Back in June, Diesel stores in the UK brought QR codes to the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. Now, a retail outlet in Seoul, South Korea, called the Q-Store is taking it one step further, adding QR codes to product tags.

Scanning these QR codes allow customers to view additional information about the products. Better yet, while shopping in-store, customers also have the option of purchasing online and having purchases delivered to their homes.

Online retailers, the landscape has changed. The back-to-school shopping season upon us – and online shoppers are expected to spend 40% more than in-store shoppers.

Of course, online takes the form of a few channels; two-thirds of online shoppers own a smartphone and almost a quarter own a tablet device.

According to a study by the National Retail Federation:

Over two-thirds of smartphone-using online shoppers will use the device in back-to-school shopping for product research, price comparisons, coupon redemption, and store information. A full third of those even plan to make purchases via smartphone.

Four out of five tablet-using online shoppers will use the device in back-to-school shopping for product research and price comparisons, with half planning to make purchases via the device.

This is further evidence why e-commerce websites should be optimized for mobile use. Is your brand ready for the back-to-school season?

Last week, apparel brand Abercrombie & Fitch offered to pay MTV Jersey Shore castmate Mike “The Situation” to stop wearing its clothing. Evidently, the brand does not want to be associated with Jersey Shore’s shenanigans, stating in a press release “We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.” Well, Abercrombie & Fitch’s stock price subsequently dropped 8%, prompting “The Situation” to retort (on Twitter), “Looks like Abercrombie got themself [sic] into a Situation!”

Well, MTV has officially responded, stating, “It’s a clever PR stunt, and we’d love to work with them on other ways they can leverage Jersey Shore to reach the largest youth audience on television.”

Well, what do you think? PR stunt or authentic brand image protection?

We’ll keep you updated if the bickering continues.

Imagine the possibilities of revamping an often overlooked branding opportunity and customer touch point: the sales receipt.

London-based design consultancy Berg did just that. As Matt Jones explained, receipts are printed by machines that already manage a variety of complex information – most obviously, purchases. Consider that a receipt from CVS includes coupons for products in categories you’ve recently purchased in; Berg’s concept goes even further, with more useful and engaging personalization. As Berg explained to Icon magazine, “We think the humble receipt could be something like a paper ‘app’ and be valuable in small and playful ways.”

A logo does not make a brand. So, why do marketers always want to make the logo bigger?

As Tom Fishburne wrote, “A bigger logo won’t fix a small brand. It won’t make a brand more remarkable. There is no direct correlation between the size of a logo and the effectiveness of an ad. But, in the qualitative world of creative review, it’s a tangible, quantitative response. So, marketers give this feedback a lot, even if it’s superficial and even if it detracts from the strength of the creative execution.”

Engaged consumers generally become loyal consumers, and we all want loyal consumers. So, how and why do consumers engage? According to a recent study, more than 97% of respondents said that an online experience has influenced whether or not they bought a product or service from a particular brand… so it would be wise to know what spurs engagement. For some insight, check out GetSatisfaction’s infographic.

With a new software update and new second generation hardware on the horizon, Microsoft has unveiled a new Windows Phone logo.

According to WinRumors, the logo features “a more square look, presumably to compliment the square tiles of the operating system.” This new logo will be used in all marketing and branding efforts for the upcoming Windows Phone 7.5.

Business cards are essentially used for sharing professional contact information, but with the right strategy, they can do so much more.

Immediately engage prospects and colleagues with a QR code included directly on your business card, the new school version of a URL.

You’re destined to be remembered with an edible business card. Of course, I’d keep some traditional paper back-ups handy – these won’t last long.

Giving out a 3-dimensional card, something fun to display, will increase the chances of people sharing your card with others.

See some more ideas at Mashable.

A new Old Spice Guy? Yes, the latest series of ads from Wieden + Kennedy have replaced the tried-and-true Isaiah Mustafa with a new character… Fabio.

Watch the newest Old Spice spots at NewOldSpiceGuyFabio.

QR codes are recognizable, but unfortunately generic-looking. Luckily, their designs are more flexible than you would think. With a 30% tolerance in readability, these codes can be customized while maintaining their technical effectiveness (and that customization will likely improve their marketing effectiveness). See a few examples below, via Mashable.

HBO’s True Blood:

Louis Vuitton:

Discover LA Tourism Bureau: