The iCache Geode was announced in April and interested parties have been patiently waiting for this product to actually become available.  The iCache Geode “is an iPhone case with a particularly wonderful twist — in addition to just wrapping a protective layer of plastic around your phone, it also sports a rewritable magstripe card on its rear end.”  Once users install the corresponding app, they can store their credit card information and turn this case into a GeoCard.  Additionally, there is a small e-ink display on the back of the Geode which stores information for your loyalty cards.  In order to make sure your credit card information is secure, there is a small fingerprint reader that only allows access to you.

With rumors of the new, slimmer, redesigned iPhones on the way, users will want to make sure that they are sticking with their iPhone 4/4s for a while longer before making the $199 investment. Will you go out and buy one?

For more information and a great introductory video, check out the full article at: http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/01/icache-geode-now-available/

There are plenty of people who are using scanners, QR codes and various apps to price shop at different retailers.  They go to a store, find the price and then the app or website will give them competitors rate all over town.  Food and medicine are two categories that have seen the least amount of smartphone usage (researching) for coupons and discounts.

But these categories won’t be left alone for long.  In fact, “Catalina, the company that powers loyalty programs for 30,000 stores nationwide (including those coupons at checkout), acquired mobile commerce company Modiv Mobile.”  Modiv, now Catalina Mobile’s app will work like this:  “A shopper walks into the store, opens the store-branded app and receives offers based on their shopping history. To skip the line at checkout, shoppers can scan barcodes of items they put into the cart to buy the haul right on the phone. Catalina says the app will be available in 200 more Stop & Shops this summer.”  The company knows that people are not going to scan a box of Cheerios and run across town if it’s a few cents or a dollar cheaper elsewhere, what people will do though is redeem food coupons through the app and either print them at home, or sync and load them onto their supermarket loyalty cards.

Additionally, a new app that has hit the market is SnipSnap.  This app simplifies the couponing process by allowing users to snap pictures of all of your coupons, save them to your iPhone and redeem them from your device, without having to carry around all those bits of paper.  The app also provides you with in-store reminders for when to use your coupons, expiration date alerts, uses for your “any” coupons and the ability to share with friends.

For more information on both products, check out the articles, here and here

Google’s self-driving car got its first license this week in the state of Nevada.  If you’re not totally up-to-date with this amazing computer-driven car – there is a great video here.  Google believes that this car will help save lives, because a majority of the 30,000 people killed each year in car crashes are due to human-driver error, and the addition of computer-driven cars could significantly reduce the number of deaths.

Google’s self-driving car uses sensors to watch cars, pedestrians and other obstacles, with additional technology and software that allows the car to read street signs and signals.  Google’s car also combines a number of technologies included in cars already, such as GPS tracking, wheel motion sensors and radar.

These modified Toyota Priuses are not available to the public yet, but the testing stages are proving that driver assisted technologies are working.

For the full story, go to: http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/10/autos/google-driverless-cars-safety/index.htm?source=cnn_bin

Punchcard is a digital version of paper loyalty cards, which have been less popular over the years due to the easy ability for people to take advantage of the cards.  The Punchcard app allows customers to take photos of their receipts in order to get their loyalty “points,” which then equates to cash payouts or other rewards directly from the merchants.  Though this app is not the only one on the market, their marketing is a bit different.  They’ve “turned on” loyalty programs for millions of locations across the US, even if the merchant hasn’t requested it.  The company believes that this seeding technique will build their business faster than their competitors (Facebook just acquired loyalty play Tagtile, Google acquired Punchd, Perka and Perkville).

Currently the app works at 15 million locations in the US.  As users snap photos of their receipts and input them into the Punchcard system, they earn cash, freebies and rewards (usually on the 10th purchase).  The company currently offers two tiers of service “(one for $29/month, another for $99/month), which provides businesses with access to an analytics view into who their customers are, and an automated re-marketing program that pushes offers back to customers to incent them to buy again. The solution works best for retailers, restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, and other local businesses that want to increase the frequency of their customers’ purchases.”  The company boasts “huge conversion rates” from the app download to usage and repeat usage.

For more information, check out: http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/27/barely-3-months-post-launch-loyalty-app-punchcard-live-in-15m-locations-nears-profitability/

Groupon has grown its business despite the onslaught of daily deal competitors.  A new feature that the site is launching is G-Pass, a line-jumping pass for GrouponLive events.  In a new partnership with LiveNation, G-Pass provides users with seating, ticketing and barcode-scanning info on their vouchers.  This enhancement allows users to skip the line at the box office and head straight into their event.  People previously had to take their Groupon voucher to will call and then exchange them for actual tickets.

Additionally, another perk that Groupon recently rolled-out is a $30-per year VIP program.  This program provides early access to deals and first dibs on reservations.  Finally, the company also introduced 2 other products, Clicky the Value Wheel –a gamification of daily deals — and a Scheduler app designed to help businesses fill out their appointment calendars.

Is this enough for Groupon to stay on-top?

For more information, go to: http://www.businesswire.com/news/leaderpost/20120411005315/en/Groupon-Announces-G-Pass-%E2%80%93-Expedited-Entry-GrouponLive

American Express is a credit card company on a social media mission.  In addition to having a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, the company makes sure that they are actually providing their customers  with relevant and exciting promotions/incentives.  The key to making a social network successful, is not only being present but creating buzz, and a platform that people actually use/want your promotions.  Below are 3 key ways that Leslie Berland, SVP of digital partnerships and development at American Express, believes the company is effectively using the social media space.

1. A Customer Service Foundation – AmEx entered the social media scene in 2009 with a presence on Twitter and Facebook.  These initial handles and pages focused on servicing the card members and merchants effectively and with ease.  This service strategy has improved engagement with its consumers and clients and has also allowed the company to improve its implementation strategies based on user feedback.
2. Couponless Deals Galore – AmEx knows that in today’s economy everyone loves a deal.  They have become the the master of the couponless deal in the social media space.  By simply syncing your card with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, users are able to get deals for qualifying purchases just by clicking a link, no coupon or code necessary.  Another key addition to the company’s already robust Twitter strategy, is the ability for cardholders to tweet strategic hashtags in order to load deals onto their cards, i.e. “#AmexWholeFoods, for example, a cardholder receives a $20 statement credit when he or she purchases $75 or more at Whole Foods using his or her synced card.”
3. A Corporate Culture Transformation – AmEx is embracing the opportunities that social media presents and they are running with those opportunities.  The company began their social media journey with keeping clients happy and solving their problems, and they are now leading their category with their innovative uses for the platforms.

For more information, read the full article at: http://mashable.com/2012/03/28/american-express-social-media/

Chipotle is somewhat of an enigma.  How does a now household restaurant chain name with more than 1,200 stores, 1.7 million social media fans create so much buzz without an onslaught of traditional marketing?

It’s something that Chipotle prides itself on, keeping loyal to its simple goal of “changing the way people think about their food,” while not spending millions on traditional advertising and channeling their energy and resources into grassroots initiatives.  Here is a sneak peek into Chipotle’s social media efforts, with a few highlights from Mashable’s interview with Chipotle’s New Media Manager, Joe Stupp:

1. One-on-One Conversation – Chipotle is very loyal to its one-on-one engagement model for its social media platforms, in fact the company responds to 83% of its Facebook posts and about 90% of its Twitter activity.  The 3-person response team makes it a point to get to know their customers, by having genuine conversations with them and not simply chasing metrics.
2. Creative Content – The company does not like producing boring content, so if you are looking for dry press releases, you may be out of luck.  The company made a bit of a splash during the Grammy Awards when they launched their first (and only) tv ad, an animated film called “Back to the Start,” which reinforces the company’s core philosophy of getting people to think about where their food comes from.  Additionally, the company launched a YouTube video “Abandoned,” in which they “spotlight on the impact of industrialization on family farms and, again, initiated public conversation on a relevant issue.”  Keeping content creative is a key to engaging with their community.
3. Community-Driven Initiatives - Chipotle is very passionate about creating tangible online and offline promotions that “reinforce its commitment to supporting family farmers and educating people about food.”  This is done through their Halloween “Boo-rito” contest and subsequently the newest dress up as a family farm animal and you can buy a burrito for $2, where the $2 actually goes towards FarmAid.  Also through the new Chipotle Cultivate Music Festival in Chicago, where food, farmers, chefs and musicians are all together to feature responsibly-grown dishes and educational opportunities about sustainable farming and treatment of animals.  Lastly, the company recently launched “Farm Team,” which is an online initiative that rewards people for exploring the website, watching videos, taking polls and sharing their farming practice knowledge with others in their social network.  Participants are rewarded with food, t-shirts and other prizes.

So, what’s next for the company? Honestly, Stupp says more of the same.  The focus on individual conversations and community education initiatives are core to the company and will not waiver as the brand grows.

For the full article, go to: http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/chipotle-social-media/

Fresh on the heels of PayPal’s ‘Here’ dongle announcement, Intuit’s GoPayment application has some news of it’s own. The GoPayment mobile application will be releasing updates today that allow US based fundraisers to easily accept credit card donations directly from a smart phone or tablet.

This announcement and venture also suspiciously follows Square’s partnership announcement with the Obama and Romney fundraising camps. Square will be providing each organization with dongles that allow their teams to accept donations wherever, whenever. But GoPayment’s donation upgrades are boasting that they do not require customization or the creation of a new app, per the “Obama Square App,” and it’s use isn’t limited to the presidential election either. All users will have to do is install the upgraded software and then switch the app into donor mode when they make a donation. They can then just as easily flip the switch and go back to normal mobile payment mode.

Additionally, since Intuit is the company behind the very successful Quickbooks, Mint and TurboTax financial programs, the back-end of their app will be very user/business friendly. The GoPayment app will easily allow each user to input their donations from the year into Intuit’s financial software, so that small businesses and donation based organizations can easily keep track of their finances. A big win for this mobile service that neither Square or PayPal Here can offer yet.

For more information, check out: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/03/intuit-gopayment-mobile-donations/

Which program or dongle do you use for your business? We would love to get Rox readers pros and/or cons with their dongle experiences!