insights.
May 17th
Who says an old dog can’t learn new tricks. Zig Ziglar, 82-year old motivational maverick, salesperson, and author just published his 12th book, Find Your Success Code: Born to Win, which features a QR Code® that takes up one third of the front cover.
Ziglar is no doubt pulling out all the stops to hit another home run just as he did nearly four decades ago with See You at the Top, which sold 1.6 million copies and is currently in its 25th edition.
Like Madonna’s tactic of staying relevant by doing duets with Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, Nicki Minaj, or Cee Lo Green, Ziglar is staying relevant by using today’s technology to drive his point home – find your success code. According to Publishing Perspective, QR Codes might become commonplace with publishers.
Vibe Magazine Tries to Push the Needle with QR
Last year, Vibe magazine introduced its first digital magazine, available only via a QR Code on the cover. Though the hip hop magazine had been featuring QR Codes inside for three months, this was the first time it graced the cover. Unfortunately, somebody forgot to test the code, which was without the http:// necessary for most readers to open the link in a browser.
Learn the lesson… TEST, TEST, and then RE-TEST with lots of different phones and in lots of different ways.
Other Uses of QR Beyond the Cover
If you are authoring corporate coffee table books, CEO biographies, company history books or success stories like Steve Jobs, there are many other uses of the emerging technology to consider.
Here are a few starts on how you can leverage QR codes in your publications:
Obviously as a marketer, uses of QR Codes are endless. If you decide to use them in your materials, here are the five golden rules.
For nine more ideas on how to turn your book or magazine into a multi-media experience, visit Start a Wildfire. Now take a 15-minute brainstorming coffee break to re-think and re-invent your existing publications and approach, just like Ziglar did.
QR Code® is a registered trademark of DensoWave.
May 10th
Panera Bread Integrates QR Codes into In-Store Promotions
If you’ve waited in line at Panera Bread for a hot Panini lately, chances are you’ve seen the banners with QR Codes® that say, “ My job is to make your Panini perfect.” Scan the code with your QR reader enabled smart phone and you’ll be taken to a non-mobile enabled You Tube channel showcasing their Grilled to be Great videos.
Lesson learned? Cross media marketing is the rage and Panera Bread has its bread baking, sandwich making, and order taking down to a science, but its QR delivery is still a work in progress. Perhaps in the future we’ll see Panera include better call to actions other than “scan to learn more.” And then they’ll graduate to include customer rewards such as coupons on the landing page or even their secret recipe for their addictive green tea.
Saving Trees with Digital Coupons
Donatos Shares Digital Coupons on Pizza Boxes through QR Codes
Donatas, a pizzeria chain with 200 shops in five states, has fully embraced QR Codes and integrated them into its pizza boxes. Rather than printing coupons to continually tape to the box tops, its boxes feature a prominently displayed QR code* in the upper left hand corner that when scanned lead pizza lovers to digital coupons to use the next order.
Donatos is feeding the Midwest and driving customer relationships with QR codes to its pizza boxes.
Grocer Helps Fill Your Cart with QR Promo
Price Chopper, a Kansas City based grocery brand, found out through research that 75 percent of Americans don’t know what they’ll be making for dinner when 4 PM rolls around each and every day. To remedy the situation, the grocery chain created Meal Central – an area in each store where customers can pick up all the ingredients for a quick meal at a reasonable price and scan a QR Code to take home the recipe to prepare the meal.
Meal Central Allows Shoppers to Scan a Recipe to Make for Dinner
Price Chopper is advertising the weekly Meal Central meals in print and radio advertising through in-store banner with QR Codes, email marketing, on its website, and on Facebook.
The Price Chopper’s multi-channel campaign solves four real problems – (1) as a consumer, what can I serve for dinner on a budget without thinking (2) increases in-store sales (3) is measurable (4) creates a valuable archive for consumers to retrieve recipes on the grocer’s website and come to the store with a link the recipe to pick up ingredients.
In our fast moving world, QR codes make good sense to use in retail environments because people don’t want to wait or even to drive home to get the coupon off the refrigerator.
How can your business use QR codes to solve a problem your customers are hungry for a solution and to package it into a multi-channel campaign? Shoot us an email when you’ve built your QR campaign so we can write about your creativity and execution later this year?
QR Code® is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Apr 12th
The Da Vinci Code took the world by storm in 2003 grossing $758 million worldwide at the box office. Also seeking higher numbers, churches are turning to QR Codes® in an effort to increase donations and tithing.
Do you see the irony in the movie’s star character Robert Langdon being a symbologist and the possible saving grace for churches today being a QR Code®? Perhaps history does repeat itself.
Recession Causes Churches to Adopt High Tech Donation Practices
According to the Religion News Service, the recession has caused church contributions to drop by $1.2 billion even though membership remains relatively the same.
Unity Temple on the Plaza is run by an old-school board that is willing to try new-school things when it comes to raising income for the church. The board at Unity knew that statistically donations tend to increase about 15% with churches that offer online donations to its congregations or parishioners (through QR links or direct web access).
Unity’s bulletin announcement below simply directed people after the service to its Tech Table to learn how they could make donations quickly and easily by swiping the QR Code® in the bulletin or posted in the temple.
If passing the plate is coming in light on funds, perhaps QR code® swipes will stimulate more generous giving because it’s quicker, easier, and perhaps an electronic way to amp up generosity. And let’s face it more and more people live a credit or debit card life.
More Ways to Incorporate QR Codes into Your House of Worship (or business)
1. Save space. Put a QR Code® next to each bulletin item to save space by directing members to links for more information.
2. Provide a digital bulletin. Put the bulletin info on the website and place QR Codes® on signage leading into the service area. Allow parishioners to access information in the way they desire.
3. Attract attendees. If your church building has different rooms for different ministries such as AA meetings, put QR Codes® on the signs outside the door that links to info about that ministry, meeting, or specific event schedule.
4. Attract new members. Use QR or other 2d mobile barcodes on coffee mugs to give first-time visitors or on t-shirts for the youth group wear with text that says “Got God?”
5. Reinforce the message. Savvy ministers and pastors are linking members and guests to the sermon notes through QR Codes® that lead to a podcast, video, or blog post.
Has your church or temple used integrated marketing, including QR Codes® in its communications or marketing materials? How about in its alternative methods to tithe? Perhaps you can volunteer to assist them in this new terrain. It can be part of your pro bono contribution to help close the gap on diminishing returns in this recession.
Mar 29th
Quick response codes (QR Codes®) are making their ways onto new mediums and usages every day that increase interest, engagement, and sales.
Take concert ticket sales for instance. A concert merchandiser could run an ad in an entertainment guide, send postcards to patrons who have signed up to follow the band, and in addition they could be creative by posting “bills” on telephone poles like the one shown on the right for Jessica Lea Mayfield.
Using a QR Codes® to take music fans to an audio or video clip is brilliant engagement of the potential customer. Concert bookers can instantly increase pre-concert ticket sales through such a means of promotion. Any avid music lover walking by could scan the code and decide immediately if he or she would attend the event and place it on their smart phone calendar then and there on the spot.
I enjoyed viewing the You Tube video of Jessica Lea Mayfield singing that this QR Code® led me too. Seeing concert flyers is common when walking in any city but actually being able to familiarize yourself with the singer or band is not.
Tell Me More Before I Take a Pour
QR Codes® on the side of wine bottles are becoming both hip and useful. Vineyards can’t possibly get all the information they want to share on the label. So using a QR Codes® to take wine lovers to reviews, wine ratings, varietal information, or even a tour of the vineyard makes good sense.
Sacre Bleu utilized QR Codes® as an additional means of social media marketing. They added QR codes to their bottle labels that when scanned, direct the consumer to a mobile-friendly site filled with promotions, information about the brand, special offers and even tips for matching the wine to food.
Sacre Bleu did not have the budget to run ads in Wine Spectator or Food and Wine magazine. So after studying up on the influence of wine labels and marketing avenues, it learned that its highest buying consumers were millennials who said they didn’t read those magazines anyways. They used social media.
Sacre Bleu uses QR Codes® to direct millennials to its Facebook page for various offers.
“I Do” Plan to Attend Your Wedding Ceremony
Brides and grooms are leveraging QR codes® to keep their wedding invitations clean and show they are socially “hip.” With QR codes®, there’s no need to clutter the invitation with maps and additional details, which can instead be posted at a personalized URL (PURL) for attendees to find and save.
Graphic designers love it because it allows them the flexibility to create a white-space rich invite without trying to cram all the information into an undersized envelope. Brides like it because they can achieve the look and feel they want while giving details about wedding registry locations, wedding service location, and so much more on a landing page instead of the scrapbook worthy wedding invite.
Couples who register their wedding receptions on Foursquare and create Twitter hashtags for the event are using QR codes® for a range of tasks. These include sending guests to an R.S.V.P website and even automatically adding the ceremony to guests’ electronic calendars. Besides having the “cool” factor, it makes a bride’s life easier by not having to spend hours manually counting reply cards.
Weddings, wine bottles, and concert bills make good sense for QR applications. However, before you go too crazy with QR codes®, watch this slide show showing the 10 biggest what-not-to-dos when integrating quick response codes.
QR Codes® are a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Mar 22nd
Like our phones, watches have become smart. They do more than tell the time.
Some run without batteries. Some never lose even a fraction of a second of time. Other watches include compasses and measure barometric pressure.
Curious as to how three high-end watches wooed customers to the counter through QR codes®, I scanned the quick response codes on Citizen’s, Casio’s, and Bulova’s print ads
CITIZEN
Much to my delight, the QR code® for the Citizen Eco-Drive watch led me to an interest video showing how it uses natural and artificial light to keep on ticking without the need of a battery or the hassle of replacing a battery. The video nicely reinforced the print ads message that Citizen Eco-Drive watches are unstoppable.
I also liked that Citizen put a five-word descriptor beneath the QR code® foreshadowing exactly what you would see or learn if you scanned the code: Discover the Eco-Drive Technology.
CASIO
The Pro Trek Casio watch is the iPhone of watches. I’m not a hiker and I’m not knocking through a list of 10,000 footers. However if I were, I’d buy the solar-powered, atomic timekeeping Casio with an altimeter, barometer, and compass for $480. They sucked me in with their bells and whistles, making me a raving advocate through their well crafted ad and its QR code that led me down their tech path as easily as their watch would have led me up a mountain.
Casio’s QR code® led me to three photo hotlinks about the Pro Tek. The first link took me to the white sheet, which told me price and how to make my purchase. The second link took me to a journal about an 8-day cycling trip thanks to the aid of the Casio. Finally the third link took me to the Facebook page, which didn’t force me to “like” it to get in and read the raving testimonials. Thank you for the access and information.
BULOVA
The Bulova Precisionist makes some bold claims, according to watch collectors and enthusiasts – calling itself the most accurate watch with a continuously sweeping second hand. And because the Bulova brand has built a reputation as being prestigious and collectible, the marketers may have been a little arrogant and assumptive. The QR code® on Bulova’s ad, which clearly stated it was taking me to the Facebook page, led me there but wouldn’t let me see a thing unless I hit “like.” I didn’t like that and did not oblige.
I found it odd that the $500 watch, which looks like something you’d wear to a high-stakes poker game in a roped off area of Vegas or Donald Trump’s boardroom, featured a diver. The watch was not waterproof, but Bulova was trying to drive home its marketing message of “breaking through” with the diver. Bulova’s poor choice of imagery did not reinforce the functionality of its watch.
The winner of this week’s QR critic is Casio with the runner up being Citizen and the bronze to Bulova.
QR Code® is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Mar 8th
From cars to kids, my QR Code® scanning scavenger hunt this week leaves me more hopeful than last week’s swiping adventure. For the most part, I was taken to a landing page that nurtured me and piqued my interest in a future purchase –- well three out of four times at least.
Here’s where four advertiser QR Codes® took me this week.
PEDIATRICS – 5 Stars
The University of Kansas Hospital had me with the kids in sunglasses. While most hospital advertising features doctors and nurses in white or kids with casts and sad faces, this pediatric ad used child’s play to reel me in.
The ad had a cleanly placed QR Code® with plenty of white area around it to make the scan work the first time. The code took me to an equally well-designed generic URL (GURL) that matched the ad and provided a list of all the specialty services the Hospital provides to kids and links to even more information on those specialties. Nicely done and worthy of the tiara in the ad.
BIG DEAL – 4 Stars
Big Deal Kansas City is a knock off of GroupOn or Living Social, offering a deal a day at a substantial discount if enough people opt in to purchase the coupon. While the layout of the ad was underwhelming, with no rhyme or reason why they placed the QR Code® where it is, it did take me to a clear call to action to buy two for one concert tickets for an upcoming performance.
I wondered why Big Deal Kansas City was sticking to a two-color ad in a four-color magazine, perhaps they were going for a retro look but again it was underwhelming. I give them high marks for technical execution and driving readers to a clear offer. I suspect their ROI was fairly strong.
B/E BOUTIQUE – 1 Star
Looks and layout matter, as was the case of B/E Boutique, a high-end gown company for special event attire. B/E Boutiques/ QR Code® looked “well styled” in the ad, not too gaudy and large like other ads I see. However, where the code led me was as disappointing as being stood up for prom.
Upon scanning the code, I expected to be enticed with more Bob Mackey worthy dresses, only to be taken to a subscriber box asking for my email with no further explanation or enticement. Not happening B/E Boutique. Throw me some cubic zirconias or reasons why because I rarely sign up when I’m on my laptop let alone on the fly swiping for more info. Give me something before you ask for my precious email address.
MINI COOPER – 2 Stars
Mini Cooper’s German division ran a spot-on ad that matched its brand and image and led its prospects to pricing, location, and selection. Simple, but brilliant just like the car. You’ll note the QR Code® in the ad appears to have enough white space around it to make the scan technically executable.
Technically it should work, but not in the real world. Mini Cooper’s American division gets three swats on the tailgate for being clever but clueless. Mini Cooper’s agency obviously did not test the ad before running it because upon scanning your smart phone gets confused both because the ad does not having enough white edge around the QR Code® and the wave in the magazine makes it not scan flat and go into an endless cycle of not being able to complete the scan.
The ad was supposed to take prospects to an iTunes download that enabled them to place a Mini Cooper anywhere they wanted: visualize
This month think of your QR Code® placements as a prospect scavenger hunt. Make it fun, make it match the original piece, and make what they find worth the search. it in their driveway, on top of a mountain, in a restaurant chair beside them. However, many readers may have given up before successfully getting to the download link and installing the app that the QR Code® was supposed to take them to. In short, a lot of money spent on a full-page magazine ad to leave the prospects with an incomplete experience.
Are you managing your cross-channel marketing efforts through testing and analytics? Hope so.
QR Code® is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Mar 1st
Are you using QR Codes® in your direct mail and promotional materials because you think you should or to thoughtfully engage your prospect on a deeper level? Are you using these two-dimensional codes to engage your prospects on a three-dimensional level or are you just incorporating QR Codes® because it is the thing to do? The results I saw this week reminded me that not every marketer has a defined strategy for response.
This week I scanned four QR Codes® from promotions I saw on the street, in a newspaper, magazine, and on a postcard. Two of the codes led me to a URL that positively influenced my opinion of the company or produce, one led me to a web page that didn’t support my decision making, and the last led me to a disabled URL. Let’s take a closer look.
Burlap Events — 5 Stars
In response to wedding budgets lower than Kim Kardasian’s, a video company called Burlap Events recently ran a well-crafted advertisement in a female dominant magazine with a QR Code® strategically placed beneath its phone number. With a quick scan, my smart phone redirected me to a mobile-compatible screen with a personality-rich video. The experience made me want to give the company a try in future and refer it to my friends who might have a special event that’s worthy of a video.
Cates Auctioneers — 5 Stars
Looking for repeat business, Cates stays in touch with real estate agents and investors. Cates sent a postcard that was well designed, just enough photos and text, and a QR Code® strategically placed next to its social media mentions. I scanned the code and conveniently was led to virtual tour of the home making me even more confident of the value and location of the property. Cates gets five stars for creating urgency and using both channels extremely well.
Jane Iredale Makeup — 2 Stars
Flipping through a woman’s magazine I’m surprised to find only one ad in 140 pages with a QR Code®. The advertisement is for a makeup line that is highly buzzed about for its natural ingredients, natural look, and is only carried in high-end salons. I scan the QR Code® in hopes to learn more and fall upon the company’s home page, which is not optimized for my small smart phone screen. Nothing references the ad and there’s no offer, just a couple of You Tube videos demonstrating how to apply the makeup.
I would have expected more for the price point of this makeup. Even hosting a video showing before and after shots of a woman wearing the makeup would have been more persuasive. Nothing deterred me from the product but nothing moved me further down the sales pipeline either.
Subdivision Notice– No Stars
Walking my subdivision, I decided for the first time to swipe the entrance sign. Perhaps I’d learn information about my property value, when the next community get together was, or something else of importance. The QR Code® took me to a URL that no longer existed. No confidence boost there. Perhaps I should notify my homes association or the developer.
It’s interesting to see how different companies in different industries are using QR Codes®. Check back for another QR code® review – good, bad, or ugly. In the meantime, remember these four important points before you publish a QR Code® in your marketing materials.
QR Codes® are another tool to allow us to think through the experience and give our customers one more reason to work with us or buy our product. Otherwise, what’s the point?
QR Codes® are a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Sep 8th
We’ve been talking a lot about QR Codes. It’s because they seem to be the latest and greatest marketing trend. However, few are slow to try it, even when intrigued. So, let’s dive in and explore exactly how they work, especially the personalized capabilities, because the ROI could end up being huge.
Missed some of our previous blog posts? Get caught up:
QR Codes (Quick Response codes) are barcodes used in advertising and marketing to allow smartphone users to get more information on products and services, just by taking a picture. QR Codes usually take the user to a web page that has more information and functions.
The Codes add a new dimension of interaction and are considered to be the least expensive new technology being used today. Why? Because they are the link between print and online communications. It’s how you can take a once generic message and make it incredibly personalized.
The barcodes can be designed with variable or personal data to drive the user to personalized landing pages, shopping cart functions, automated social networking and more.
Personalized QR Codes offer a highly interactive and personal way to interact with your target audience because they give the recipient the power to decide if they want to engage.
Use personalized QR Codes to help you reach mobile customers through:
Using a variable QR Code is just the beginning. Personalizing your site or landing page is next if you want to drive real direct marketing results. Let’s review some options you can use in your next campaign:
Personalized QR Code for "Kristina Smith." Scan the code with your mobile device to view the personalized, mobile-friendly landing page.
By applying segmentation, profiling and other targeting tools to your campaign, you can tailor the initial experience and the online event to improve engagement and the connection between you and the recipient. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about?
Editor’s Note: Not everyone has a smartphone or access to a QR Code scanner, and some just prefer to visit websites from a computer. Be sure to include the address of the PURL as well and build it to automatically detect each visitor’s device and route them to the mobile or non-mobile version of their personalized site.
Jun 20th
Check out what to do and not to do when creating personalized QR Codes.
Direct mail – such as postcards, letters, brochures and trans-promo communications – is a perfect medium for incorporating a personalized QR Code. So perfect, in fact, that the United States Postal Service is getting in on the action by offering a discount for using a QR Code this summer. We’ve covered a lot of ground in the past few months with QR Codes, so if you are looking for information, here are resources you will find helpful:
Ready to dive in? Here is another resource that will help you with personalized QR Codes: our check list of things “to do” and “not to do.”
Do
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Don’t
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Personalized QR Code for "Kristina Smith." Scan the code with your mobile device to view the personalized, mobile-friendly landing page.
Mail Print recently launched a personalized QR Code campaign to gain feedback from recipients of their magazine Connect. At right is a sample personalized QR Code, leading to a personalized mobile web page for a fictional Kristina Smith.
Of course, not everyone has a smartphone or access to a QR Code scanner, or prefers to visit websites on their mobile device. That’s why it’s important to also include the address of the PURL in your marketing, and build your PURL to automatically detect each visitor’s device (small screen or computer) and route them to the mobile or non-mobile version of their personalized site.
You can see the non-mobile version of the PURL on your computer by going to: http://www.mobilepurl.com/KristinaSmith.
Personalized QR Codes and Personalized URL’s really go hand in hand to provide your audience with the easiest way for them to access your online content.
Jun 8th
Personalized QR Codes entice engagement.
Personalized QR Codes offer a highly interactive and personal way to interact with your target audience. Strategically, a personalized QR Code is a slightly different experience from pushing a text message to a group of recipients. The QR Code gives the recipient the power to decide if they want to engage with your company using their mobile device. Your initial marketing message has to be spot on, and have a clear, valid, and appealing call to action.
Side note: if you need background information on Personalized QR Codes, review “Catapult Your Direct Marketing with Personalized QR Codes.”
Just as important as the method of getting a prospect or customer to a personalized site is the content and call to action on the PURL. Here are some ways you can use personalized QR Code campaigns to drive real marketing results:
When you apply segmentation, profiling and other targeting tools, you can tailor both the initial experience and the online event to improve intrigue, engagement, and the connection you foster between your company and the recipient. And that’s really what it is all about… making the recipient feel as if they are “the one” you are connecting with… not that they are “one of many” you randomly sent an advertising message.