Waseca, MN – Brown Printing Company today announced the acquisition of Nellymoser, a Boston-based mobile marketing and technology company.

Nellymoser is a mobile innovator and a pioneer in rich media delivery, having deployed over 800 print-to-digital campaigns in 2012 for 50 of the Top 100 magazines.

The company offers both a mobile companion application platform with self-service tools and packaged print-to-digital solutions, which are then, deployed by their customers as cross media campaigns. Campaigns typically include one or more brand activation points such as invisible watermarks, images, NFC and QR codes that are placed in magazines, catalogs, or on product packaging. Consumers scan the printed material with their mobile smartphones, thereby activating additional interactive content or digital direct response mobile marketing.
Nellymoser will operate as a division of Brown, a Gruner + Jahr Company, and will maintain its operations in the Boston area. Nellymoser has been driven by a talented and dedicated group of employees with over 10 years of mobile experience. Brown will retain the core team and structure to grow the business by continuing to deliver industry-leading mobile solutions.
“Publishers and catalogers are increasingly looking to mobile and other platforms to create cross media marketing campaigns that create rich and interactive consumer experiences designed to drive engagement, social sharing and data collection,” stated John Puterbaugh, Founder and CEO of Nellymoser. “We have been working with Brown for the last eighteen months and our print-to-digital and cross media campaigns are a natural fit to Brown’s current offerings.”

“Developing new revenue sources and expanding a brand’s reach into the mobile market is more critical than ever to our customers,” commented Mike Amundson, President and CEO of Brown. “Our acquisition of Nellymoser allows us to provide cutting-edge integrated tools as an important and complementary addition to our extensive print and digital services.”

About Nellymoser
Nellymoser (www.nellymoser.com), a mobile marketing and technology company founded in 2000 and headquartered in the Boston area, creates mobile companion apps and cross-media campaigns. These campaigns are triggered using smartphones via multiple activation points placed in editorial content, advertisements or on product packaging. The result is instant multimedia, interactive and up-to-date content designed to deliver consumer engagement, foster brand loyalty and drive revenue for clients. Nellymoser’s customers include leading publishers, retailers and brand advertisers.

About Brown
Brown Printing Company (www.bpc.com) proudly serves America’s premier magazine publishers and catalogers with premedia, printing, distribution and integrated digital solutions. Founded in 1957, Brown is a Bertelsmann/Gruner + Jahr owned company. Brown’s proven stability, world class quality, state-of- the-art technology and superior customer service make Brown Printing the ideal partner for your media needs.

Contact Information:
Jennifer Bergin
Vice President Marketing
Phone: (212) 782-7800
E-mail:

Companion App scan rates are greater than the response rates for other types of printed marketing, as published by the Direct Marketing Association in the 2012 Response Rate Report. Direct mail had a 4.4% response rate overall and catalogs had a 4.3% rate. Email and paid search had response rates of less than 1%.

Until now, the major barrier in obtaining hard numbers for the response rates of mobile action codes in magazines was that the applications used to scan codes and the codes themselves were produced by different entities.

The clients in the study used Nellymoser to produce both Companion App with its universal scanner, and the mobile experience that is delivered to the reader. Because Nellymoser manages the app and the scanned experience, the app provides a unique opportunity to measure campaigns from scan through execution. These two sets of data can now be correlated, providing new insight into the audience’s behavior and the success of campaigns.

The response rate ranged from 0.7% to 26.8%. The average, weighted by circulation and removing the high and lowest scores, was 6.4%. The app remained open about 10 minutes for each visit. During those 10 minutes, they viewed nearly 19 mobile pages — an average of about 30 seconds per page. This suggests that the user was actively interacting with the magazine while using the app. Each visitor returned to visit 1.4 additional times for additional engagement (an average of 2.4 visits).

“When done well, mobile action codes can turn a magazine advertising campaign into a direct marketing tool with a higher than average response rate,” said Roger Matus, Executive Vice President of Nellymoser, Inc. “It ought to be considered whenever a direct response campaign is being used.”

Copies of the scan rate study are available at http://www.nellymoser.com/action-codes/scan-response-rates.

ARLINGTON, MA AND NEW YORK, NY– September 10, 2012 – Ad Age Interact, a new branded companion app that lets readers seamlessly scan printed articles with their mobile phone and share them via social sharing, was introduced today by Advertising Age, the leading weekly international marketing trade publication. The iPhone and Android app, built using Boston-based Nellymoser’s mobile Companion App framework, enables readers to scan branded Ad Age icons located throughout each print issue of Advertising Age and instantly share content with colleagues via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email.

The Ad Age Interact app launch coincides with the introduction of the magazine’s comprehensive re-design, which includes a bigger focus on in-depth editorial articles.  Now, with the use of a mobile phone, Advertising Age content can be easily shared via social networks and email.

“We hear all the time about readers tearing out pages or going to our site to find stories to share with colleagues and friends,” said Allison Arden, Publisher, Advertising Age. “With the new print design of Advertising Age it was a priority for us to give readers the ability to share articles using the one piece of technology they always have on them: their phone. The Nellymoser Companion App lets us use mobile activation to create a richer experience for our community. We’re excited to explore additional ways that we can use the app to engage our readers.”

Beginning with today’s issue, select magazine articles include special Ad Age branded icons embedded with imperceptible Digimarc digital watermarks. The Ad Age Interact app contains a built-in universal scanner that lets readers scan these branded icons as well as any other type of mobile action codes (QR codes, Microsoft Tags, or UPC codes) in the magazine.  When a branded icon is scanned, the reader is presented with the option of sharing the article via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

New Advertising Age content is automatically uploaded to Nellymoser’s servers by RSS feed for mobile formatting and delivery. This lets Advertising Age deliver fresh content to readers at any time. The app’s comprehensive reporting capabilities will provide detailed metrics on what content is being shared by readers.

According to a new Q2 2012 action code study by Nellymoser, the top 100 U.S. magazines are embracing mobile action codes in record numbers to enhance the print experience. From Q1 to Q2 alone, the number of codes printed in the top 100 magazines grew a dramatic 61% from 1365 to 2200.

“Advertising Age is taking a big step forward by using mobile to integrate print and digital. Mobile activated print strategies, underpinned by the use of magazine companion apps, provide new forms of engagement for readers and advertisers,” said John Puterbaugh, Founder and CEO of Nellymoser. “Readers have their mobile phones with them everywhere they go and a companion app lets them engage with the publication in a way that enriches the print experience.  Nellymoser’s Companion App technology makes it easy for magazines to deliver a print-to-mobile sharing experience that works the way their readers work.”

Ad Age Interact is available now from the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The Ad Age Interact branded icon appears with articles that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and via email using a mobile phone.

Readers scan the Ad Age branded icon instead of a QR code to share articles via their mobile phone.

The Ad Age Interact mobile app splash screen.

ARLINGTON, MA – August 28, 2012 – QR codes, digital watermarks, image recognition and other types of mobile action codes printed in the top 100 U.S. magazines, reached a record number in Q2, according to a new study by mobile marketing and technology services company, Nellymoser Inc. A total of 2200 codes were printed during the quarter, up from 1365 in Q1 (61% growth). More than 10% of advertisements contained a code, which was double the 5% rate from just one year ago.

For its latest mobile action code study, Nellymoser surveyed the top 100 U.S. magazines by circulation and analyzed the published issues from April to June 2012, covering 46,132 magazine pages. Findings were significant in many areas including:

• From Q1 to Q2, the number of codes printed in the top 100 magazines grew from 1365 to 2200, a 61% increase.
• 10.1% of magazine ad pages contained a code in Q2, up from 5% of ad pages in Q2 2011.
• The number of brands that have adopted mobile action codes jumped to 598 in Q2, up from 451 in Q1 – a 33% increase.
• For the first time every magazine in the study contained at least one code.
• QR codes continue to be the clear action code market leader, maintaining more than an 80% market share since December 2011.

“Mobile activation has really taken hold in magazine advertising. Nearly 600 brands and every one of the top magazines have embraced print-to-mobile as a core marketing strategy,” said Roger Matus, Executive Vice President of Nellymoser and co-author of the Nellymoser study. “Action codes bring print pages to life and engage readers in ways that can’t be duplicated with a static ad. Based on what we’re seeing in our research, we anticipate more than 1000 codes per month will run in the top 100 magazines starting in September 2012.”

Beauty, Home, Health and Automotive Top Industries For Code Use
Nearly half of all action codes in Q2 (49%) came from companies in four industries: beauty, home, health and automotive. There was a significant jump in the use of codes by the automotive industry, from 81 codes in Q1 2012 to 195 codes in Q2.

QR Codes Lead Market But Watermarks Gain Ground
QR codes continued to dominate the mobile activation market in Q2 with more than an 80% share. Microsoft Tag had a 14% market share. All other types of codes combined had less than a 10% market share. Digimarc watermarks now lead the “Other” category, having risen from just five codes in all of 2011 to 96 codes in the first half of 2012.

Video Dominates Action Code Use
Video was the most common action code use with 40% of codes leading to some type of video experience such as a product demo, behind the scenes look or entertaining clip. This represents a slight increase over Q1 when 35% led to a video. Sweepstakes (for list building and opt ins) and social media sharing via Facebook, Twitter and email, were also popular with about 20% of action code experiences leading to these types of engagements. These numbers have stayed steady from Q1.

A copy of the 2012 Q1 action code study is available at no charge at: http://www.nellymoser.com/qr-in-advertising.

Action Codes In Top 100 U.S. Magazines By Quarter

More than 10% of all advertisements contained a QR code or other action code in Q2 2012.

Q2 Breakdown of Mobile Action Codes By industry

Top Uses for Action Codes In Q2 2012

Latina Media Ventures, the definitive fashion, beauty and lifestyle brand for Latin women, launched LATINA EXTRA, a mobile companion app that makes the magazine reading experience more engaging for consumers. The mobile app, built by mobile marketing and technology services company, Nellymoser, is launching with the September issue of LATINA and will be a mainstay of the magazine experience going forward. The app is available immediately for iPhone and Android devices.

The LATINA EXTRA mobile companion app contains a built-in universal scanner that can scan special LATINA-branded icons encoded with Digimarc digital watermarks, as well as QR codes, Microsoft Tags and UPC codes in the magazine. When a branded icon is scanned, LATINA EXTRA delivers access to exclusive content, promotions and special events. Special companion app reader features include the Hot Stuff entertainment guide, continued coverage of the 2012 LATINA Beauty Award Winners, and access to a special voting service, VotoLatino, that makes it easy for consumers to register to vote and stay abreast of upcoming elections.

For the LATINA EXTRA mobile app launch, Olay is sponsoring the Behind the Cover video with Rosario Dawson. Herbal Essences, a second major sponsor, is offering 30 days of mobile tips and a sweepstakes for a weekend for two in Las Vegas.

To generate additional reader excitement around the mobile app launch, the September issue features the “LATINA Something EXTRA Sweepstakes”. Readers who scan five or more of the LATINA-branded icons can use their phone to enter to win a two night NYC stay complete with round trip airfare, a consultation with LATINA’s beauty and fashion editors and a $1,000 shopping spree.

To activate the mobile content, readers download the free LATINA EXTRA mobile companion app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and scan the special LATINA-branded icons found throughout the issue to launch videos, enter sweepstakes, share content and the LATINA app on social media, browse photo flipbooks, shop, read articles and more.

“LATINA EXTRA really enhances our brand and provides more value for our readers. It offers a unique blend of content – entertainment, beauty, in-depth articles, exclusive deals, and more – to deliver a rich consumer experience on a mobile phone,” said Lauren Michaels, President of Latina Media Ventures. “We’re excited to give our readers more of what they love about the Latina brand, right at their fingertips.”

“LATINA EXTRA exemplifies how mobile-activated print brings magazine to life with interactive content such as sweepstakes, videos, and print-to-social capabilities,” said John Puterbaugh, Founder and CEO of Nellymoser. “Magazines are increasingly using mobile companion apps to create deeper connections with their readers and provide a platform for integrating their brand across print and digital.”

About the Nellymoser Companion App
LATINA EXTRA is modeled on the Nellymoser Companion App, a feature-rich mobile app that makes print magazines more engaging for readers. The Nellymoser Companion App incorporates a scanner that interacts with every type of action code to launch mobile experiences such as watching a product video, entering a sweepstakes, or redeeming a coupon. Additionally, the app includes a rich media player for superb audio and video, and an HTML5 browser. Advanced features such as the ability to create customizable icons let publishers extend their brand across App Stores, mobile devices and print. Social media integration lets readers share content with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Latina Extra mobile landing page

Readers download the Latina Extra companion app and scan Latina-branded icons to access exclusive content.

Seventeen, the best-selling teen beauty and fashion magazine, has launched Seventeen Shopping Insider, a mobile shopping companion app for iPhone, iPad and iTouch that unlocks scores of exclusive deals, freebies and style ideas for readers. Built by mobile marketing and technology services company, Nellymoser, Inc., the new magazine companion app debuts with Seventeen’s September Back-to-School issue and gives teens access to the biggest magazine mobile-activated shopping experience ever. Seventeen Shopping Insider is free and available now on the App Store.

The September issue of Seventeen features more than 250 mobile-activated photos and Seventeen-branded icons. Readers may use Seventeen Shopping Insider’s built-in scanner on nearly every fashion or beauty image within the issue’s editorial pages, then save the images to the app’s shopping list. Select editorial items and advertisements feature a Seventeen-branded shopping bag icon, which unlocks discounts, freebies and sweepstakes such as $10 off a purchase of $50 or more at Aéropostale, 20% off full-priced items at G by Guess, 20% off full-priced items at 2b bebe, 20% off full-priced items at Bakers, free trial-size samples of Biore complexion clearing products, a free gift with the purchase of NYC Big Bold Mascara and more. Mobile flipbooks and videos feature the latest trends and product info, and readers can share items they covet on Facebook and Twitter.

“Seventeen’s Shopping Insider gives our readers more of the exclusive discounts, sweepstakes and style tips they love through the device that never leaves their hands,” said Howard Grier, Associate Publisher, Marketing of Seventeen. “We’re connecting with our readers like never before and driving commerce for our partners: girls can create a shopping list of pieces directly from our pages and take it right into the stores.”

“Nellymoser’s mobile companion app enhance Seventeen’s brand connection with readers,” said John Puterbaugh, Founder and CEO of Nellymoser. “With the magazine in one hand and the companion app in the other, the reader can engage further with the publication. In addition, Seventeen will learn more about exactly what in the magazine interests their readers most. It’s a powerful tool for editorial and advertising alike.”

About the Nellymoser Companion App
Seventeen Shopping Insider is modeled on the Nellymoser Companion App, a feature-rich app that maximizes reader engagement for print magazines. The Nellymoser Companion App incorporates a scanner that interacts with every type of action code to launch mobile experiences such as: watching a product video, entering a sweepstakes or redeeming a coupon. Additionally, the app includes a rich media player for superb audio and video, and an HTML5 browser. Advanced features such as the ability to create customizable icons let publishers extend their brand across App Stores, mobile devices and print. Social media integration lets readers share content with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

About Nellymoser
Nellymoser, Inc., (http://www.nellymoser.com), a mobile marketing and technology services company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Arlington, MA, creates interactive consumer experiences on mobile phones. The company is expert in producing mobile-activated print campaigns, apps and mobile-optimized web sites that engage consumers, foster brand loyalty and drive revenue for clients. Nellymoser’s customers include leading publishers, advertisers, retailers, and consumer packaged goods companies.

About Seventeen
Seventeen (www.seventeen.com) is the best-selling monthly teen magazine, reaching more than 13 million readers every month. In each issue, Seventeen reports on the latest in fashion, beauty, health and entertainment, as well as information and advice on the complex real-life issues that young women face every day. Readers can interact with the brand on the digital front, with the Seventeen Ultimate Fashion Flipbook iphone app as well as with the monthly edition of the magazine on the iPad. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Seventeen publishes 13 editions around the world. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, one of the nation’s largest diversified communications companies. With its acquisition of Lagardère SCA’s 100 titles in 14 countries outside of France, Hearst Magazines now publishes more than 300 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines is a leading publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. in terms of total circulation and reaches 82 million adults (Spring 2012 MRI). Follow Seventeen on Twitter, on Tumblr and on Facebook.

All companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

September 2012 issue of Seventeen features more than 250 scannable images that launch with Seventeen’s new mobile shopping app: Seventeen Shopping Insider.

Seventeen Shopping Insider Mobile App

Instructions make it easy for readers to download Seventeen Shopping Insider and access exclusive deals.

Custom watermarks across advertising and editorial pages activate mobile content.

A new mobile companion app for financial services built by mobile marketing and technology services company, Nellymoser, Inc., for Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group (SBFG), makes it easy to check the FSA (Flexible Spending Account) reimbursement eligibility of items simply by scanning a product barcode (also called a UPC code) with their iPhone or Android device. SBFG customers can also use their smartphone to view their reimbursement and retirement account balances, from anywhere and at any time. The Sentinel Benefits mobile app is available immediately.

To get started, mobile users download the free Sentinel Benefits mobile companion app from iTunes or Google Play. The app lets participants:

• Scan a product barcode to check if an item is FSA eligible
• View the FSA eligible expense list
• Check balances of reimbursement accounts (FSA, HRA, HSA)
• Check balances of retirement accounts (401k)
• Contact a Sentinel representative by phone or email

The list of eligible products may surprise people. Under current IRS rules, items including bandages, contact lens solutions, home diagnostic equipment and more are eligible for reimbursement. Participants can easily scan items to find out if they are FSA eligible as they shop, allowing them to make informed decisions about purchases and, ultimately, save more.

“Our mobile employee benefits app is about making it easy and convenient for our customers,” said John Carnevale, President & CEO, Sentinel Benefits & Financial Group. “Participants can check the FSA eligibility of products and also check their account balances before they get to the check-out counter. We’re proud to be among the first to launch a mobile technology solution that combines both retirement and health care accounts to our members’ smart phone devices.”

“The Sentinel mobile companion app delivers valuable benefits information, at the moment participants need it,” said John Puterbaugh, CEO of Nellymoser. “It’s an indispensable companion for participants who want to get the most out of their FSA benefits.”

Nellymoser created the Sentinel mobile companion app, including developing the mobile interface and programming the business logic. In addition to mobile companion app development, Nellymoser produces the mobile user experience for its customers’ mobile activated campaigns.

The company’s turnkey mobile solutions include a combination of creative services, campaign programming, site hosting and detailed analytics. Mobile activated campaigns are launched when a user with a mobile device scans a 2D action code, such as a QR code, Microsoft Tag or digital watermark, and may include a variety of user experiences such as product videos, enter-to-win contests, sharing of content via social network, and mobile commerce.

A first-of-its-kind mobile action code campaign built by Nellymoser and implemented by the League of Women Voters of Florida, has won the top award at the League of Women Voters (LWV) national convention held earlier this month in Washington, D.C. The LWV of Florida’s “Be Ready to Vote” mobile initiative won in the category of “High Impact Online and Mobile Voter Engagement.”

The “Be Ready to Vote” mobile campaign allows any voter to access the Florida Division of Elections website to pull up their individual voter record and verify that their personal information is accurate and up-to-date.

“In Florida, our voting laws have recently changed,” said Charley Williams, LWVF Voter Services Chair. “Many voters are simply not aware of these changes and how they could impact their vote on Election Day. Our “Be Ready” campaign makes it easy for any voter, anywhere in Florida, to check their voter status and vote with confidence. It’s democracy made easy.”

“We are excited to work with the League on this groundbreaking mobile campaign,” said John Puterbaugh, CEO of Nellymoser. “Voters can easily find out if their registration information is current and complete by scanning a “Be Ready to Vote” action code with their smartphone. We anticipate that Florida’s novel use of mobile action codes will be a model that other states will emulate during the upcoming election season.”

Nellymoser produced the mobile user experience for the “Be Ready to Vote” campaign including developing the creative and business logic, as well as hosting the mobile site. When mobile phone users scan a “Be Ready to Vote” Microsoft Tag, they are prompted to enter their name and date of birth to check their voter status and are provided with three menu options for contacting their local Supervisor of Elections office: either by phone, email or website. Once connected, users can update their voter information or have their questions answered by a representative.

"Be Ready To Vote" Mobile Campaign Poster