SpyderLynk, a leading mobile marketing technology company and creator of the SnapTag™, a logo-centric 2D mobile barcode, announced today that Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc., is widely adopting SpyderLynk’s cutting edge 2D mobile barcode technology across multiple marketing and branding initiatives to engage consumers throughout the United States.

“We’re delighted that Toyota is adopting the SnapTag across so many marketing channels and using it in so many innovative ways”

Evolution of the QR Code

The Quick Response (QR) Code was created in 1994 by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave and was initially used to track parts for vehicle manufacturing – and, at the time, was considered ahead of the curve in inventory management innovation. Flash forward 17 years, Toyota sought a barcode technology to extend their marketing efforts and get ahead of the innovation curve. With the adoption of SpyderLynk’s SnapTag™ branded 2D mobile barcode technology, dubbed the “ToyoTag,” Toyota delivers customized marketing campaigns to on-the-go mobile consumers while creating valuable one-to-one mobile relationships with them.

Toyota Couples Innovation and Marketing Savvy to Reach Consumers

With a culture of innovation, Toyota sought a solution that would allow them go beyond the capabilities of the QR Code to truly connect with their consumers, providing them with compelling, easy-to-access, content-rich information. Enter SpyderLynk and the SnapTag.

“We’re delighted that Toyota is adopting the SnapTag across so many marketing channels and using it in so many innovative ways,” said Nicole Skogg, SpyderLynk Founder and CEO. “They are truly unlocking the potential of this new technology and their full scale adoption of SnapTags puts them in a position to optimize their engagement and relationship models.”

Toyota is adopting the SnapTag technology with a newly-coined name, the ToyoTag. Consumers with any camera phone can snap and send ToyoTags, while those with iPhone and Android devices can download the SnapTag Reader and scan to get the information, promotion or content that Toyota is offering. ToyoTags put consumers in the driver’s seat, as they get to choose if, how, and when they want information.

“ToyoTags enable consumers to engage with us wherever and whenever they want information,” said Michael K. Nelson, Interactive Communications Marketing Manager at Toyota. “Our goal is to develop campaigns and content that best meet the needs of customers at different stages of the purchase cycle. We looked at different 2D mobile barcode solutions and chose SpyderLynk’s SnapTags because they provide the most sophisticated marketing capabilities and analytics tools, coupled with a simple user-interface.”

Powering the ToyoTags is SpyderLynk’s Smart Marketing Platform which provides Toyota with the opportunity to customize campaigns using sophisticated algorithm-driven responses that are contextual and can be based upon a myriad of factors – or more simply said, Toyota can use smart marketing at its finest to engage in true one-to-one conversations to build brand awareness and loyalty. From providing vehicle and safety information, vehicle quotes and vehicle care information to offering mobile giving campaigns like the Japanese Tsunami Relief Fund and the US Tornado Relief Fund, Toyota is embracing mobile in a big way. ToyoTags are being prominently used to engage consumers through print publications, online portals – including the company’s website – and on product display signs at events such as the LA and Detroit Auto Shows.

About SpyderLynk

SpyderLynk activates branding to drive marketing results. SpyderLynk, the creator of the branded, algorithm-driven SnapTag™, enables brands such as Coke Zero, Revlon, L’Oreal, MillerCoors, Warner Brothers, Toyota, Bud Light and others to engage consumers and accelerate purchase cycles. SnapTag technology turns brand logos, featured on any type of packaging, advertising, signage or screens, into interactive marketing tools. Consumers with smart or standard camera phones can activate SnapTags to instantly access offers, content, promotions, and information. Based in Denver, Colorado, SpyderLynk was founded in 2006 and can be found online at www.spyderlynk.com.

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.76 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion

For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

According to a new study released today by Arc Worldwide, Leo Burnett’s marketing services arm, 50 percent of Americans use a mobile device to navigate their fast-paced, sporadic shopping journey. Whether it’s comparing prices of TVs, ordering a morning latte or reading restaurant reviews – mobile shopping has become a way of life for Americans. This trend is quickly and decisively changing the traditional shopping journey and leaving companies with a serious ultimatum: deliver valuable mobile experiences or risk losing customers.

“Mobile shopping has created multiple paths to purchase,” said William Rosen, president and chief creative officer of Arc Worldwide. “It has completely transformed the way people research and purchase products. Companies looking to crack the ‘mobile code’ must understand shoppers’ unique demands by category and shopper type, which we have carefully explored in this study.”

The study – “Marketing to the Mobile Shopper” – identified five key findings companies should note when implementing mobile shopping strategies:

1) MOBILE SHOPPING IS A LOVE, HATE RELATIONSHIP. Today’s mobile shoppers are split into two groups – heavy and light shoppers. “Heavies” are forever attached to their mobile device and love experimenting with new apps. “Lights” are just the opposite, viewing their mobile as an inferior “on-the-go” version of their computer, doing basic mobile shopping activities including, looking up store hours and locations.

“While the majority of recent retail and brand mobile efforts have focused on the needs of heavy mobile shoppers, we learned this group is actually quite small – about 11 percent of mobile phone owners,” said Molly Garris, Digital Strategy Manager of Arc Worldwide. “There’s a new group of phone owners, light mobile shoppers, whose needs are not being met. Brands often ask me if they should build a mobile website or mobile app. With these very different types of mobile shoppers, the answer is both!”

Light shoppers are the future of mobile shopping and with time will become more familiar with their mobile device evolving into heavy mobile shoppers. When this evolution takes place, the mobile shopping population will increase by 50 percent. Moral of the story: engaging lights earlier, with simple solutions, will lead to customer loyalty in the future.

2) A NEW CAR PURCHASE? LOOKING TO SHAKE UP YOUR MORNING LATTE ORDER? YOUR MOBILE CAN HELP YOU DO BOTH. Shopping for big ticket items – once pursued with tireless research and planning – is now being treated casually as people rely on their mobile to do “the work.” In contrast, simple tasks like buying your morning coffee now receive careful consideration due to expansive mobile apps allowing customized interactions and experiences. Depending on the product, be prepared to satisfy shoppers by offering mobile shopping experiences that touch both ends of the spectrum.

3) MALLRATS OF YESTERDAY ARE TODAY’S “GOT A MINUTE” MOBILE SHOPPERS. Americans want a spontaneous and fluid mobile shopping experience. Waiting to pick the kids after school? Do some “bite-size” shopping and grab the latest Groupon. Sitting in the doctor’s office? Enjoy some “downtime” shopping and browse the local department store’s circular. On the go all day? Go for “always” shopping and check that eBay bid. To meet consumer’s needs, marketers need to create relevant mobile interactions that are in tune with their audiences’ day-to-day lives.

4) INSTANT GRATIFICATION IS KING. Today’s mobile shopper searches for a new outfit, orders take-out and scoops up the latest Lady Gaga album with just a few taps on their mobile. To succeed in this fast-paced landscape, companies must provide value-add mobile apps and websites. To reach all types of mobile shoppers, companies should activate both mobile on the go and mobile in-store interactions.

5) MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS UNITE! Work together to create a one-stop-shop for mobile shoppers to collect discounts, view product specifications and inventory status. This comprehensive experience pulls shoppers through the purchase and may encourage a similar transaction process in the future.

“Mobile gives companies the power to market in a way that no channel ever has before by uniting the power of digital, promotion, retail and database marketing,” said Rosen. “From researching and browsing, to buying and recommending, shoppers expect meaningful and useful mobile shopping experiences. The stakes are only getting higher as more and more shopping moves onto mobile.”

To view the complete findings from the study, “Marketing to the Mobile Shopper” please visit, http://leolens.leoburnett.com/index.php/2011/03/marketing-to-the-mobile-shopper/ and click “download the whitepaper.”

Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide “Marketing to the Mobile Shopper” Methodology

In December 2010, Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide conducted a nationwide quantitative survey interviewing 1,800 U.S. mobile phone owners. In addition, a smaller qualitative research study was fielded with 30 mobile shoppers. The respondents used webcams and flip video to capture their mobile shopping experiences.

About Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

Leo Burnett Worldwide is one of the world’s largest agency networks and the parent company of Leo Burnett and its marketing services arm, Arc Worldwide. Leo Burnett, a HumanKind communications company, has a simple and singular approach: put a brand’s purpose at the center of communications to truly connect with people. Leo Burnett, one of the most awarded creative communications companies in the world, creates “Acts, not just Ads,” for some of the world’s most valuable brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg, McDonald’s, Hallmark, P&G, Allstate and Nintendo.

About Arc Worldwide

Arc Worldwide is the global marketing services company of the Leo Burnett Group specializing in cross-channel activation. With expertise in digital, direct, promotion and shopper/retail marketing, Arc develops creative solutions that measurably impact behavior on behalf of the world’s leading marketers – including McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, MillerCoors and many others.

ORLANDO, Fla.  (Profitable.com)  Constant Contact®, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTCT), the trusted marketing advisor to more than 400,000 small organizations worldwide, and WeReward, the leading mobile loyalty and incentive platform, today announced a partnership to help merchants and product manufacturers increase customer loyalty and lifetime value through stronger relationships. This integration allows retailers and product manufacturers to attract new customers through WeReward’s mobile application and grow these relationships beyond a check-in, through Constant Contact’s email marketing tool.

“Consumers are moving away from traditional coupons and using mobile applications that allow them to save money by discovering new places and products the exact moment they need them,” said Steve Johnson, vice president, partners, for Constant Contact. “By teaming up with Constant Contact, WeReward will deliver industry-leading online marketing tools in conjunction with their 21st-century, loyalty solution to help close the loop for businesses seeking to build long-lasting relationships with their customers.”

According to eMarketer, the proliferation of smartphone owners is forcing marketers to pay closer attention to mobile marketing. Digital advertising has seemingly gone mainstream as mobile marketing spending estimates are projected to exceed $1.1 billion in 2011 and more than $2.5 billion by 2014.  For marketers and business owners of all sizes, this represents a tremendous opportunity to reach and influence consumers, in real time, when they are making a purchase decision.

“Everyday we empower consumers to check-in and make money at over 15 million businesses throughout the country. This has resulted in hundreds of thousands of purchases with users sharing these experiences through their social networks,” said Ted Murphy, founder and CEO of IZEA, Inc., the parent company of WeReward. “What makes this partnership so exciting is how we can now take this one-step further by connecting the customer and business through Constant Contact’s powerful email marketing tool. This combination gives our users the ability to receive real time communications from their favorite businesses and products in a manner that is most convenient for them – through their mobile device, email, or both.  For merchants, this represents the ultimate marketing solution – the opportunity to start an email and social media relationship with every person who walks in their store.”

The Constant Contact integration is immediately available through the Dashboard on WeReward. Constant Contact customers without a WeReward account can claim their business by creating an account at https://app.wereward.com/signup and start attracting new customers today. For businesses new to email marketing, Constant Contact is also offering a free 60-day trial of their tool.

About Constant Contact, Inc.

Constant Contact’s (Nasdaq: CTCT) email marketing, event marketing, social media marketing, and online survey tools help small organizations grow their businesses by building stronger customer relationships. More than 400,000 small businesses, nonprofits, and member associations worldwide rely on Constant Contact’s easy-to use, affordable online tools to create and deliver personalized, professional communications that engage casual customers, members, prospects, and passionate customers wherever they congregate online – from their email inboxes to their social networks. All Constant Contact products come with unmatched education, training, and personal coaching services, and award-winning technical support. Founded in 1995, Constant Contact is a publicly traded company with offices in Waltham, Mass.; Loveland, Colo.; and Delray, Fla.; and San Francisco, Calif. Learn more at http://www.constantcontact.com/.

About IZEA

IZEA is a world leader in social media sponsorship, operating multiple marketplaces such as WeReward, SponsoredTweets, and SocialSpark. Our mission is to empower everyone to value and exchange content, creativity and influence. IZEA is venture funded by Inflexion Partners, Village Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and DFJ Gotham Ventures. Learn more at www.izea.com