TechCrunch is reporting
Foursquare and Facebook Places are popularizing the location check-in. Instagram and PicPlz are perfecting the photo check-in. Is the product check-in next? Billy Chasen, the founder of barcode-scanning app Stickybits, thinks so. He’s spent the past few months pivoting his startup to focus more on brands and turn product check-ins into rewards. A major update of Stickybits is in the App Store (iTunes link), and an Android update will be ready before the end of the year. Its website also has a new design.
When Stickybits first launched at South-by-Southwest last March, it was positioned as a way to append their thoughts to physical objects by associating barcodes with comments, photos, or videos. The next time somebody scanned that barcode they would see your message. And if a product didn’t have a barcode, you could add one with a Stickybit sticker.
It was interesting, but it never quite took off. People weren’t quite sure what they were supposed to do. The new app gives them a reason to scan objects because now they might unlock a reward. The first promotion will be with Ben & Jerry’s. The first 500 people to scan two pints of its Fair Trade ice cream will get a free Ben & Jerry’s T-shirt. Other product-scan promotions are in the works from Don Q Rum, Elmer’s Glue, Fiji Water, Harper Collins, Pepsi, Universal Music, Weiden & Kennedy, the Washington Capitals, and Wonderful Pistachios.
...so application of the game layer reward system into the internet of things. Great progression for StickyBits to demystify its service to a more diverse group of brands / retailers and drive some real revenue. Excellent. Way to go Seth!
Points, points, points, all up in your future. #dealwithit
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