CoverGirl uses Branded SnapTag to engage consumers

CoverGirl is the latest advertiser to use a SpyderLynk SnapTag to optimize the value of advertising impressions and engage consumers. In the November 2nd issue of Star Magazine, CoverGirl offers readers an opportunity to snap and send in a branded SnapTag to enter a sweepstakes to win a Swag Bag from a Star Magazine Red Carpet Event.

Placing SnapTags in brand advertising and marketing, creates an opportunity for more interactive, trackable campaign not only improving the value of the marketing materials but also creating a more dynamic relationship between marketers and consumers. SnapTags are the only branded mobile barcode. To activate, consumers snap and send the SnapTag making them more accessible than 2D barcodes or QR codes which require the download of a software application.

“Our judges chose SpyderLynk as one of the top 20 most innovative technology companies this year because of their leading-edge work in mobile marketing,” said Su Hawk, president, CSIA.  “We’re proud to have this smart company and people involved, because the national tech leaders who are attending and speaking should see what SpyderLynk is all about, and we’re pleased to provide that forum,” she said.

(Thanks, we are, too!)

We’d also like to take a minute to thank the folks at CSIA for naming SpyderLynk a 2009 DEMOGala Showcase company and a big thanks to iSherpa for nominating us for this honor. It’s such a privilege to be named to this list alongside some of the most innovative and interesting companies coming out of Colorado today and we look forward to seeing what other great technologies and services will come out of this group in the future.

– The SpyderLynk Team

To read more about SpyderLynk being named a DEMOgala showcase company, click here.

MediaNews Group is the first newspaper company to offer this interactive ability for readers and advertisers on a wide-scale. SnapTags allow readers to access extra digital content from the newspapers and advertisers themselves, including special offers, additional stories, coupons, prizes, free samples, etc. without ever having to leave their couch or kitchen table or put their newspaper down. SnapTags allow this content to be delivered instantly back to the reader’s cell phone – all readers have to do is snap a photograph of any of the SnapTags placed throughout Live Better special sections, send it to a designated phone number or e-mail address and get back unique extras.

And since nearly 90 percent of advertising budgets still go toward traditional print advertising, using SnapTags allows MediaNews Group and its advertisers an option to innovate to make the most of their print ads – setting them apart from the competition and allowing them to give readers more of what they want, when they want it.

Look for SnapTags in future special sections and editions of local MediaNews Group papers.

The advertisement running in Oxygen features a key VPX sports nutrition supplement product – Redline Princess. The first 200 participants to send in the SnapTag photo of the product using their mobile phones receive a free product sample, and will have the opportunity to engage in a lasting mobile relationship with VPX.

“This is one of the first times this technology has been used in our industry,” said Omar Santamaria, Creative Director for VPX.  “Incorporating SpyderLynk’s SnapTag quick response tag in our Oxygen Magazine ads not only allows us to engage with our customers on a mobile level, it enables us to track consumer behavior, and to tailor our messages and promotions to specific consumer groups – increasing the effectiveness and adding a new dimension to our overall marketing programs.”

VPX Sports used models wearing SnapTags at the Arnold Sports Festival to engage with consumers

At the Arnold Sports Festival, one of the nation’s largest multi-sport festivals bringing together thousands of gym owners, athletes and fitness companies, VPX used a promotional team adorning multiple SnapTags on their lanyards to give away samples redeemable at the VPX booth.

For more information on SpyderLynk’s relationship with VPX Sports, check out the full news release here.

SpyderLynk’s SnapTags give event marketers an opportunity to add interactive functionality to event marketing materials, making them more powerful and effective marketing devices.

Here are 10 interactive offers marketers can now deliver on traditional event marketing materials via a SnapTag to engage event participants and drive brand interest and sales activation:

1. Share Information
•    SnapTags are easy to place throughout an event or tradeshow booth offering unique pieces of information

2. Scavenger Hunt
•    Hunts involving 4-5 SnapTags drive visits to key event sites
•    Participants completing the hunt can receive prizes or have a chance to win a prize
•    Awarding ‘instant win’ prizes throughout the hunt can increase the level of excitement and participation

3. Promotions
•    Offer consumers a chance to enter sweepstakes and instant win promotional programs

4. Event Voting
•    Engage event participants to register their preferences or stance on event-related topics

5. Capture Interest
•    Offer participants an opportunity to register their interest in a subject or product and request a future phone call

6. Drive Retail Visits
•    Send a list of retail locations in an area or zip code

7. Motivate a Sale
•    Send back a discount code for an in-store or online purchase discount

8. Create an Ongoing Relationship
•    Offer an opportunity to opt into a email loyalty program
•    Offer a text update program

9. Offer Consumers a Donation Opportunity
•    Offer Consumers the opportunity to make a donation or trigger a donation from a sponsor

10. Enable Viral Activation
•    Encourage participants to extend the power of the program by forwarding the SnapTag to friends

SpyderLynk’s SnapTag Quick Response Tag is a branded, more accessible alternative to a 2D barcode. SnapTags have been successful in driving brand engagement at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Arnold Sports Festival, the Mississippi State Fair and the National Stock Show events.

Marketers in Europe and Japan have adopted QR Codes (also known as mobile barcodes) as a way to make traditional media interactive. Consumers there have taken advantage of the opportunities presented to them by these marketers and actively use their camera phones to scan barcodes from magazines, in-retail signage, bus stops, packaging and many other mediums to get information, share data, enter promotions and make purchases.

SpyderLynk has created the SnapTag mobile activation point which functions much like a QR Code, but is aesthetically more appealing and much easier to use since SnapTags don’t require a phone application or bar code reader for consumers to use.

SnapTags enable simple, branded and measurable relationships between consumers and brands. SnapTags can be placed on almost any flat surface giving consumers the opportunity to instantly find store locations, get discounts, request a sample, participate in promotional offers and interact in countless meaningful ways.

SnapTags are created by encircling a brand logo or icon with our proprietary Coding Ring. Consumers use their camera phones to take a picture of the SnapTag and send it in to the provided phone number or e-mail address. Our proprietary mobile image recognition technology processes the SnapTag and sends back the corresponding response to the consumer via e-mail or text message, allowing for instant consumer interaction.

The mobile marketing industry is growing at an accelerated rate driven by innovative technologies and market demand and is expected to grow from $760M in 2009 to over $3.3B in 2013 according to eMarketer. We also anticipate significant growth, driven by the fact that SnapTags are simple to feature and add value to any marketing campaign, have countless applications and are easy for consumers to use.

We are excited to launch the SpyderLynk Blog to share our insights about this exciting and emerging marketing opportunity. Check back for SpyderLynk news and industry insights from our team of mobile activation and marketing experts:

Nicole Skogg, CEO and Founder, is an optical engineer and pioneer in both mobile image recognition and mobile marketing. Nicole has championed technological innovation and successful product launches for Cooper Lightly and Acuity Brands, holding patents for cutting edge optics products. Nicole applied her knowledge of optical engineering and image recognition to develop the SnapTag and has built SpyderLynk as a robust mobile marketing technology and solution provider over the past three years.

Jane McPherson, Chief Marketing Officer, has 15 years of brand marketing and advertising experience with high-growth, innovation-savvy companies including Anheuser-Busch, Quiznos and award-winning marketing agencies. Jane joined SpyderLynk in 2007; evangelizing the power of mobile activation for traditional media and molding the SpyderLynk product and communication strategy.

You can also follow us on Twitter @spyderlynk or check out our Web site for more information!