Sunkist Energy is using mobile image recognition technology to reward consumers with a free product sample or a coupon that can be redeemed via a mobile storefront.

The campaign is powered by Mobius technology. Users with any camera-enabled mobile phone can take a photo of a Sunkist Energy bottle and send it to . 

?Basically what differentiates us between all the other QR code providers and what I would call older technologies is that we focus on the brand and the product that the brand has spent so much money on developing,? said Aram Kovach, president/CEO of Mobius, Columbus OH.

?Instead of having consumers take a picture of a bar code, they are taking a picture of the product, the Sunkist Energy bottle,? he said. ?How much more meaningful is the interaction when a consumer is taking a picture of the brand and its product on their phone rather than a QR code that doesn?t really mean anything??

Recognizing Sunkist
With Sunkist, the program?s ultimate focus is to not only promote the new energy drinks, but data capture is also part of the mix.

Once consumers take a picture and send it in, they are connected to a microsite optimized for their particular device.

There, consumers fill out a form with their telephone number, address and email information to get their free sample delivered.

The information is used by Sunkist to build a database of interested consumers for future marketing.

/>

Sunkist will soon integrate Mobius? mobile image technology into its print and out-of-home advertising, making its static ads more interactive.

Growing trend
Mobile image recognition is an alternative to 2D bar codes that seems to be a growing trend.

Just last month Coty Inc. ran an ad campaign in Playboy magazine?s January issue featuring mobile image recognition to promote its Fragrance for Men by Coty Beauty (see story).

Playboy tapped Mobius to let Coty and other advertisers use image recognition technology for mobile devices to enhance their print campaigns and make them actionable and measurable.

?Mobius? actual-image capability does not interfere with or restrict creative services for ad design, and the end user captures and retains a meaningful, shareable, branded image as opposed to a meaningless abstraction,? Mr. Kovach said. ?Of course, all of Mobius? online interactions are geared toward mobile users, including data screens and the mobile storefront.

?Sunkist wanted to keep brand focus center stage and to keep in mind the brand identity,? he said. ?Right now we are scratching the surface by offering a free sample. 

?I expect that we will expand the program to include the ability to place orders on the mobile phone and a mobile commerce component.?