What Could This Box Do for My Business?

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Just when you think there couldn’t be anything else new in relationship to advertising…. WHAMMO! Here comes the hottest new trend in advertising today.

So what is this box with these crazy codes in it that I am starting to see in all sorts of publications? How does it affect me? How could it affect me? Is this another thing I have to learn? Is this a quick fad or does this have the potential of changing the way we do business?

It is a product developed by Microsoft that’s referred to as a “tag.” What it does is to take advantage of all of the new smartphone technology that allows us to take a picture with our smartphone/cell phone. When we take a picture of one of these tags, the application kicks in and reads the tag and downloads the information onto your smartphone. What the application does is to make your phone a bar code reader. Like any other technology, what it can do is not as important as what it can do for our customers and our business. It’s the what’s in it for me concept. It’s interesting that on the Apple site how they have incorporated this system.

So let me share the top 5 ways this new technology could be used and affect us.

1. Convenience – As in all other aspects of retailing, convenience is the number one buying  motivator. We pay extra money for convenience because the customer perceives that convenience not as an additional expense but rather a fee for the additional value that this service provides. A common misconception is that people go to the web just to save money. The number one reason it has been successful is because it has been the most convenient way of doing business. This product works because the Microsoft Tag Mobile Tagging System connects people and information much more conveniently. Instead of having to type in long URLs or even texting shortcuts, simply snap the tag with your mobile phone and Microsoft takes you there.
2. Unlimited possibilities --The Microsoft tag multi-colored bar codes add unlimited possibilities for making instant interactive communications an instant part of our lives. At one point we thought it was really cool to go into a store with our smartphone and look up a product or brand to get reviews and price comparisons. Now we just have to snap on the bar code to make it all happen. These new colorful bar codes transform traditional marketing media such as print advertising, packaging, merchandising and transform our interior advertising, aka signs, as a new and exciting way to transfer information and knowledge into the smartphone and the mind of the customer.
3. Sales Aid – Specialty retailing must be special and the major differentiator between the big box store and the specialty retailer is the specialty retailer has a natural perception in the mind of the consumer that they are going to be more knowledgeable and give better service than their big box competitors. What that means is that when the customer walks through a store and sees one of these graphical calls to action, he can snap the bar code and have all the information about a product without being bothered by an annoying sales clerk who doesn’t know what he is talking about. This is not necessarily an advantage to the independent retailer because a customer can now go into a big box retailer and leave with the information they used to get from the independent.
4. Say a Lot with just a Little – So many times we want to put all the advantages, all the benefits, and all the features in our ads, in the window and with our signage. We are constantly being reminded by our store and graphic designers that less is more. Here’s a way of giving more without having to junk up the presentation or ad.
5. Graphical Callouts….Where have I heard that before? A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of graphical callouts on your website. Specifically, graphical callouts are used in a website to engage the customer, build your data base of customers and even can track customer’s wants, needs or preferences by tracking which graphical callouts they opt into. What you are trading is something for free; it could be a special report or a buying guide for contact information of the customer. This application of graphical callouts, also known as calls to action, can do a similar function. It has the ability of tracking the customer’s information but it also allows you to educate your customer and as we know education and expertise can generate loyalty. The other cool part of these graphical callouts is that they can be placed in so many places. Your shopping bags alone are a wonderful application. If you have a shopping bag that people like to save, you have an encyclopedia of information on a bag that you can put your shoes in to take to work. Lastly, these graphic calls to action can be used on your website as well with similar information. In other words, you can repurpose this technology.

Warning! Before you jump into this head first, understand not everyone has a smartphone. Make sure you have a customer base that is using smartphones. As I have said many times before, no one cares how good a marketing message is if no one sees it.

Now here’s the good news. This is not expensive technology and the prices, as in all technology, are coming down. I am not recommending that anyone jump into this but be aware of it. We might not do it today or tomorrow, but I believe this will be a viable component in our marketing mix of the future. I am sure this will not be the last article I write regarding this.

Have a great week.