Bitly

💬 (Omni)Talkin' QR Codes 💬 Ayub Mohammed on the massive moment and future of the ubiquitous black & white square. The latest Omni Talk Retail Technology Spotlight Series podcast episode chats with Mohammed and Carrie Wilkie from GS1 US on the "The Past, Present & Future Of Barcoding" with hosts Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga. "We recognize that QR Codes offer multiple touchpoints for consumer engagement. In an era of brand overload, QR Codes empower brands to unlock valuable consumer insights and foster stronger, personalized connections, driving brand loyalty in a crowded marketplace, " said our SVP. And the connected packaging numbers don't lie. In 2023, retail and CPG sectors used QR Codes 88% more frequently to gather information and connect with consumers, underscoring their immense value in today's digital landscape. "Whether you're a retail executive, tech enthusiast, or simply interested in the future of shopping, this episode is packed with a wonderful history lesson and valuable insights you won't want to miss." - Omni Talk Retail 🎧 Listen to the episode on your platform of choice: YouTube | https://lnkd.in/gVH58D5v Apple Podcasts | https://lnkd.in/ev5fRVRe Spotify | https://lnkd.in/egxTDeYX Amazon Music | https://lnkd.in/gbwJF5Nr

✨ What's New in Bitly ✨ Our latest Connections Platform updates Alexander Hancock brings you the latest and greatest updates and improvements from Bitly Dashboard and beyond. Last month, we: 📊 Expanded the custom reporting date ranges in Bitly Analytics (by subscription tier) Learn more --> https://bitly.is/whatsnew 💻 Refreshed Bitly.com, including comprehensive "Solution Pages" for various industries, departments, and use cases See what's new on Bitly.com ---> https://lnkd.in/gR_PXXcZ

Goo.gl, the popular link shortener from Google is going away. The company announced this week that it will stop serving its Google URL Shortener (goo.gl) by August 25th, 2025. Here’s what you need to know and how Bitly can help make the switch easy for you ----> https://lnkd.in/gzkuc6rF

🍊 Ahhh... (Brand) Refreshing! 🍊 The why and how we went about updating Bitly's look Words from Vicente Casellas, Creative Director When you've been around as long as we have, every once in a while, it's time for a change. Keep what's working (the Short Links, the QR Codes, the Landing Pages) and take a fresh look at what we could improve upon (accessibility, navigation, inclusivity). Ultimately, we're still the same Bitly, you know and love, but with some essential upgrades in some key areas. You can see all of these across Bitly.com and our social channels. Here are the key highlights of our refresh: 🗣️ 😜Voice & Personality: We've amplified Bitly's personality, highlighting traits like warm and friendly, energetic, fun, knowledgeable, reliable and trustworthy, inspiring, and welcoming. ♿️ 🚧 Accessibility Improvements: Our brand colors now have a stronger contrast ratio, and the Bitly orange color you’re probably used to seeing is more muted, allowing for a more inclusive digital environment. 🔠 🔡 Updated Font: Drumroll, please. We are now introducing our new font, Bitly Displaay, a modern typeface that complements our brand personality and enhances brand recognition. 🫱🏻🫲🏽 🧵 Inclusive & Active Imagery: Our hand-drawn illustrations reflect a diverse audience and show the human side of our brand. Additionally, our illustrations help tell the story of how the Bitly Connections Platform can unlock moments of connection using our new "thread." 💻 🖼️ Site Navigation and Solutions: The Bitly.com homepage got a colorful facelift, but more importantly, we've reorganized and revamped our product, solution, resource, and use case pages to highlight Bitly's benefits for a wide variety of audiences and industries. Vicente took a deeper dive into his and his team's creative process here ---> https://lnkd.in/gR_PXXcZ

Pride with a (diving) platform Words and lessons from Olympic champion Matthew Mitcham OAM OLY Last month, we celebrated Pride at Bitly and hosted Australian Gold Medalist and out-athlete Matthew Mitcham. Mitcham made headlines by coming out before the Beijing Olympic games. He topped the podium (with the single highest dive score in the Games' history) and became the first openly gay Olympic Champion. His 18-year career also includes the "golden trifecta," adding top performances at the World Cup (2010) and Commonwealth Games (2014) to his long list of competitive accolades. Matthew has used his platform as an ambassador, speaker, and entertainer to advocate for mental health and well-being issues and the LGBTQIA+ community. He told our Bitizens: "Allyship is internal, but there is no such thing as passive allyship. There needs to be explicit, open inclusive acts to make an impact. Small acts from saying "please bring your partner" rather than "girlfriend/boyfriend" or adding pronouns to your email/profile to show that you are a safe space for a gender-diverse person. These tiny acts of inclusion really matter...Pride is needed and necessary to combat the years of shame queer people hold. It is a celebration of identity and inclusion." We're so appreciative of Matthew's time and talk. We'd like to thank Luke Reynebeau for bringing him to Bitly and Marcus Parris for helping lead our LBGTQIA+ ERG.

DEI FTW Women We Admire names Jackie Cureton to top award "What a pleasant surprise and honor to receive this recognition and be in such great company. Thank you, 'Women We Admire,' for this. I'm extremely proud of our work and our Bitizens who are engaged and helping make this an inclusive and amazing place to work." More on our commitment to DEI ---> https://lnkd.in/gxxffYXr

WE'RE BACK Break's over. Coffee's on. Our Bitizens are back shortening your links, designing your QR Codes and crafting your Landing Pages. Well, the functionality of the Connections Platform never went anywhere (99.9% uptime!), but the people behind the products took a well-earned break for our bi-annual recharge week. We can't wait to dive into the second half of 2024, building the best Bitly possible for all our users!

🪫 Time to recharge 🔋 With summer in full swing, Bitly is taking some time off. From July 1 until July 5, we observe our “Mid-Year Recharge Week” for employees to enjoy working on... not working. At Bitly, we believe stepping back and taking a break is key to a physically and mentally healthy workforce. To stay fresh and come back refreshed, we will recharge as a company to return for an ambitious and productive rest of the year. During this recharge, our Customer Support and Engineering teams (and this Social Media Manager) will be available with limited staff, so please expect minor delays. Urgent requests will be prioritized during this time. We deeply appreciate those teams continuing to support our users and products.

Leadership additions + promotions Meet the new faces and those in new places "As we scale both our platform and global customer base, it's important that we invest in the right talent to drive our strategic initiatives," said CEO Toby Gabriner. "These leaders bring a wealth of experience that directly aligns with our mission and commitment to creating a collaborative performance-led culture, while also helping to shape our product vision and driving financial success for Bitly." Welcome to: Jerome Alabado, hired as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis Lauren Schuman, hired as Vice President of Product Growth Manu Jain, hired as Vice President of Data Congrats to: Kelsey Stevenson, promoted to Chief Product and Technology Officer Raphael Syed, promoted to Vice President of Engineering "We are confident that strengthening our leadership team with these new appointments and promotions will help evolve our Connections Platform to enhance customer experiences and provide exceptional products and services to our global customer base," Gabriner noted. "With a strong leadership team specializing in multiple facets, we are well-equipped to harness the power of data to make well-informed products, financial planning, and strategic decisions." Learn more ---> https://lnkd.in/gDRe4xC7

Beep. Beep. Beep! The barcode turns 50 while also turning a corner. The sound of barcodes passing across the grocery scanner is so familiar these days, but on this day 50 years ago, that "beep" you're now hearing in your head was beep-ed for the first time at 8:01 am at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio. The item that launched a revolution in sales and inventory tracking? A 10-pack of Wrigley's bubblegum. The technology is so ubiquitous today that we take it for granted. The simple barcode scan from the factory to the warehouse to retailers has revolutionized supply chain management and moved the global economy forward. But the beep is taking an incredible leap. Already, the stripes of the traditional barcode are being replaced by the maze-like squares of a type of QR Code called 2D barcodes. Why? Connected packaging. The checkout line used to be the end for the barcode, but now it’s just the beginning. As consumers, we want more from our purchasing experiences, including product information and sourcing, loyalty programs, special offers, and digital experiences that take us beyond the box. Companies leverage connected packaging through 2D barcodes because they carry more information than traditional barcodes. It’s a revolution in retail already underway. At the center of it all, you guessed it, Bitly. From GS1 US-standard 2D barcodes integrated with Short Links, SMS solutions, and Landing Pages, the Connections Platform is your connected packaging pal! So pay attention in the next few years. The "beep" will remain, but the code and what it unlocks for consumers and companies will never be the same. Learn more about our connected packaging solutions ---> https://bitly.is/2DReady --- #NationalBarcodeDay