With Facebook recently unveiling their own location-based service, the press has itself in a tizzy trying to wrap its head around the impending arrival of the year of location. Y’know, the one we called out back in March. But no worries, we’re glad you’re all coming around. In fact, we’re going to spend the next [...]

Delighting consumers. Hidden surprises. We’ve mentioned them once or twenty times here on the Awesome Blog. But, underlying this trend was the idea that brands touting “big happiness” would struggle to deliver upon that promise in a period of great uncertainty and skepticism. When we introduced the trend, we felt that brands would best succeed [...]

In our lengthy coverage of QR codes and barcode marketing in general, we’ve repeatedly referenced Stickybits without ever diving into how the platform actually works. There’s a reason for that – a couple, actually. But, with Doritos, Pepsi, Ben & Jerry’s, and other CPG giants flirting with the service, we certainly owe them a glance [...]

That’s right – it’s time for another Potty Posting! This time, we tackle barcode marketing, including our old friend the QR code. As always, a PDF version is available here, which we encourage you to share with clients and colleagues. But, if you’d prefer the straight text, continue reading below.

When we introduced the idea of Down-to-Earth-ism in our 10 Trends for 2010, we described this trend as an evolution of the New Austerity. We argued that consumers were stressed, strained, and suspicious, and that pie-in-the-sky promises seemed inconsistent with what consumers really wanted: real, reliable solutions from brands. We weren’t being literal about the [...]

Thanks to everyone who attended our latest Smartshot webinar: “QRacking the QR Code.” We’ve posted a recording on the webinar in two pieces above. Since we included functioning QR codes in the presentation, you will get the most out of the webinar if you download a QR code reader to your smartphone before watching . [...]

Well, it looks like someone took the words right out of our mouths. Or, more accurately, right out of our 10 Trends for 2010. Yes, a recent study assessed over 3,000 brands to see how they measure up on down-to-earth-ism. Not surprisingly, many brands at the top of this list are dependable, traditional, long-running staples [...]

Thanks to everyone who attended Upshot’s second Smartshot webinar!  For those that missed it (or just want to see it again), we’ve posted the webinar in two pieces above. Don’t forget: we also covered the topic in a more lighthearted manner in our latest Potty Posting, which is available here. Be sure to follow Upshot [...]

Most adults like to think that they’ve outgrown the petty motivators from their childhoods: the gold star, the cub scout/girl scout badge, the varsity jacket. But, judging by the way most adults have responded to services like foursquare and Farmville, it’s clear that things haven’t really changed all that much. And, as marketers watch these [...]

Lucky you – it’s time for another Potty Posting! This time, we follow up on #8 from our 10 Trends for 2010 and take a deeper look into the concept of Radical Demography. As always, a PDF version is available for sharing and perusal right here: Totally Radical Demography. But, if you’d prefer a text-only [...]