QR Code Global media kit 2012

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The future is now.

Smartphones made up 54% of all mobile phone sales in the US. According to last year’s predictions, Smartphones capturing 50% of overall mobile sales was supposed to happen by the end of 2011. This is HUGE! Smartphones are penetrating the market fast and deep. Might we soon see the day when feature phones no longer exist?

So what is your take-away? Can organizations of any kind ignore the growth of Smartphones any longer? They are quickly becoming a ‘can’t live without’ commodity in consumers’ everyday lives Businesses must stay at the forefront of this growth – to remain relevant to customers. What is your organization doing to capture and engage consumers with mobile?

What’s next?

With technology, you never know what may come through the door next. Bar codes changed the way the shopping industry worked, and now QR codes are taking bar codes Leaps further to change the way the marketing industry works.

What are QR codes and how can you use them? The first thing to realize is that QR codes can be as much

about utility as they are about marketing. The more your QR code enhances or streamlines the lives of customers, the more engagement you can expect. As such, the most important step in making your QR campaign a success is to think clearly about the purpose of your code. 

Is the purpose to provide an instructional video, a photo catalog of products, contact information or product suggestions?

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Or are you looking to incentivize mobile purchasing behavior through coupons and loyalty rewards?

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What is the advertiser hoping to garner – an email address, social media engagement, a phone call?

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Are you seeking to provide information about a single product or about the entire brand line?

The clearer you are about the purpose of your campaign, the easier it will be to discern whether your goals have been achieved

Why Real World Hyperlinking Is on the Rise!

If there is one thing that can be counted on in our technological future, it’s that information will continue to become more widespread, available

What is your organization doing to capture and engage consumers with mobile?

and relevant. The Internet will expand from a network of computers to a network of everything, with interactivity pre-programmed into nearly every object we use.

There’s no doubt that QR code traction in the U.S. is on the rise. Evidence has been shown in a number of recent market reports, including a study by Mobio Technologies Inc., which reported a 9,840% increase in QR code use for the second quarter of 2011 (compared to the same time last year).

Even a recent annual report from Gartner, a

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market research firm, puts QR codes on the

Shawn Hocking

“slope of enlightenment” when it comes to mainstream adoption of the technology. Further adding to the evidence, comScore reported that in June of this year, more than 14 million Americans scanned a QR code, representing more than 6% of the U.S. mobile population.

Creating a Code with us Several different types of codes are available in the market, though they all behave in similar ways. QR codes are becoming the industry and can be seamlessly integrated in to your exisiting product designs or new applications.

For potential customers free code-reader applications can be downloaded to any smart phone. About 82 percent of phones on the market today have camera abilities, and the number will grow closer to 100 percent in the near future, Ochman says.

Once you have a tag, put it on just about anything: packaging, ads, posters, billboards, business cards, signage, stickers, and your website. Bonterra Vineyards includes tags on its wine bottles; Ed Jordan, CEO of JAGTAG, says he sees them in New York Cityon bus shelters, phone kiosks, drug store signage, cocktail napkins and sporting venues.

The more places they appear, the people are getting used to the easy transition between the physical and digital worlds.

"Even if you battle and get shelf space, you really need to differentiate yourself," saysJerry Whiting, president and CEO of Azalea Software, which makes the QRdvark reader for iPhone and Android.

"As long as you're printing packaging, why not put a QR on it?"

The key is to be ready on the other end of the code with some content that actually intrigues the user, and makes them get out their phone and scan.

What Content to Offer A QR code can link to just about anything.

But whatever content you send back to user must be something worthwhile. "You need to interact with people in a way that's going to be interesting and fun," Ochman says.

McGuire says consumers don't want to be bombarded with more brand information or plain advertising. Customers who scan the Microsoft Tag on a Bonterra bottle may be greeted with a recipe, a pairing suggestion, a coupon, or a holiday video message.

"It's just up to the brand to be as creative as the want to be with the tag," she says.

"Then, actually give consumers information that would enrich every day life."

Jordan says some companies he's worked with send slideshows or sweepstakes entries back to users, while clothing companies will send fashion tips.

"Anything really that can be presented in a digital or image format can be returned back to the consumer," he says.

The codes can be formatted specifically for contact information so that someone's phone number and e-mail address are

immediately added to your contacts. In Japan, foods commonly link to nutritional information or cooking tips. Sports Illustrated used a JAGTAG in its swimsuit issue to link to outtakes from the photo shoot—which became a big hit with readers.

"Making it as relevant as possible is extremely important," says Spyro Kourtis, CEO and president of The Hacker Group, a marketing firm based in Seattle that has been pushing QR codes for its clients (and has one on its own building). "Just going to a generic home page is wrong."

Marketing professionals say a common flaw occurs when companies don't keep mobile devices in mind when designing campaigns. The content has to be able to fit on a phone screen; any video should be short and to the point.

"You've got 20 seconds playing a video to convince them you're the hippest thing since sliced bread," Whiting says.

Change it Up Over Time Another reason people are falling in love with 2-D tags: some such as Microsoft Tags let companies change the content without altering the tag. A consumer who scans a tag in a magazine might have a different experience from a person who picks up that magazine three months later. The advertising campaign then turns into a living, evolving experience.

"A lot of people think they can just put the bar code on wherever they want and leave it there," Jordan says. "Lots of campaigns fail because there's a call to action, and the call to action is poor."

Bonterra, for instance, alters its outgoing content to match changing wine varietals or seasonal pairings. "The options are unlimited with the tags," McGuire says.

"We can change what's on the back end of the tag any time."

Create Awareness QR codes have only hit the American mainstream in the past year or two, so people are still learning how to interact with them. Some experts recommend including a small icon or text instruction in your ad campaign to let people know how to use with the tag.

Other companies are easing into it by starting with codes that link directly to a 1-800 customer service number or a mailing list. If your company is in the tech field, or targets younger markets, that's probably unnecessary, though. "Most people who are technologically savvy recognize the code and know what to do," Kourtis says.

Collect and Use the Metrics Successful campaigns entice consumers to voluntarily engage with your brand. But using the tags provides another benefit: an easy and seamless way to collect information on potential customers. Tag

systems will track when and where your code was accessed, what type of phone was used, and can track repeat visitors.

"You need to collect analytics to justify to boss why you didn't waste their money," Whiting says. "You know whether it worked or not."

Ochman says the tag systems allow companies to easily collect phone numbers and e-mail addresses from people, then ask whether you can continue to contact them with information or offers, and help build them into loyal clients.

"If that is the case, you have the opportunity to build your list," she says.

QRCodeGlobal.com Shawn Hocking

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