Stickybits: Engage Consumers Through Barcodes

2010 Was The Year Objects Became Media.

While we've been exploring the potential impact of digital barcodes, here at McLoughlin Promotions we are always looking at how we can innovate with promotional products. We think digital barcodes will be big, but are mindful that traditional barcodes are everywhere still in North America on the back of consumer products that get scanned by cashiers across the continent millions of times a day.

In September, McLoughlin was introduced to the StickyBits Mobile App. Seth Goldstein of the ever-popular technology blog Techcrunch saw objects as media coming:

"In 1996, webpages became media. In 2001, search became media. In 2005, people became media. In 2007, status updates became media. Last year, places became media. And in 2010, objects will become media.”

And that is exactly what StickyBits is. Product Media. You can scan any traditional barcode with the StickyBits app. It will lead you to a discussion wall about the brand, positive and negative reviews, people can attach media from their mobile phones to the discussion wall, and you can even unlock rewards for scanning brands! 

Ben and Jerry's, a Unilever brand, was among the first adopters of a StickyBits based promotion after the new version was released in the middle of November. The brand gave away free t-shirts to the first 500 people who scanned the pint-sized ice cream tubs with the StickyBits app. Also, consumers interacted on the discussion wall about Ben and Jerry's. You can check out the promotion on the StickyBits website by scrolling down to the bottom of the page

This is all part of a growing trend known as multi-channel marketing- where two or more mediums of marketing are integrated together to form an effective promotion. In this case it was a mobile discussion wall powered through the StickyBits App that could scan an everyday barcode, integrated together with a free t-shirt giveaway that consumers will wear which will promote the brand even further because people think Ben and Jerry's is a great brand already, so why wouldn't they want to rock their clothing?

Fiji Water also recently based a promotion of their own off the StickyBits app, giving away to one lucky winner a chance to win free water for a year!

In our opinion, StickyBits has positioned itself well in the ever-changing marketing world as a mobile social media app for brands, tying together something that is in the present like a barcode to a smartphone which is becoming the norm in North America, all while consumers can vote up and down the brand and discuss it.

This is because the leading customized contest generator for Facebook, known as WildFire App has yet to include mobile capabilities for their promotions. Mike Shea of WildFire says: "While we are currently working on mobile phone support, it's not currently available".

With WildFire App, you can run a group deal, sweepstakes, photo, essay-based, video contest and more and integrate the promotion into your facebook page, your website, your newsletter and your twitter account.

The only thing missing is mobile, and that's where StickyBits has an advantage.

We will explore a creative way to link your WildFire promotion to mobile at a later date!

But for now, StickyBits is king because they are utilizing something that everyone understands in 2010, the traditional barcode.