Find Nothing's Impossible at www.laurarobinsonblog.com

Hi all,

Thank you so much for reading my blog posts. I've been on blogger for well over a year and have decided it's time to get my own blog domain.
I have therefore moved my blog Nothing's Impossible to my personal web address:

www.laurarobinsonblog.com

Thanks,
Laura

What's next....Branded QR Codes?

I stumbled across an article on Digital Buzz Blog about QR Code Art and it got me thinking about how far QR codes will transform in the next few years. I realised if we can now design our own QR codes, make them pretty, colourful, patterned and all that jazz then the possibility of branded QR codes could be just around the corner.

QR codes are increasingly being used by advertisers and the public are becoming more and more familiar with the little monotonous squares that we now see on almost anything. 59% of all QR codes are stuck on packaging alone which is maybe the reason why the public engagement with QR codes has increased throughout the last year (4549% between Q1 2010 and Q1 2011).

However putting all impressive stats aside, the rise of the QR code is hindered by the fact that they all look the same and are ultimately a nice to have not a necessity to have. So how can brands and the public give their QR codes a personality and have fun with them? Here are a few suggestions I've thought of below:

• Personalise the colours to match the brand
• Create branded QR codes by integrating a brand/company logo



Artist Takashi Murakami created a branded QR code for fashion designer Louis Vuitton integrating the artist's character and LV's famous multi-colour monogram design.

• Hide clues within the QR code graphic and create a mobile game
• Give audiences a choice of two QR codes to scan for different experiences/content
• Individuals creating their own personal QR code which holds all their profile details - perhaps we will start seeing these used instead of profile pictures or added onto CV's which direct employers to a candidates personal website?

Could this be the future of QR codes?

 The possibilities are endless! (apologies for the catch phrase)

This blog has moved to www.laurarobinsonblog.com

Twitter is all you need in Las Vegas!

I've just returned home from an epic first trip to Las Vegas for Halloween and apart from the lights, glitz, shows, club scene, malls and extravagant hotels there was one thing I wasn't expecting: how many of the hotels and club promoters in Vegas use Twitter as a means of communicating.

I went to Vegas with 3 other girls from work (although this was by no means a work related trip, it was purely leisure) and we were all tweeting away to various club promoters and hotels at least three weeks prior to departure.



We stayed at the world famous Bellagio who not only had a Twitter profile but also a dedicated smartphone app. The instant nature of Twitter meant that we could tweet on a regular basis and keep a constant flow of communication in the lead up to our trip. Making a relationship with the social media team at the Bellagio before we arrived worked in our favour. Upon checking in I mentioned that we had been corresponding with them on Twitter which I'm sure helped us get a room upgrade! We also tweeted the Bellagio while we were staying when we needed any assistance - as lazy as it sounds, this was a great alternative to going up and down from the 26th floor to the guest reception. The Bellagio smartphone app was great for guiding us around the grounds and amenities that the Bellagio had to offer. With over 8 restaurants, 5 pools, 4 bars and a nightclub all located on different floors, walkways and locations the GPS navigation integrated in the app was a great time saver.

Bellagio App

On another more exciting note, we happened to stumble upon the one and only Mr Simon Cowell in one of Vegas' top nightclubs!! It was one of those surreal moments where we found ourselves being invited onto his roped off table and then being lucky enough to get a photo with him. As soon as I got the photo on my phone I wanted to post it on twitter and tag Simon. Any major Twitter geeks will understand my disappointment when I couldn't find an official @SimonCowell twitter account. He's clearly to busy for any of that but if he did I reckon he would have as many followers as Lady Gaga! When we posted this picture on Facebook we had over 100 likes and comments in the space of a few hours and within the few days following the post the picture was randomly taken down presumably by Facebook. Maybe we were stealing too much of their traffic!

Meeting Simon Cowell @ Tryst nighclub Las Vegas. 29.10.11

All in all Vegas was an epic trip full of adventure, excitement and fun! Social media definitely played a positive part in our experience at the Bellagio and helped us to get onto guestlists for top Vegas clubs for a hassle-free experience. Thanks @BellagioLV #LasVegasRocks!

This blog has moved to www.laurarobinsonblog.com