(((This isn't High Golden Age Blogging, this is a flat-out corporate press release. So be it.)))
Hi Bruce,
A couple of months ago you wrote about mobile barcoding
(https://www.wired.com/sterling/2007/03/atom_tag_gotomo.html).
This industry is moving faster and faster and I would greatly appreciate it if you would want to cover my companies latest developments.
The press release below gives an idea of what is happening all over the world, but feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Dennis Hettema
Founder & Creative Director
OP3 / ShotCode
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web: www.shotcode.com blog: blog.shotcode.com wap: mob.shotcode.com
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skype: dhettema mob se: +46 70 337 11 58
mob nl: +31 6 300 46 164
"Major brands such as Nike, Volkswagen, Monsterboard and Sony Ericsson push the envelope in mobile marketing
"Imagine a life in which you can click on the world around you just like you would click a link on the internet. Science fiction? Hardly.
(((I'm a total groupie for start-up press releases that compare themselves to science fiction, only. you know, they're not.)))
A small Swedish / Dutch company is making great strides in making this clickable world an everyday reality. Their product, called ShotCode, has been on the forefront of this market for some time and today they are launching their new website.
"'This industry has been like a slumbering volcano for the last three years and now it is ready to explode' says Dennis Hettema, founder & creative director at ShotCode.com. (((I hope their corporate HQ isn't sited near a slumbering volcano.))) It is not the first time that his company has convinced major brands of the power of a clickable world. Last year Sprite launched 40 million bottles labeled with ShotCodes in Mexico, making for the largest campaign of its kind to date.
"The new ShotCode.com website makes creating a ShotCode campaign as simple as registering a domain name. Sign up at ShotCode.com for a low (flat) monthly fee and your campaign is ready to roll. 'We have always believed in the power of live campaigns in order to make the public aware of this exciting technology. With this new website even the local pizzeria can launch a ShotCode campaign as easily as any major brand' says Dennis Timmermans, managing partner at ShotCode.com
According to the company it is ShotCode’s simplicity, the large amount of live projects, and the attractiveness of their codes that moves major brands to jump on board.
The application areas for the technology are as diverse as there are links on the net. The latest additions to the ShotCode portfolio all use ShotCodes in their own way:
- Monsterboard uses the technology to scout for talent in emerging markets, scan the ShotCode and show your interest in certain job openings. Sony Ericsson provides exclusive musical content to Finnish Sony Ericsson users. Scanning Sony Ericsson's ShotCode with another mobile brand, such as Nokia, will result in an 'error' message stating that the free content is only accessible with Sony Ericsson phones. The user is then encouraged to make the switch to Sony Ericsson.
(((I don't think that this tactic is going to win the heart of Cory Doctorow.)))
Nike is promoting the Brazilian football team in local pubs and cafés offering special team jerseys via ShotCodes and Italian consumers will be using ShotCodes to instantly book test drives at their local Volkswagen dealer. (((I'm from Torino; we drive Fiat.)))
Today ShotCodes are scannable with over 250 different phone models. 'We cover the largest amount of compatible models in the market and installation is just a matter of typing m.shotcode.com on your mobile phone's browser. If it's up to us that would be the last internet address you would ever have to type on your mobile phone" says Hettema with a smile. (((He also uses Microsoft word "smart" curly quotes, which I am industriously removing.)))
"So is this just a fad or is it serious? In Japan people use mobile barcoding every day to get information and interact with products. Hyperlinks changed our everyday lives. The question is: "Would mobile hyperlinks do the same?".
