Here’s a nice little present from American Express in Australia. Every American Express cardholder was sent a “Talking Tag” which they could include with any of their gifts. Cleverly, the tag directs them to a site for an augmented reality experience customized (somewhat) just for them.

Using your webcam to scan the card, lips appear telling whether the gift’s recipient has been naughty or nice. Choosing from eight different voices ranging from a surly “scot” to “nanna,” they will get a gift message that’s sure to conjure a smile.

Interested in downloading your own set of tags? You can choose and print them out here.

Full disclosure, the interface is a little slow, the messages a little uninspired and the voice stereotypes a bit tired. But hey, it’s Christmas.

There seems to be a great divide between the real world of retail and the corresponding world of e-commerce. In the real world, developing relationships and return customers is a huge focus. Online, the focus is to get new visitors into contact with popular products, without consideration to who might be landing on the website, and where they’ve been before. Is it a lack of sociological awareness? Or a fear of new and enabling technologies and their cost? Either way, there’s a lot of room for small businesses to bring personal and relevant information to each of their visitors.

In retail, marketing for repeat business is more cost effective than generating first time buyers. Recognizing that word-of-mouth is always the most effective advertising, retailers work hard to develop customer loyalty through rewards programs, CRM, and creating positive shopping experience. So much so, that repeat customers can expect a degree of personalization at the shops they frequent. When I buy my morning coffee, I’m pleased when I’m presented with my regular order without having to ask. When I go to my favourite clothing store, It’s nice when the sales clerk greats me by name, and presents me with new stock I might be interested in.

I often note how customers are treated at the establishments I visit for the first time. Are the products merchandized in an intuitive, intriguing way? Is the staff approachable, friendly and respectful of the needs of those in their domain? In other words, is the retail environment conscious of individual needs? When I tell my friends where I shop, it’s usually more about the shopping experience, than it is about what I actually bought. Is it such a leap to imagine that the online experience of a retail business should mirror that same attention to detail?

Today’s technology for generating interactive online content has come a long way since the first business risked creating an online presence. While there are still hurdles getting the perfect creative ideas online, the prevailing question is no longer “is this possible?” but “how difficult and expensive will this be to implement?” Yet for all the technology available, there are still some e-commerce and retail sites that err more on the site of creative content than productive functionality – in some cases, leaving personalization entirely in the realm of email communication. Microsite development has become even less personalized because it often comes at the expense of the main site.

For some, the main concerns seem to focus on whether their site is Search Engine Optimized (SEO), and whether they have analytics tools to track the effectiveness of their sites. But what are they doing with all that information? How is that information being fed back into the website to develop a relationship and generate a more personal experience. Sites have the potential to be Consumer Optimized, but how many sites actually are?

Technology today allows marketers to not only collect data about their users, but to sort and filter this information to personalize what they offer back to their visitors. Developers have access to a suite of tools that can bring personalization (and relevant experience) to a new level. Though perhaps not the most efficient organic storage tool, XML has served a very important role in advancing website capabilities: most popular are the various RSS and news feeds that websites offer for sharing information with similar sites. Even newer are the organic storage dbs such as Mongo, Redis and Cassandra, these non-SQL storage solutions approach data storage far differently than a relational database, offering developers new and better tools to bring specific, high-quality content to users faster. Rather than forcing data into a system that is not optimized for it, developers have access to much more effective data storage and sharing tools than ever before.

Another major innovation is the ability to add natural language searching to websites. A number of projects, both enterprise and open source have sprung up to offer search engine indexing to everyone. While not technically databases, these tools offer the means to sort through and retrieve from huge amounts of relevant information very quickly, factoring in geographic location, incorrect spellings, multiple languages, gender biases, previous searches, content filters, etc.

Using these new technologies to specifically target consumer needs is necessary to take a website from being a high tech brochure to an engaging and satisfying experience.  Consider the power of intelligently altering content for consumers who tend to look for service and support information. Or offering user reviews and ratings to those who do their research. Consider your best, most recent experience with a retail marketer. Do any of those personalized details feel superfluous?

There is risk involved. New ideas often cost more than the stuff everyone else is doing already, and they don’t always visibly help the bottom line. It also takes time to create all that extra content. There is also consumer adjustment to factor in. But some industries have already bought into the powerful world of adaptive site development. Some online travel booking systems offer alternative itineraries that save their consumers money or factor in rewards points. Starbucks that allows me to pay for my coffee from my phone, and show me my rewards as soon as I earn them.  There are fewer and fewer reasons why online companies serve up the same thing to everyone.

When I visit your website, I would love to find that you took notice of what I looked at last time, and maybe serve up less content i’m not likely to be interested in, and more content that I am.

A few years ago, augmented reality (AR) experienced a brief but gimmicky insurgence. Every brand looking to innovate their communications wanted to integrate AR into everything from website features to direct mailing pieces. The trouble was, no one had a distinct vision for how they could evolve the magic of AR beyond the awkward task of printing out a code and manoevering it in front of a webcam.

Recently, the applications of AR have diversified and refined to the point where it has coupled charm and surprise with practical utility. Yelp and Google use it in the context of mobile wayfinding. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology has been developing wearable augmented reality to help guide new workers through complex tasks.

To that end, I’d like to present a couple recent examples of ways some intriguing brands have been revisiting augmented reality as a means of capturing and elevating their consumer experience.

Tesco AR retail enhancement

Tesco, the U.K. supermarket megalith, has been experimenting with augmented reality both online and in-store. In-store, webcams will allow consumers to generate 3D images of products, and explore their specifications prior to purchase (with emphasis on bulky items, like Tesco’s line of consumer electronic products.) Online, Tesco shoppers will also be able to generate models of products, fostering a slightly more “tangible” interactive experience to abet purchase intent. This is not the first example of a British store using augmented reality, but it is a notable example of giving consumers a chance to thoroughly investigate what Tesco offers. Packaged good and retail brands, take note.

Starbucks augmented reality Xmas Cups
The promise of AR on your mobile device has yet to be fully realized for a number of reasons: (1) low consumer awareness; (2) the small learning curve to understand how it works; (3) the  cost to develop, and (4) requirement to have a mobile app installed on your smartphone device. And those reasons are just to name a few. However, leading edge mobile marketing adopter Starbucks will be releasing a new mobile app to activate unique AR experiences triggered by their famous red Xmas cups. The idea is to find, activate and share all 5 special Christmas characters that appear randomly on the red cups. The new app will also showcase special offers and provide the opportunity for eGifting. Starbucks already has a loyal following and entrenched user base with Starbucks apps on their mobile device which will hopefully bring the masses into the wonderful world of augmented reality.

National Geographic AR Installation
National Geographic created an augmented reality installation to tour shopping centres and promote their TV specialty channel. The AR installation enables passersby to engage and interact with the type of content they would find on the National Geographic channel, from dolphins and dinosaurs to leopards and astronauts. Unlike a personal AR experience that requires the user to download an app to their smartphone,  an AR installation works by placing a huge digital screen and high-powered camera in front of an augmented reality marker that is affixed to the ground. As people step onto the marker, the content is triggered to play on the big screen in front of them and enables them to virtually interact with the content they are seeing.

With so many new avenues of thinking about augmented reality, we are slowly learning to liberate this magic little technology from the bonds of its printed codes.

The question is whether advertisers and marketers will be willing to adopt and push the envelope even further.

Google took a big step toward becoming a social branding channel by launching Google+ Pages for Business this week. Will they succeed in attracting brands to set up their own identities and getting consumers to engage? Here are 3 reasons why it would be tough to bet against them.

Reach

Google.com attracts over 1 billion unique visitors per month. It’s the web’s most visited website. If we think of Google+ as the social child of this immensely popular parent then we see a platform set up for success if the relationship is strong. And thanks to Direct Connect, it works well.

Type +Pepsi in the Google search field and you’ll see their logo, name and description in the dropdown. You can’t miss it; the row is twice as tall as the autocomplete results underneath and the logo adds the only colour in the field. This open door to Pepsi’s Google+ brand Page is the layup and the prompt that follows – “Add this page to your circles?” – is the slam dunk. It’s a heavy enough push to a brand’s Google+ page that some are even raising the anti-trust flag.

Targeting

The web’s early promise to advertisers of hyper-targeting based on demographics and location never really came true to the extent we thought it would. Targeting paid ads in Facebook is easy but when it comes to Page content, most brands are blasting the same status update to their entire audience – or at best, countries and languages.

Google+ makes it pretty easy to sort followers into groups (they call them Circles) and send targeted, relevant messages to these smaller audiences. Brands can create robust content calendars with posts intended just for certain cities, ages, gender and languages. Imagine Pizza Hut sending a family dine-in update to 35-year old mothers in Toronto and a take-out offer just to 22-year old guys in Thunder Bay. To brands, that’s gold.

Design

Remember how shockingly simple Google looked in the early days 10 years ago compared to other sites? Their logo and clean white background stood in stark contrast to other search engines with 600 words cluttering the page. Google+ looks to maintain that clean design and simplicity by showing just 4 tabs and 1 or 2 posts. The comment threads are compressed to a few lines and users can only respond, not post, so there’s no spam or angry uploads cluttering the wall. It’s easy-to-use and intuitive. They have a few bugs to iron out but overall this has been a solid launch.

Unprecedented reach, breakthrough targeting, and simple design. Add in the engagement potential of Google Hangouts, the social power of the +1 button, and the possibility of a robust Google+ Analytics package and you have the makings of a massive, effective, and unavoidable brand channel.

For a video compilation of our best ads in 2011 and pics of some delicious Grip-branded cupcakes please visit Grip Limited’s own Google+ page at https://plus.google.com/101210193967222377028/posts.

There’s a certain someone buzzing around everyone’s radars these days. She’s a bit of an enigma. Everyone knows who she is – in fact, millions of people talk to her daily – but no one could tell you what she looks like. You might have encountered her already, even though she only just made her debut on Earth two weeks ago. Who – or what – might this elusive thing be?

Siri.

Siri is the new personal assistant application for Apple’s iOS. Originally available for purchase in the AppStore, Siri was bought out by Apple and is now available only on the much-hyped iPhone 4S. The app uses language processing to find you coffee, put a reminder in your calendar, tell you the weather, and perform other simple actions based on voice activation. While its functionality may seem too good to be true, Apple’s recent TV spot for Siri speaks for itself.

Off the top of one’s head, it’s easy to think of the benefits of using Siri – convenience and access to a wealth of information, to name a few. Siri is a game-changer, and has the potential to be the calculator of the digital age.

But how can Siri be leveraged to promote one’s brand? The obvious answer is something like search engine optimization, which becomes key when plugging into Siri’s extensive search capabilities.

The not-so-obvious answer is to fit your brand in an organic way with the application’s natural functioning. For example, it may be possible in the near future to make an entire product catalogue available at Siri’s disposal. Or to train the app to answer consumer interest questions related to a specific brand.

All of these opportunities can help enhance a brand’s equity – but let’s take it one step further. Meet Beeri, a Rube Goldberg machine of sorts that’s already been created by some invent-repreneurs south of the border. They’ve come up with a way to have Siri pour a beer through a series of simple steps. While it might seem a bit of a stretch, this could prove to be a mere glimpse into the possibilities that Siri and its successors could represent. Watch the video to see for yourself.

Food for Thought: How can we integrate Siri with our products as a means of expanding their usage in consumers’ day-to-day lives? Are there other applications out there that can be leveraged in similar ways? If so, how can these be used to improve brand image and produce quantifiable results?

Over the past decade, digital has played an increasingly significant role in the overall marketing mix.  Smart brands have embraced this new communication medium as part of their plan, revealing unique new ways of interacting and engaging with consumers.

Then along came the smartphone revolution. Mass adoption of these devices has allowed marketers to stay connected with consumers virtually 24 hours per day. In transit, at the office, during dinner, even while sleeping, smartphones are rarely more than arms reach away. While still in its infancy, mobile advertising and promotional spending in the US is expected to increase six fold over the next five years, from $9.3 billion in 2010, to $56.5 billion in 2015. And globally, location based marketing is anticipated to grow from $2.8 billion in 2010, to over $10.3 billion by 2015. Have a look at the following companies that have found innovative ways of mobile marketing.

Metropoli (or Foursquaropoly) has taken the geosocial marketing platform, Foursquare, and turned it into a city scaled version of the popular board game Monopoly. Users are able to buy and sell buildings in their city, collect rent from check-ins, and grow their wealth with the ultimate goal of acquiring the most sought after properties in their city. There exists endless opportunities for brands to stake their presence and enhance user experiences. Think of retailers like Nike, Lululemon, Booster Juice, and the different ways they might entice consumers into store, and reward them for their loyalty.

Kiip is a marketing solution for mobile gaming.  It pushes rewards to gamers that complete levels, unlock challenges, and beat their opponents. The millions of people that play games like Angry Birds, Solitaire, and Cut Rope, can now be rewarded with real life prizes.  With rewards like food & drink, event tickets, and swag, consumers are finally being rewarded for time spent playing games. Think of how much time is spent gaming while commuting to work, waiting in line, and sitting in class.  Now think of your brand rewarding people for their hard work and dedication.  In the effort to build brand loyalty, it’s hard to beat free rewards.

Groupon Now! puts the consumer in control. No longer do you have to wait for daily emails.  No more skimming through dozens of offers that don’t interest you. Through their website and mobile app, users can define geographical area, type of deal (food, entertainment, activity, etc.), and choose the time of day they wish to redeem.  You’re instantly provided with a list of local deals that can be redeemed within 24 hours.  Heading out for dinner with friends?  Check Groupon Now! to find restaurants currently offering 50% off food and drink!

Food for Thought: The proliferation of smartphones has delivered to marketers yet another new and exciting gateway for consumer interaction.  How can we best utilize this tool for meaningful engagement while delivering greater value to our brands?

Facebook has unveiled a number of updates to its social platform, including a social timeline that creates a new profile format, timeline specific applications and additions to the “like” functionality. The social timeline is a oddity, since it seems destined to polarize developers in terms of whether implementation is worth the inconvenience. That being said, there are nonetheless some interesting proposals for marketers.

The new timeline profile, if extended to brand pages, hands marketers a bunch of new tools to elevate their presence. Overall, the timeline will provide much more customization. It will offer the ability to direct the consumer to a more CRM-friendly platform than the existing mobile version. And finally, it provides the option of modifying an expanded top image to be more brand specific – a boon to advertisers who desire better screen real estate. As with any measurable aspect of social media, this change may provide the opportunity to gain major brand recognition in a valuable location.

There’s also the question of “living” versus “dead” brand links. In this case, Facebook is offering up timeline-specific applications that can forward users from dead applications to a brand loyalty page. Those that benefit the most will be those who take advantage of these changes via mobile platforms.

The most disruptive addition is the extension of social actions. Instead of being restricted to “liking” a product, service or group, users can now use a specific product, watch a specific movie or listen to a specific song. Depending on which of these additions are rolled out – and when – will determine whether Facebook has changed how marketers operate on its platform.

What do you think? Are these viable changes to enrich the Facebook marketplace, or innovations destined for the dead pool?

We’re growing our community by leaps and bounds. If you aren’t already, follow Grip Limited’s official Twitter account @bigorangeslide for blog updates, agency tidbits and information about when our snake oil wagon will trundle into a township near you!

If you do follow us, we’d like to know: what would you like to see more of on our Twitter stream?

Google+ was up 10M+ members within two week of its launch. At that time, there was suspicion that those stats were a function of Facebook burnout or curiosity, rather than intended use. Several months later, we’re seeing some flurries of activity from Facebook, including an overhaul of privacy settings in response to Google+. This is precisely the type of response that gets people wondering whether Google+ is here to stay, and whether it is a contender for their time.

For my part, I believe that Google+ is here to stay. Here’s a laundry list of my reasons:

1) It’s now up to 25 million users. And growing.
To give perspective, it took 1 year for Twitter for break 10 million, and Facebook 2 years. Though the increased adoption rate is easily explained by the fact that Google is a widely known web property, and the fact that social networks require less education, you still can’t deny that it is now a major player in the social space.

2) Google allows you to organize contacts into circles.
I have 7 people in my family circle, which allows me to either share only with those people, or listen to only those people.  That way you can share a crude joke with your father, without ruining your career. We knew that this was a great idea from the get go, but since Facebook’s recent announcement that it would allow for similar functionality on its network, it’s clearly a game changing idea. It smacks a bit of catch up.

3) Hangouts.
Being able to conference with up to ten people with no cost or software.  Awesome and useful, and a far better user experience than Facebook’s foray into video messaging of a couple months ago.

4) You can permalink to posts.
If you have ever needed to sift through months of wall history to find something you or someone else posted, you immediately understand how valuable this type of functionality can be.

5) Google+ combines the best of many worlds, plus some.
The fact is that this network combines the capabilities of Facebook and Twitter into one format that goes beyond 140 characters. Brand pages will be launching this fall, with the ability to target sub sets of your audience at any given time. This means that an automotive brand could technically write posts to owners of one lineup of cars, or two a survey of owners of a certain age demographic. These Brand features when they are released will no doubt attract brands in a big way.

What do you think? Is Google+ worth your time or will Facebook, with a couple tweaks, continue to dominate?