Target's new In a Snap app lets shoppers convert mobile devices into tools for retail reconnaissance and collect intel on products listed in the retailer's ads.
Consumers can use the app to build shopping lists and execute shipping orders on merchandise discovered in Target's ad pages and catalogs, including its directory of back-to-college products.
Similar to Amazon's Firefly technology, Target's In a Snap app uses image recognition to enable shoppers to identify products without having to scan QR codes or manually search for details on merchandise.
Snap-capped products were to said be stored in a browsing history, just in case shoppers weren't immediately inclined to save an item to their shopping lists or pile them into their virtual carts. Snap-capped ads, such as those idyllic dorm rooms, list all of the product displayed in them.
Target said the In a Snap app was an example of its effort to offer tools for tech-savvy customers, deeming the new app as a part of its "Test and Learn" strategy. Target said it would closely consider user feedback to determine the direction to take the In a Snap app.
"In a Snap was conceived by Target's marketing team and built in concert with Target's Rapid Accelerated Development (RAD) technology team," stated Target "Depending on guest feedback and results from initial tests, Target will consider using In a Snap with more ad campaigns in the future. So our bet is you should be on the lookout for the app's snappy logo coming your way soon."
The app comes on the heels of Target's ad injection into TBS' "Cougar Town," in which the retailer used product placement to encourage online viewers to purchase the company's merchandise. Online viewers could pause the show's stream and then click on products they wished to add to their Target shopping carts and wish lists. The merchandise in the online show was called out by visual prompts.
"If you could just hover over an item with your mouse to buy it, that would be pretty cool," said C3 Metrics Co-Founder Jeff Greenfield. "But the plus signs are everywhere, and they grab your eye and it's going to be very irritating to people watching the show in replay."
In a Snap joins Target's app family that includes Target Race 2014, Cartwheel, Target Ticket, Target Meetings, Target for iPad and the Target base app. Target Cartwheel generates a QR code from shopping lists composed by users and applies a discount to them, offering savings at the point of sale and encouraging consumers to shop beyond the wall of the red bull's-eye.
