producers etc, which is one of the main benefits of UGC marketing. Below is an example of some of the content that flooded social media sites, and caused Doritos to become known as one of the best digital marketers.

Although User Generated Marketing campaigns appear to be highly effective and inexpensive, there is a downside to this strategy. The problem with user-generated content, however, is the loss of control it involves, and this can have a negative impact of brand reputation. By putting the content into the hands of the public, you are giving them the opportunity to voice any negative views they may have.

Please visiting the link below to find out more about User Generated Content:

http://mashable.com/2013/01/30/brand-marketing-user-generated-content/

http://www.exacttarget.com/blog/5-ways-to-boost-marketing-campaigns-with-user-generated-content/

References:

Grimes, T. (2013) 'What the Share a Coke Campaign can teach other brand'. The Guardian  [Online] 24 July. Available at http://Http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/jul/24/share-coke-teach-brands [Accessed 1 May 2014].

De Vries, L., Gensler, S., & Leeflang, P. (2012) 'Popularity of Brand Posts on Brand Fan Pages: An Investigation of the effect of social media marketing'. Journal of Interactive Marketing 26, (2) 83-91. Available at http://Http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1094996812000060 [Accessed 1 May 2014]

Warren-Payne, A. (2013) 'Five Content Marketing Lessons from the Red Bull Stratos Jump'. E-Consultancy [Online] 16 October 2012. Available at http://Https://econsultancy.com/blog/10897-five-content-marketing-lessons-from-the-red-bull-stratos-jump#i.1lkvuolhhdcjw8 [Accessed 1 May 2014].

The Key To Email Marketing Success!

A Guide to Effective Email Marketing Campaigns...

In modern day marketing, engagement is the key to success. Businesses need to build relationships with their customers in order to gain an competitive advantage. Email marketing is a great way of communicating with your target audience, whilst at a low cost. As you can see for the chart on the left, email marketing has a high return on investment. Hughes (2012) stated "According to eMarketer, this year U.S. companies are spending about $64 billion per year on TV, $34 billion on print ads, and $39 billion on Internet advertising. And how much are they are spending on email? only about $1.5 billion."

Email marketing is a direct form of marketing with the customer, whereby a email is generally sent to the customers promoting products or offers. However, emails can be viewed as a nuisance or 'junk' and therefore in order to be effective, an email marketing campaign must tick a number of boxes. Below is a number of ways to ensure that your email marketing campaign is effective.


1. Opt-In Software

Businesses can develop their email list through two methods. One way is by sending emails to customers who have already had an experience with you. Another method is to offer potential subscribers a free gift or incentive in exchange for their names and email addresses. Any websites, blogs, or presence on social media should include an opt-in feature with email broadcasting software. This will allow your business to avoid breaking legislation regarding SPAM emails, whilst increasing the number of email subscribers.


2. Send People What They Want
When sending out emails to customers it is important to create different groups and segments within your target market in order to ensure that the content that people receive is relevant. Segmentation allows the business to target certain subscribers on your list without assigning them to a group. For example, if a certain retail store is having a sale then you could send a promotional email to anyone within a 30-mile radius of their postcode (Kent & Brandal, 2003).  However, it is important not  that you do not neglect the other segments.


3. Make it Mobile-Friendly

As the number of users of smartphone continues to grow and grow, it is highly important that any marketing campaign is mobile friendly. Users that have a smartphone or tablet are likely to have their email registered to the device. If the email sent to your audience isn't mobile friendly, then the chances of them viewing it again on a desktop machine are very slim. Lee (2012) suggests that 63% of Americans and 41% of Europeans will delete their email if it is not mobile compatible.


4. Include Great Offers

Ninety percent of the email content should be enriching your business, whilst ten percent should be dedicated to whatever you are selling. To improve customer engagement, ensure that you are not constantly sending your customer the same content or offers, unless you want your customer to hit the unsubscribe button! Generally speaking, customers want to know what the deals are and how they can get them!


5. Be aware of SPAM

Many small businesses send out SPAM emails out by mistake. Businesses new to email marketing must ensure that they are aware of legislation regarding SPAM, as this could be detrimental to your businesses reputation. You are only allowed to send emails to people who have subscribed to your services. Also, ensure that you include an unsubscribe button, so that anyone who wants to unsubscribe are able to do so easily. If your marketing campaign is a nuisance to people, then they are likely to share their bad experience.



In contrast, peoples inboxes are constantly flooded with emails everyday. Thus, many people set up SPAM and Junk filters in order to lessen the number of emails they receive. Therefore, your marketing email could end up in one of these folders and never get viewed. In order to ensure your marketing campaign isn't a waste of money and resources, email marketing campaigns must be engaging and effective. These guidelines should allow your business to ensure your marketing campaign is effective.

If you want to find out more, please follow the links below. 

http://socialmediatoday.com/monica-romeri/2113896/unlock-power-your-email-marketing

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/why_marketers_should_keep_sending_you_emails

References:

Lee, Kate. (2012) '15 Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses'. Forbes [Online] 15 October . Available at http://Http://www.forbes.com/sites/katelee/2012/10/15/15-email-marketing-tips-for-small-businesses/ [Accessed 1 May 2014].

Hughes, H. (2012) 'Why Email Marketing is King'. Harvard Business Review [Online] 21 August. Available at http://Http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/08/why-email-marketing-is-king/ [Accessed 1 May 2014].

Kent, R., & Brandal, Hege. (2003) 'Improving email responses in a permission marketing context'. International Journal of Market Research 45, (4) 489-503. Available at http://Http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=9e145943-3df7-482f-ab0d-

How QR Codes Can Improve Your Business

The Rewards & Risk of using QR Codes as a Marketing Tool

A Quick Response Code or QR Code is a barcode which is readable by smartphones, tablets and other QR devices. The technology has been available to for a number of years, and has been highly beneficial to businesses (Schumack et al, 2013). QR codes can be used as a bridge to link your business and your customer.

QR codes work by the user simply scanning the barcode with a smartphone or other device, the software will then decode the image and direct the users to a landing page (Forbes, 2013). This article will reflect on the reward and risks of using QR Codes as a business and marketing tool. 

The Benefits of QR Codes

Firstly, QR codes are highly beneficial to businesses as they require little ad space (Robertson, 2010). The smaller the ad space the lower the costs, something that all savvy businessmen will want. However, this does not mean that you can make a tiny QR code as the code will need to be of a certain size in order for it to be readable by the customers device. 

Secondly, QR codes are very easily to track. Businesses are easily able to track the number of times a QR Code has been scanned. However, it is important to note that just because the code has been scanned, it does not mean the campaign has been a success. 

Thirdly, QR Codes can be a great way of reducing costs within your business. For example, if your business sells products that require an installation manual, a QR code can replace the expensive paper installation manual. Not only does this reduce costs, but it also is environmental friendly.

Implications of using QR Codes

Although QR Codes do provide businesses with a number of benefits, it does not come without its drawbacks. 

Firstly, by adopting a QR Code marketing campaign you are assuming that your audience are smart phone users, furthermore you are assuming that your audience has the QR Code reading software installed on their device. In many instances, customers do not know if they have the software or not and therefore your marketing campaign may be neglecting its audience. 

Also, the scanning process can also be a long painful process. Once a user stumbles across a QR Code they have to get their smart phone out their pocket, load up the scanning software, before scanning and waiting for the landing page (Charlton, 2011).. If users have a poor service or internet connection this may make the process even longer, however this should not be the case for 4G customers. 

To conclude, it is clear that the use of QR Codes can be a great way of enhancing your business and its marketing prospects. However, its relevance to your business and implementation must be carefully considered. One company that has heavily benefited from the use of QR Codes has been Taco Bell. 

For More Information regarding QR Codes and Business, please visit:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/63340-five-examples-of-qr-code-campaigns-that-actually-worked#i.4jpb9318m8eafu

http://www.forbes.com/sites/thesba/2013/08/19/qr-codes-for-your-business/

References:

Charlton, G. (2011) 'The Pros and Cons of QR Codes'. E-Consultancy [Online] 15 August. Available at http://Https://econsultancy.com/blog/7884-the-pros-and-cons-of-qr-codes#i.dpfcyyxv1eoiwe [Accessed 4 May 2014].

Lo, L., Coleman, J., & Theiss, D. (2013) 'Putting QR Codes to the test'. New Library World 114, (11/12) 459-477. Available at http://Http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/journals.htm?articleid=17100242 [Accessed 4 May 2014]

Robertson, A. 2010, QR Codes, the Future of Marketing, Bristol (UK)

Shumack, K.A., Reilly, E. and Chamberlain, N., 2013. QR Code Mania! Strategies, 26(3), pp. 9-12.

5 Likely Digital Marketing Trends For 2014

5 Digital Marketing trends to watch out for in..

Over recent years there has been a shift from 'normal' marketing towards Digital Marketing. Digital Marketing makes the use of electronic devices such as smart phone, tablets, phablets, and social media in order to communicate with the audience (Rowley, 2008). The surge towards Digital Marketing can be attributed to the rise in accessibility to Smart Phones, Tablets and Internet. Industry experts predict that the use of digital marketing will continue to rise in 2014. Here are 5 Digital Marketing Trends you are likely to see in 2014...

1. Geographic Personalisation

Geographic personalised marketing allows companies to identify and serve personalised advertising that reflects the user's geographic location. Thanks to the use of smart phones, marketeers are now able to collect vast amounts of data on customers, and via GPS businesses can now capture customer locations. In 2014, we are likely to see an increase in geo-fencing which involves targeting customers within a virtual geographic location. One limitation of this technology is the need for consumer acceptance. As the concern of data privacy continues to grow, customers may be unlikely to accept this new digital marketing technique (Wills & Zeljkovic,(2011).

2. Video Marketing

2013 saw a number of advertisers beginning to use video marketing through social media sites such YouTube, Instagram and Vine. YouTube is noticeably the most effective methods to use video marketing as the site receives more than 1 billion unique visitors every month (Kristen, 2013). In order for video marketing in 2014 to be a success it must be social and encourage user engagement. Some of the best marketing videos in 2013 were shared up to 4.3 billion times. Nike have recently released their 'risk everything' video advertisement for the world cup, and it has been taking social media by storm. In 2014 we can expert to see an increase video marketing ads on websites such as YouTube, Vine, Instagram and Snapchat. 

3. Snapchat Marketing

Many questioned whether or not snapchat could be seriously considered as a means of advertising

due to its time restricted content. However, a number of changes to the fundamentals of snapchat have caused marketeers to take the platform more seriously. Lynx have been one of the first to take advantage of the new 'My Story' feature which allows users to upload content for 24 hours. Snapchat have also recently appointed Emily White (formerly commercial lead at Instagram) as chief operating officer (Bort, 2013). Snapchat is certainly one to watch in 2014..

4. Native Advertising 

Native advertising is where the advertiser attempts to gain the user attention by providing them with content in the context on their experience. The goal of native advertising is to make advertising appear less intrusive so that the user iso more likely to click on the advertisement (Marketing Week, 2013). Twitter and Facebook have been advocates of native advertising through the implementation of promoted tweets and suggested posts. One other marketeer who have grabbed native advertising by the horns in Buzzfeed, it is reported that 17 out of the top 25 native ads came through buzz feed. Native advertising is a new concept but it use set to sky rocket in 2014!

5. Mobile Friendly Content

Columbus (2013) predicts that by 2017 87% of connected devices will be tablets and smart phones. Thus making it highly important for marketeers to ensure that their future digital marketing campaigns are fully optimised for mobile use. It is highly important that the user has a positive experience when using mobile devices, as there are a number alternatives. In 2014 we are likely to see an increase in mobile friendly content such as mobile versions of the companies website or a complete new mobile app campaign.

If you are interested in future digital marketing trends, please visit:

http://socialmediatoday.com/anitaloomba/2035211/top-digital-marketing-trends-2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnwNcX9g4o4

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-future-of-digital-2013-2013-11?op=1 

References:

Bort, J. (2013) 'Snapchat Just Nabbed An Important Advertising Exec Away From Facebook'. Business Insider  [Online] 3 December. Available at http://Http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-names-emily-white-coo-2013-12#!Iplpd [Accessed 3 May 2014].

Columbus, L. (2013) '87% Of Connected Devices Sales By 2017 Will Be Tablets And Smartphones'. Forbes [Online] 9 December . Available at http://Http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2013/09/12/idc-87-of-connected-devices-by-2017-will-be-tablets-and-smartphones/ [Accessed 3 May 2014].

Kristen, L. (2013) '12 Ways to Integrate Video into Your Marketing' Journal of Financial Planning [Online] 26, (9) 18-19. Available at http://Http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=c9a71ec3-5052-4a78-8d75-f117171b4fa0%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4204&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=90159291 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Marketing Week (2013) Native content growth means brands have big opportunities [Online] Available at http://Http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/analysis/supplements/agency-opinions-content-marketing/native-content-growth-means-brands-have-big-opportunities/4005872.article [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Rowley, J. (2008) 'Understanding Digital Content Marketing' Journal of Marketing Management [Online] 24, (5/6) 517-540. Available at http://Http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=a0841dad-b6ac-40f9-b9fc-deecd9d4a7a6%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4204&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=33462529 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Wills, C., & Zeljkovic, M. (2011) 'A personalized approach to web privacy: awareness, attitudes and actions'. Information Management & Computer Security 19, (1) 53-73. Available at http://Http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/ehost/detail?sid=c9a71ec3-5052-4a78-8d75-f117171b4fa0%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4204&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=90159291 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

The Top 5 Biggest Mistakes of Mobile App Marketing

5 Common Mistakes in Mobile App Marketing

As the global smartphone and tablet market continues to grow, businesses have turned to mobile apps as a platform for effective digital marketing. As of 2013, 1.2 million apps were available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (Serrano et al. 2013). Research also shows that smartphone users on average spend 87% of their time on mobile apps, rather than mobile web browsers (Venkatesh, et al., 2010). Therefore you would think that businesses marketers would ensure that their mobile app campaigns are watertight, right? Think again, here are 5 of the most common mistakes businesses make when creating a Mobile App Marketing campaign. 

1. Developing a Mobile App without a marketing plan

With potentially 1.2 million apps for users to download, there is no doubt that you will need more than a few good ratings to get your app noticed. Many businesses forget to include a budget for promotion (advertisements, emails, text messages) when developing a mobile app campaign. It is important to remember that your promotion shouldn't end once your app has a few apps. If the mobile app campaign is to be a success, you must constantly remind your audience to download, use regularly, and share. In order to maintain user engagement, you should regularly release updates which fix bugs and introduce new features. 

2. A Mobile App without a Mobile Optimized Landing Page

A Mobile App can be a great method of directing users to your landing page. However, one common mistake amongst marketeers is releasing a mobile app which points users to a Flash website that isn't optimised for mobile use. As unbelievable as this sounds, this is a common mistake with rookie marketeers. Thus, emphasising the importance of testing during the app development process (Gao, et al., 2014). Any content that the user is directed to must be mobile optimised, if it is not then not only is the mobile app ineffective but it is also likely that the user will delete the app or not use it again.

3. Ignoring Your Audience

Bellman, et al. (2011) states that in order to have a long and successful Mobile App Marketing Campaign it is important to integrate two-way communication. Customers will have issues, questions and suggestions for your mobile app, so by integrating a feedback capability within your app, not only will you make your customers feel special but you will continuously be able to improve your app. By constantly improving the mobile app, the chances of a successful mobile app marketing campaign are significantly higher.

4. Disregarding the Mobile Experience

Another common mistake by many companies is trying to pass off the company website as a mobile app. Companies try to take the easy option by enabling the same functionality but on a smaller screen, and disregarding the whole mobile app experience. A mobile app user will quickly be put off by overwhelming designs, information, and small text caused by companies trying to mimic the company website. In order to ensure your customers are engaged by your mobile app, you should make sure it is an entire different experience than the desktop application. The mobile app should have a simple design, that promotes user engagement and ease of use, whilst providing the user with a complete different experience than a desktop application.

5. Focusing on Download Rates

One of the most common mistakes companies often make is measuring success by the number of downloads. Companies that dwell on download, like and follow rates are missing out on the bigger picture. Download numbers fail to tell you what happens after the app has been downloaded, which is the most important thing. Once an app has been downloaded, the user may use the app not at all, once or a few times a month. Therefore making the number of downloads almost irrelevant. A more effective metric to measure would be the life time value or acquisition data. 

For more information please follow the links provided:

http://www.businessinsider.com/7-biggest-mobile-marketing-mistakes-you-can-make-2012-6?op=1#ixzz30lEDeLPW

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220514

http://www.bestmobileappawards.com/blog/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-marketing-a-mobile-app#.U2Zp4V6uu2w

References:

Gao, J., Xiaoying, B., Wei-Tek, T., & Uehara, T. (2014) 'Mobile Application Testing: A Tuturial'. Computer 47, (2) 46-55. Available at http://Http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6693676&isnumber=6756723 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Bellman, S., Potter, R., Robinson, J., & Varan, D. (2011) 'The Effectiveness of Branded Mobile Phone Apps'. Journal of Interactive Marketing 25, (4) 191-200. Available at http://Http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S1094996811000491 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Venkatesh, S., Venkatesh, A., Hofacker, C., & Naik, Tp. (2010) 'Mobile Marketing in the Retailing Enviroment'. Journal of Interactive Marketing 24, (2) 111-120. Available at http://Http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1094996810000174 [Accessed 3 May 2014]

Serrano , N., Hermantes, J., & Gallardo, G. (2013) 'Mobile Web Apps'. IEE Software 30, (5) 22-27.

Top Tips to an Effective Mobile App Campaign

Six Ways To Ensure Your Mobile App Campaign Is Effective...

As the global smartphone and tablet market continues to grow, the importance of effective and well developed mobile apps increases. There are currently 1.2 million apps available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (Serrano et al. 2013). Therefore, making your app stand out from the rest has become ever more of a challenge. As shown in the image on the right, Smartphone users spend 87% of their time on mobile apps, compared to 13% of their time on the mobile web, therefore making mobile apps a powerful marketing tool (Nielsen, 2013). Through researching relevant articles and sources, I have developed six key ways to ensure that your app beats the rest of the field...

1. App Store Optimisation

63% of Apple App Store users rely on search to discover apps, therefore making ASO even more important. By enhancing your app title, description, and keywords, your mobile app is sure to become more discoverable. The secret to ASO is to ensure that your app gets on to the Top 100 Charts, as users are more likely to discover and download your app on featured charts.

2. Mobile Friendly Websites

There is no point in having a mobile app if it is not compatible with your company website. Mobile apps can be used to direct traffic to your website, however if the website it not compatible with mobile usage then this campaign is destined to fail. 

3. Social Media

The combination of social media and marketing is a brilliant resource to have. You should use social media in order to generate media and consumer hype. Tweeting, blogging and Facebook are a great way of developing your customer base and improving your download rate. The more people that know about your app, the more likely it is to be downloaded, thus improving effectiveness. 

4. Differentiation 

When developing a mobile app and campaign originality is essential. In order to get your app talked about and downloaded it needs to have 'added value' and something that others don't have. There are a number of generic apps already on the app stores which consequently have a short life span, making differentiation vital in order to having an effective mobile app campaign. 

5. Testing

There is nothing worse than downloading an app which doesn't fully work, especially if you have paid for it. Therefore, ensure that the app and the campaign has gone through rigorous testing before its release. Following Apple's app development strategy rather than Microsofts is wise. Apple ensure that any software that they release is ready for market, where as Microsoft focus on getting software to market as soon as possible and fixing bugs further down the road. 

6. User Engagement

It is highly important to keep customers engaged once they have downloaded your app. Once they have downloaded it, there is no stopping them from deleting it as soon as they see it as obsolete. This can be avoided by thanking loyal fans by sending push notifications which offer discounts, promotions, or new 'in-game content'. Also, updating the app regularly with patches or new contents will be sure to keep users engaged. 

For more information regarding Mobile App Marketing, please follow the link below:

www.imediaconnection.com/content/35177.asp#multiview


www.heidicohen.com/mobile-website-versus-mobile-app-which-should-you-use-charts/


www.socialmediatoday.com/syed-noman-ali/1791896/design-effective-mobile-app

References:

Steven Bellman, Robert F. Potter, Shiree Treleaven-Hassard, Jennifer A. Robinson, Duane Varan, The Effectiveness of Branded Mobile Phone Apps, Journal of Interactive Marketing, Volume 25, Issue 4, November 2011, Pages 191-200, ISSN 1094-9968, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2011.06.001.

Serrano, N.; Hernantes, J.; Gallardo, G., "Mobile Web Apps," Software, IEEE , vol.30, no.5, pp.22,27, Sept.-Oct. 2013

Nielsen (2013) The Fast and The Curious: On-The-Go Consumers Drive Content and Connectivity [Online] Available at http://Http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/the-fast-and-the-curious--on-the-go-consumers-drive-content-and-.html [Accessed 2nd March 2014]

The Key To QR Success

A Guide to Effective to QR Code Campaigns..

QR Code campaigns continue to be found anywhere and everywhere due to the combination of technology and marketing. Robertson (2010) states that "Marketing companies have now decided to include this in their posters, billboards etc. which makes them stand out from the crowd". However, many believe that the use of QR Codes has peaked and that 2014 will be the death of the QR Code (Forbes, 2014). If the code is to survive and be used as an effective digital marketing tool, then there are a number of issues that marketers need to address. Here is a 3-Step guide to improving your QR Code campaign.

1. Offer an Incentive

The problem with a number of current QR code campaigns is that it doesn't offer the customer anything of value. Many brands use QR Codes purely to direct traffic to their landing page. However, a number of users will just bounce from the site and are unlikely to return. By offering the customer an incentive or promotion to scan the code, the chances of its effectiveness shall be much higher (Larkin, 2010).

2. Location

Location is always key when designing a QR Code campaign. The location needs to be visible and accessible to the consumer in order to gauge customer interaction. Not only does the location of the QR Code on the product need to be effective, but so does the product placement and the placement of advertisements. Coca-Cola are just one of the beverage manufacturers that effectively use QR Codes. 

3. Size Matters

It turns out that when relating to QR Codes, size does matter. If the code is too small then the customer is unlikely to be able to see the code, therefore making the campaign ineffective. The purpose of the QR Code is to draw in customer engagement. If the user isn't able to see the QR Code, how are they meant to engage?

Resources:

www.mashable.com/2011/08/19/qr-code-tips/

https://econsultancy.com/blog/62397-qr-codes-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/03/08/are-qr-codes-dead/

References:
Larkin, J 2010, 'Marketing initiatives using QR codes', Beverage Industry, 101, 9, p. 74, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 March 2014.

Robertson, A. 2010, QR Codes, the Future of Marketing, Bristol (UK).

When QR Code Campaigns Go Horribly Wrong!

When QR Code Campaigns Go Horribly Wrong!

The Top 5 QR Code Failures..

A QR Code (Quick Response Code) is a mobile phone readable barcode which has been available to businesses and consumers for a number of years (Schumack et al, 2013). If implemented effectively, QR Codes are a great way of driving traffic to your website. In the early years, there was a surge towards the use of QR Codes (Massis, 2011). However, in recent years questions have been raised over the suitability and feasibility of QR Codes as a marketing tool. Although there have been a number of successful QR Code campaigns, there have also been a number of failures. Here's a look at some of the ridiculous QR Code campaigns to date...

1.

It's no surprise that this QR Campaign is number one in the Top 5 QR Code Failures. Not only is the idea ridiculous, it is also far from practical as the code is too far away from anyone to scan. Even if the code was scannable, can you really imagine people pointing their phones to the sky??

2.

Although this code is scannable, there are some places you just don't want to be getting your phone out in order to scan a code. The location of the code is one of the most important aspects of the campaign, and clearly who ever was in charge here got that horribly wrong..

3.

Whoever commissioned this QR Code campaign clearly wasn't aware of health and safety. No matter how good the promotion may be, no QR Code is worth risking your life for. Not only is the code is this campaign too small but the location of it is hardly accessible..

4.

Once again this QR Code campaign ignores the first principle of digital marketing - making it accessible to the consumer. Again, this code is far too small to be noticeable and the idea of someone pointing their phone to the sky to scan a code is far from realistic. 

5.

This campaign deserves to be in the top 5 purely for its stupidity. Albeit, the location of this code and the size of is good, but you've got to make sure it at least makes sense! A QR Code explaining how to use scan a QR Code? Some of these campaigns are just hard to believe....

For more information please visit the following resources:

http://econsultancy.com/blog/10818-10-examples-of-qr-code-madness

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-of-the-worst-qr-code-fails-of-all-time-2013-3?op=1


References:

Shumack, K.A., Reilly, E. and Chamberlain, N., 2013. QR Code Mania! Strategies, 26(3), pp. 9-12.

Massis, B.E. (2011) 'QR Codes in the Library' New Library World [Online] 112, (9/10) 466-469. Available at http://Www.emeraldinsight.com/0307-4803 [Accessed 24 February 2014]