BarryHutchison

Just been reading a very interesting article about a ‘mobile marketing pilot programme’ being launched by HarperCollins in the US, Canada and Australia, which allows people to scan a book’s barcode with their mobile phone, and then be taken to a special website full of content about the book and author.

The scheme is being piloted with L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad, and anyone scanning the book’s barcode on their web enabled mobile phone will be presented with a range of content, including videos, Q&As and other stuff.

Setting the system up on your mobile requires a software download, so I’m not sure how many people will actually go to all the bother, but it’s an interesting idea, and a great way of bringing book marketing into the 21st century.  Who knows, maybe it’ll be rolled out across some title here in the UK by the time INVISIBLE FIENDS is out.  Now that would be cool.

The full press release on the trial scheme follows…

HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS ANNOUNCES MOBILE MARKETING PILOT PROGRAM

NEW YORK, NY (June 10, 2009) - HarperCollins Publishers today announced plans to launch a viral mobile initiative using 2D barcodes, a new technology that links the print world to mobile. The codes, located on the back of book jackets and on marketing materials, will link to a mobile site, with exclusive content about the authors and book.

The promotion kicks off in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, with L.A. Candy, by Lauren Conrad, on sale June 16, 2009. To access the content, users simply download a free application (http://m.harpercollins.com) to their smart phone and take a picture of the 2D barcode. Whether standing in line at her upcoming signings, or viewing the jacket at a bookstore, fans can access a video of Lauren, a Q&A with her, or share the new site with their friends via SMS. The site can also be accessed directly at http://lacandy.mobi.

“We are excited about the potential of 2D barcodes for the teen market. Teens use their mobile phones for everything from texting to updating their Facebook pages; this is one more way we can offer them content to share with their friends,” said Susan Katz, President and Publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books. “HarperCollins is committed to reaching readers where they are, regardless of the device or platform, and a mobile marketing platform is a natural next step.”

Powered by QMCodes, a mobile-marketing company, HarperCollins will create a unique Web site for each book in the pilot program. The code for the paperback version of Freakonomics, on sale August 25, will include exclusive content related to the book and to the fall publication of Superfreakonomics. Additionally, HarperTeen’s The Amanda Project, a collaborative, interactive series that is both printed book and online adventure, will incorporate the codes to further extend the experience.

“It is early days for 2D barcodes in the U.S., so there will be an education process. But, there’s no doubt that mobile entertainment is growing by leaps and bounds, and book content should be part of that shift,” added Katz.

About HarperCollins Publishers
HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott. Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement, HarperCollins is the first publisher to digitize its content and create a global digital warehouse to protect the rights of its authors, meet consumer demand and generate additional business opportunities. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet at http://www.harpercollins.com.