2D Bar Codes & Mobile Coupon Initiates Foisted On An Unprepared Public

Some good quality ranting from Mediapost's Steve Smith:

2D Codes. Somebody make this work? I know I will take it in the knees (again) from all of you 2D code vendors out there who think your own fugly code will remake mobile marketing. I have no idea how many codes are now in the field, let alone how to distinguish one from another. The bottom line is that so long as users have to download a discrete program to make someone else's marketing program work, then this platform is for mobile geeks only. The promise is great; the hurdles are obvious. Speaking of which... .

A seamless mobile couponing experience. It is hard to imagine a marketing platform with so much promise that needs so much work on all of its levels. The front-end experience of getting coupons is haphazard. None of the aggregators has established enough direct partnerships with retailers to attract much consumer interest, and there are too many companies just scraping Web coupons that are barely visible on a phone. At the point-of-sale too many stores clerks are clueless when faced with a mobile coupon. But when this fractured system finally comes together, there is no doubt in my mind that a gusher of innovation and marketing dollars will be in there somewhere. It just makes too much good sense.

As we pursue our plans for mobile couponing it really is essential that consumer experience remain first and foremost in everyone's minds. "Mobile for the sake of mobile" is not a sustainable business model.

RSR Research: Targeted Offers #1 Goal for In-Store Marketing

New report out today from Retail Systems Research provides some great insights into what retailers and brands are doing and prioritizing around in-store marketing. We're still digesting the wealth of information, but what clearly jumped out to us in several charts and figures is that creating 1:1 promotions and delivering them in-store is the highest priority for retailers. Also nice to hear is that customer-facing tools and tech is more important than other technology spending.

Take a gander at the full report here.

Promoting Shopper Every Way with Rachel Ray

Not only was Scan It! features in First for Women and Everyday with Rachel Ray magazines this month (as we previously tweeted), but the Rachel Ray promotion has spanned many mediums, with the print piece in the magazine, associated brand advertising for featured promotional partners on Scan It! devices and in-store signage promoting usage of the solution.

Kiosk Keys to Success

Nice piece today from RSR's Nikki Baird talking about some dos and don'ts of retail kiosk implementation. I'm pretty sure she's even talking about us in one of her examples...

Digital Coupons Have Stronger Appeal Than Print?

Well, according to the Wise Marketer and NeuroFocus, online coupons score higher on many measures of consumer appeal than their print counterparts:

For the attention, emotional engagement, and memory retention metrics, printed coupons achieved (on a scale of 0 - 10) 5.5, 5.6, and 7.4 respectively. Online coupons, however, achieved 7.1, 6.9, and 7.6 respectively.

For purchase intent, awareness, and novelty, printed coupons scored 7.2, 6.3, and 7.1 respectively, while online coupons scored 7.9, 7.6, and 8.0 respectively.

Assuming that digital offer delivery such as Modiv Shopper would fall into the "online" side of this debate, this is one more reason why our redemption rates are outpacing traditional FSIs.

Debating Our Merits

Lively conversation going on over at RetailWire about Modiv Shopper and its effect on the consumer experience, retailer sales and brand promotion effectiveness.

Virginia is for Shopper Lovers

A very nice piece on the introduction of Modiv Shopper at a Giant store in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Our favorite part:

Viki Williams of Spotsylvania said she liked that feature because she discovers discounts on things she might not otherwise have thought to buy. Last Friday, for example, a 50-cent discount on Wishbone Creamy Italian dressing convinced her to pick up a bottle to go along with the spaghetti she was planning to make for dinner that night.