Tylenol Uses 2D Codes To Educate Consumers

January, 2012

Tylenol has placed 2D barcodes on their product packaging to further educate consumers on proper dosages. When scanning the code, users are directed to a site where they can learn about the the drug acetaminophen and the appropriate amount to administer to alleviate symptoms. The site also offers medication safety tips, other over-the-counter products that include acetaminophen, as well as tips on how to properly read the Drug Information labels. The 2D barcodes are part of a new initiative, Get Relief Responsibly, Tylenol will be pushing in 2012. To learn more, please visit MobileMarketer.com.

St. Jude Campaign A Success In Part By Digital

January, 2012

St. Jude’s “Thanks and Giving®” campaign raised an impressive 7.9 million dollars through online efforts alone. During the duration of the campaign, the charity organization received 570,000 “likes” on Facebook and over 150,000 followers on Twitter, an all-time high for the group. Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude said, “It is always our goal to engage with donors in ways that are both meaningful and accessible, whether it’s through traditional or social media or even in their preferred language.” To learn more about the success of this robust 360-degree campaign, please visit PRNewswire.com.

Walgreens Targets Consumers Via Paid Social

January, 2012

Walgreens is paying Twitter and bloggers to act as crisis PR against its former benefit manager, Express Scripts.  Walgreens has been at risk of losing customers to rival pharmacies after failed negotiations this past summer.  Walgreens recently purchased the promoted tweet “@Walgreens Patients should be able to choose their pharmacy, not @ExpressScripts. Tweet using #ILoveWalgreens to show your support!”  Walgreens also enlisted Social Spark, a service that connects bloggers with paid sponsorships, in order to recruit and sponsor bloggers to defend the company and garner reader support.  This approach has elicited some negative responses online about the company’s use of purchased promoted tweets and blogger sponsorships to generate support for the company.  For more information and reactions to the campaign, please see AdvertisingAge.

Walgreens Offers Mobile Prescription Refills

January, 2012

Walgreens will support their pharmaceutical sales by promoting mobile prescription refills for iOS users. To support the new application, Walgreens has placed a number of mobile advertisements on Apple’s iAd network, even though users can download the app for Android devices. For convenience, once the prescription is ready, users will receive a text alert to let them know they can pick up their order. To learn more about this new application, please visit MobileCommerceDaily.com.

Weight Watchers “Believe” Goes Social

January, 2012

Weight Watchers is reaching out to current and potential clients via the brand’s Facebook page encouraging them to “Believe”. The new campaign promotes 2012 as the “Year to Believe” via a Facebook app where users can share success stories and reach out for support. The Facebook page promotes the application through the Wall, but the social campaign is supported by a 360º campaign which boasts new mobile connections and more personalized options for new users. To learn more about this campaign, please visit PRNewswire.com.

Sickweather Catches the Social Bug

October, 2011

Sickweather, the disease-tracking data collector, will start incorporating Facebook, Twitter and other social networks into their research and marketing efforts at the end of October. Not only will the change sharpen their predictions of flu trends, it will also help target individuals who want to know what ailments are increasing in their specific area. For more information, please see AdWeek.

Costa Farms Launches GrowingStyle

September, 2011

Costa Farms, a leading producer of indoor houseplants, has launched a digital magazine geared towards indoor houseplant lovers. The magazine will provide users with helpful tips on decorating with indoor houseplants, indoor houseplant varieties, as well as information on how plants can help purify your air. “We want to attract gen X and Y who get most of their information digitally — whether online or through their smartphones,” says Jose Smith, president of Costa Farms. “Our new digital magazine connects with this mobile generation and brings them into the conversation about the benefits of houseplants to go truly green and enrich our lives.” The magazine will be released monthly and is available for download on iOS and Android operating systems. Click here to find out how you can get the app.

Self Magazine’s Mobile Diet Plan

August, 2011

Self, the womens health and fitness magazine, launched a new text-based diet system on Monday. The “Self Diet Tapper” will send subscribers five texts a day, instructing them when and what to eat, drink and exercise. The plan was devised, and is being run, by a team of registered dietitians and fitness experts. For more information, please see Self Diet Tapper.

New Toyota Steering Wheel Tracks Heart Rate

July, 2011

New technology from Toyota can detect irregular heart and body functions through the steering wheel. With the implementation of an ECG (electrocardiogram) the wheel can sense if the driver has arrhythmia, or even if they are enduring a heart attack. Abnormal heart rates are detected through the drivers hands with the help of contact sensors embedded in the steering wheel. This read of information is also shown on an in car navigation screen, allowing drivers to nonchallantly check their heart rate. If the driver is having heart attack, they are instructed to pull over immediately and the car itself will automatically call 911. Toyota hopes that this new health-related technology will help save many lives. For more information, please see Fast Company.

Mayo Clinic Launches Social Network

July 2011

Mayo Clinic has created an online social network to connect the global Mayo Clinic community. The site brings together Mayo Clinic faculty, students and patients worldwide to share information and support for one another. However, the site is free and open to anyone wanting access to Mayo Clinic discussions, blogs, YouTube videos and news. For more information, please see Mayo Clinic.

St. Christopher Hospital Launches mHealth App

June, 2011

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children has launched a new application powered by Worldlink on iPhone and Android devices.  The purpose of the application is to connect the hospital to the community while supplying access to health-related information.  Some of the services include ER wait times, map and directions, first-aid guide, “my data” section, and much more.  With the substantial amount of positive feedback thus far there is talk generating that more facilities will invest in such technologies.  To learn more, please visit MobileMarketingWatch

Men’s & Women Health FB Search For Hot Bodies

May, 2011

The popular health and fitness magazines, Men’s Health and Women’s Health, have launched a combined search effort to find the fittest bodies on Facebook to feature in the publications.  Men and women can submit photos of themselves until July 24th, for the chance to have their image appear in the fitness magazines.  Ten finalists will then be selected based on the number of votes they receive, who will then appear before a panel of judges who include Blake Griffin, Michelle Wie and Jon Jones.  The winning male and female will be selected on August 22.

AARP Gains Page Views Via Trivia

April, 2011

AARP, in addition to a number of brands, has leveraged trivia to gain website visitors. The company placed a trivia portal on the website that would house 100 games that would rotate regularly. The aim of the portal was to increase page views, and by the end of 2010, the site had over 3 million visits. Trivia was based on the website’s content, including Home and Garden, Food, Health, Travel and more. In addition to the games, the company provided a one-month sweepstakes to win $5,000. The sweepstakes garnered over 60,000 entrants.

Donations for Haiti Relief Through SMS

January, 2010 The American Red Cross is encouraging people through social media outlets (such as Twitter) to text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Haiti relief efforts (with the $10 being charged to the user’s cell phone bill). With a devastating 7.0 earthquake leveling most of Haiti’s capital and the death tolls in the upper thousands, immediate relief is greatly needed. Over $800,000 has been raised so far through the texting collection.

Bright Pink Reaches To Mobile

October, 2009

Breast Cancer awareness organization “Bright Pink” reaches their young audience through mobile site. The nonprofit organization targets young women to educate them on awareness of breast and ovarian cancer. Using tongue-and-cheek phrases such as, “Treasure your chest,” to catch the attention of the young demographic has greatly attributed to their success thus far. “Bright Pink” is now branching into mobile media through social media networks (Facebook/Twitter) and has also launched a mobile site. The concept behind the move to mobile is to provide a younger demographic with information on cancer and the ability to donate from their mobile device. Visit the official “Bright Pink” website for more information.