Mobile Marketer asked me about Tylenol's use of QR codes to educate about responsible dosage.

Here's what I told the publication:

"Consumers often enter stores considering a product, then decide in the aisle after they look at price, possible alternatives, and information available.

"Successful brands are making it easier for customers to make choices. Having bar codes at the shelf is often a good way to go, especially if they are within a broad mobile offering that gives shoppers the ability to act on their terms. 

"Some will engage via scan, while others will look to get smarter through mobile web, SMS, or an app, for instance."

Tylenol does have an SMS call to action for those who want to interact that way.

The next time you consider wasting a few minutes bursting bubbles through a smartphone application, please stop and think of doing something more meaningful.

More significant than playing a game? Yes, there actually are ways to use your mobile device for good.

Here’s one:

Donate to the charity of your choice via wireless device. You would not be alone.

According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Harvard’s Berkman Center for the Internet & Society, charitable donations from mobile phones have grown more common in recent years. Two thirds (64 percent) of American adults now use text messaging, and 9 percent have texted a charitable donation from their mobile phone.

In what Pew calls the first-ever, in-depth study on mobile donors—which analyzed the “Text to Haiti” campaign after the 2010 earthquake—findings show that these contributions were often spur-of-the-moment decisions that spread virally through friend networks.

Spur-of-the-moment as in pushing aside the bubble burster app for just a couple of minutes.

According to Pew, three quarters of these donors (73 percent) contributed using their phones on the same day they heard about the campaign, and a similar number (76  percent) say that they typically make text message donations without conducting much in-depth research beforehand.

Yet while their initial contribution often involved little deliberation, 43 percent of these donors encouraged their friends or family members to give to the campaign as well. In addition, a majority of those surveyed (56 percent) have continued to give to more recent disaster relief efforts—such as the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan—using their mobile phones.

Pew said that three-quarters (74%) of Haiti text donors in this survey were first time mobile givers, meaning that their contribution to earthquake relief was the first time they had used the text messaging function on their phone to make a charitable contribution. Overall, 80 percent of the mobile givers donated to the earthquake recovery efforts using only their cell phones—and not using any other methods such as online contributions or in-person donations.

Pew said that the mobile phone is bringing in younger donors. Also, the organization said that those giving this way are more racially and ethnically diverse when compared with those who contribute through more traditional means.

How does mobile giving work?

Through such organizations at the Mobile Giving Foundation and mGive, mobile subscribers respond to calls to action in media and online by texting into a charity or non-profit’s short code. A donation, usually in the denomination of $5 or $10, is included on the consumer’s bill sent monthly by the carrier of choice. A full 100 percent of the donation is passed to the charitable recipient within 30 days.

Some of the many current opportunities to give:

Text “GIVE” to 777444 to donate $10 to the USAID.GOV-sponsored famine relief effort in the horn of Africa, benefiting American Refugee Committee, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Save the Children, UNICEF USA, World Food Program USA, and World Vision. General Mills has agreed to match the first 2,000 text donations that come through this campaign, up to $20,000.

Text “HOPE” TO 20222 to give $5 to the American Cancer Society.

Text “DARFUR” to 40579 to give $5 to the Save Darfur Coalition.

(Article first published as Mobile Does Good Through Charitable Giving on Technorati.)

Mario Schulzke from www.ideamensch asked me to write about my life on Twitter. Here's what I submitted http://ideamensch.com/1000-days-on-twitter-lessons-learned/

What I know and still wonder about more than 1,000 days and 2,500 followers into my @jeffhasen Twitter life:

I’m doing OK if you consider that I’ve consistently been placed on the Top CMOs on Twitter list http://www.smmmagazine.com/exclusives/top-cmos-on-twitter/.

I’m doing lousy if you average out days and followers that seem to indicate that I’m as popular as Christmas music in January.

I spend more and more time on Twitter. To help determine how much versus the rest, I went to Google and put in “time spent on t…” It came back with two choices — time spent on Twitter and time spent on toilet. At least one of those deserves to be kept to oneself.

I realize that I can grow my followers’ list rapidly through all sorts of trickery. But I continue to believe that a smaller list earned is better than one with 3,000 “followers” who have no value to me – nor me to them. By the way, Tweetcounter says it will take me about 535 days to get to 4,000 followers. I give that prediction slightly more than zero credence. I have lots in store for the next 535 days, none of which I’ve shared with Tweetcounter.

I refuse to use Twitter like most use Facebook (and many sadly use LinkedIn). Katie Couric famously said that “no one gives a rat’s ass that I had a tuna fish sandwich for lunch”. The minutiae of my life isn’t especially interesting to even those closest to me.

I see no value in using a Twitter account as an RSS feed. If you provide a link with no context or analysis, I’ve likely seen the news elsewhere. Please tell me what it means to you and to me.

There is no doubt that Twitter has led to business relationships that I could not develop elsewhere. Want to make a sale? Know your target and go where he or she lives. Twitter is full of potential contacts that are only reachable there.

I view Google Plus much like I saw Twitter 1,000 days ago. Approximately 62 million joined Google Plus in the first six months, according to one estimate (Google does not report the number). Consistently I’ve found those I’ve looked up to be mostly inactive. That either speaks to my circle or the tool as a whole. I spent some of the holiday break reading Chris Brogan’s Google Plus For Business: How Google’s Social Network Changes Everything. It’s a book worth a look, but, at this point, the extent of the change is in question.

Don’t be overly concerned by your Klout score or any other tool that claims to measure your influence. If you can grow your business, career or just your mind via what you see and say on Twitter, it’s an experience worth taking.

Forrester analysts say that 6.2 percent of online adults are creating 80 percent of the influence from tweets. The research firm calls these users Mass Connectors, part of the Mass Influencers group. I have no idea if I fit into those categories but I do feel like anyone can have influence if they provide useful insights and consistently put in the effort to contribute.

In Mobile Marketer's new guide for Mobile Advertising, I wrote about the importance of giving consumers choice about how to interact with you via mobile. The article follows:

CTIA reports that mobile phone penetration in the United States is greater than 96 percent with more than 300 million current wireless subscribers, 72.5 million of which are using
smartphones (comScore).

Now let us consider the large number of operating systems – iOS, Android, Microsoft’s Mango, BlackBerry – and the ever-increasing different devices in use.

Savvy brands understand that we are each individuals when it comes to our mobile devices. Leading brands such as Macy’s, MillerCoors and Ford understand this concept, and provide multiple options for mobile engagement.

This has led to a number of successful mobile marketing and advertising programs.

In spring 2011, Macy’s launched its Backstage Pass program, which engages shoppers in-store via multiple calls to action to use a mobile device.

Recognizing that not all its shoppers have QR code readers, the iconic department store added a short code to in-store signage, giving consumers a choice and ensuring that no one is left out.

When the QR code is scanned, or the short code is texted shoppers are forwarded to a backstage look at a video from the designer of their choice including Kenneth Cole, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Rachel Roy, Jessica Simpson and Martha Stewart.

The videos offer design suggestions, style tips and more. Shoppers can even enter a sweepstakes to win Macy’s gift cards.

The program has gained wide acclaim and interaction, sparking Macy’s to implement a second video series for the fall shopping season.

MillerCoors, the second largest beer company in America, recognizes that beer and sports go hand in hand.

The company designated nearly 75 percent of its ad spend to sporting events in 2010.

However, MillerCoors recognizes that there is a substantial opportunity to take these advertisements to the next level. By adding a mobile element to its advertisements, MillerCoors is able to connect with customers and build lasting relationships.

MillerCoors tapped Hipcricket to run a cross-media marketing campaign, leveraging traditional mobile elements, to help increase awareness of the Coors Light brand during Super Bowl XLV and the Miller Lite brand during the 2011 NCAA tournament.These campaigns included QR codes, mobile Web sites, SMS and contesting.

The campaigns resulted in over 159,000 interactions from 86,000 mobile participants and over 60 percent of which fell into one of MillerCoors’ key demographics – the 21-34 age range.

FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and its dealers, implemented its first mobile program in 2010.

The brand’s goal was to include mobile calls to action in its national print, radio and TV advertisements to give potential customers an opportunity to interact with the car brand on a personal level.

The first phase of FordDirect’s program included adding short codes to its national ads for the Ford Year End event.

The car company was able to generate more than 1,000 leads across 38 regional dealer groups and achieve a 12.5 percent conversion rate.

In 2011, Ford is projected to spend $1.3 billion on advertising, primarily targeted at creating leads that turn into sales.

As part of that effort, FordDirect has now expanded its mobile marketing program to include all of its print and TV advertisements. The program has achieved a 15.4 percent lead conversion rate.

The success of these programs has led to an expanded program which includes QR codes among other mobile channels.

With a myriad of ways for people to consume mobile content on a host of mobile devices, why should a brand’s mobile playbook only have one play?

At CES in Las Vegas today, Samsung's attempt at the hitting the sweet spot was the introduction of a 7.7 inch Galaxy tablet. You may remember the company's first effort was 7 inches. Did focus groups tell Samsung that the 7-incher was too small and 8-incher was a wee bit too big?

Mobile Marketer asked me to write about mobile's impact on the holiday season.  This column appeared today http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/11829.html

In part, I wrote about campaigns that caught my eye, as well as the changes I saw in my house.

My holiday period scorecard?

Thirteen slices of cranberry bread. More sandies than I care to count. Sips (or was it gulps) of Washington wine that brought a calm end to a frenetic year.

And insights that will make me a better marketer in 2012.

What did I learn in those brief moments when I wasn’t stuffing my face?