Microsoft Tag Sees Biggest Scanning Month Ever

REDMOND, Wash., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced impressive data on Microsoft Tag following its biggest month of scans to date, as well as an increasing rate of usage. Microsoft announced the following:

• March had the greatest number of Tag scans since Tag launched in January 2009, with more than 50 percent more scans than any other month to date.
• The number of scans per month has doubled over the past three months, and the number of users per month has increased 2.5 times in that same timeframe.
• Three billion Tags were printed during the past six months alone, and 5 billion Tags have been printed since Microsoft Tag’s January 2009 launch.
• Publishing continues to lead among top industries adopting Tag, with retail scenarios and entertainment holding the second and third positions, respectively.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

“Brand adoption and consumer engagement continue to build, with March being our strongest month to date, due to several high-profile, well-executed campaigns,” said Aaron Getz, general manager of Microsoft Tag. “We continue to have tremendous success within publishing and also see increasing usage by retailers, consumer packaged goods companies and movie studios.”

Tags recently appeared in top publications, including USA TODAY, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and Woman’s Day. USA TODAY and Woman’s Day have increased their use of Tag and developed ongoing campaigns that span multiple issues, helping demonstrate Tag’s leadership and adoption within the industry.

“We’re adding more Tags across multiple issues as we see increased engagement from our readers,” said Carlos Lamadrid, editor of Woman’s Day. “Most recently, we used Tag for a sweepstakes in March and saw record participation.”

Consumer packaged goods companies and retailers also are leveraging Tag to help shoppers make purchasing decisions. The Procter & Gamble Company’s Herbal Essences is using Tag on shelf displays that link to an interactive mobile experience to help the shopper choose the right hair products, while Lowe’s is utilizing the technology on plant tags throughout its Garden Centers.

“Tags have proven to be an extremely efficient means to deliver our customers compelling content and decision tools during the shopping experience,” said Gihad Jawhar, vice president of Lowes.com.

Similarly, several movie studios, including Summit Entertainment LLC and Universal Studios, have realized the power of Tag to help promote films by placing Tags on movie ads, posters and packaging that link to movie trailers, interactive mobile games and exclusive content.

More information about how Microsoft Tag can power digital marketing is available at http://tag.microsoft.com. The Tag community is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/microsofttag and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/microsofttag.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.