The Advent Calendar With a Mobile Twist

Christmas 2010 has seen a surge in mobile marketing and m-commerce globally, as consumers turn to their mobile phones for easy and convenient wish-list creation and shopping.

One area which has seen particular growth this Christmas has been the use of mobile barcodes. Brands and retailers have embraced barcodes in their marketing, from advertising and promotional tools to apps that make it easier for consumers to compare prices and read product reviews.

Earlier this month, UK grocery retailer Waitrose introduced QR codes in its TV and print ads, allowing customers to access new recipes and videos via their phone, while eBay Mobile merged buying and selling apps with a new app that enables users to scan a product’s barcode to compare its price on eBay.

Similar innovation has also been taking place in Austria, where the Austrian Postal Service (APS) has brought Christmas cheer to Austrian households by sending advent calendars filled, not with chocolate treats, but instead with exciting and exclusive prizes and promotions from leading brands – all accessible via mobile barcodes.

The campaign, developed in collaboration with mobile barcode scanning specialist, NeoMedia Technologies and Austrian mobile marketing agency IQ mobile, was designed to promote APS’s online services, while offering customers exclusive offers and deals in the run up to Christmas.

A letter-sized advent calendar containing 24 windows was sent to 3.5m households in Austria at the end of November. Each window contains a brand logo and a web address, with most windows featuring an embedded 2D barcode which, when scanned, links directly to special deals, discounts and prize draws offered by a range of brands. Prizes include a daily sweepstake for a chance to win €500 (£420) and a prize draw for an Opel Meriva car worth €21,000.

Mindful of the need to make the process of scanning the windows as easy as possible for consumers, the advent calendar also contains a comprehensive user guide on 2D barcodes, including step-by-step illustrations. The user guide also includes an SMS shortcode link for the user to request a response SMS, containing a link to obtain NeoMedia’s NeoReader barcode scanning app via the get.neoreader.com download service.

It is anticipated that the campaign will be a succes, which is testament to the growing appeal of mobile barcodes and how they can energise traditional marketing tactics