words: Rob Mead, This article first appeared in Exchange Magazine
QR codes:
a smarter way to communicate
Quick Response codes are the next big thing in business marketing. Here’s why…
L
ast Christmas, you may have caught one of Waitrose’s TV, billboard or print ads and noticed a curious-looking black and white square. It wasn’t a strange alien symbol, but a two-dimensional barcode called a Quick Response (QR) code that helps businesses connect with customers in a new way.
In Waitrose’s case, scanning the code with a smartphone’s camera and using a QR code reader to decipher it, let users download recipes and ideas. QR codes are convenient for consumers because they’re accessible and give instant results. They’re also easier to spot than a URL or phone number, so the response rate tends to be higher. This is good news for marketers who want to gauge the effectiveness of a campaign or see how their budget is spent.
companies use them, while musicians are using them to plug music downloads. What makes them so attractive for businesses is their versatility. They can be used on anything from business cards (where you can download a person’s details as a .vcf contact book file) through to point-of-sale packaging.
QR codes have major advantages over barcodes. They pack a lot of information into a small space, are cheap to use with no license fee and there are websites where you can create them for free.
Even hardware isn’t a
scan me: read this QR code and see where it takes you
Scanner Pro.
With the technology ready to go, it’s now down to small firms to find compelling ways of encouraging customers to use it.
While QR codes are slowly emerging in the UK, they’ve been used in Japan since 1994, when they were created by Toyota subsidiary Denseo Wave to track goods and vehicles. 22% of US Fortune 500
what’s caught your eye? If there’s a new technology you’d like us to investigate, email us
at:
exchange.magazine@
orange.co.uk
problem: Android and Symbian phones come with the technology to capture the codes built in, while iPhone and BlackBerry users can download apps like NeoReader and QR Code
5 quick 1
responders
John Lewis/Waitrose QR codes were used in TV, print and billboard ads before Christmas, and next to items in store.
2 Tesco
Following the success of the Call Of Duty: Black Ops QR code campaign, they’re popping up again on its Top 40 Nintendo DS games chart for pre-orders of the console.
3 Oxfam
The charity printed codes on items in its Manchester store which told the story behind an item’s donation.
Clear Channel This company uses QR codes to create buzz around events or objects. They put up a poster of a code to promote the DVD 28 Weeks Later.
4
Wilkinson Sword QR codes took people to a website. They could see the razor in action and enter a prize draw.
5
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