Connecting The Real World To The Online World
What self-respecting person doesn't Google something at least once every hour?
When you are online, anything you want to know is right there. Every curious whim is easily indulged. What's the weather like right now in Portland? Who's got the cheapest price on contact lenses? Who sang Maria on the original cast album? Where can I find parts for a '77 El Camino?
Now, marketers are finding ways to make it easier to connect to the instant information we crave, further closing the gap between the "real world" and the online experience.
Real estate signs in the Netherlands, Australia, and the UK now advertise codes linked to text messages that provide property details, or can connect you to a mobile website with information about the property--all while you're standing on the street wondering how many bathrooms the place has.
In Japan, a new kind of "barcode" called the QRcode with even more information packed into it is showing up on product packaging and in print. 30 million Japanese already have a camera phone that can read the information in the code. With one snapshot, the code directs the phone's web browser to a site with more information, coupons, or other promotional content about that particular item.
Culture Watch by Tracy Collins, Sr. Vice President Creative, Design & Innovation
"Yup. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller
No, nothing rhymes with orange. Just like there's no one like CPG. In this column you'll find insight and ideas from our guys at the top: CEO, Keith Alper and Vice President, Steve Friedman.
