Inc. Magazine: Pongr Photo Marketing is the “Best For Creating Loyalty Campaigns”

Brand Loyalty, Brand Rewards, Direct Response Campaigns, Pongr for Small Businesses, Pongr in the Media, Shopper Marketing | by

    Monetize Your Customer Photos — Businesses of all sizes use Pongr for direct response marketing campaigns and to maximize the value of user-generated photos by connecting them to their CRM databases.

    Inc. Magazine, best known for its focus on America’s fastest growing privately held companies and its coverage of entrepreneurs, explores the photo marketing landscape for brands and small businesses in its May issue — which is on the newsstands now.

    The magazine examines the business value of four competing photo sharing platforms and their comparative marketing strengths. Highlighting both Pongr’s free photo marketing tools for small businesses and organizations, and its premium services for brands, the Inc. story names Pongr the “Best For Creating Loyalty Campaigns.”

    You can read the full story, “4 Ways to Market With Online Photos,” here.

    We’re honored to be recognized for our shopper marketing loyalty programs, which award points for taking and sharing pics and giving consumers opportunities to redeem their points for prizes.

    For small businesses and organizations, having access to a sleek-looking software platform and a fan leaderboard is priceless — given how tight IT budgets are these days.

    For local, regional and global brands, Pongr’s image recognition and direct response system allows campaigns to be automated at any scale. The natural consumer act of taking a picture is their entry into a contest, promotion or sweepstakes. Our computer vision “sees” when customers have interacted with the desired product, packaging or store display — and filters out incorrect images.

    Pull out your camera phone and check it out for yourself. Snap a pic of your company/brand logo and send it to (brandname)@pongr.com. Check your inbox and see what happens!

    (Pongr shopper marketing campaigns can be used for new or existing brand loyalty programs. Drop us a line here to learn more.)

    RETURN ON RELATIONSHIP – How to Cultivate Passion Between Consumers and Brands

    Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty | by

      We say we LOVE our Starbucks coffee or LOVE our Converse Kicks.  But are our feelings about brands really like romantic relationships?

      Social media experts Ted Rubin and Kathryn Rose, authors of “Return on Relationship,” believe that how brands and customers relate to one another is exactly like romance.

      Double click to get a copy for yourself.

      You’ve heard of “Return on Investment” or ROI?  Rubin and Rose define “Return on Relationship” or ROR, as “the value, both perceived and real, that is accrued by a person or brand due to nurturing a relationship.”

      The authors say that relationships should be developed in a transparent and honest way in order to get something valuable back from them. They note that as with dating somebody, these bonds take time and cannot be rushed or forced. I’m sure we all know artificial relationships like that usually don’t end very well.

      What I found most compelling about “Return on Relationship” is the discussion on how brands have become all about the consumer.

      “In essence, consumers now own your brand, and if enough consumers say negative things about it, you lose credibility,” Rubin and Rose write. “…When you listen to your consumers as though they are brand owners, you’re showing them respect — and in this social media world, authentic respect is one of the greatest customer experiences we can provide.”

      Social media has created a two-way communication channel between brands and their users. This means that social is not just a way for brands to reach out, but that it is also a place for consumers to give their opinions, feedback, and share their experiences.

      This is exactly where brand advocacy stems from. Brand advocates are the people who admire your company, believe in it, and will back it up without needing to be paid to do so. Brand advocates are crucial to any business, because let’s be honest, there’s no one better to have your back than the people who believe in you the most.

      At Pongr, brand advocates support their favorite brands through the most natural way possible — photo sharing.

      Pongr enthusiast Nancy C. showed her love of Mountain Dew by setting up her cans to say it for her on Valentine’s Day.

      Toning down their romance metaphor, the authors also re-examine what it means to be a “friend” with someone on social media:

      “In today’s digital age, the word friend means (more often than not) that you exchanged a keystroke with someone. When we’re concentrating on developing relationships, however, we need to (in Ted’s words) take back the word friend and add value to it.”

      One person can have a million followers on Twitter or thousands of friends on Facebook, but how strong are those relationships? It’s the conversational and honest engagement with consumers, on a daily basis, across social networks, that will create long lasting connections.

      Facebook itself recognizes this with their “Talking About Us” number on brand pages. It’s no longer about the number of page likes, which is a one-time action that may have been motivated by a discount code or special offer. Talking About Us measures how engaged fans are on an ongoing basis — how often they are liking, sharing and commenting on the daily conversations started by brands.

      Pongr’s direct response technology helps brands and customers feel closer to each other. There are many picture-sharing apps and services out there, but when fans share pictures through Pongr, they receive an instant message back with an exclusive brand offer or call to action.

      We help keep the conversation – or that Return on Relationship – alive and thriving.

      Don’t Just Spread The Love, Pongr It!

      Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Pongr Contests, Shopper Marketing, Uncategorized | by

        We’re well on our way into winter, and love is in the air. Flowers, gifts, and candy are being purchased. Pink, red, and white decorations are hanging, and this can only mean one thing: Valentine’s Day is approaching.

        Now, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be dedicated exclusively to those in romantic relationships. Valentine’s Day is a time when you can express your love to anyone, such as a family member or close friend… and the only thing that is just as important as spreading the love, is capturing it.

        With that being said, it’s time for the Valentine’s Day photo contest!

         Here’s how it works:

        1)   Take Valentine’s Day inspired photos.

        2)   Send them in, either by MMS or email, to “brandnamehere”@pongr.com!  Make sure to put #VDay in the subject line to be entered in the contest.

        3)   Share, share, share! Share your pics with family and friends. Share them on Facebook or Twitter. Sharing is caring, and you’ll only be gaining more Pongr points, Facebook likes, and Twitter favorites!

        The contest starts on Monday, February 4 and ends on Sunday, February 17. We’re giving you some extra time after Valentine’s Day in case you’re celebrating with your loved ones over the weekend! Three very lucky winners chosen at random will be revealed on Monday, February 18th and will receive gift cards to their choice of H&M, Old Navy, Starbucks, or Dunkin Donuts.

        So whether you’re spending your Valentine’s Day with your spouse, friends, family, or a bottle of merlot, don’t forget to take some pictures and send them our way!

        Be The Brand: Candy Artist Makes Celebrity Portraits With Mike and Ikes, Hot Tamales

        Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Featured Posts | by

          Channing Tatum, star of the movie “Magic Mike,” reincarnated in the form of Mike & Ike candies!  (By Jason Mecier)

          Imagine what George Washington or Teddy Roosevelt must have felt like staring at themselves immortalized in stone at Mount Rushmore. We don’t know how they felt — because they and colleagues Abe Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson were long gone when the tribute was first commissioned in 1927.

          But heartthrob actor Channing Tatum, voted People Magazine’s 2012 Sexiest Man Alive, is lucky.  He does get to stare at his own glorified image, but on a much more humble scale.

          Tatum recently starred as a Chippendale-like dancer in the movie “Magic Mike,” a role just recreated out of 5000 Mike and Ike candies by San Francisco mosaic artist Jason Mecier. The artwork’s flavor breakdown is as follows:

          • Mike’s lips are Red Rageous.
          • Mike’s belly button is a Berry Blast.
          • Mike’s chest features Tangy Twisters.
          • Mike’s underwear and cuffs are Lemonade Blends.
          • The background consists of Original Fruits, Tropical Typhoon and Italian Ice.

          Sometimes the appearance of a product out of the box is just as iconic as the brand logo or CPG packaging. Jason was tickled by the idea of making a famous Mike entirely out of Mikes (which candies are the Mikes and which are the Ikes, by the way?)

          He previously made a splash by creating portraits of President Barack Obama and 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney out of Jack Link’s beef jerky. And his Good & Plenty pink-and-white tribute to Taylor Swift is absolutely gorgeous (scroll down below).

          We recently caught up with Jason for a Q & A on what it was like to channel the Sexiest Man Alive through his sweet tooth.

          Q: When was your first informal work of food art?  How did you get started?

          JM:  Though I have no formal art training, I did have an excellent mentor in my grandmother, Anita Tollefson. When I was young, I remember being mesmerized by her paintings, weavings, mosaics, sculptures, collages, and stained glass work that filled my grandparents’ house and yard. If Grandma was working on an art project, she would set me up at a nearby table with a project of my own.

          One of my earliest pieces is a mosaic made from beans, noodles, rocks, and cut bamboo sticks glued on a piece of wood. She encouraged me to create masterpieces using materials readily available to me. She would rather paint on the back of her cigarette cartons than buy a canvas. I learned from her that I can make art out of anything I want to, and that there are no rules.

          Q: When was your first “serious” piece of food art?

          JM: About 20 years ago, I wanted to take macaroni art to a new level and made over 200 bean and noodle portraits, mostly 1970s TV icons like “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Mary Tyler Moore.” I started to feel limited by the earthtone palette so I started working with bright-colored candy. Then, I just started using anything and everything in my mosaics. Now I try to match the medium with the subject. Like Snoop Dogg out of Marijuana, Amy Winehouse out of pills, and Kevin Bacon made out of bacon.

          My very first food art piece was Drew Barrymore (from the movie Firestarter) made out of chicken and egg dishes. It was for my friend’s zine cover. Chicken nuggets mixed with chow mein, scrambled eggs, lunchmeat and soup. It was messy and gross, but a fun learning experience.

          Q:  Why do you like working with food as a medium?  

          JM: I only like working with things that can be glued down and shellacked, like candy and beef jerky.

          I HATE working with things that just need to be assembled, photographed, and thrown away immediately, like fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. The food is wilting or rotting before your eyes, you have to work flat, ants start parading by, and if you bump the table the whole thing would shift. I also don’t get the final time to reflect and make changes at the end.

          Jason Mecier, glue gun in hand, in the final stages of filling in the last few “Mikes.”

          Q: Do you spray your art with any preservatives when you’re done?

          JM: I use Krylon Triple-Thick clear coat, a super high-gloss spray paint.

          Q: What gave you the idea to use Mike & Ikes for the Magic Mike?  More than just the name thing?

          JM: Channing Tatum was really peaking this year. Magic Mike was such a great cheesy movie and you know he is People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive!”  I’ve also been wanting to try Mike and Ike’s, so I thought it would be a perfect match.

          Q: What special flair do Mike & Ikes give the mosaic versus using generic jelly beans?

          JM: Mike and Ikes have a magical psychedelic glowy quality. I also like that I am forced to use their color assortment. Jelly Bellys are really easy and fun to work with, but there are too many jelly bean artists as it is, so if possible I try to find creative ways to use other candy brands.

          Q: Has the actor seen your candy tribute yet?

          JM: I’m not sure. I would love to get a picture of him with it! Or if he likes it, I can mail him a framed print.

          Q: Do you always hope that your subjects get to see their image and interact with it?

          JM: Yeah. It’s exciting. A lot of celebrities have my portraits of them in their homes: Parker Posey, Rosie O’Donnell, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Pink, George Lopez, Kathy Najimy, Bjork, Phyllis Diller, Ryan Adams, Barbi Benton, Gloria Steinem, Margaret Cho, Jackie Beat, The Scissor Sisters, Ricki Lake. It’s always exciting when Snoop Dogg gives you a shout out on Twitter!

          Q: When you do a food mosaic, how much raw material winds up in your stomach?

          JM: Not much. Usually once it’s in my studio and becomes art supplies, it’s not appetizing anymore.

          Q: What’s coming next?

          JM:  The PR rep for Glee’s Becca Tobin (lead cheerleader Kitty Wilde) told me that she wanted to do something fun for her charity, so they had me make her portrait to auction off. I thought Hot Tamales (“fierce cinnamon” candies) would be perfect!  I like the idea of sexy bad girls made out of Hot Tamales. So they approached the candy company (parent company Just Born, also the maker of Mike and Ikes) and asked them to donate the candy for the portrait.

          Q: So what’s your dream gig?

          JM: What I’d really like to do is a show of all Bravolebrities made out of Tic Tacs. Andy Cohen from Bravo network is obsessed with everyone’s breath, and I would just love to do a whole show of all The Real Housewives! But I need a partnership with the candy company and Bravo to really make it work. Cross promotion helps get the exposure that you need to make a project most successful.

          Do you get Good and Plenty of Taylor Swift’s music?

          (What brands would you like to see in Jason’s next celebrity mosaic?  You can keep track of his future candy art here.)

           

          Restaurant Surprise: Christmas Comes Early for Panthers Fans

          Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Brand Photo-Sharing Games, Pongr Contests | by

            Betricia McNeill, of Greensboro, North Carolina, will be taking her husband to his first Carolina Panthers game, as the winner of Pepsi’s Snap It/Send It Sweepstakes!

            As a supervisor at Fox Pizza & Subs in Greensboro, N.C., Betricia McNeill stares at 24-packs of Pepsi all day long. One recent afternoon, she was loading Pepsi cans in the backroom cooler when the roaring Carolina Panthers logo caught her eye.

            Betricia snapped a pic of the beast with her camera phone and emailed it to Panthers@Pongr.com. In a few seconds, she was entered in the Carolina Panthers Snap It/Send It Sweepstakes.

            “I didn’t even tell my husband Steven about it because I didn’t want to disappoint him,” she recalls. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up too high because I’ve never really won anything before.”

            By now, you may have guessed that Betricia won that Sweepstakes (we don’t have the resources to profile everyone who doesn’t win). And she’ll be taking Steven and two yet-to-be-named friends to Bank of America Stadium this Sunday to watch the Panthers take on the Oakland Raiders.

            Betricia is originally from Jamaica, where NFL fever takes a backseat to soccer, but since meeting Steven she’s pretended to love football.  Isn’t that what marriage is all about?

            “To be honest, I sometimes watch the Panthers just to be with him. He tries to explain what’s going on, but it’s not really part of my culture,” she says. “But I’m catching up.”

            Betricia McNeill surprised her husband Steven with the best Christmas present ever — premium seats to watch his beloved Carolina Panthers.

            Steven, meanwhile, is a Panthers fanatic who frequently lives out his football fantasies through the Madden NFL game on Playstation 2.

            “He and his friends are always talking about their plays on PS2 but Steven has never been to a game live,” Betricia says. “He was so excited. Of course, we have many more people who want to go with us than we have tickets. We have to make some big decisions.”

            Pepsi’s Carolina Panthers Snap It/Send It Sweepstakes is being powered by Pongr, a mobile photo marketing company that turns consumer packaging and in-store displays into immediate direct-response opportunities for shoppers.

            Betricia says she is a lifelong Pepsi fan who prefers drinking her soda half-frozen, a delicate operation for anyone who’s ever left a can in the freezer too long. She adds that she misses the glass Pepsi bottles common in her native Jamaica.

            Pongr CEO Jamie Thompson, who’s not eligible to win any Pongr-powered promotions, loves to help brands engage with their most loyal fans.

            Although Steven is reportedly a die-hard fan win-or-lose, Betricia is naturally hoping for a win this weekend for the hard-luck 5-9 Panthers.

            “That would make him so happy!” she says.

            Ditto for the other 73,774 fans at Bank of America Stadium.

            (Check out our other profiles of previous Pepsi/Panthers contest winners Tony Carter, a U.S. Army veteran who just attended his first NFL game ever; and Brandy McDaniel, a social services counselor who almost threw her winning carton of Pepsi in the trash before Pongr’ing it!)

            Thanksgiving Table Photo Contest

            Advertising, Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Pongr Contests, Shopper Marketing, Uncategorized | by

              The remaining colored leaves slowly fall and litter countless yards,  while the scent of cinnamon and cloves pervades the air. Starbucks has brought out the holiday cups and treats. This can only mean one thing: winter and the holidays that are associated with it are afoot.

              Starting off the season is Thanksgiving, a day to recognize all that we are fortunate to have and say thanks. Children travel back home to spend the extended weekend with their parents. Families and friends join together in celebration and in anticipation of an unforgettable meal.

              Whether it is turkey or tofurkey being served on your table this coming Thursday, make sure to capture the moments: from the beautiful spread of dishes on the dining room table and the first delicious bite, to the post dinner food coma.

              For the Pongr Thanksgiving Table Photo Contest we want you to share your family’s traditions. Whether it is a special way of preparing the turkey, fighting over the wishbone, or turning in early in preparation of 5 AM Black Friday shopping, Thanksgiving is celebrated differently by everyone. Show off your family, meal, and everything in between.

              The rules to enter are simple.

              1. Snap as many photos as you can of your Thanksgiving holiday! Show off your favorite brand of cranberry sauce or document how mom makes it from scratch.
              2. Send your photos, either by MMS or email, to [InsertBrandName]@pongr.com! Make sure to tag them with the #Thanksgiving hashtag.
              3. Share your photos with friends and family! Share them on Facebook or Twitter. Any way you do it, you are bound to receive lots of Pongr points, Facebook likes, Twitter favorites, and human smiles.

              The photo contest starts this Wednesday, November 21 and ends on Sunday, November 25. Three lucky winners will be revealed on Monday, November 26 and will receive gift cards to their choice of H&M, Old Navy, or Starbucks to get started on holiday shopping. 

              The True Universal Language

              Advertising, Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Image Search | by

                It wasn’t just Pongr that realized the potential in photo response; Korea found the beauty of it, as well.

                Shopping magazines conveniently located inside the trains.

                Home shopping has never been easier in Korea. Magazines are delivered to homes carrying hundreds of photos of products that range from clothing to groceries. These magazines are accessible on trains, as well. Internet shopping has spread so rapidly in Korea; photos are the most crucial part of its growth. Kakaotalk, a Korean smartphone chatting application, created ‘Plus Friends’ that users add to their chat list to receive photos or discounts for a ‘Plus Friend’ brand.

                Gangnam’s media pole

                Korea’s sophistication level of using photos to market products is very high and very convincing. Picture taking has been integrated to almost every electronic product in the country. Gangnam, the city referenced in the song Gangnam Style, has dozens of tall black media poles with large touch screens where people can get transportation information, directions using digital maps, provides free Wi-Fi and even takes pictures of those who are standing in front of the poles. These pictures can be shared online, e-mailed or sent to a personal mobile device.

                Photos are efficiently used in Korea for almost every occasion and the integration is recognized as a powerful way to market a product because there is no need for translations or interpreters. It is a universal language that everyone can understand.

                At Pongr, we believe that photos can attract more visits to a blog, more buyers to sellers and more fans to a product. We provide the perfect universal playground for brands and fans to have fun while getting to know each other on another level. Pongr will allow you to have a deeper conversation with your fans without any language barriers.Visit www.pongr.com to experience the visual playground we share with thousands of fans.

                Brand Experience: Sharing Is Caring

                Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Social Media | by

                  Every store of every brand is different. The Apple Store on 5th Avenue isn’t quite the same as the one on Newbury Street in Boston. It goes the same for any food or beverage chains; the Starbucks in Seattle isn’t identical to the ones at the airport. Different stores give customers a different experience.

                  A photo taken with the male model in front of Hollister’s 5th Avenue location.

                  If you’ve ever walked down 5th Avenue in Manhattan, it’s a street full of every brand you can possibly think of. There are thousands of people walking up and down that one avenue, in one day and even so, people remember to stop in front of their favorite store and take a snapshot of that moment.

                  Pongr isn’t just a social media platform, it’s somewhere you can have fun with the pictures you take, visually share what you love about your favorite brands and share your experience at different stores of various brands.

                  Stores like Uniqlo have limited locations in the U.S., mostly focused in New York City. Johnny Cupcakes is another clothing store that is limited to the East Coast and only one location in Los Angeles, California. Each store has its unique atmosphere and some brands even launch limited promotions in different areas.

                  A band playing live jazz at one of the Uniqlo stores.

                  Through Pongr, not only do users enjoy uploading pictures and earning points, but also can share a personal experience of a brand or store that is exclusive to their memory. By sharing various photos of products or stores, users can gain information about sales, themes and limited edition products. On the Pongr website, there is a location function that identifies where the photo was taken, helping users locate which store has what specific product.

                  Pongr a photo of your favorite store, shop or product. It could be a photo of a Starbucks mug that’s exclusive to your city, photos of a flagship store or even a limited edition product that you want to share. Head over to www.pongr.com to share your experience.

                  Enduring Athlete Brands: Isn’t Reggie Jackson a member of the Jackson 5?

                  Advertising, Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty | by

                    RETRO BRAND — More than three decades after the debut of the Reggie candy bar, New York Yankees legend Reggie Jackson is still extending his brand to snack foods.

                    As an unrepentant supermarket junkie, I love prowling the aisles to see what new products, brands and promotions are on the shelves. I suppose the addiction stems from my childhood love for cereal and Cracker Jack prizes.

                    Anyhow, while the New York Yankees are fighting for their lives against the Detroit Tigers tonight, I wanted to share this gem of a find: Reggie Jackson Ballpark-Style Sunflower Seeds. I suppose they are Ballpark-Style because you can spit the seeds on the ground.

                    To be candid, I avoid shelled seeds because the shards usually become pretty painful. This bag just may remain unopened and displayed with my baseball memorabilia as a museum piece.

                    In the 1970s and 1980s, Reggie Jackson was Mr. October, the epitome of swagger for any team he played for — seeing tons of postseason play for the Oakland A’s, New York Yankees and California Angels.  He hit .357 with 10 homers in five World Series. His coolness and slugging prowess earned him his own candy bar, the “Reggie,” a milk chocolate, peanut and caramel patty that was, well, simply delicious.

                    Reggie with “The Reggie.”

                    So in my excitement for finding Reggie sunflower seeds — ironically selling in Jackson’s “enemy territory” of Boston — I asked a Pongr co-worker in her early 20s how familiar she was with the Baseball Hall of Famer.

                    “Wasn’t he a member of the Jackson 5?” she asked.

                    Popularity is fleeting. That’s true for celebrities and it’s very true for brands that assume that consumers think about them 24/7. Advertising exists because new generations of customers must constantly be wooed to first try the product and then become brand loyalists.

                    Apparently, Reggie Jackson is still famous enough (to us die-hard baseball fans) that his image is being slapped on bags of sunflower seeds decades after his peak. He’s not dependent on those seeds for his livelihood and he’s quite comfortable letting autograph seekers come to him.

                    Global brands don’t have such a luxury. They must constantly reach out to their fans, because if they don’t, you can be sure that the competition will.

                    At Pongr, we use photo sharing, a natural habit already enjoyed by hundreds of millions of mobile phone users, to help brands forge closer connections to their most devoted customers. Interested in how brands such as Mountain Dew, Arby’s (more than 660,000 fan pics!) and Pepsi/Frito-Lay have leveraged the power of Pongr?

                    Download our free eBook, The Ultimate Field Guide to the Photo Sharing Universe, to learn more.

                    And while you’re watching the Yankees-Tigers tonight, don’t forget to download some Reggie Jackson songs on iTunes!

                    Pongr Perfect Memories

                    Brand Loyalty, Shopper Marketing | by

                      It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Harry Potter was one of the best series of novels in recent memory. Nonetheless, many were disappointed with how the novels were depicted on-screen. There were initial complaints of how the actors didn’t quite fit the characters of the book or how technology couldn’t catch up with the magical storyline; it wasn’t quite how people imagined it to be.

                      When we read a book, we put our imagination into work and create a world fit for the book and when movies don’t live up to our expectations, we are disappointed.

                      The same goes for pictures. They capture a moment we want to cherish. Photos take us back in time to that exact moment when the shutter went off or the time period we long to visit again. Sometimes, videos just don’t do justice for our memories.

                      Often times, brands carry the same effect as photos do: they capture memories of our past of when we enjoyed a certain candy bar, bag of chips or carbonated drink. You might have shared a Twix candy bar with your first love or popped M&Ms as you pulled an all-nighter while studying for finals.

                      Videos might capture the same, but can anyone create the perfect video to capture such memories? Not unless they’re highly skilled at video production. It won’t turn out as expected, just like the Harry Potter movies that didn’t quite live up to our imaginations. Pictures are simple: you focus on an object, press a button and capture the moment you want to cherish.

                      Pongr provides the perfect platform to share those memories of your favorite soft drink in high school, your favorite winter coat or even the ring your husband swept you away with. Invite your friends to Pongr and share memories of your favorite brands and products.

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