Create Jobs For USA Not Recruiting with Mobile

Posted on May 21, 2012 by

Jobs are important. In fact they’ll likely be the leading topic during this year’s political debates and we’ll be sick of all the talk. Fortunately, Create Jobs For USA (www.createjobsforusa.org), part of the Opportunity Finance Network, is actually doing something more than just talk.

They are advertising on billboards. And asking those of us with jobs to donate a mere $5 to the cause.image: Create Jobs Billboard

As I drove by this billboard I was reminded of the Red Cross efforts to raise money in $5 and $10 increments following the disasters in Haiti and Japan. I wondered if this was a similar thing. Prepared to pull out my mobile phone at the next traffic light I looked for the instructions. But there weren’t any! Only a small, though memorable, URL. There was no call-to-action.

I stopped to take the picture but I didn’t even bother to pull up the web site on my phone. I’ve tried that before and smaller organizations, particularly non-profits, just aren’t there yet with mobile and I’d end up at a full blown site designed for a desktop computer.

From where I was there was nothing I could do for them except try to remember the URL for later.

FAIL.

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What could have saved this campaign?

Create Jobs For USA just plain forgot mobile. It never occurred to them.

Without going into the appropriateness of a mobile call-to-action on a billboard (not usually a good idea because people are driving) they could have at least tried. Here’s what they might have done:

1) Allow readers to donate via their mobile phone. If they don’t qualify for the Haiti-style approach where the $5 gets added to the mobile phone bill – there are restrictions for this – they could use text messaging to start the process then link donors off to Paypal via their mobile phone to make payment. (Atomic Mobile offers a service like this) The billboard would include something like, “Text JOBS to 12345.”  They could even leverage their partnership with Starbucks so that Starbucks would match all mobile donations.

2) Create a mobile site and link it to their desktop site. This mobile site would be laser-focused on telling the story and generating donations. Anyone driving by (as a passenger, of course) could then just use their phone to go to the site and donate. They should still do this, it isn’t too late.

Posted in Donations, Forgot Mobile, Mobile Web | Leave a comment

Kingsford Charcoal Burns Up a Matrix Code

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

I’m a griller. That is, I like to cook food on a grill. A charcoal grill to be specific (gas grill lovers, stand down!). So it should be no surprise that, when given the chance, I buy my charcoal in bulk. In other words, I buy it at Costco.

It’s springtime, so Costco is probably – pardon the pun – burning through the bags of Kingsford – specially packaged in a two 18lb pack just for Costco. Interesting. Kingsford offers a pack of charcoal you can ONLY get through Costco. Shows you the purchasing power of Costco, right?

image: Kingsford Briquettes with 2D code

Not only do I NOT see these ‘Competition’ briquettes anywhere else but I never see Kingsford in 18lb bags (let alone two bags).

Notice, though, the “Value Size” highlight that includes the call to action, “Scan for grilling tips and tricks”.

image: Kingsford 2D Code Call-to-Action

Next to that is a…. barcode? It kind of looks like a QR code but it’s not quite right. Looks different somehow. Having scanned many  barcodes I grab my Android phone and tap to start the i-nigma app, which seems good at scanning most barcodes. The result:

image: Kingsford Briquettes i-nigma scan result

Uh. No good. Ok, how about I try another scanner app, this one from ScanLife.

image:Kingsford Briquettes 2D code Error

Still no good. Ok, how about the ShopSavvy App?: Nope won’t scan.

Ok, um Barcode Scanner?: Huh Uh. Returns just a a number, 05415400001013127.

What about RedLaser? That’s a good app!: Grr.. won’t scan.

QuickMark app?: Same as above, just a number.

The package says go to scan.mobi to get a scanner but why should I? I already have half a dozen of them. And none of them work!

I’m done. FAIL.

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What could have saved this campaign?

The world of 2D barcodes as a marketing tactic is still relatively new. Many marketers, designers, printers and entrepreneurs understand that a 2D code can help drive traffic to a web site, video, or even a contact card. What they don’t understand is the mobile user, who doesn’t have the time or patience to download an app just to scan a barcode when they (rightfully so) have already done that in order to scan some other, similar looking code.

Kingsford (hopefully not at the insistence of our friends at Costco who’s headquarters are  a few miles away) has, for two years running, chosen to use a proprietary 2D barcode system proffered by AT&T Mobile Barcode Services. Like Microsoft Tags, codes created with this service – technically Matrix codes – can only be read by the scanning app offered by the barcode system itself. In this case, AT&T’s Code Scanner.  Who among the barcode scanning, smartphone toting world has an AT&T Code Scanner app? No one.

Kingsford has lacked the guidance that would show them that there is a serious battle among only two players in the 2D barcode world, QR codes and Microsoft Tags and any other proprietary code is the equivalent of dead on arrival.

Simply put, they needed to use a QR code.

Posted in barcodes, QR Codes, Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

5th Avenue Theater’s Mobile Site Fail

Posted on April 19, 2012 by

This is a guest post from Kim Sklar, a student in the University of Washington’s Masters in Communication in Digial Media (MCDM) program. Here original post can be found here. She recently attempted to use the mobile site of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater.

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 disclaimer: I only say these things as helpful suggestions and observations because I love the 5th Avenue Theatre…Broadway gods please don’t smite me or take away my season tickets discounts for the criticisms I am about to make. Love, Seat 4D).

Big fan of musical theatre here (did I mention that yet?)…not a big fan of the 5th Avenue’s total lack of mobile savoir faire. Here is a comparison of their regular web site and the mobile web site.

5th Ave's regular web site vs. mobile site

As far as I can tell, the only differences are:

    • the layout
    • there are now three navigation boxes to choose from, instead of six
    • any of the buttons I might have clicked on before (buying tickets for an upcoming show, renewing subscriptions, subscriber benefits) are now gone. Only donate, summer program discounts and info for one show remain…only one of those I’d need from my mobile phone.

Maybe they used a auto-mobile convertor? The real mobil-emma (mobile+dilemma, wait for it, it’s gonna catch on) is that neither set of navigation areas actually direct me to where, as a subscriber, I need to go.  The site takes nearly a minute for all the pictures to load, and the menu button (which is most likely the button that you’ll need to use) is about 3 pixels wide and shoved in the upper left corner of the screen where you can’t actually tap it very easily. I know that season ticket holders are not the only business, however, I do feel like they are the one that would be the main mobile users.

Le sigh. This is a organization that could really benefit for a mobile site redesign.

As a subscriber who often accesses the 5th Avenue’s site at least one a month, I would love to see the mobile platform focus on:

  • Directions, contact info and
  • Parking information (the 5th offeres free parking to season ticket holders, but I can never find out which garages are participating)
  • Show information (dates, start time, cast, description, etc. I’m not looking for HD picture slideshows on my phone).
  • Subscriber perks (restaurant discounts, special events, renewal information)

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What could have saved this campaign?

Well, Kim is right. The 5th Avenue Theater needs a separate mobile site. Their full site contains too many rich graphics for mobile and the content of the full site is not organized around the needs of the mobile theater goer. The theater needs to understand who their mobile customers are and define the experience they want to provide.

It appears their site is attempting a form of ‘responsive design’ or ‘graceful degradation’ – techniques used to alter the way a web site displays based on the device/browser that is accessing the site. Typically, however, these approaches use the same web content (images, copy, etc.) and just use style sheets to change the way the content is displayed by hiding certain things and changing their location on the screen. From purely a display standpoint this can work but it is nearly impossible to use these techniques to affect the  changes in IA (information architecture), content quality and UI (user interface) required for a good mobile user experience.

The 5th Avenue Theater needs a separate mobile web site.

Posted in Forgot Mobile, Mobile Context, Mobile Web, Non-Profit, Strategy, User Experience | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

FedEx Ships A Failed QR Code

Posted on March 20, 2012 by

Marketers placing QR codes on vehicles is nothing new. FedEx is only the most recent example. Check out the coverage over at www.wtfqrcodes.com. Others include Steven’s Pass Ski Resort’s QR on a bus and Tissot’s QR on a Nascar vehicle.

The FedEx QR warrants special coverage, however, as it provides a unique experience:

image: QR code on FedEx Van

image source: Tag It Up, LLC

The copy accompanying the QR codes says, ”It’s a whole new package. Help us open it!” A but cryptic but one could argue that it might generate curiosity.

Assuming the van is stopped and your curiosity is piqued you can grab your smartphone, open the scanner app (when oh when will barcode scanning software be embedded in the regular camera software??) and scan away. Just be sure you’re not stepping into traffic as this particular QR is on the street side of the van. Now, scan!

image: FedEx QR Scan Fail

Ouch. Who is this ‘ScanLife’ anyway? Are they related to FedEx? Either way,

FAIL.

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What could have saved this campaign?

As far as QR codes on vehicles go it could be argued that FedEx trucks spend a decent amount of time parked at drop-off and pick-up locations. And while there, shipping-related personnel might have the opportunity, inclination and time to scan the QR code. While this is a cognitive stretch, I won’t dwell on it. Generally, however, vehicles are just not good candidates for QR codes.

Aside from the vehicle issue the other problem is testing and follow-through. FedEx is using a service called ScanLife to create QR code campaigns. The person in charge of the campaign has apparently neglected to activate the campaign in the ScanLife system. There is one sure-fire way to catch this sort of problem, testing. It is not enough to slap a QR code on marketing materials and call it a day. Testing must occur at all points of the campaign as noted in our handy How-To Guide. Testing would surely have saved this one.

Posted in barcodes, QR Codes, User Experience | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Shazam Sacked Advertisers at the SuperBowl

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

I know the Superbowl is long over and forgotten but there is a lesson in mobile marketing that has emerged.

In mobile marketing circles there was quite a bit of hype about how mobile would be used by advertisers this year. There were one or two on-screen QR codes but viewers needed to be lightning fast to scan them. Then there were audio ID apps that monitored broadcast audio and delivered – or attempted to deliver – a second screen complement to what was playing on the main screen. Shazam is one such app that viewers could use to ‘get more’ about nearly half the advertisements in the game.  But I think both the folks at Shazam as well as the advertisers they worked with either failed to recognize the true SuperBowl experience or ignored it. It’s my opinion that the advertisers got sacked on this one. Read why user context is so critical for mobile in Greg Hickman’s review of this fail over at the Thumbfound blog.

-K

Posted in barcodes, QR Codes, User Experience | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Bellevue Collection App Promotion Fail

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

I was recently at the Hyatt Hotel in Bellevue, WA and noticed the following sign as I walked through one of the many passageways and bridges that connect the hotel to the broader shopping experience that defines this shiny, affluent city.

image: Bellevue Collection Sign

It was the image of a mobile phone that caught my eye. (Side note: I feel like the iPhone is the ONLY phone image ever used in promotional materials. I can’t remember ever seeing an Android phone. Ever.) In fact, I actually had my phone in my hand – like a lot of people – and was preparing to try the Personal Concierge app that they were promoting.  Take a closer look at the picture. See if you can figure out how to get the app…..Waiting….

FAIL.

The sign has roughly two messages: one for Belle’s Vue, the fashionista blogger and the other for the mobile app. I see no clear path to downloading the app but there is a URL for the blog, thebellevuecollection.com/bellesvue. Determined, now, to see just how hard it is going to be to get this app I open the browser on my phone and tap in the not-so-short url. Here’s what I got:

image: Bellevue Collection Blog

Hmm. It’s a blog alright but it sure wasn’t meant for a mobile phone. I was using WiFi and not the mobile data network, fortunately, as the images are pretty high-quality. The links and navigation are far too tiny to tap on. I see nothing about the mobile app.

FAIL.

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What could have saved this campaign?

The problems embodied by this campaign really speak to the complexities of mobile as well as the inexperience most marketers have with the medium.

To address the complexity issue there’s no easy way for people to get the app in this case. Even if a QR code had been used – and one should have – it wouldn’t have gone to a site with the smarts to detect the device and re-route the person to the appropriate app market; that would be a sort of mobile nirvana. At best it might have pointed to a simple mobile landing page where the user could self-select their mobile phone type. But that would require building a mobile page, which adds complexity. At worst – and this is where inexperience shows – The Bellevue Collection could have made sure their desktop web page that promotes their app was at least serviceable (it isn’t) for someone dedicated to downloading the app and just point the QR code there. As is, the marketers at the Bellevue collection are relying on people to proactively go to their respective app market, search for the app, and download it. It won’t happen.

In addition to the missing mobile call-to-action there is nowhere on the blog that offers the app. (We’ll ignore the fact that the blog is not mobile-friendly) This is a case of not recognizing the mobile user. The Bellevue Collection is offering a mobile app but has presented only one clear option to anyone who is interested, a link to the blog. The mobile app should be prominently promoted on the blog.

A URL is being promoted to people who are walking by; they are mobile. Do they think someone will write down the url? On what? Well, probably their mobile phone, right? And maybe right into the browser for a quick check to see what’s there.

Posted in Applications, mobile apps, Mobile Context, User Experience | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Stevens Pass: Pure Fail

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

By now it’s not news. QR codes are popping up everywhere. Sometimes they offer real value for the extra effort and result in a generally positive experience. More often than not, though, it seems like marketers (or non-marketers as the case may be) toss common sense out the window. The typical QR fail is one that simply dumps you off to a desktop web site that is impossible to read and navigate. There are far too many of those to write about on this blog. QR fails you’ll read about here will have something special to them and hopefully be more instructive than “you need to build a mobile web site”.

Last week, in the pouring Seattle rain, I pulled behind a city bus and noticed an ad for a local ski resort called Stevens Pass. It boasted some copy about a $50 special and a QR code. I’d heard about QR codes on buses but I’d only ever seen SMS codes (i.e., text BLAH to shortcode).  I didn’t even try to scan it. I took a picture of it, which isn’t easy (or safe) when driving in the rain at night.

image: Stevens Pass Bus QR

I’ve scanned enough QR codes in different environments to know that there was very little chance of getting this code scanned. I’ll talk more about why later.

Once I got home I loaded the picture onto my computer. I had to do some touch ups to get a good scan but it worked. And then I waited as my poor little phone browser struggled to load www.purepnw.com. It loaded but it was nearly impossible to tell what I was looking at.

image: Stevens Pass Web on mobile

I tried panning and zooming but the way the site was built neither of those tricks of the mobile browser worked. Of course no mention of a $50 special.

FAIL.

Just to find out what they really wanted me to see I opened the web site on my computer:

A nice desktop experience with videos of the resort, a twitter stream and rotating hi quality pictures in the background. In the center was an embedded YouTube video player. No wonder my phone couldn’t handle it. If ever there was a site not appropriate for mobile this is it.

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What could have saved this campaign?

First, we’ll need to make the assumption that Stevens Pass did more advertising than on the backs and sides of city buses. If so, there may have been a reasonable place to put a QR code. So here’s how we fix it:

1) Remove the QR from the bus. Not only is it unsafe to ask people to scan and drive but there are so many factors introduced that can and do render scanning difficult if not impossible: one or more moving vehicles, window glass, weather, lighting, reflection, camera angle.

2) Build a mobile landing page, if not a complete site, and direct your QR code there.

3) Put information on the site related to the ad. In this case there was no mention of the $50 promotion.

4) Give people a reason to scan. In this case ad copy that might have said, “Scan this to get your $50 voucher,” depending on the nature of the promotion.

Posted in barcodes, QR Codes, User Experience | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments