Marketing used to be much simpler in past decades. The choices for advertising and promotion were much more limited. Today, however, the choices are vast and constantly changing in regard to how to effectively market your wares or services. One of the most popular and well-received technologies for use in marketing is the creative integration of Quick Response Codes, more commonly known as QR Codes, which are starting to dominate the marketing arena.
Why is that?
Today’s world relies heavily on hand held devices that offer you the opportunity to talk on the telephone, access your Email, and quickly surf the Internet – all from your smartphone, iPad, or other personal, portable Internet capable device that is with you throughout most of your day. What better way to place an ad than in this creative, emerging marketplace that offers information in many different forms?
How is a QR Code Used?
Basically a QR Code condenses everything into a barcode type graphic that can hold up to 7000 characters in a compact space that somewhat resembles a typical bar code scanned at a supermarket or other retail store. This means you can convey vast amounts of information in a little space. Consequently, QR Codes are popping up everywhere – from magazines, to promotional items and even business cards. All you have to do is have a QR Reader app on your smartphone scan it and you can read the information contained in the QR Code.
Often times the Quick Response Code may contain a special coupon, take a person to an interesting video or website. Many of the codes featured on business cards simply contain all of the contact information displayed on the card – it gets scanned and it’s automatically saved in a person’s address book on their smartphone.
Typical Uses for QR Codes
Used in Asia for some years, Quick Response Codes are now being used more in Europe, Australia, and the USA. A QR Code can quickly access the website of the advertiser instead of needing to type in a web address. It therefore makes it fast and easy for people to read, watch, or hear what you have to say about your products, make announcements, or provide nutritional information about food in a restaurant or a store.
Quick Response Codes are also being used for electronic tickets for concerts and to register for an event or provide airline tickets. QR Codes provide an excellent way to provide more information about your company on your business card. In a small space you can list your products or services and list other subsidiaries or information that is important to a potential customer.
QR Codes are the marketing frontier of the future. As technology continues to advance and smartphones and other hand held devices refine their QR Reader apps, the features and benefits of QR codes will become the “Wild West of marketing.”
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QR Codes are a great way for brick-and-mortar stores to bridge the gap between their “real world” settings and their online ecommerce solutions. A quick smart-phone click is all it takes. Nice.
Good article, QR codes are a good example that marketing is changing. In order to effectively market your brand, you have to interact and engage customers, especially through mobile smart phones. Another great mobile marketing platform is StarStar Numbers from Zoove campaigns. By simply calling **ESPN (**3776), for example, you hear ESPN’s message and are sent to a link to download a fantasy baseball app. It’s interactive, simple and fun: http://www.zoove.com/demos/espn.html. After calling a StarStar Number and hearing a custom audio message, you are sent a link that can send you to sweepstakes, videos coupons, mobile sites- whatever the brand wishes. Thanks again for the article!
QR Codes Are a Smart Marketing Choice, and the fashion trends in future
We develop various websites. And this latest concept of QR code is really helpful. A smart marketing technique. Thanks for sharing Gayle.
- Matt
Great informative share.
But its all about time, probably it will take some time to make roots in the industry.
Hey Gayle, thanks for sharing this information~
You know, I’ve been doing a research on QR codes and I found it really interesting~
Of various QR Code generators online, I found this one pretty easy and cool~ Free online source at
http://generator.onbarcode.com/online-qr-code-barcode-generator.aspx
And it also has this .NET barcode generator, with free demo download, with which you can generate 20+ barcodes (including QR codes) using C#, ASP.NET, VB.NET, and even for crystal reports~
ThanThe only thing holding back the qr code boom in the U.S. is the limited amount of mobile smart phone users which is growing like crazy. 2012 looks like the breakout year for the qr code. Thanks for sharing these qr code ideas and helping educate people on how to create qr codes. Please take a second and visit http://www.rapidqrcodes.com to see qr code creators designed to generate qr code with a specific function. Please keep helping spread the word about the usefulness of qr code technology.