Digitally augmenting print ads for advertisers and readers

MEDIA & MARKETING:RECENT DEVELOPMENTS in mobile app technology are making it easier than ever for newspapers and magazines to offer digital engagement to advertisers in print.

First there was QR Codes, a type of matrix barcode that can be incorporated into print ads so that people can scan the advert with their smartphone to access a website. Now there is Blippar, billed as an “augmented reality” mobile app that aims to make it easier for mobile users to interact with offline advertising by using the built-in camera on a smartphone.

As with QR codes, to use Blippar an app needs to be downloaded to the user's smartphone. The first newspaper to use Blippar is Metro Herald, the free Dublin newspaper. Using Blippar, readers have been able to engage with a daily "What the Blipp" feature in the paper which allows them to access video content provided by the TV3 programme fyi. The paper is also using Blippar on some editorial pieces.

Kieran Forde of Metro Heraldsays: "Readers can blip our daily poll or by blipping the crossword they could get all the answers. Aer Lingus, Jack Daniels, Miller and Universal Pictures have used Blippar to augment their ads. It is our intention to make Blippar a standard part of the newspaper. This allows us to upsell to advertisers by giving them more engagement."

In Britain, Tesco has introduced the country’s first image recognition augmented reality print campaign as part of a new campaign. By simply hovering their smartphone in Blippar mode over a Tesco outdoor or press advert, the customers will be able to access free store location information and download new daily recipe ideas.

The difference between Blippar and QR codes is that while the latter is a mono mosaic-type box, Blippar can use a creative element in an advertisement as the trigger for engagement. For the moment though, QR codes are much more prevalent. A number of FMCG companies have embraced the technology including Neutrogena and Dairygold. Dunnes Stores includes QR codes on its instore loyalty points keyring.

According to John Eager, chief executive of the Snap chain, which provides software for creating QR codes: “QR codes complement campaigns by linking online and offline content, but it’s a question of making the QR code work harder and harder. When someone uses the QR code to get to a website, the trick is to turn it into a purchase transaction.

“One issue is that the software for reading QR codes does not come as standard on a smartphone so users have to download the app. If phones came with the app installed, you would see a massive increase in usage.”

Taking QR Codes to a higher level altogether is a Utah company Code_IT Barcodes, which is using QR codes to turn gravestones into digital memorials. The QR code links to a website incorporating audio and video the dead person as well as reminiscences from friends and family.

Estate agent Sherry FitzGerald is a big a fan of QR codes for press advertising of properties.

“The number of QR code scans from our ads has nearly doubled year-on-year,” online marketing manager Sarah Doyle says. “Our goal is to provide richer content to our print advertising and to provide accurate measurement of return on investment.”

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Down in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, Leo Cullen and Eoin Reddan are still keeping a close eye on the global markets. That’s because they and Leinster colleague Kevin McLaughlin are the new poster boys for spread- betting company CMC Markets.

The link-up came about because the trio were already spread-betting through CMC and the opportunity for some marketing synergy was spotted by Declan Bourke, CMC Ireland’s managing director.

The promotion featuring the trio includes 150 bus sides, 20 48-sheets and some Dart card activity, as well as a blog called gainline.ie running on the Irish Timeswebsite.

“There is a lot of jargon associated with spread betting so this campaign is to show how ordinary people use spread betting,” Bourke says. “I find outdoor to be very good for driving brand awareness. The guys will be blogging for the whole rugby season.”

Writing on the blog this week, Reddan had other things on his mind besides whipping the Italians on Sunday. “It’s been a good week off the pitch. I was short Dow Jones and the FTSE – both took massive tumbles, which I managed to hang on for and let my winnings run.”

It seems that Cullen is more interested in precious metal speculation than speculating about the prospects of a quarter- final clash with Wales. “I am in one trade at present which is long silver. After an initial upside it has fallen back slightly from where I bought in. The logic behind my silver trade derives from a friend. His contacts are still bullish silver although there is increasing info indicating a fall in precious metals. I am looking for a 6 per cent increase with a stop loss order in place of 4 per cent.”

Meanwhile, McLaughlin is looking for an opportunity to sell euros and sterling, noting: “The euro is making a little bit of a comeback this week against the sterling but longer term, it is hard to see a happy ending to this crisis.”