Houzz is a new app that we came across in this interview with interior designer, Jeff Lewis.  Houzz, an iPhone and iPad app, allows users to pull together their design ideas, inspirations, loves and likes and simply email those ideas (their ideabook) in a single link.  The app boasts that it is the largest database of design and decorating ideas with its more than 325,000 original photographs from more than 55,000 architects, interior designers, photographers, contractors and other design pros.

The app is very well organized and allows users to “move” through photos (as they would in their house or space) to find inspiration room by room (list is on the left hand side).   Another great feature is the ability to find professionals in your area based on your design aesthetic.

Download the app here: http://www.houzz.com/iphone

JWT London will be ringing in the new year with new business cards.  The advertising agency is using image-recognition app Blippar to create their new business cards.  These cards allow users to “blipp” the back of the JWT London’s card (with the Blippar app), which then shows the users the agency’s showreel as well as directions to the agency’s office.

Watch the video to see the augmented reality business card in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qE29R12A69A

Here are 7 more stunning augmented reality business cards to get your imagination going: http://mashable.com/2011/12/20/augmented-reality-business-card/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box1375

Reaching the head-of-household is a $5 trillion business.  Although many women are full-time caregivers, they are still running the show when it comes to the majority of household purposes.  Whether its clothing, groceries, appliances or a large list of consumer packaged goods, she has the credit limit and is wanting to spend.  So, how do you reach this working mom/wife with the disposable income and purchasing power?

1) Get Social – Marketers need to embrace the social web outside of just email marketing and search ads (which are still relevant).  The big takeaway: PROVIDE A CALL TO ACTION and evoke an emotional response when possible.

• Of the 65% of online adults who use social networking sites, 69% are female.
• Women not only spend 30% more timeon these sites than men, but they also have larger networks.
• Comparatively speaking, women have 8% moreFacebook friends on average than men, and spend more time on the site.

2) Gaming is Effective – Online games are not just for teenage boys anymore.  Gaming has exploded among this demo.  Forrester research is claiming that 59% of social gamers are women and PopCap says the average age of this woman gamer is 43. The big takeaway: BRANDED VIRTUAL GOODS, IN-GAME ADVERTISING and GAMING FOR CHARITY.

3) Daily Deals – Women make up nearly 2/3′s of Groupon users.  The big takeaway: CREATE TARGETED PROMOTIONS TOWARDS THIS GROUP.

For more information, including great examples of companies already marketing to the head-of-household, go to: http://mashable.com/2011/10/04/social-marketing-head-household/

MasterCard and Facebook have teamed up for MC’s “Priceless” campaign.  The campaign asks fans to find 20 original Yankee stadium seats, which have been scattered throughout the city in places like Katz’s Deli, Murray’s Bagels, Junior’s and the New York Stock Exchange.  Each seat has a QR Code that fans will scan that automatically checks them in on Facebook Places. It also makes them eligible to win VIP tickets to a Yankee Game in MasterCard’s exclusive Batter’s Eye Cafe.

The initiative aims to showcase MasterCard’s once-in-a-lifetime experiences, opportunities that consumers can take advantage of as a card member.  New York is the first city highlighted and will be featured the full month of August and the Facebook partnership is part of the larger MasterCard Priceless New York program.

This partnership is very similar and may in fact be a response to the American Express and Foursquare partnership that formed in June.  Their program rewards card members with loyalty-card like credit for checking-in via Foursquare.

Google was very busy this holiday weekend (Happy 4th of July by the way).  They quietly launched their new social contest website called Prizes.org.  The site allows users to create their own “contests” and then award cash prizes to those users with the best answers or suggestions to their questions.  The questions can be as simple as trip planning advice, or as social as the best name for a new start up, but whatever the question is, the answer posts are set up to allow for forum feedback and visitor votes.  The user who gained the most votes, wins the money.  The current typical payout is $10-$50.

Currently, Prizes.org requires users to sign in with their Facebook or Twitter accounts, but all users are allowed to view the contest line ups and see the prizes they could shoot for.  For more information, go to: http://www.geek.com/articles/news/google-launches-prizes-org-2011074/

Print media has been on the demise for quite some time now.  The ease and availability of free information has made it hard for newspapers and magazines to provide their readers with unique information, that would warrant them turning to the hard copy.  There are though, a few ways that magazines utilizing social media, which is creating a unique experience or journey for the reader.

Curating Content – Editors are realizing that sometimes social media is not the enemy and can in fact help them in terms of collaborating and providing readers with articles that are important to them.  By allowing readers to share, tweet (and retweet) information, readers are able to get an all-around experience without having to jump to several different information sources. 

Expanding Editorial Content – Savvy publications are using their social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to find out what is really important to their readers and creating future issues around those topics.

Offering Expertise in Real Time – When a magazine is connecting into the social media world they are allowing themselves to be available to their readers all day, every day.  Magazines have the opportunity to host Twitter & Facebook chats that allow the fans to interact with the publication or it’s featured author, providing them with a real-time and unique experience.  This positioning allows the magazine to be an information destination, therefore transforming themselves into part of a readers’ daily routine.

Catalyzing Connections – Friendships are most of the time based on similar interests.  Some magazines, like Philosophy Now, promote Meetups so that readers can get together and discuss their favorite magazine topics.  Other magazines like, Cosmo,  promote a sense of their community digitally, through question and answer sessions and advice columns via their Facebook page.

Leveraging Influence - Magazines are some of the most “liked” or “followed” entities on social networks.  Knowing how far their reach is (compared to the average Twitters 350 followers), allows the magazine to send out one tweet that will undoubtedly get retweeted and retweeted to people they may not yet be followers.  Not only is the magazine adding value to their followers, with information via their social network, but they allow themselves to grow virally and position themselves as a great source of daily or weekly information.

Extending the Editorial Experience – Social media allows for magazines to get away from the 2-D world and interact with their fans with photos, entertainment pieces, polls, games, real-time chats, and peeks behind the scene, just to name a few. 

Monetizing Social Media  - Banner ads are still the most common way of monetizing your brand online.  But with the addition of Sponsored Twitter backgrounds and tweets, as well as sponsored Facebook messaging and ads on the side of your page, more opportunities are becoming available to make some money off your social media presence.

For more information, go to: http://mashable.com/2011/02/09/social-media-magazines/

Fashion company, Jones New York, is bringing a new dimension to its retail presence with mobile-activated hand tags.  The program, run with Microsoft’s Tag barcode technology, allows consumers to gain more information about Jones New York clothing via an online video.  The online video will feature model Jessica Stam discussing her contribution to the Jones’ Rachel Roy line and will also include fashion tips and product information.

In addition to the mobile-activated hand tags, which will debut in October with the new line, Jones New York will  run an ad in Lucky magazine that features a logo that consumers can activate with their cell phones, as well as in-store signage.

Jones New York is going in to this launch with the goal of maintaining brand relevance.  The company is unsure if their efforts will translate into higher sales, but as long as they keep their name in consumer’s consciousness, Jones New York will deem this effort successful.

For more information about the launch of the line and details about the mobile-activated hand tags, go to: http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3ic193b6eacf48409bf1e739c48b3fdc91

Best Buy is launching a mobile app this week that they hope will change the way consumers watch movies.  The app is being launched in conjunction with the 3-D film, Despicable Me.  The app is free and those viewers who download the app and stay until the end of the film will “get a translation of the chatter of the minion characters in Despicable Me.”  The app will go on to translate the minions’ language throughout the whole film, once it is available on DVD.

It also locates theaters showing the movie as well as Best Buy stores.  The app also helps users become better moviegoers: “When a phone is in “Movie Mode,” it automatically dims the mobile screen, silences the ringer and discourages texting.”

The app’s launch will be supported by TV, online, in cinemas and in-store.  Best Buy believes that if this app is successful it could be a great way to work with more movie partners to promote and come together on future projects.

For more information, including the Best Buy Reward Zone member exclusives, go to: http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i9b6b41a3894c84cffd2e7702d675e0fe