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Consumer-oriented Bar Code Service applications make promotions exciting and fun, and more.

Bar Code Service is so simple yet has so many applications.

It's a foundation that can change the way people interact with products... and is transforming how companies reach and Interact with their target consumer audience.

Without any bar code scanner, reader or other device, all people need is their eyes to read the bar code, fingers to type it, and a computer with an Internet connection - anywhere in the world.

Bar Code Service works just like search - except when the bar code number is entered at keyword.com - the exact page - and only the exact page - the bar code owner specifies launches instantly.

Hands-on product sampling and/or interaction is 100% guaranteed.

The consumer must have seen or come in contact with the product (or a coupon for it), in order to enter the bar code at keyword.com.

Bar Code Service can be used in combination with any other form of advertising, promotion, and/or couponing, or standalone. Coupon numbers can also work at keyword.com.

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Some example applications for consumers:

For consumers who love Campbell's Cream of Celery soup (and always have):

A group of loyal consumers love Cream of Celery soup but have never used it for cooking. They just like the soup alone, and the flavor.

In Gourmet magazine (or from a friend) these loyal consumers learn that they can 'enter the bar code at keyword com for exciting Cream of Celery Soup recipes.' At some point, the consumer picks up the can in his/her pantry, enters the bar code numbers, and finds many recipes on a Campbell's web Site page that inspire other uses for Cream of Celery soup.

The recipes, that may be deep within the Campbell's soup web Site on web pages with very lengthy URLs, are now as accessible as if they were featured on the home page of campbellsoup.com. They are easy to find, and with Bar Code Service, the valuable real estate of the Campbell's home page remains clean, readable, and uncluttered.

Marrying the bar code with the product web page increases interest in Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup while providing the consumer with more uses for it, which increases sales.

Since Bar Code Service guarantees that consumers will find the exact web page the bar code owner (in this example Campbell's) wishes, the percentage of consumers that successfully find the web page as a result of entering the product bar code number at keyword.com increases to 100%.

Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup does not enjoy the marketing budget or exposure of other Campbell's products. To make up for this deficiency, bar code service is an inexpensive, easy to manage method that creates brand awareness and increases brand loyalty for Campbell's Cream of Celery.

Why have people enter the bar code number at keyword.com instead of searching for the bar code number in GOOGLE? 

GOOGLE search is not designed to enable people to enter the bar code and go direct to a web page specified by the bar code owner - so even if you told people to enter the bar code at GOOGLE, they would not get to the page you wish them to see.

Entering the bar code at keyword.com always launches the content-specific result since each bar code registered at keyword.com can only send the user to the exact web page the bar code owner specifies and associates with that bar code number.

keyword.com is direct and consumers entering the bar code number are assured that the result will be the web page Campbell's has specially created for the consumer.

Why enter the bar code number at keyword.com instead of 'hoping' consumers search for the product in GOOGLE? 

When searching in GOOGLE, a search for 'Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup' is not always the first result. In fact, at the time of this writing, it is not nearly the first result. This is typical of many product searches.

Try it and see by searching for 'Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup' in GOOGLE, YAHOO, or any major search engine.

GOOGLE is the leading search engine, and does a great job at search, but is not designed as a 'find' service as Bar Code Service is.

In some cases the consumer may not know to search with the " ' " or without i.e. Campbells Cream of Celery Soup or Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup? Both return different results. And next assume that the person searching is not that great at spelling. You can begin to see the dilemma the consumer faces, and the lost page views and sales the manufacturer/distributor faces yet may not even be aware of.

In addition, if the consumer does not have a can of Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup in the pantry, being told by a friend or in a magazine that 'something good' will result from entering the bar code at keyword.com may be just enough to inspire a certain percentage of consumers to add a can of Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup to the shopping list.

Convincing consumers who love Campbell's Cream of Celery soup to try others:

The same scenario as above could be applied to consumers loyal to the brand to get them to try other soups in the line. For example, a sticker applied to cans of Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup could read "enter the bar code from Campbell's Onion Soup at keyword.com for more great recipe ideas." The consumer, not having Campbell's Onion Soup, but at the point of purchase, might choose to write down the bar code from the Onion Soup - or - at a mere 79 cents - place a can of Onion Soup in the shopping cart to take home and enter the bar code.

Enabling special contests and prizes for trying new brands:

Coke has a new product, let's say it's called Coke F45, and F45 is in testing in select markets.

The Coca-Cola company makes an arrangement with Disneyland (Anaheim) so that the first 1000 visitors to a special web page (on the Coca-cola web Site) can get a free day pass.

To get the day pass, inexpensive 10-second local radio spots tell consumers "Enter the bar code from new Coke F45 at keyword.com to go to the 'get the pass' web page." The radio spot tells consumers the Anaheim stores carrying Coke F45.

If the consumer is one of the first 1000 visitors, on the web page it reads "Congratulations! Print out the web page for your free one day pass to Disney."

The Coca Cola company quickly and easily creates the special web page and, when 1000 have performed the action to get the free passes, the contest ends and the page reads "Sorry, you're not in the first 1000, but here's another special offer to try new Coke F45."

The Coca-Cola company may make another special offer to those who have entered the F45 bar code, and may be able to get test market feedback from those who bought a can (rather than wrote down the bar code at the store).

Remember, when you tell a consumer to 'enter the bar code at keyword.com', they must have the product in hand (or at least the bar code number), to do so.

Making the brand more fun and more valuable:

During Monday Night Football, the simple words "Enter the bar code of Bud Light at keyword.com" could inspire a certain percentage to do this - without any hint given as to why. If the reward for entering the bar code is fun, entertaining, and/or of value to the consumer, word of mouth that follows from Bud Lite drinkers could make this promotion spread without any further media expense.

Introducing new products - and last-minute promotion:

Heineken has a new bottle that is the size and shape of a champagne bottle. The new bottle is fun and would appeal to Heineken drinkers and others who prefer premium beer over champagne - if they only could see it in person. The question is, as we quickly approach the holidays and New Year's Eve (when this new product may have the greatest appeal), how can Heineken get people to touch and feel this new Heineken special edition Magnum bottle? 

"Enter the bar code from the new Heineken champagne bottle at keyword.com before December 20" - could be printed on hang tags, on the point of purchase display in the beer aisle, or on radio and TV as a 2-second tag, or simply announced over the PA system at the grocery store. The consumer, already in the beer aisle, is now drawn to at least look at the bottle, and consider it. If all the consumer does is write down the bar code and go home and enter it, Heineken has easily and inexpensively bought 'face time' with that new product, and greatly increased the chances of word of mouth consumer-to-consumer promotion. Plus, what Heineken puts on the product-specific web page the people land on as a result of entering the bar code at keyword.com could inspire other actions on the part of the consumer. In this case, at the last minute, Heineken could move many more bottles of its new product without effecting any of its other marketing efforts.

Reducing the cost while improving the quality of Customer Service:

A do-it-yourselfer buys a float switch for a Kitchen Aid dishwasher, it arrives by UPS, but there are no installation instructions (or the instructions are difficult to understand).

Not knowing where else to to turn, the do-it-yourselfer calls Kitchen Aid customer service. Kitchen Aid tells the do-it-yourselfer to "enter the float switch bar code at keyword.com for detailed instructions." In seconds, the specific web page appears related to installing the specific float switch (which may be the same web page Kitchen Aid provides to its field installers). Kitchen Aid saved time and money from call handling, and helped the consumer.

More to application ideas to come.

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If you have questions, concerns, or other applications for Bar Code Service,
please drop us a note.

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