insights.
Apr 11th
Regardless of how you feel about QR Codes® you have to admit when you get handed a business card similar to one of the 10 examples below, you think one or all of the things below:
If you’re almost out of business cards, or better yet you just got a new title and a promotion, consider printing a QR Code on your new cards. Business cards are not dead, according to American Express Small Business. They are still as necessary as a driver’s license.
Hip to Be Square
A scan of the back of Michael Silber business card takes you to his portfolio.
Source: Reblis.com
Squeaky Clean
The beauty of QR Codes is you don’t have to print everything about your business. Print the vital information and consider moving the ancillary digits like fax numbers and multiple Twitter handles to a mobile code…
Picture This
Max Infield is a man of few words but has a story to tell nevertheless. He incorporates his QR Code into the design itself.
Max Infeld’s design from Flickr
Black and Tan Theme
In the home and fashion design world, black and tan is as classic as a half pint of Guinness topped with a half pint of pale ale.
Source: Mailtrade card from CoolestBusinessCard
Wrap It Up
Want to give your card reverence and value? Consider printing a slide sleeve holder that showcases your QR Code.
SOURCE: Linchpin from CoolestBusinessCard.
Listen Up
Musicians, podcasters, or politicians with something to say can use QR Codes on their business cards to link to audio.
SOURCE: http://www.708media.com/qrcode/21-great-examples-of-qr-code-business-cards/
Card on a Cloth
Comando Patches innovatively placed its contact information solely in a QR Code it hands out on a business sized embroidery patch. Does your business lend itself to printing on a different medium other than paper? Wood, plastic, chip board, tile?
SOURCE: 708media.com
A special thanks to blogger Oz Mendoza of strangenchanted.com for bringing most of these cards to my attention.
What’s on your card? What does your card say about you? Tell us in the comments below.
QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Mar 26th
A QR Code® can either be the cherry or the sour grape on the top of your marketing sundae. When it comes to prospects interacting with your marketing materials, newsletter, or advertisement, they’re either going to swallow and smile or spit it out.
By including a QR Code, and a teaser foreshadowing where it will lead, you illicit engagement. Two companies engaged me this week by delivering the cherry on top by giving me something I didn’t expect or know. I like that.
A third company that ran an ad for migraine relief, used a QR Code that made me disengage rather than find relief for what ailed me.
AARP Gives Members the Banana Split of Information
AARP knows its audience. It knows seniors are still cutting corners in the challenging economy because of their income concerns. AARP addresses this key concern in its member magazine it published, “Can You Really Save $10,000 a Year?” The article summarizes eight steps excerpted from How to Retire the Cheapskate Way.
Obviously the article is a home-run content wise, and AARP takes it one step further by including an infographic that illustrates the eight steps in play. AARP takes it two steps further by including a QR Code with directions: SCAN THIS NOW. Below this call to action, AARP includes a TEASER: How Cheap Are You? See Jeff find some new uses for aluminum foil.
The QR Code takes readers to an entertaining and educational video about great re-uses of aluminum that seniors who like to squeeze every nickel out of products will love.
Infiniti Hands Prospect the Tiramisu Tutorial
In Infiniti’s advertisement for its backup collision intervention system, it includes a custom QR Code that leads to a YouTube video. I expected to see an accident being prevented by the technology, which I did. What I didn’t expect was to learn how advanced this technology is. The video demonstrates a lighting system on the sides of the interior of the car that would begin flashing on the side of the “threat.” It also demonstrates how the car automatically backs off the gas and applies the brakes.
I’m not trying to sell you an Infiniti, but to open your mind to how you can deliver more with your QR Codes and make that extra step the consumer is taking a worthwhile one. It does a great deal to enhance your organizational image with that consumer.
MyChronicMigraine’s QR Code is Vanilla in a Chocolate World
While MyChronicMigraine.com has an engaging visual on its advertisement (a woman asleep on a red couch on a beachfront), its QR Code leads the customer to a zip-code search page. There is no instruction above or below the QR Code and no “teaser” to make the reader want to scan.
If by chance they do engage and scan, it takes them to a screen to search for an office, which seems abrupt and non-helpful to someone seeking answers, research, solutions or justification they are among healers not spammers.
Because the ad talks about finding out if you have chronic migraines, it would seem a quiz or information packet link would be more appropriate in the sales funnel than trying to drive them into a franchisee’s office. Frankly, it seems pretty sales like and not helpful.
If you use a QR Code, be sure to take the extra step and do it right
If there is anything you gain from reading our QR Code reviews it is the hope that you understand that when using a QR Code in your marketing you make it a worthwhile experience for the consumer. Failing to do so, can mean more ill will than good vibrations.
QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave.
Apr 19th
Nonprofits don’t have the budget of Nike so they can’t spend $300 million pushing a campaign centered on a swoosh or statement like Just Do It.
So the nonprofits that are continuing to ask, “How can we squeeze out more results on the same budget,” are turning to technology, multi-channel campaigns, and QR Codes® for additional lift.
Organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network are piloting QR Codes® to see if they can achieve better life or market penetration without adding costs. Statistics from Netwit Thinktank say these nonprofits are wise to do so:
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Kansas City is the top matching agency in the country yet they face the same challenge faced by each state – finding enough men to mentor boys. Currently there are more than 600 boys on the Kansas City wait list for a big brother.
To recruit more big brothers it bought “Real Men Mentor” print ads and billboard space included a QR Code® that led to information and an online volunteer application.
To BBBS’s credit, the billboards did not include a QR symbol that someone driving couldn’t scan safely any way. In the first six weeks of the campaign, Big Brothers Big Sisters received 196 clickthroughs to its application page, according to Kristi Hutchison, BBBS Chief Marketing Officer.
Unfortunately because this is the first time they’ve used QR Codes®, whether the clickthroughs came from emails or QR scans is unknown. Hutchison says call-to-action sources will be closely tracked in the next campaign.
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN) used an event awareness night at a L.A. Kings game in California as an opportunity to beta test QR effectiveness. So the “Be a Hero” flyer the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network distributed that night included two new calls to action (1) a mobile opt-in via text messaging and (2) a QR Code®.
The PCAN was wise to include some basic scanning instructions on its flyer since only 5% of Americans are using QR Codes®.
The results were about 30 people out of a 1000 opted in via text message, which was a typical response rate. However, the QR Code was scanned more than 200 times – out pulling text messaging. The QR Code® led the curious attendees to a simple page that showed them how to learn more, how to get involved, and how to find a local event they could attend.
Want to see how other nonprofits are using this technology to increase their numbers. Check out How Nonprofits Can Use QR Codes.
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.