Stickybits: Mobile App Turns Consumer Goods Into Media

Whether or not it created the most buzz during Internet Week New York is up for debate. But Stickybits holds major potential for any consumer packaged goods brand.

According to Techcrunch, Seth Goldstein considers the mobile app an evolution of online media.

"In 1996, webpages became media. In 2001, search became media. In 2005, people became media. In 2007, status updates became media. Last year, places became media. And in 2010, objects will become media.”

Stickybits lets your smartphone take a picture of the barcode on any product or object (via Stickybits barcode stickers). The user can then view content from the brand, content from other users or add their own content to the object – from video and text to photos and audio comments. All content bcomes a threaded conversation and users can rate content they experience.

As Pepsi is already working with Stickybits, they offer a great CPG example. Download the app, scan a Pepsi can and you’ll see content from the brand and its consumers.

Options for consumers and brands using Stickybits are limited only by the imagination as you can now check-in with an object much in the way Foursquare lets you check-in to a location. Here are just a few ideas for brands.

• Attach an instruction video to a product, eliminating paper and possibly extra packaging
• Add a wine review to the bottle or a movie review to a DVD
• Host a recipe contest where every recipe attached to the barcode is voted on by customers who ultimately select the winner
• Serve up a video on a product with details about a new product or detailing a cause marketing push
• Push out a coupon for a complementary product offered by the brand

Transform Products into Owned and Earned Media

Over time, as the user base grows, companies like can mine this information and serve up relevant coupons for brands based on the information gleaned from each barcode.

And as the accuracy of geolocation continues to evolve, CPG brands may even be able to optimize shelf space based on what they learn from Stickybits. The concept of turning an entire product line into owned and ultimately earned media is powerful. As a result, we recommend CPG brands spend some time with this emerging app.

Cross-posted to my work blog Social Study

Comments

[Steve Silberberg]

This reminds me of the Cue Cat

[Kevin Dugan]

Steve: The folks at stickybits felt a disturbance in the force when you compared them to cuecats. Actually, it's a great point. In this case, I do see a couple of welcome differences between the ill-fated cuecats and stickybits.

1) cuecats was ALL broadcast in a proprietary system. You paid to be involved and it was pushed out like a TV ad to consumers. Consumers using stickybits can add their own content.

2) Did I note that cuecats was a proprietary system?! Stickybits opened up their API for any and all to tap into.

3) Proprietary equipment was required to use cuecats vs. existing technology like smartphones.

You may read this and wonder if I am being compensated by stickybits to be so gung ho on their service. Actually, I think I'm more anti-cue cats to be honest. The only connection I have with stickybits was sitting in on Seth Goldstein's presentation. I already had the app on my phone and it all just clicked for me.

Thanks!

[John Carraway]

I remember cuecats. Didn't really like that system at all. As a consumer, I'm just not sure why I would ever want to scan a product bar code into my phone. Why would I want to watch a video for a product while I'm at the grocery store? What's in it for me, the consumer?

[Kevin Dugan]

John - I think it's early as it relates to why you'd want to scan it. There are a ton of consumer facing opportunities that make me curious to see if stickybits gets a respectable base of users. I think the brand to consumer portion of it will be just one facet of its use. As it relates to not sure why anyone would want to do it, I would have thought the same about Twitter and Foursquare updates. We've moved from enjoying the documentation of the experience as much or more than the experience itself.

[SEO Agency]

I think if you get a large network of people using it, it can be a great way to generate instant reviews for products instead of going to Google. Imagine if they could get those product reviews and user content linked to Facebook and Twitter accounts, so that you're review for a product was uploaded on to Stickybits and simultaneously on to your social media to spread the words to your extended network. I see the potential value in it, but it needs a large network of users to real flourish.