We’ve been talking a lot in BD about geo-location applications like Foursquare and Facebook Places, and how brands can use them to drive traffic into retail. We’ve also been looking at barcode apps like StickyBits; the many QR code applications and the future of touchless shopping with mobile RFID readers. This is all exciting stuff for retail marketing as it connects the online world with physical products.

I’ve been looking into ‘social shopping’ sites recently, as these open up all sorts of new opportunities. Social shopping focuses around your actual purchases, mixes it up with social and throws in some data mining. It should be of huge interest to brands.  The big two startups in this arena are Blippy and Swipely.

Blippy connects with your purchase history from a range of sources. The website scans your credit card history, your email, iTunes account, eBay etc to track everything you’re buying. You can then share these purchases with your friends and see what they’re buying too. It’s an ambitious idea that will raise privacy issues with a lot of people, especially as they mistakingly published 4 people’s credit cards on the web earlier in the year… they do have the coolest 404 page though (click on the unicorn).

Swipely concentrates solely on your credit card information, but is much more sophisticated. It has gaming elements, like Foursquare, in that you can earn ‘badges’ for being a customer, plus you can become a ‘VIP’ of a business by shopping there regularly, opening the way for promotional activity. Plus it’s mining the information they’re gathering, firstly by providing US fuel price comparisons. They also have a great job application form.

So what do think? Could you see yourself Blipping or Swiping?

Shopping online: a lot of us have done it now… statistically speaking anyway. However, the brave new e-commerce dawn has gone in interesting directions since its move into the mainstream. As with most of the early excitement around technology and media coining of phrases (Web 2.0 anyone?), e-commerce was the future: one step closer to that star trek-like utopia of people in all-in-one jumpsuits and crazy hand-held devices that seemed to do everything… well I guess we are nowhere near that future yet… (more…)

To show M&S’s support for British agriculture, BD network created an interactive experience that visited five of the largest agricultural shows nationwide. The experience took consumers and farmers on a journey to enhance and educate their understanding of the M&S plan A policy.

BD Network were challenged with enhancing the knowledge of M&S to the consumer, in terms of their integrity, support for British farmers, trust in both their working practices, food policies and welfare standards and also their service standards and food quality. The experience also allowed  farmers an opportunity to meet with their suppliers to discuss work in progress and future opportunities and to discuss M&S pledge (Plan A) to be the most sustainable retailer in the world by 2015.

To do this BD Network created a structure featuring; Retail, VIP Farmers Lounge, Demonstration Kitchen, Regional Supplier Stall, Oakham Chicken Wall, Tractor Track and a Greenhouse, opened by David Attenborough.

The results were fantastic and over 20,000 consumer interactions were recorded over the five shows.

Brought to you by:

Jamie Hockin
Anna Foster
Nancy Barr
Matt Rickard
Allan Kwok
Lea Woolcott