How brands can win with mobile

The ability to point or wave a mobile device in the proximity of a product and access the collective knowledge of the universe is becoming the norm for consumers. Faced with satisfying such mind-bending expectations, brands and retailers are scrambling for solutions.



The most recently example of how far and fast the retail world and marketing of consumer packaged goods has come involves a partnership between the maker of one of the most popular consumer engagement apps and a company that is changing the way products are scanned. Scanbuy, maker of the ScanLife mobile app used by millions of consumers said it would integrate into its app the ability to scan Digimarc barcodes, thus providing an even greater value proposition for brands and retailers looking for meaningful and direct interactions with consumers. The deal is noteworthy because Digimarc barcodes are not barcodes in the traditional sense of the word. The company uses imperceptible watermarks integrated into the package design to turn the product itself into one large barcode.



"Scanning products with a mobile device is increasingly part of everyday life, creating new connections between brands, retailers and their customers," said Maryann Moschides, CMO at Scanbuy. "Our partnership with Digimarc benefits everyone. Brands and retailers use the ScanLife platform to easily manage and track every aspect of the mobile shopping experience. And consumers delve into digital experiences by merely pointing their phones at any part of a Digimarc-enabled package. This was a natural product evolution for both consumer convenience and mobile relationship management."



Scanbuy said it processed more than 45 million engagements by consumers in over 140 countries during the first half of 2015 while Digimarc said apps with the ability to read its barcodes have been downloaded 500 million times.



The new agreement between the companies give participating brands and retailers access to the ScanLife Mobile Engagement Platform, an enterprise-class platform touted as offering clients the ability to deliver smarter, richer and more relevant mobile experiences. By supporting Digimarc barcodes, Scanbuy's platform provides an even greater value proposition for brands and retailers in search for more meaningful and direct interactions with their consumers, according to the companies.



"Scanbuy's success shows just how much consumers have embraced the idea of scanning packages to get better product information, and Digimarc barcode technology helps by making the process faster and more intuitive," said Mark Belfiglio, VP of sales for Digimarc. "By empowering shoppers at the point of decision and providing real-time analytics about every engagement, companies like Scanbuy are helping to drive sales results and build stronger customer relationships."