Microsoft Tags - the future of shopper marketing?

Cool Alert! Microsoft is currently in beta with Microsoft Tags which they are touting as being the catalyst to transform physical media (print ads, billboards, packaging, instore media) into live links for accessing information and entertainment online. Connect POS to the online world by 'snapping' a tag with the camera of a web-enabled phone.

5 potential ways tags could be used:

a) deliver product information in the retail aisle

b) send offers and information to people driving by

c) tie promotional content to in-store purchase

d) test the effectiveness of advertising

e) real time interaction with shoppers eg. send shoppers on a retail 'scavenger hunt'

IBM brings tennis fans phone apps and twitter updates

For Wimbledon 2009 IBM developed a mobile app for the T-Mobile G1 phone that featured location-aware visualisation technology combined with augmented reality which acted as a real time guide and interactive map of the tournament. Users were able to view the tennis courts and grounds through their camera phone and the app would identify court number and display details about the current and subsequent matches.

They also created a twitter app (downloadable at www.wimbledon.org/ibm) that enabled fans to recieve tweets from players, commentators and a team of IBM scouts at Wimbledon. The scouts gave first hand accounts about queues, seat availability, travel information and live match updates.