MOBILE CODES: "MOBILE CODES" Promo / PR Ad by OMD

Category: Best Use of Magazines
Advertiser: TELSTRA
Product/Service: MOBILE CODES
Date of First Appearance: Mar 15 2009 12:00AM
Entrant Company: OMD, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Account Director: Chris Caley (OMD)
Account Manager: Martin McGrath (OMD)
Trading Manager: Jessica Simpson (OMD)
Strategist: Jacquie Pierson (OMD)
Media placement: Magazines - 12 titles - Full page advertorial integration - 15/03/2009

Results and Effectiveness
Increased number of scans from the pre-campaign baseline by 350%. • Using an editorial integration strategy we achieved an average response rate amongst Telstra customers with mobile code readers of 3.5% (+700%) • Pacific Magazines are using mobile codes in all 12 titles on an ongoing basis • Pacific is now on-selling mobile codes to advertisers across their suite of titles, including FMCG, retail and prestige brands • IBM, Audi, Nike, Louis Vuitton have begun to use mobile codes in their advertising Overall, Telstra successfully created a self-sustaining mobile code system.

Creative Execution
We partnered with Pacific Magazines to integrate mobile codes into 12 different titles. Not only did we drive awareness for mobile code technology, but we avoided advertising clutter by only using editorial environments, offering exclusive content to readers. We peppered mobile codes throughout their titles, linking readers to “exclusive backstage” content like: • Access to exclusive interviews • Additional paparazzi shots • Music downloads • Downloadable shopping lists Each magazine title tailored their use of Mobile Codes specifically for their readers, eg. • Marie Claire had mobile codes that lead to behind-the-scenes coverage of the cover shoot, exclusive music track downloads, mobile wallpaper downloads, additional beauty and fashion tips, charity helpline numbers and information. Editor Jackie Frank has even included mobile codes on her Editor’s Letter page. • Men’s Health created a booklet, with mobile codes, linking to workout tutorial videos to take to the gym.

Insights, Strategy & the Idea
Mobile codes are a visual ‘barcode’ and when scanned by the phones camera function, link to any URL via the phones web browser. This application is new to the Australian market and consequently awareness and in particular usage was very low. We needed consumers using mobile codes, so that companies would follow and we could grow Telstra’s mobile code eco-system. Our aim was to: • Increase consumer knowledge of the technology • Hit benchmarked response rates of 0.5% • Increase the number of companies using mobile codes We needed to engage with consumers when they had the time to interact with the application and more importantly give them a reason to. Consumers wanted exclusive content and behind-the-scenes features. Magazines provided the perfect opportunity to take offline content online, offering exclusive content and value to readers. Mobile codes became their exclusive backstage pass.