There’s no doubt businesses are starting to realize the broader marketing potential of location-based check-ins. We’ve seen hotels using Topguest, for example, to reward consumers for checking in at a variety of locations; we’ve also seen HBO rewarding
We’ve seen tech innovations that let consumers virtually test out makeup and even tattoos, but it wasn’t until recently that we came across an iPhone app for
If you are into the whole snail mail thing
As the world decides to take the virtual route to shopping, brands can
If users of social media are interested in buying notebooks embellished with their online tweets or Facebook feed, doesn’t it stand to reason that they’d want a mug featuring the profile pictures of their online friends? California-based CrowdedInk apparently thinks so, for it launched a ?Friends? mug in precisely that vein.
CrowdedInk’s Friends social mug can be embellished with the customer’s friends from either Facebook or Twitter. The ordering process begins when customers sign in to whichever of the two social sites they’re interested in. From there, they can select up to 184 friends to go on their mug. They can also choose the mug style, colour and size?ceramic, stainless and glass options are all available?as well as customizing it with the images or text of their choice. Pricing on Zazzle ranges from USD 15 for a simple 11 oz. ceramic mug to USD 23.75 for a 16 oz. frosted glass version.
The internet may have already brought new transparency, accountability and ease to myriad aspects of consumers’ lives, but auto repair is not typically among them. Aiming to provide an alternative to the time-consuming process of driving from shop to shop collecting estimates, DentBetty is an online system that lets users upload photos of the damage to their car and receive competing bids from local repair shops in return.
Structural damage typically requires a physical inspection for a realistic estimate, DentBetty notes; for that reason, it focuses on dings, dents, scrapes and scratches instead. Users begin on the free system, which is currently in beta, by simply entering their ZIP code and uploading at least two photos of the damage to their car. Local auto body shops can then examine the photos and come up with bids for getting the repair done. Whenever a shop makes an estimate, DentBetty notifies the user by email; all estimates received so far (up to the maximum of seven) are presented together on a personal DentBetty page. The DentBetty Quality Scoreboard, meanwhile, keeps a running record of consumer feedback and other information about the various vendors involved to help consumers evaluate their reliability. When the consumer selects a bid, he or she then contacts the shop directly to schedule an appointment.
There are currently more than 100 shops nationwide in the DentBetty Network, each prescreened against DentBetty
Prada is launching its e-store in the U.S. starting July 1. in the beginning luxury websites were merely to promote the brand but these days brands like Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci also offer online shopping directly off the main site rather than sending shoppers to department store websites. Unfortunately you can’t buy Prada clothing on the site but you can pick up purses, accessories and eyewear. The e-store is designed to capture a boutique experience and an e-gift feature lets you order presents online and that can be delivered to the home of the recipient with a personalized card. The Prada site is already very content rich featuring video of runway shows, short films, lookbooks and ad campaign images. Next up for Prada-style e-commerce, Japan.
We’ve already seen a few uses of interactive technology in bars?both at the Adour Wine Bar in New York and in iBar installations around the globe?but until recently, we hadn’t yet come across a bar that incorporates an online component in its patrons’ interactions. That’s exactly what South Africa’s MiWorld does, however, with a website, a digital wall and touchscreen tables that facilitate both digital and real-world conversation.
To participate in MiWorld, consumers must be invited and given a secret code, which allows them to register online. Then, when they’re ready to head out, they can choose one of two bricks-and-mortar locations in Johannesburg: MiBar Martini, a contemporary cocktail bar in the Design District of Rosebank, or MiLounge Martini, a sophisticated cocktail, champagne and wine bar with a lounge atmosphere in Melrose’s Blu Bird Shopping Centre. In August, a third option?MiCafe?will launch in Rosebank, and there are occasional pop-up ?MiEvents? at varying locations as well. Whichever locale they choose, members must first log in at the door. Then, once inside, they can order off the interactive MiTables, e-chat with patrons at neighbouring tables and even different MiLocations, sign into Facebook, view the menu and access the MiWorld network to view exclusive content and special offers. MiWorld is the brainchild of South African LiquidChefs.
Thanks Springwise
Focusing continuously on the success stories of the social networking sites lately, you might have missed the new technological jargon that