National Green and Gold Day: Pongr’s Photo Marketing Tools Inspire Student and Alumni Pride

Photo Contest Ideas, Photo Contest Tools, Photo Marketing Widgets | by

    Dr. Joe Bertolini, the new president of Vermont’s Lyndon State College, has emerged as his school’s #1 cheerleader. (Double click the image to see the LSC Green & Gold Photo Gallery coming soon.)

    Quick: What do you immediately think of when you see the colors Green and Gold?

    The Oakland A’s?  Green Bay Packers? Seattle SuperSonics?

    How about the Lyndon State College Hornets?

    If you are not from Vermont, chances are that you have never heard of Lyndon, a small liberal arts school with a reputation of producing TV meteorologists over professional athletes.

    Dr. Joe Bertolini, the college’s new president, has been boosting LSC morale this year with a weekly wardrobe challenge. He’s made every Wednesday “Green and Gold Day” — asking that all students, faculty and staff flash the official school colors. Taking it a step further, he’s deployed a “Green and Gold Patrol,” students on the lookout for non-Lyndon college logos being worn on campus. Once “caught” expressing their allegiances elsewhere, the offenders are offered a free LSC shirt on the spot. Their “other” college clothing is donated to charity.

    Parents: No need to worry that your tuition dollars are padding the school store’s profits. A generous anonymous donor purchased a large number of shirts to support the Green and Gold campaign.

    “President Bertolini has really invigorated the school spirit around here,” says Hannah Nelson Manley, Director of Alumni Relations and Development. “It’s safe to say that he’s become our biggest cheerleader.”

    And now the school’s most enthusiastic voice is bringing Green and Gold Day to the rest of America.  Starting today through Friday, April 19, Lyndon State will attempt to collect as many fun student, faculty, staff and alumni photos as possible to celebrate National Green and Gold Day. Using Pongr’s free Photo Contest management tools for small businesses and organizations, the LSC Alumni Association is asking the college community to vote for Lyndon’s Biggest Fan.

    Buzzing With Pride — The LSC Hornet mascot gives a random student a hug at the Lyndonville, Vermont campus.

    Celebrating the inauguration of President Bertolini on April 17, America’s Green and Golders can snap and send their pics now to LSC@pongr.com, which automatically feeds entries to a live streaming photo gallery where the community can vote and comment on their favorites. (More details here.)

    Voting will end at 5 p.m. on April 26. The winner will receive an exclusive LSC gift basket brimming with Green and Gold items.

    “We’re a small institution where more than half our students are first in their family to graduate college,” Manley says. “Our goal is to have our alumni, family and friends around the globe spread the word about the great opportunities here. Sharing pictures is the perfect way to reach out to our community. Photos bring back memories and in the fundraising arena, it’s all about tugging at heart strings.”

    “Pongr provides a great foundation for us to engage with our alumni — and it helps us do it in a very professional and polished way,” she adds.

    Manley hopes that National Green and Gold Day will get an additional boost from its network of successful TV meteorologists, whom she plans to ask to wear their college colors on the air. Those personalities include:

    – Jim Cantore, Storm Chaser for The Weather Channel (Class of 1986)
    – Nick Gregory, FOX-5, WNYW – New York City (Class of 1982)
    – Cindy Fitzgibbon, WCVB-5, Boston (Class of 1995)
    – Brandon Wholey, News-4, KRNV-Nevada (Class of 2008)
    – Kerrin Jeromin, FOX-44, Burlington, Vermont (Class of 2008)

    National Green and Gold Day will also be acknowledged on the floor of the Vermont State Legislature and be read into the Congressional Record by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). It will be interesting to see if any of those formal commemorations will contain a glimmer of humor, like the kind the college recently displayed with its April Fool’s gag declaring that the Lyndon Hornet mascot would be replaced with a sword-carrying bottle of maple syrup!

    The Lyndon State College Maple Warriors? (Double click the image to read Basketball coach Vincent Maloney’s view of his team’s satirical rebranding efforts).

    You can participate in National Green and Gold Day early by Pongr’ing a photo of yourself or friends/family in Lyndon gear. Not an LSC alumni?  No problem. The Lyndon State College Bookstore sells sweatpants and hoodies to “outsiders” too.

    (Pongr’s free Photo Contest Widgets are becoming popular for college and university outreach campaigns. Stay tuned to this space for the inside scoop on Bentley University‘s current “Stronger With Pongr” contest to promote school pride.)

     

    Dogs in Pantyhose: The Latest Photo Sharing Craze?

    Social Media | by

      HEELS & HOSE — Two dogs rest their feet after a night out on the town. According to Laughing Squid, posing pets in pantyhose is an exploding meme in China. (Pic via Sharp Daily)

      Humor blog Laughing Squid reports that posing dogs in pantyhose is a growing craze in China, where “bored” pet owners are sharing their dress-up photos on Weibo, the popular social media site.

      At first, this seems like an April Fool’s gag, like Pongr’s announcement the other day about our invention of “Snap and Sniff” technology allowing you to smell photos you share through our iPhone App or Android App.

      But is slipping your dog into nylons any crazier than Breading, the practice of framing your cat in whole wheat or rye?

      Taking a peek at Sharp Daily, the Hong Kong site that was one of the first to notice these provocatively dressed pooches, maybe this is slightly more bizarre.

      NICE LEGS!  Hong Kong’s Sharp Daily Website collects their favorite dogs posing in pantyhose. (Double Click to Enlarge Image)

      Here’s betting that the next time a Victoria’s Secret or Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog hits your mailbox, your dogs will be running in the opposite direction.

      Pantyhose for Pooches: A possible new market for the hosiery industry? (Source: Sharp Daily)

      In the name of fashion, something that we at Pongr care deeply about, PLEASE don’t try this at home!

      (What’s your favorite picture sharing meme? Drop us a line at darren@pongr.com)

      Photo Sharing Confidential: Do You Cuddle With Your Camera Phone in Bed?

      Mobile Marketing, Photo Sharing | by

        Mobile and Me: Our cell phones have become an inseparable part of our daily lives. But you knew that already. (Source: IDC Research Report — Sponsored by Facebook)

        I use my iPhone as my only alarm clock — I’m a fan of waking up to the pinball ringtone — and admittedly, I check my email while I’m still belting out my first few yawns.

        A new IDC Research Report, “Always Connected: How Smartphones and Social Keep Us Engaged,” reveals some staggering findings about how our mobile phones have virtually become 24/7 extensions of our minds and bodies. The study, commissioned by Facebook, surveyed 7,446 iPhone and Android mobile phone users, ages 18-44, in the United States over the span of one week last month.

        Some findings:

        * 74 percent of 18-24 year-olds reach for their phones IMMEDIATELY after waking up. That means the mobile phone is beating soap, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant.

        * 84 percent of the average mobile user’s time on the phone is spent texting, emailing, picture sharing and doing social media versus only 16 percent talking. Alexander Graham Bell would be horrified.

        * 79 percent of survey respondents keep their mobile phone on them or within reach for all but up to 2 hours of their time awake each day. Presumably that means during your showers, your phone gets some invaluable alone time.

        * 46 percent of people use Facebook while they are shopping, while an additional 8 percent are Tweeting while they are in stores. We wonder if those numbers would be reversed if Twitter sponsored this IDC study.

        * 25 percent of people say they are ALWAYS in the same room or within immediate reach of their phone.

        Photo Boom: Posting and sharing pictures is one of the top mobile phone activities amongst 18-44 year olds regardless of gender. (Source: IDC Research Report Sponsored by Facebook).

        So we know that our mobile phones go to bed with us at night and wake up with us each morning. It would be fascinating to see which times of day generate the most photo sharing. Here’s betting that bedhead hair and bags under the eyes push most people’s ideal modeling time to right before lunch!

        (Read the full IDC “Always Connected” study here. In the mood for getting your favorite brand’s attention?  Check out the new Pongr App for iPhone and Pongr App for Android.)

        Conquering the Senses: Pongr Adds Odor-Detection Technology to its Image Recognition Apps

        April Fools Day | by

          Now Pongr lets you smell the brands you love!

          In a stunning scientific breakthrough that had been kept under wraps for months, Pongr announced today that it will add an extra layer of odor-detection functionality to its direct response photo marketing tools.

          The closely guarded olfactory algorithm breaks down any smell into a series of 1′s and 0′s that can then be reconverted back into the original smell when it is shared through text, email or the new Pongr iPhone or Pongr Android apps.

          “Most people think of Pongr as a way to build brand awareness or turn product packaging into an interactive advertising opportunity,” says CEO Jamie Thompson. “But now you can also use it as a highly personalized air freshener.”

          Unlike the traditional pine tree cutouts hanging from rear view mirrors and gym lockers, consumers can now share smells of their favorite brands and change them whenever their mood changes.

          “We’ve brought scratch-and-sniff technology into the 21st Century,” Thompson adds. “Now it’s all about snap-and sniff. Studies show that our memory for smells is second only to our memory for pictures. We look forward to capturing the smelliest moments in consumers’ lives.”

          (April Fools Day aside, which brand scents do you love the most? Tweet us your thoughts @pongr. )

           

          Gift Card Heaven: New Brand Rewards in the Pongr Store!

          Brand Rewards, Pongr Store | by

            Brand Rewards — Some of the gift cards you can earn in the Pongr Store by snapping and sharing photos of you and your friends at your favorite restaurants and stores.

            Are you the world’s biggest Sephora fan?

            Or the most devoted fan of Starbucks, Pret, Dunkin’ Donuts, H & M, J.Crew or Forever 21?

            Prove it.

            You’ve already been racking up points for snapping and sharing pics of your favorite brands, and you can see where you rank compared to other fans by checking each brand page’s Leader Board.

            Now you can turn in some of those well-deserved points for rewards.

            Click the links below for the latest brand rewards in the Pongr Store:

            * Starbucks
            * Pret
            * Dunkin’ Donuts
            * H & M
            * Sephora
            * J.Crew
            * Forever 21

            Scoring points is easy. Here’s the breakdown:

            - Taking a Picture of a Brand = 1 Point
            – Sharing a Picture on Facebook = 2 Points
            – Sharing a Picture on Twitter = 2 Points
            – Getting Another Player to “Love” Your Pic = 1 Point*
            * Limit of 50 Points Per Day

            The Pongr system values and rewards creativity and enthusiasm.  If you look like you’re having a fun time in the photo, great moods are contagious and your friends will feel compelled to click the heart next to your pic. If you get creative and show your child or pet having a blast with your favorite brand, it is going to be something people want to share.

            Taking pics of stuff on your wishlist is one of the most fun things about dining and shopping.  So what are you waiting for?

            (We’ll be announcing new additions to the Pongr Store at a later date. Any brands that you’d like to see join our Gift Card Heaven?  Drop us a line at info@pongr.com or send us a Tweet @pongr )

            The Wait is Over: New Pongr iPhone App is Here!

            Pongr Apps | by

              Pongr’s new iPhone app includes a PongrCam with creative filters and cropping-on-the-fly!

              You asked. We delivered.
              Now sharing photos celebrating your favorite brands is easier and more convenient than ever!

              The Pongr App for the iPhone is now available as a free download in the iTunes Store.

              In addition to emailing or texting your photos to Pongr, you can now upload them, customize them and share them with a few taps on your touch screen.

              The Pongr iPhone App includes these features:

              * A built-in Pongr camera with fun photo filters.
              * The Beautify Button that boosts your attractiveness (wink, wink) on demand.
              * Customized cropping that lets you reframe your pics as squares, rectangles or panoramic views.
              * Easy access to your Pongr profile and points.
              * Easy sharing to Facebook and Twitter.

              Customize Your Photos (and Nails) — Add cropping or filters with Pongr’s new photo editing tools. Disclaimer: Make sure you let your nails dry before using the App. It cannot remove nail polish from your glass screen.

              So let’s say you just had your nails done and you want to let the world know about it. With the Pongr App, you can give your manicure an edgier or brighter presentation based on whatever mood you happen to be in. I guess the woman in the photo above wanted the “See my nails through a telescope” look.

              With the Pongr App, you can share only the part of your photo that”s most important to you.

              We’re already getting a lot of positive feedback on the cropping function, which lets you control how wide or tall your pics will appear on the Pongr brand fan pages:

              Playing With Aspect Ratios — It’s fun to jazz up the layout of your favorite Pongr brand fan page by sending in different shaped crops to the gallery.

              If you’re a Pongr shutterbug, you’ll especially love the sharing features. Once you type in a brand once, the App will remember it for the next time. You can post to Facebook and Twitter at the same time, and major brands’ Twitter handles automatically pop up in your Tweet so you can send them a shout-out directly.

              In addition, Pongr Photos that you share on Twitter appear as photos — as you intended — and not as links.

              As with all forms of Pongr, the Pongr App is the perfect way to reach out to your favorite brands and often hear back from them.

              Keep Tabs on Your Pongr Profile — While you’re sharing pics of your fabulous meal, you can get updated stats on your submissions and Pongr points.

              Download the Pongr iPhone App here. And stay tuned for the release of the Pongr Android App very soon…

              As always, we’d appreciate your feedback on the Pongr App and any suggestions for what features you’d love to see included in future updates.  Please drop us a line anytime at info@pongr.com.

              Picture Sharing Miracle: Lost Soggy Hawaii Vacation Photos Resurface in Taiwan

              Photo Sharing | by

                Missing Memories: Do YOU know the identity of this scuba diver, who lost her camera five years ago off the coast of Hawaii?

                This spirited scuba diver never got to share her coral reef adventures off the coast of Hawaii because her waterproof Canon camera got lost in the ocean.

                Happens all the time, right?  Which is why many of the camera companies sell those bright orange floating wrist straps.

                What doesn’t happen all the time is having the camera get found six years later — and 6,200 miles away in Taiwan!

                According to Hawaii News Now, an employee of China Airlines found the barnicle-encrusted Canon on a beach and discovered that the memory card was still intact.

                Bruce Chen, General Manager of China Airlines‘ Honolulu office, says the pics are from an August 2007 vacation in Kaanapali Beach on Maui. China Airlines is hoping that sharing the vacation photos through social media will identify the divers and reunite them with their memories.

                “I don’t know how this camera goes to Taiwan, but I believe it’s God’s arrangement,” Chen told the Hawaiian media outlet. He said that China Airlines will fly the camera’s owner to Taiwan for free if he or she is identified.

                It’s a visual twist on the classic Message in a Bottle story.

                And it’s also confirmation that whether you snap pics on a $5 plastic disposable camera, your high-end smartphone or a pricey SLR, those cameras can always be replaced. It’s the memories inside that matter most!

                Lost Vacation Photos: This mystery family lost their camera but could possibly be reunited with their memories. If you know who they are, China Airlines wants to surprise them.

                If you know who these vacationers are, make their day by sharing their names with Hawaii News Now or China Airlines. We love happy endings.

                (As the only mobile direct response Photo Marketing platform especially built for shopper marketing, CPGs and brands, Pongr looks forward to one day launching its first underwater photo contest. Learn more about how we can help you.)

                The Evolving Mobile Revolution and the Rebirth of Public Pay Phones?

                Advertising, Mobile Marketing | by

                  The Future of Pay Phones — New York City’s daring dive into public mobile phones began with its Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge.

                  As Wired Magazine puts it, giant public iPhones are about to invade the streets of Manhattan.

                  Public access to social media and the digital highway was on the forefront of New York City’s agenda when its Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications launched its Reinvent Payphones Design Challenge last December. The contracts for the city’s 11,000-plus pay phone expires in 2014, leaving a wide-open opportunity for an enterprising company looking to breathe life into a dying medium.

                  According to Wired, there are less than 500,000 pay phones left in the USA — and my personal experience says half of them are broken or coated in grime — compared to 327 million-plus active mobile phones in this country.

                  The contest winner, “NYFi” (pictured above) was picked this month out of 125 submissions. Proposed by Sage and Coombe Architects, the Pay Phone of the Future combines a phone with a subway and bus fare kiosk to reduce street clutter. On its huge TV-like touch-screen, there are apps that would let you call a cab or find a restaurant. Expect a few photo sharing apps to be sure.

                  New York City is not committed to adopting the design. Officials said they were trying to spark a conversation about what communication tools should be made available in a public fashion.

                  Humorist Art Buchwald as Superman, who famously changed his civilian journalist clothes in the semi-privacy of a glass phone booth.

                  If you are younger than 30, odds are high that you’ve never used a pay phone, let alone an old-fashioned phone booth, which seems as dated as the record player. The death of the phone booth might not have affected our day to day lives, but the impact on pop culture has been brutal.  Superman, of course, used them to seamlessly change himself from and back to mild-mannered journalist Clark Kent.

                  In the movies, journalists got all their anonymous tips at pay phones. And master criminals would taunt the police from them. Let’s not forget all those dramatic rainy scenes in John Cusack movies in which his character is heartbroken trying to win back the girl who left him.  Sorry, boombox.  The pay phone is the secret behind Cusack’s romantic appeal.

                  The creepy ghosts of yesterday’s ubiquitous pay phones are a reminder that technology stops for no one.

                  What’s a Dial Phone? Despite the popularity of the Fisher Price retro pull-toy phone with nostalgic hipster parents, this version of the telephone seems as distant as Alexander Graham Bell.

                  As Pongr continues to develop the computer vision and artificial intelligence behind the advertising world’s best photo-sharing platform for brands, it’s a lesson we keep reminding ourselves.

                  (What would YOU like to see in a public smartphone kiosk?  Drop us a line on the Pongr Facebook page!)

                   

                   

                   

                   

                  Snacking Robots: Applying Artificial Intelligence to Oreos

                  Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision | by

                    Trial and Error: HERB the Robotic Butler demonstrates how NOT to separate Oreo cookies from the Oreo creme at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

                    When I was a kid, my sister would bite off all of the Oreo creme filling and put the two chocolate sandwich cookies back in the package for the next unsuspecting family member.

                    Toying around with the Oreo filling is an American family tradition, as evidenced by the ongoing creme etchings on the Oreo Facebook page, including an Oreo Daylight Savings Clock, an Oreo NASCAR Race Flag, and an Oreo Pirate Eyepatch.

                    As part of their new “Cookie or Cream?” campaign, Oreo has contracted some top scientists to solve a daunting century-old problem:

                    “Over the last hundred years, almost literally billions of productive man-hours have been lost to people splitting apart OREO cookies by hand and eating the part they prefer. In an attempt to make the world a better and more efficient place, OREO has contracted the world’s best roboticists, artists and tinkerers to create machines that will do the work for us. Take a look at the future of eating OREO cookies.”

                    Robotics experts at Carnegie Mellon University were up to the challenge. Through trial and error, their HERB (Home Exploring Robotic Butler) robot learned to twist and separate the cookie without breaking it, scrape off the excess filling and polish off any residue so the cookie is completely clean and ready for consumption by those who prefer their Oreos naked.

                    The engineering challenge was immense. Think about it: Even just a teeny bit more pressure in those robotic hands and the cookie gets pulverized. Watch for yourself how HERB handles the challenge:

                    The first part of the robot’s challenge involves computer vision and artificial intelligence. The robot must “see” the object and positively identify it as a cookie. It must coordinate its computer vision with the movement of its robotic arm and robotic hand.

                    Pongr’s ongoing computer vision research, which just was dramatically enhanced with the acquisition of Israeli startup Sightec (see AdWeek), focuses on identifying brand logos, products and CPG packaging — but does not involve any cookie separation algorithms.

                    We do however, have a voracious appetite for Oreo filling — with or without the help of human or robot butlers!

                    (Check out the streaming Oreo Fan Photo Gallery on Pongr.)

                    Computer Vision Search: How Can Brands “See” Invisible Fan Photos?

                    Computer Vision, Image Search | by

                      The Power of Skittles: One home-based cookie business shares the fun design idea of another cookie baker who inspires her. How many times will the Skittles logo and packaging be shared without cookie fans feeling like they are advertising?

                      Yummy.

                      Check out the Skittles cookies that just popped up in my Facebook News Feed. There are no actual Skittles fruit candies in the cookies — though I personally think that would be an improvement. The Skittles logo and brand packaging are what’s celebrated here.

                      This is a classic case of a passionate unpaid brand ambassador sharing her love for her favorite candy. But what’s fascinating from a marketing perspective is that nowhere in the original photo from Karen’s Cookies is there any mention of Skittles. We just see them — in super duper enlarged form — and its famous advertising slogan “Taste the Rainbow.”

                      When the picture is shared by another mom-owned cookie business, Sinful Squares, Skittles are mentioned in the caption. If Skittles were to do a traditional text search for all its brand photos on Facebook, it would easily find the second photo, but never see the first (the more important one since Karen is the “pioneer” advocate).

                      With computer vision, it is possible for brands to “see” what’s inside of the billions of photos shared on Facebook, which just announced a major redesign of its News Feed to make its picture display larger and more prominent.

                      Unless there is a special contest or incentive, most consumers don’t bother to tag pictures with the names of brands or products. They genuinely love their favorite brands, for sure, but it seems like “work” or an artificial gesture to type in the names.

                      A similar case is this viral photo of an amazing wooden sculpture of Pearl Drums. Very few people bother to mention the “Pearl” name when they share this pic with their social networks.

                      Tree Trunk Music — This rustic tribute to Pearl Drums has made a huge splash on Facebook.

                      Brands interested in finding their true number of social network ambassadors need to consider these untagged photos that won’t show up in a traditional search.  Pongr’s computer vision technology can be used as a visual search engine for brands to find their logos, packaging and products in photos shared across the Web.

                      Have you seen any brands make any fun cameos in your friends’ photos lately?

                      **
                      (Pongr’s computer vision technology and mobile Photo Response Marketing platform helps brands turn any of their existing logos, CPGs, visual media and advertisements into an always-on direct response program – and integrates brand photo contests to their CRM. Check out Our Story.)

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