Mobile marketing is so hot right now that every brand should be looking at how to integrate mobile into its marketing plan, particularly using mobile apps to drive consumer engagement with brands. Stickybits is gaining traction among leading brands as a mobile app that can do exactly that.
When people download the newest version of the Stickybits app (version 2) to their iPhones (a new version for Android devices is in the works), they can scan barcodes and QR codes using the built-in iPhone camera. Branded promotions kick in when certain barcodes or QR codes are scanned. Stickybits includes social web sharing features and varied check-in and leaderboard features that consumers are accustomed to from mobile apps like foursquare.
Brands and advertisers can use Stickybits for free with access to a content management system and analytics. In simplest terms, you can claim your brand’s barcodes and append media to them then track scans, response rates, location data, and demographic data from Stickybits user profiles. For an undisclosed fee, advertisers can also access promotion management features.
Currently, 10 well-known brands are running promotions through the Stickybits app, including Ben & Jerry’s, Pepsi, Fiji Water, Elmer’s Glue, the Chicago Tribune, NakedPizza, Polydor Records, Wonderful Pistachios, the NHL’s Washington Capitols, Don Q Rum, and Harper Collins publishing. You can get the details about these varied promotions from this article on Clickz.
Right now, there is no recipe for success in mobile app marketing, so brands are testing sweepstakes, discounts, giveaways, and more in an attempt to learn what works. Branded promotions through Stickybits require their own promotion at this point with traditional advertising currently driving consumers to the Stickybits app rather than the other way around — something brands would certainly like to see happen in the future. Stickybits only had 50,000 active users in October 2010, but if the current branded promotions are successful, you can bet that number will grow quickly.
What do you think of branded mobile promotions like those available through Stickybits? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
