In a bid to stem the erosion of customers opting for mixed drinks or spritzers, brewers are introducing new flavoured beers.Molson Coors Canada
1. The beer industry has a jealous streak. The companies who make the frothy quaff are tired of customers whose eyes wander to mixed drinks and spritzers. The response? More flavoured beer. This week, Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd. announced Bud Light Lime drinkers will have a new, baffling flavour to try: Bud Light Lime Mojito, for those whose beer is not minty enough. Other brewers are making similar moves for summer: in April, Molson Coors Brewing Co. launched Coors Light Iced T in Canada.
2. It's not exactly Avatar. But that flyer stuffed in your mailbox is going 3D. On Thursday, Lowe's Canada announced its latest flyer includes a feature developed by Windsor, Ont.-based Red Piston. Customers with Apple or Android smartphones and tablets can use their camera to view LG appliances in the flyer from all sides, open and close their doors, and turn them on and off. The only issue is that it's far from seamless: as with quick-response (QR) codes, the augmented reality technology depends on customers to download a special app to make it work and view the content.
3. But all the technology in the world doesn't help flyers if customers don't look at them. To get the attention of younger consumers who often ignore flyers, Sympatico.ca has launched Flyers of the Week on its online portal. It makes retail flyers available on computers and mobile devices, and is searchable by category, item, or discount amount. It's another advertising push for retailers as they try to keep flyers relevant to younger consumers.
4. No pain, big gain. That's the goal of an iPhone application developed by Toronto ad agency Cundari for Sick Kids hospital. Doctors treating children with cancer were struggling with keeping better track of their patients' pain and knowing how well medications worked, since the youngsters were often too worn out from treatment to keep pain journals or answer surveys. Cundari created Pain Squad, a game that treats the kids as part of a special police force battling pain by answering questions about it. The app will be tested at other hospitals and Cundari is hoping it will launch across Canada.