FaceTime Follow-Up Week: QR Codes

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

This week I will be going back and checking in on some of the topics I have recently written about.  First up, QR Codes.  My last QR code post focused on their practical uses, potential to improve print and outdoor advertising, and whether or not it will catch on in the United States.  Well, they may have found their ticket.

There is a rumor spreading that Facebook is experimenting with using QR codes on its site.  One blog predicts Facebook will use the codes for profile information and status updates, citing convenience for those who use Facebook on their mobile phones.  I think the effects will cover a much broader range than just Facebook users, but that broader range won’t be reached without Facebook’s help.

The future of "Friend Requests"??

Facebook’s numbers are staggering.  There are over 400 million active Facebook users, with over half logging on daily, and the average time spent on the site 55 minutes/day.  While the online stats are great, the mobile numbers should easily drive Facebook into QR code usage.

Facebook Mobile Statistics

• There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.
• People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are twice more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.
• There are more than 200 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products

The practical use for QR codes have been written about for years, and I believe Facebook could provide the distribution required for QR Codes to take off in the United States.  With Facebook on board, it would be impossible for marketers to ignore QR codes any longer.  The potential to drive consumers to their Facebook sites, where they can interact directly with the company and its content, would skyrocket and become a necessary component of promotions.  Also, if the demand for QR code reader technology increases with Facebook’s adoption of the codes, it will likely become a standardized option on mobile devices.

Do you think Facebook could successfully launch QR codes into the United States?  Other than distribution, what else would QR codes need to be used in the United States?

QR Codes – Putting a Digital Twist on Print & Outdoor

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

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?