I often go through phases of obsession with a specific type of marketing, and QR Codes are the flavor of the week.  The technology has been around since 1994, courtesy of Japan’s Denso-Wave corporation, but has yet to take hold in the United States.  However, it’s a much different story in Japan.  Everybody from Mickey & Co. to LeBron James are getting in the act, and revolutionizing outdoor advertising in the process.

Japanese Disney ad using QR Codes

Nike ad in Japan with LeBron and QR Code

QR (“Quick Response”) Code is very simple to use.  You just simply take a picture of the code using your Smart Phone or mobile device, and it links to a website, email address, dial a phone number, or several other places.  People who snapped a picture of the QR Codes in the ads above were taken to Disney’s Japanese website, and Nike basketball’s Japanese site.  Instead of just passing the billboard, giving it a glance, and moving on, QR Codes allow the consumers to interact with the advertisement.  The interaction is two-fold, as one consumer will interact more directly with the actual billboard, then get driven to a website, or other destination, that the advertiser desires.

The same interaction can take place in print ads as well, including newspapers and magazines.  As newspapers around the country are closing due to lack of subscriptions and ad revenues, QR Codes could provide an appealing alternative to the traditional print ad.  A company advertising in the Wall Street Journal, such as Amtrak, could put a QR Code in their ad that links to their “Deals and Promotions” page on their website.  Driving readers from a print ad directly to a purchasing platform could not make it any easier for consumers to purchase Amtrak’s services.  The addition of the QR Code also impacts the pricing method newspapers have been using.  Newspapers could negotiate a flexible pricing plan for the ads that takes the QR Code link-throughs into account.  As more readers use the QR Code, the more the advertiser pays for the ad.  The need for new revenue streams is going through the roof for these publications, and I believe this could be a reasonable option for American newspapers.

QR Codes are all over Japanese advertisements, but whether or not they catch on in the United States depends solely on how creative marketers can get.  Business cards have already been created, but I believe their use could stretch far beyond trading contact information.  If you’re looking for new Facebook fans or Twitter followers, why not link to your site using a QR Code on your marketing collateral?  As Smart Phone penetration continues to increase, and mobile devices continue to grow as the best way to reach consumers, I believe QR Codes have the potential to be an outstanding marketing device.

Have you ever used a QR Code?  Do you believe they will catch on in the United States as it did in Japan?  What are some creative places QR Codes could be placed?