Tag Archives: Advertising

Taking User-Generated Content By The Horns

Advertising, Computer Vision, Direct Response Campaigns, Image Recognition, Mobile Marketing, Photo Sharing | by

    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.

    **
    (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.)

    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.

      Pongr Treat!

      Advertising, Brand Loyalty, Shopper Marketing | by

        October is right around the corner. That means tricks and treats are going to be right at your doorstep. We all have our favorite ghouls, ghosts and Disney characters to dress up as on the last day of October, but we also have our fair share of guilty pleasures: candies and chocolates.

        Of course, candies and chocolates aren’t the only thing we enjoy; there are various recipes people whip up to celebrate Halloween and make it more special for children.

        Pictures have captured countless Halloween memories for many families, but you can now add more memories and capture all of your favorite candy brands. You can share your favorite Halloween season brands and give others ideas for Halloween trick-or-treating or even discover ideas yourself.

        When shopping at a nearby grocery store, you must’ve noticed the Halloween specials that were prepared by your favorite candy brands. Candy corns, Halloween themed chocolates, orange Oreos… They’re all back! Halloween edition products don’t last long, though. They’ll be around until Halloween and disappear like a vampire at the break of dawn.

        Before it’s too late, #TrickOrTreat2012 and Pongr photos of your favorite Halloween edition treats.

        The Olympics of Advertising: Is it possible to survive using only “official” brands?

        Advertising, Brand Ambassadors, Brand Loyalty | by

          Ronald McDonald welcomes Five Ring Diet founder Terin Izil to London!

          She cleverly called it “The Five Ring Diet,” and from the moment the torch was lit to kick off the 2012 Summer Olympics to the last few notes of the closing ceremonies, copywriter Terin Izil only ate, wore, lived and cleaned herself with brands that were official sponsors of the Games. She shared her daily quest on her Tumblr blog.

          The challenging publicity stunt was staged as a fundraiser for Camp Promise-West, a camp the 28-year-old Chicago woman helped start for children and adults with muscular dystrophy and neuromuscular disorders. One of the camp’s amazing programs involves giving wheelchair-accessible hot air balloon rides.

          For breakfast, Terin usually ate Chobani Greek Yogurt or Kellogg’s Corn Flakes (three-time Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh graces the box).  Procter & Gamble gave her a wide berth of choices of soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, skin care products and laundry detergent.  And Budweiser was there with commemorative bottles when she wanted to kick back and relax.

          Natural Brand Engagement with Social Photo Marketing

          Advertising, Social Media | by

            Open up your favorite social networking site and you probably won’t have to go far before you notice something that didn’t exist not so long ago: native ads. Native ads are ads that appear tightly integrated into a site’s content and presentation, in contrast to the intrusive ads that interrupt our videos or show up as a big ugly box on the side of the screen. The two social media bigwigs, Facebook and Twitter, have both started implementing native ads, which they’re calling Sponsored Stories and Promoted Tweets, respectively. But plenty of other sites are also giving advertisers native options for their placement, including YouTube, Tumblr, Yelp, and those purveyors of silly photos of cats with grammar problems, ICanHazCheezburger.com.

            In some ways, this is coming full circle for advertising, harkening back to television shows in the 50s and 60s that included sponsor’s names as part of the show. It’s a move that makes sense for advertisers. As Dan Greenberg, CEO of Sharethrough, says, consumers are “tired of being interrupted, bothered, and ‘marketed at.’” The shift towards native ads allows consumers to see branded content naturally and transparently, just like they see content from their friends and people they follow.

            Photos shared on social networks strike consumers as more authentic and will easily spark conversation.

            At Pongr, we love this trend towards more natural, less intrusive advertising. Our Photo Response Marketing (PRM) can take it a step further, though. Rather than placing advertising alongside content from users’ friends, why not make the content from users’ friends your advertising? User-generated content will consistently be perceived as the most authentic, and it appeals to our universal human desire for self-expression. By encouraging consumers to take photos of your brand and then share those photos to their social networks, you will expose consumers to your brand organically.

            As times changes, it’s important to be able to adapt to new trends and preferences. We’ve already talked about how shoppers are anxious to blend their digital life with in-store experiences. Using social photo marketing is a great way to blend social life with consumer life by allowing the conversation around your brand to develop naturally through shared photos. Pongr’s platform makes this simple with one-click sharing to Facebook or Twitter.

            Go beyond Sponsored Stories or Promoted Tweets. Let consumers interact with your brand in the most natural way possible—through social photo marketing. Contact Pongr to find out more.

            In-Store and Digital Marketing: A Perfect Match

            Augmented Reality, Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing | by
              Photo by Ktoine

              More and more consumers have their mobile devices in hand while shopping.

              In her latest article for AdAge, Clara Shih talks about using social media to boost engagement on a local level. Even big brands like Walmart are creating social media pages for each store in an effort to connect with local customers and push content that’s especially relevant to them. She makes the observation that “in-store and digital experiences are merging,” which we couldn’t agree with more. As more and more consumers start shopping with a smartphone in one hand and a credit card in the other, retailers need to be ready to engage with shoppers digitally.

              Shih notes that one of the challenges of this is bringing the social media or e-commerce team and the field store operations team together. If brands are going to do in-store digital engagement well, it’s crucial that it be part of a unified effort between all aspects of traditional shopper marketing, sales, and social media.

              Here and Now: Relevant Ads Are Effective Ads

              Advertising, Brand Loyalty, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing | by

                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.

                Relevant marketing is effective marketing, and will help turn shoppers into buyers.

                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 | by

                  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.

                  Relevant offers and promotions in the moment of intent can help clinch the deal and turn shoppers into buyers.

                  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 Ultimate Field Guide to the Photo Sharing Universe

                  Featured Posts, Mobile Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Social Media | by

                    We talk a lot about how popular photo sharing is, but sometimes it’s nice to have some numbers to really get an idea of what we’re talking about. When we say that social networks are engines of massive self-expression, we’re not kidding. More than 300 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day, which makes 91.25 billion photos expected to be uploaded this year to Facebook alone.

                    Photo sharing isn’t limited to Facebook. There are around 2.5 billion active camera phones today, most of them the mobile customer’s only camera. Moreover, the number one mobile shopping activity—regardless of phone type—is taking pictures of products. It is absolutely imperative that brands tap into mobile photo marketing to boost sales and supercharge brand engagement.

                    Pongr sheds some light on the world of photo sharing apps.

                    Pongr sheds some light on the world of photo sharing apps.

                    In our recent white paper, The Ultimate Field Guide to the Photo Sharing Universe, we run down a list of the major photo sharing apps on the scene today. There are a few things they all have in common, like sharing capabilities and allowing you to express yourself artistically with filters and effects. But there are a few things none of them have, like the ability to enable direct-response marketing or create branded experiences around photos. It’s for these reasons and more that we don’t include Pongr on the “Photo Sharing Cheat Sheet.” We don’t see ourselves as a competitor to Instagram or Hipstamatic, and we’re not trying to replicate Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Pongr is a whole different ballgame because of the unique tools we offer brands to take advantage of the popularity of photo marketing.

                    To get the whole story, visit our corporate site and download The Ultimate Field Guide to the Photo Sharing Universe, and see what Pongr has to offer.

                    Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck: Effective “Nonworking” Media Spending

                    Advertising, Mobile Marketing, Social Media | by
                      Smart media spending means investing in highly effective and engaging content creation. Photo by 401K.

                      Saving money is really about getting the most value for money spent.

                      In the current economic climate, everyone is looking for ways to streamline and save a little money—brands included. One way brands are trying to do this is by cutting down on their “nonworking” media spending. Traditionally, brands have thought of the money they spend in two ways: either working or nonworking. Nonworking media spending is the money used to create content; brainstorming, concepting, designing, and executing. Working media spending is the money used to actually run the content, to get it in front of consumers’ eyes. This distinction is not always popular among advertising agencies. As David Beals, CEO of the Chicago-based consulting firm R3:JLB, put it, “The whole idea that the agency-fee dollars are nonworking and the media is working just doesn’t make sense. Anybody who has enough experience knows if the agency comes up with a crummy idea, not only does the media become nonworking, it can be negatively working.”

                      It’s understandable that brands are examining their media budgets carefully and looking for places they can save. But indiscriminately slashing creative budgets is a good way to end up with crummy ideas, as Beals says, which won’t do the brand any good at all. Many brands are focused on reducing the ratio of nonworking to working media at all costs. One so-called nonworking area that often gets the short end of the stick is digital, mobile, and social media, even though many in the industry would agree that it’s a crucial part of the future of marketing.

                      Brands should consider what types of content are the most effective at engaging consumers and leading to a sale, and focus their resources there in order to maximize every dollar. “If the goal is to get people to participate in the brand, you’re going to have to invest,” says Jordan Bitterman, senior VP social-media-platforms at Digitas. Smart media spending means investing in highly effective and engaging content creation.

                      Here at Pongr, we make a big deal about the power of photos and photo marketing, but that’s because it is a big deal. The popularity of sites like Instagram and Pinterest—not to mention the 300 million photos that are uploaded to Facebook daily—proves that we live in a visual world. People snap photos of brands they love every day, and shoppers are far more likely to actually purchase a product they’ve taken a picture of. Creating these brand moments should be a top priority, and the value of earned media cannot be underestimated. Studies have shown that earned media consistently ranks first in driving purchases, above owned and paid media.

                      Everyone’s keeping an eye on their spending these days, even brands. Creating really excellent, engaging content is highly effective and leads to sales, and is a much better option than simply cutting back content development entirely. Fan-generated photo content is where it’s at, and will provide huge returns on advertising dollars. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

                      1 2 3 … 7