Bar codes were dreamed-up in 1948 as a means to track grocery items and until recently, were the domain of commercial enterprise. That’s changing with Quick Response codes. Instead of thousand-dollar commercial-grade bar code scanners, QR codes use mobile phones. QR codes empower consumers to discover the world around them in an easy, fun and personalized way while giving advertisers a new medium to engage target audiences.
QR codes enable consumers to find out more about a product or service by scanning a pixelated, black and white image with their mobile phone camera. The code is connected to a unique URL or web address, whether it’s a screen saver, video clip, news, information, game, promotion, coupon, etc. Unlike a UPC label, QR codes can embed several hundred times more information. App developers for Google, Microsoft and Apple platforms are tapping into this emerging market with new smart phone apps: Barcode Scanner, Microsoft Tag and NeoReader, respectively.
US advertisers are only now understanding the value in QR codes, where Japanese marketers and businesses have been using QR codes for some time. Why jump onto the bandwagon in the US? “The proliferation of internet equipped phones such as iPhones, Android and newer Nokia handsets gives advertisers a tremendous opportunity to reach a sizable and engaged audience,” said Scanbuy CEO Jonathan Bulkeley. Indeed, QR codes enable consumers to connect to product and service information directly, efficiently and immediately — eliminating the time gap between when audiences see a product and when they search for more information about it. QR codes link users to e-commerce sites and reviews while expanding product offerings:
Link to e-Commerce – Polo Ralph Lauren is among an emerging class of brands pioneering QR codes in advertising. The fashion company integrated QR codes into its billboards, banners and other print mediums as a new way to connect audiences to e-commerce sites and bridge the gap between offline and online interaction. QR codes directed audiences to videos, style web pages, online stores and other brand-related information.
Expand Offering – Beyond traditional media (i.e. videos, product descriptions, e-commerce sites, etc), QR codes can connect customers to additional offerings. British popgroup Pet Shop Boys used a QR code as a link to download the single, “Integral.” QR codes in its video, “Integral” to expand their message of “big brother” by linking to online content about civil liberties. As QR codes essentially translate an image to a unique URL, they can be used to link to additional product offerings.
Access to Reviews – San Francisco is known for its progressive attitude towards politics and lifestyle, but they are also progressive when it comes to tech as well. As one of the largest uses of QR in the US, over five hundred restaurants and businesses featured a QR code that linked tourists to Citysearch for reviews and other web-based content. The city-wide campaign demonstrated how QR code technology could be used on a large scale.
As smartphone adoption and user tech savviness increases, expect QR code technology growth to parallel Japan. “You’ll be able to walk past fruit at the supermarket, scan an apple, and see when it was picked and where it came from,” says Bulkeley. Or, QR code technology can be incorporate into social networking. Semacode is collaborating with Facebook to allow users to send people they meet a link to their online profile by having them scan a Semacoded “social card.” Moreover, Google developed a QR code generator, called ZXing, and its employees are using it on their business cards. QR codes have the potential to be the next major trend in the way we connect with products, brands and people.
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hi,
in this blog there are a lot more information about “mobile tagging” and the usage of qr-codes in germany.
http://www.tagmotion.de
if you search zkm or sparkasse you will find some nice excamples.
enjoy.
stefan
Hi Ethan,
Thank you for your response but I’m not sure your “qualified” statement hits the mark.
The APP Developers that have created Barcode Scanner work for Google.
The APP Developers that have created Microsoft Tag work for Microsoft.
The APP developers that have created Neoreader do NOT work for or with Apple.
Your statement still makes it look as though 1. Developers of Barcode Scanner and MS Tag are 3rd party developers or 2. Neoreader was created internally by Apple.
Either scenario is incorrect.
Just trying to help add clarity on this emerging space.
Thanks,
DM
Scan buy uses EZ codes not QR Codes. QR is open source and a better way to develop a campaign.
The Pet Shop Boys used QR Codes throughout their video “Integral” to enhance the message behind the music and add content to the video. IF you watch the video you will see what I am talking about. They did not execute a campaign using QR Codes to download the video, however, as indicated in your article
Best,
Philip Warbasse
Hi Philip,
Thank you for your note. Scanbuy now reads EZ, QR and Datamatrix codes, as noted in this Scanbuy press release. To your point about about the Pet Shop Boys video, I’d encourage you to take pictures of the QR codes — which link “viewers directly to on-line content about issues of civil liberties” (Engadget). My error on the download. Thank you for the clarification.
Best,
Ethan
Hi Ethan,
Thank you for the post. Just to clarify, this line is misleading – “…Google, Microsoft and Apple are tapping into this emerging market with new smart phone apps: Barcode Scanner, Microsoft Tag and NeoReader, respectively.”
Neoreader is not an APP developed by Apple nor is Neoreader a favoured Reader of Apple. Neoreader is also NOT preinstalled on iPhones.
If it is can someone please post a link showing this.
Thank You,
DM
Hi DM — I’ve qualified the statement with “app developers.” Thank you for the clarification.
If you want to make your own business cards with a QR code check out this great site: http://www.b2vcard.com
it lets you upload your own art or you can use one of the templates. best of all it creates your QR code from your profile so if something changes you can update your profile for free and your QR code on your old cards scan your new info!