Stand-alone Mobile Apps versus Internet Browser Apps

Have you ever used a QR code? Well they seem to be quickly taking over many industries, and actually simplifying our lives in several different ways. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code, QR code stands for a Quick Response Code and is actually a two dimensional barcode of sorts. It is made up of a variation of different sized black squares that create a unique symbol that is specific to that barcode. An example of a QR Code would look something like this https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Wikipedia_mobile_en.svg/2000px-Wikipedia_mobile_en.svg.png.

For me QR codes became important about 8 months ago. The company I work for sells hair removal products, that require a specific set of instructions. As of right now we have listed these instructions on the jars, cards and on our website. Although, on the first two places there is very limited space to write, and too often people don’t have the time to go to our website and look up the exact directions. Our solution: a QR Code! We have now simply added the code to the outside label of the jar as well as to the card that comes with all of our products. All our customers now have to do is hold a phone camera up to the code to scan the code with an app such QR Code Scanner or Reader, and tahhdahh the instructions are easily accessible. All of these new labels will be applied to our products soon and hopefully we can see our customers have much more success!

http://www.mobile-qr-codes.org/what-are-qr-codes-used-for.html is a great resource for more information on QR codes. According to them, these codes were originally created to track part numbers for large corporations such many big names in the car industry. After years and a few modifications, they can now be used by anyone at anytime. Pretty incredible how technology spreads. Although this new way of quickly accessing information seems perfect, and exactly what we need, there have been several reviews about how frustrating they can be to use(http://www.sentrymarketing.com/2015/03/qr-codes-the-final-wordprobably/). I am sure that there are bumps and it is not quite as user friendly as we would like, but I believe that these QR codes can be so beneficial to us as consumers and for the manufacturers. I hope that there will be more of a focus on perfecting these codes in the near future.

Viral Videos

I have been excited to discuss viral videos for just about the whole semester. I’ll join the obsession and say I’ve secretly always wanted to make or be a part of a viral video. But just like most of us, that dream has yet to occur.

I wanted to know exactly what makes a video a “viral video”, so according to https://www.techopedia.com/definition/26863/viral-video a viral video is “…any clip of animation or film that is spread rapidly through online sharing.” I am sure that most of us have seen a viral video at some point in your life, and if you are like me and my husband probably search for them frequently to get a good laugh. In Techopedia they continued on to discuss how viral videos can be both intentional and unintentional. Recently in our class, our professor told us the story of one of his old students who had posted a funny video of his wife online, and it almost overnight went viral. Needless to say his wife wasn’t overly thrilled. An example Techopedia gave of an unintentional viral video can be found by searching Numa Numa Dance on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk).

The first example that came to mind for me of an unintentional viral video, is the recent commercial for the squatty potty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q. This video has over twenty million views, and took this company from a small start up to a booming powerhouse. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/video-viral-ad-features-unicorn-pooping-ice-cream-article-1.2447819 shares a little more background on this viral commercial and the companies history. The article stated that Squatty Potty was rewarded on the show “Shark Tank” from individuals who invested over $300,000 into the concept. I believe that this is where biggest difference in intentional and unintentional viral videos comes in, the money.

Creating viral videos has become a career for hundreds, probably more like thousands of people across the world. It is mind blowing for me to think that these peoples’ sole responsibility is to create unique and often hilarious videos that people every where want to watch. As I have mentioned throughout this article, most viral videos are pretty hilarious, but they don’t always have to be. There are plenty of videos that have become viral that share far more important messages. Take for example the “Basketball Cop”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6gPp4Ra4_g, video that has been a recent phenomenon. For me personally, I love viral videos and I think they are an ingenious way of sharing information.

Search Engine Optimization

Have you ever heard of infographics? Well I’ll make it easy for you. Infographics make complicated information easier to understand. A more complete definition and an awesome example of what an infographic is, demonstrated in an infographic, can be found at https://www.customermagnetism.com/infographics/what-is-an-infographic/. I became interested in infographics about two years ago, when my Dad began creating his own company. He created a site that provided in depth information for people, and their families that are suffering from cancer. Most common people do not understand medical terminology, so when he created a site to help people with medical help, he decided that infographics would be the best way to help inform people. He could explain complicated ideas as simple images that people could relate to. Not only were the easier to understand, they were more appealing and entertaining than dreary medical jargon.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3RTS1JfMy8 is a link to a short three minute video that breaks down what exactly an infographic is and how they are constructed. Infographics usually include cartoon images that help portray more complicated statistics or ideas. I find them to be very informative, because I am more of a visual learner. Infographics most often help to paint a picture of the larger concepts the author or illustrator wants to portray. They are not only beneficial for the consumers or learners. Infographics were very successful for my Dad and his company, as well as companies all across the world.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3RTS1JfMy8 includes nine reasons why infographics should be included in every marketing strategy. I want to focus on two things that were listed: “increase traffic” and “brand awareness.” In regards to infographics, I think these play hand in hand. They are much more appealing to the consumer eye than just words pasted on a page. Infographics capture your audience’s attention, so that you can easily and creatively inform them of who you are as a company, brand awareness. Although for some companies the numbers will prove who and what they do, nobody wants to read a list of statistics or stare at a graph they will most likely never understand. Infographics are not just to spice up numbers and statistics. When used correctly and effectively, infographics open up the world to a whole new form of marketing: good lookin’ facts.