Part I: The Most Interestin...

Best Use of Technology: In the US, companies have been engaged in PURL marketing for awhile. (Just in case you need a refresher, the acronym refers to a Personalized URL, a unique web address that is generated for each recipient. PURLs are used either in direct mail or email marketing and points users to an individual landing page that is personalized with their own data.) I was pleased to finally receive a PURL marketing piece from a Canadian company. It came in a polybag insertion in the August issue of Graphic Arts Magazine. Sina Printing, a trade printer based out of Toronto was promoting Sina Lite, an online self-serve printing portal where print orders can be submitted online. I was enticed with an offer: “Hi Anita, Now pay up to 50% less on all your printing needs with SinaLite.com. Anita, sign up and get your 1000 business cards free.”

I only hope we see more PURL marketing here in Canada in 2010. If any of you fellow marketers are planning on such campaigns, be sure to let me know!

Best Use of Social Media: This past summer Volkswagen launched an innovative online ad campaign that incorporates social media and personalization. “Using the power of your Twitter Feed” reads the online ad, “we can find the perfect VW for you. Your tweets are then scanned and a Volkswagen recommendation is made just for you, based on the content you write about.

I am already a Volkswagen devotee and own a Jetta. Being intrigued, I decided to give it a try. I entered my Twitter name, clicked on “analyze” and waited for the results. My personalized recommendation was to “Meet the Volkswagen CC”. I’d have to say I was impressed! I guess Volkswagen knew that I wouldn’t want to be presented with its tried and true product line, so it presented me with a NEW model that I had not even heard about. From there, I was offered the choice to “Get to Know the CC and the rest of the VW Family” or “Try again”. Curious, I decided to try again. I was really hoping that I would be recommended Volkswagen’s hard top convertible, the Eos, that I have been coveting for some time now. But regardless of what I did, I couldn’t generate that result. Nevertheless, this is a great example of personalization being used to increase the relevancy of an ad.

Best Personalized Video: In this category, there were a number of fabulous personalized videos that all had a viral element to them. It was hard to pick just one, so I’ve listed three:

• On Father’s Day, southern rockers BlackStone Cherry launched a single “Things My Father Said” in addition to a uniquely touching way for fans to celebrate their own fathers. Fans could submit up to 4 photos and message to create a personalized video for dad.
• An “Eddiegram” Lets You Create a Talking Personalized Video That Brags about Your Green Lawn. Really, you have to see it to believe it. It’s hilarious!
• The very realistic news clip that reports on my mom being honoured as Mother of the Year. Even President Obama and Beyonce agree that Mary Windisman really is the best mom!

Personalization is now pervasive – it’s in print, and increasingly being used in video.

Ahead of the Curve: Personalization meets augmented reality, making print interactive. Penguin Young Readers Group recently launched the book Vampire Academy Signature Edition, A dedicated Vampire Academy website has been set up to promote the book. But it’s no ordinary website! It features Augmented Reality (AR) a new and emerging type of technology that takes a printed image and adds animated content when it is held up to a webcam. I’ll leave it to you to check it out yourself. Penguin maintains that this is the first time that a publisher has used this type of technology as a marketing tool. The application was created in partnership with Ogmento a company that develops Augmented Reality content, games and applications for the web and mobile devices.

In my next post, I’ll provide my list of the best mass customized products of 2009.

Have YOU seen any great personalized marketing campaigns?