Brand Photos: Behind the Lens of Image Recognition

Packaging We Love: Stanley Cupcakes by NBC Sports & Crumbs

Advertising, Brand Packaging | May 2, 2013 by Darren

Sports and marketing opinion leaders were just wooed with complimentary Stanley Cup Cupcakes featuring iconic trophy packaging and frosting decorated with NHL team logos. Double click to enlarge image. (Source: Fast Company via Facebook)

This is a yummy week to be a sports or business reporter or to work at any media organization for that matter. If you’re timing is right, you can sink your teeth into a cupcake decorated with the logo of your favorite NHL team — the ideal way to celebrate the start of Stanley Cup playoff action.

Logos and packaging are two of a brand’s most important assets and Stanley Cupcakes represent a stellar way to use them.

Crumbs Bake Shop teamed up with the NHL and the NBC Sports Group to create limited edition “iced” Stanley Cupcakes that will be sold in special branded mobile stores set up in NHL playoff cities as well as at Crumbs’ 69 locations in 13 states.

We never turn down an excuse to nibble on scrumptious cupcakes, but we salute the clever Crumbs packaging and delivery even more.

The Calm Before The Storm — The NBC/Crumbs pop up store to distribute Stanley Cup Cupcakes to hockey fans in playoff cities.

Who are YOU rooting for in the Stanley Cup? And would your sweet tooth overrule your hockey loyalty — that is, would you bite into a logo of the “enemy” team?

(Pongr is an image recognition technology company that can turn any brand logo or brand packaging into an interactive direct response advertising opportunity. Learn more about our Photo Response Marketing tools for brands and agencies here.)

Taking User-Generated Content By The Horns

Advertising, Computer Vision, Direct Response Campaigns, Image Recognition, Mobile Marketing, Photo Sharing | March 7, 2013 by Sarah

The Pongr site features user-generated images on a day to day basis.

You walk into a store, see a pair of sneakers you love, try them on, buy them, snap a picture, and share it across many of your favorite social networks. Sound familiar? I’m sure we’ve all done something along the lines of this, whether it is clothing, food, or literally anything else. We are living in a time when pictures speak louder than words, and are pleasing on the eyes too.

This user-generated content is priceless to us here at Pongr, just as it should be to every brand out there. Brands are finally taking advantage of the authenticity that is coming through social networking channels, and using it as a way to connect with new and existing consumers. When a consumer has the opportunity to participate in a brand’s community and create their own content, it opens up a level of trust and communication that cannot be reached through one way advertising.

Crowdsourcing campaigns are being launched left and right by big brands, calling on the consumers to get involved, whether it be by sending in pictures, videos, stories, or simply voting on something.

This is a big trend currently in the food industry, seen in brands like Pepsi, Doritos, and most recently, Taco Bell. “Feed the Beat: SXSW 2013” is Taco Bell’s new campaign, working to leverage user-generated content with Twitter and Vine. Taco Bell is calling upon its fans to share photos and videos of themselves enjoying live music in order to create a “Rockumentary.”

The ideas for these crowdsourcing campaigns are endless, and are becoming an increasingly normal habit in today’s media driven world.

Here at Pongr, we work on many user-generated photo campaigns, such as the recent UNREAL Candy “Unjunk Your 2013 Sweepstakes.” All that participants had to do was email or picture text a photo of UNREAL Candy for a chance to win a $10,000 shopping spree at Target. (Check out the UNREAL photo gallery here.)

Pongr user Ariel M. shows off her favorite UNREAL Candy!

With Pongr’s image recognition technology, we are able to take this user-generated content to the next level by offering direct response photo marketing built especially for brands. It’s as easy as snapping a pic of your favorite brand, sending it in, and immediately getting a response from that brand with information about a contest or a promotion. This direct response technology allows users to truly feel the love from brands they are using on a daily basis, while allowing brands to receive vital information about their consumers, all at the same time.

Wouldn’t you like to get a response from one of your favorite brands about a picture you posted on the web? Well, at Pongr, we make that possible.

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(Pongr’s mobile Photo Response Marketing platform and image recognition technology 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.)

Brand Spoofs of The Week: Lucky Charms, Folgers & Almond Joy

Advertising, Brand Humor, Brand Packaging | February 12, 2013 by Darren

Satire is the best form of marketing flattery, isn’t it? It is the rare rock band that isn’t thrilled by being immortalized in a Weird Al Yankovic song. It confirms that they are a household name. It means that they have arrived.

Given Pongr’s love for brand logos and packaging and turning them into interactive advertising campaigns, we are fascinated by the enduring appeal of Wacky Packages stickers. Topps trading cards have been parodying consumer brands since 1967. They have been permanently stuck to several generations of lunch boxes and school lockers.(Everything you’d ever want to know about “Wacky Packs” is documented by superfan Greg Grant.)

Brand loyalty begins in the supermarket aisle at a very young age. Just think about that time eons ago when you were sitting in the front of mom or dad’s shopping cart and begging them for a product that caught your eye.

Wacky Packages humor is aimed at kids, but it assumes that they are already familiar with the products. Starting this week, we’ll randomly share some whimsical brand spoofs and ask you to decide: “Should this brand be flattered?”

Also, if you already happen to be a fan of Wacky Packages, send us your favorite to wackypacks@pongr.com and tell us why it rocks. We’ll keep a running Pongr photo gallery for your browsing pleasure!

Totally Unnecessary Disclaimer: Almond Joy and parent company Hershey’s do NOT use Atlantic salmon, or any fish for that matter, in their yummy candy bars.

You’d have to be foolish NOT to try Folgers Coffee, the absolutely Best Part of Wakin’ Up!

Totally Unnecessary Disclaimer: The consumption of Lucky Charms will not determine if you win the lottery or whether any of your secret wishes come true. This is also the case with black cats, broken mirrors and opening an umbrella inside the house.

(Pongr’s mobile Photo Response Marketing platform and image recognition technology helps brands turn any of their existing logos, CPGs, visual media and advertisements into an always-on direct response program. Check out Our Story.)

Image Recognition: Dream It and Do It

Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Computer Vision, Mobile Marketing | July 11, 2012 by Connor

We use intelligent technology every day to make our lives simpler and more manageable. From the software that predicts what we really meant when we type an incomprehensible text message on our smartphones to the algorithms that allow us to search the web for exactly what we need, these intelligent tools are everywhere.

Brands that successfully harness intelligent technology produce fun, engaging marketing that is guaranteed to surprise and delight. One of the most powerful aspects of Pongr’s technology is our robust image recognition and computer vision capabilities, unmatched in the field. Our software gives brands the freedom to implement almost any concept they can think of in order to supercharge their direct response marketing.

Here and Now: Relevant Ads Are Effective Ads

Advertising, Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing | June 21, 2012 by Connor

Knowing as much information as possible about their consumers has always been important to advertisers. The more relevant an ad, the more effective it’s going to be. Special-interest magazines, for example, usually only run ads for products that will appeal to their readers. Advertisers are always trying to learn more about their consumers in order to make promotions and offers more relevant.

The #1 mobile shopping activity is taking pictures of products. A relevant, well-timed promotional offer can help drive the sale.

With the advent of mobile marketing, brands no longer have to provide relevant content based solely on the demographics of their consumer alone—really relevant content is content that finds the consumer at just the right moment, in just the right place. Direct response shopper marketing that is delivered in the moment of intent—in the store, when the consumer is actively considering buying the product—is the most effective way to turn a shopper into a buyer. If a consumer receives a relevant promotion or offer right after taking a photo of a product in store, there’s a good chance they’re going to act on it.

By using Pongr’s photo-triggered direct response tools, brands can take the relevance of their promotions a step further. Our system provides valuable CRM data for brands to help them send individually tailored messages and offers based on factors like how many photos the user has taken of the brand before, what other brands they like and take photos of, and what brands their friends like and take photos of. Brands can use intelligent tools to determine what the most effective angle is for each consumer, taking into account a wealth of data.

Ultimately, advertising is about driving sales. No one’s going to argue that. But by making the process fun and valuable to the consumer through highly relevant marketing, brands will develop a lasting relationship with the consumer based on trust and loyalty, the value of which cannot be underestimated.

Direct Response: More Than Meets the Eye

Advertising, Artificial Intelligence, Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing | June 8, 2012 by Connor

Direct response marketing is easily one of the most powerful tools in mobile commerce. If you think the extent of what we’re talking about is a photo-triggered message with a link to a mobile website, think again. The possibilities with direct response marketing are endless.

Photo-triggered direct response is a powerful shopper marketing tool for brands.

Part of what makes direct response so powerful is its uncanny ability to turn a shopper into a buyer. When a consumer sends in a photo of a product, they can receive promotions and offers relevant to their location and their personal profile— what brands they’ve taken pictures of in the past, their age, gender, and more. Coupons and discounts that can be used immediately will clinch the deal right then and there. Photos can also work smoothly with loyalty and rewards programs, allowing customers to rack up redeemable points for every photo they submit.

More than just offering incentives for customers to buy the products they photograph, mobile commerce can be integrated directly into the brand photo flow. Users can have the option to buy products they’ve taken pictures of right from their phone with Pongr’s secure SEE.SNAP.BUY.® system, which can work with our other photo tools or be embedded in a branded mobile app.

The First Pinterest-Enabled Magazine

Advertising, Augmented Reality, Mobile Marketing | May 25, 2012 by Connor

On Monday, TechCrunch broke the big story from House Beautiful’s June issue. No, it’s not the hottest new throw pillows this season. Thanks to Digimarc, the magazine’s latest issue is now “Pinterest-enabled,” allowing readers to pin photos from the magazine to their Pinterest boards right from their mobile phones. The trick is an invisible watermark printed on the page that directs to the preconfigured Pinterest page for that image when scanned. Digimarc’s EVP of Sales and Marketing, Ed Knudson, says it gives Pinterest users the ability “to pin things from the physical world as easily as they pin from the digital world.” But we beg to differ on the easy part.

House Beautiful has added Pinterest integration to their magazine, but it's clunky and limited compared to image recognition photo marketing.

House Beautiful readers can now pin images from the magazine by scanning an invisible watermark on the page with their phone using Digimarc's proprietary app.

Digimarc takes advantage of Nellymoser’s new “Scan to Pin” tools, but in order to scan the watermark, readers have to download Digimarc’s proprietary app. The functionality isn’t even integrated into Pinterest’s own mobile app, which is used by users to take photos and pin them. The embedded watermark also means brands that want to add photo functionality to their print media have to work with Digimarc from the start—there’s no way to add it after the fact. And a major drawback to Digimarc is their emphasis on Pinterest. No one is suggesting that Pinterest isn’t a fast-growing and popular social network, but integrating photo marketing with one site is too limiting.

Pongr is Exploding With Passion: Behind the Scenes of the Fast Company Photo Shoot

Artificial Intelligence, Image Search, Mobile Marketing, Our Favorites, Shopper Marketing | April 9, 2012 by Darren

Fast Company magazine recently explored Pongr's quest to retire QR code technology and asked CEO Jamie Thompson to demonstrate his feelings. Photo Credit: Jordan Hollender. (Click Jamie's mustache to read full story).

Fast Company magazine never settles for boring corporate headshots and their interview with CEO Jamie Thompson (“Forget QR Codes: Pongr Easily Turns Your Photos into Brand Rewards“) was no exception.

Given our focus on tapping into the power of brand logos and iconic advertising imagery, the action scene above may remind you of the Kool-Aid Man mascot, who is constantly bursting through brick walls and shouting “Oh, Yeah!” whenever there is a distress call from thirsty kids.

However, Fast Company editor Jason Feifer had other inspirations in mind.

“Photo recognition isn’t an easy thing to show in a still image. It’s a process, all done digitally, and any attempt to illustrate it would have come out cheesy,” he says. “So I started thinking that, rather than show Pongr’s business, it should show Pongr’s nemesis—the QR code, an instantly recognizable symbol.”

“We thought about various ways we could have Jamie fighting a QR code—he could be stuffing a big one in a garbage can, setting it on fire, kicking it. But in each of those, I just pictured a guy and a square piece of paper drowning in the photo. They all felt empty. Too much dead space. We needed the QR code to be bigger, badder, something requiring a full-on assault. And from there, the answer was obvious: Jamie needed to be busting through one, high-school-football-player style,” adds Jason.

Jamie met Fast Company photo editor Kathy Nguyen at the Manhattan studios of photographer Jordan Hollender, who was charged with the task of bringing out Jamie’s personality — again, no stodgy corporate stuff.

Pongr's Jamie Thompson with his archenemy, the QR Code! (Photos courtesy of Jordan Hollender)

Kathy had a more daunting challenge. Where do you find a printer to churn out billboard-sized QR codes on short notice? And then how do you prop it up?

Large format printers charge about $300 to $400 per sheet for posters that size. And with the plan being to take multiple poses and shots, the budget wasn’t generous enough to go through props like toilet paper. High school cheerleader pep rally banners were also considered, but most of those open and reseal with velcro and that wouldn’t capture the “torn” look the photographer would be striving for.

The giant barcode you see Jamie burst through is actually nine squares of paper glued together. Originally, the plans were to mount the squares onto foam core board. That image would have stood firm, for sure, but it also would have been impenetrable.

Kathy finally settled for firmly stretching the code like a canvas over a wooden frame.

Saving Jamie from countless headaches and a possible broken nose, the prop stylist cut a small hole in the middle of the code for Jamie to stick his head through and then tear a larger opening.

“The thought was that once we ripped it, we couldn’t go back, so we took baby steps before we let Jamie act like the Incredible Hulk,” says Kathy. “I couldn’t believe how animated he was — such a great model. He really brought his A-game!”

To get the “action” look, Jamie tried his best to get a running start behind the QR code, despite the tight quarters in the studio. At one point, he stumbled through the hole and accidentally caused a larger rip than anticipated.

“We were looking for lots of options so we had him running and jumping the whole time. He was absolutely dizzy by the end,” Kathy says.

Jamie's distaste for QR codes is well known in the image recognition technology universe. (Photos courtesy of Jordan Hollender).

The Fast Company fashion shoot (Did you notice how Jamie is even dressed in the colors of a QR Code) also included poses of the Pongr CEO throwing the shredded code into a trash can and trying to rip apart the remnants like a grizzly bear. Those shots ultimately wound up on the cutting room floor (or whatever magazines call the place they send their outtakes).

“I appreciate his willingness to humor us and keep trying new things. Jamie didn’t need much direction. He kept pushing the boundaries on his own. This was definitely one of my favorite photo shoots,” says Kathy.

Whenever you ask a CEO to act like the Kool-Aid Man, a high school cheerleader and the Incredible Hulk, how could it NOT be?

Super Bowl Snack of the Century

Pongr Contests | February 6, 2012 by Darren

Super Bowl stadium made out of deli meat

A Super Bowl Stadium That You Can Sink Your Teeth Into!

So we hope you all had fantastic Super Bowl parties—what a nailbiter! Our hearty congratulations to New York Giants fans and our sincere condolences to New England Patriots fans.

And for all you fans of those other NFL teams, just remember that training camp for the 2012 season really isn’t that far away.

In all the excitement surrounding our “Ultimate Match-Up” Super Bowl promotion with Pepsi and Frito-Lay, and last night’s Super Bowl Photo Contest, we’d be remiss if we didn’t credit the anonymous deli meat architect who created this replica of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis!

Thanks to Pongr player Keith C., who alerted us to this snack sculpture masterpiece. Keith shared this picture from a viral email that’s been going around—but this idea of Bologna Architecture remains no less impressive.

Any enterprising supermarkets, grocery stores or sandwich shops want to capitalize on this idea year-round with other landmarks? Do you know of any food markets that are already being this creative?

Fast Company Explores the Power of Pongr

Featured Posts, Image Search, Shopper Marketing | January 25, 2012 by Darren

Bursting Out: CEO Jamie Thompson recently bantered with Fast Company why he believes Pongr technology tears QR codes to shreds. Photo credit: Jordan Hollender

Q: Who has the World’s Largest Collection of User-Generated Mountain Dew Photos?

A: Is that a rhetorical question?

I like Pongr CEO Jamie Thompson’s humble boast in the February issue of Fast Company magazine about being the curator of more than 16,000 Dew pics (it’s now over 18,000 by the way). But more importantly, I love how he handled journalist Jason Feiffer’s candid question about what the big deal is — that is, what’s the difference between the way Pongr generates and processes fan photos and a brand just collecting pics on Facebook.

“First of all, with image recognition, you can vary the (direct) response depending on what’s sent in,” responds Jamie. “It gives the brand a level of intelligence that they otherwise wouldn’t get. There’s also a huge data motivation here. We’re entering this wave of so much user-generated content out there, yet so little is actually known about who the customers are. We do all kinds of computer-related intelligence, both on photos coming into Pongr and across the web.”

“There is a huge data motivation for brands — pockets of data coming in by region. They can ask, ‘How is our product actually doing in the store? How is our product doing in people’s homes? What are people taking photos of, and is it good stuff or bad stuff? Do we need to adjust our message in real time, our calls to action in real time? It’s much more than that direct response into a website,” he adds.

Fast Company’s Feiffer has a clever metaphor about the overused catch phrase of “brand engagement.”

“In some ways, I feel like brands today are like 11-year-old boys,” he says, bringing me back to my 6th Grade dance. “A girl will come up and talk to them, but they don’t really know what to say back.”

Find out what Jamie has to say about talking to girls, image recognition, the flaws of QR codes and the future of social and mobile gaming by checking out February’s Fast Company, which is now on the newsstands if you want to get an autographed souvenir copy.

Click here for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Fast Company photoshoot.

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