Marketing certainly can be a fickle discipline, can’t it? One minute we are knee-deep in all things TransPromo, the next we are being told that not having a social media marketing program in place is so 2009. What now, you might ask? Well I can tell you. QR Codes.  If you haven’t been introduced to them yet, don’t worry—you will be soon.

It seems like, almost overnight, Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) are taking center stage as the new marketing darling. QR Codes are two-dimensional barcodes that offer an innovative way to connect print with an interactive response—a practice being referred to as interactive print. QR Codes actually allow everyday items to become a hyperlink to just about anything (print-to-mobile-to-web messaging). Mobile users can take a picture of the code and trigger an immediate action that leads to content download, a message, or a Web site.

The quick response barcode was originally created in Japan to assist in keeping an accurate inventory of auto parts. However, because these barcodes allow for more data than the standard 10-digit barcode (up to 7,000 digits in fact), and, because scanning the code is so much easier than keying in a URL, QR Codes were soon used extensively in mobile marketing campaigns overseas.

Anyone with a smart phone can scan or read these barcodes, just as anyone with a computer can create them (it’s easy, check it out on the Web - a few references below to get you started). QR Codes provide a valuable link between traditional print and the Web, engaging the potential customer further by making it possible for them to immediately act on the interest generated by the printed material. The exciting thing is that when you get into them, there are so many ways that QR Codes can be used to increase the success of your print and marketing initiatives.

Used in a printed catalog, for example, a QR Code could be placed next to each product.  Someone reading the catalog could scan the code next to an item of interest with their cell phone and be directed to a Web page where they could obtain more information about the item, receive a special offer or discount coupon, or order the product.

Of course, any printed material can contain a QR Code, so the possible uses are virtually limitless.

• QR Codes are now being found on product labels, billboards, and even buildings, inviting people to pull out their mobile phones and uncover the encoded information.
• QR Codes can provide tracking information for products, routing data on a mailing label, or promotional information on a bill or statement (sorry, TransPromo, but as I mentioned earlier, marketing can be extremely fickle).
• Because they are small in size, the code pattern can be part of a visually pleasing image making them perfect for use in newspapers, magazines, or even on clothing to drive people to websites, promotional landing pages, and other vehicles of information.

There are some downsides to using QR Codes. First, not everyone is aware of them, so if they see the black and white matrix they may not know to take a picture of it with their cell phone. However, that will change over time as awareness grows. Additionally, not every cell phone includes a QR reader, so the software has to be downloaded and tested to ensure it works properly.

I would suggest exploring the use of these codes by going on the Web and using a QR Code generator to get familiar with how easy it is to generate and use them. Then research which document software providers on the market today are adding modules to accommodate the demand for these barcodes.

It’s a good time to get familiar with what QR Codes can do for your business or your client’s before they start asking for them. And I would suggest doing it now, because I guarantee you there will be something else on the horizon soon. Marketing in today’s world never stands still for long.

Patricia Kilgore is president of Sterling Kilgore, a PR and Marketing Strategy firm that helps companies large and small become famous. She can be reached at pkilgore@sterlingkilgore.com.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code  

http://www.qrstuff.com/