Printers Now Offering Marketers QR (Quick Response) Codes to Generate Sales Leads

By Heidi Tolliver-Nigro

Beyond the Basics

As QR codes gain traction, look for a variety of related tags and codes to become more prominent on the scene.

Other 2D codes: QR codes are open source, but there are other 2D barcodes such as Microsoft Tag, BeeTAG and Datamatrix that offer similar, but proprietary, functionality. Because they don’t have to be everything to everyone, consistency and predictability are among the claims to fame for proprietary codes.

Augmented Reality (AR) tags: Just as QR codes are two- dimensional, AR tags are three-dimensional. These tags differ from QR or other 2D tags; they allow users to insert themselves into a virtual world by viewing and manipulating holographic objects, inserting themselves into games and virtual worlds, and more. Many describe AR as “immersive technology.” The Ace Group is working on blending AR tags and QR codes so that both can be readable on the same graphic using the appropriate reader.

Invisible watermarks: Available from Digimarc (its Discover technology), these digital watermarks serve a similar function as QR codes, but they are invisible. Hold the phone over the picture of the quarterback in a magazine article and view his season stats or see a video of the play. Or hold the camera over a picture of a great new outfit and find local stores that carry it.

Everywhere you turn these days, it seems that people are talking about QR (Quick Response) codes. These 2D barcodes connect people instantly to the Web using free QR readers on their cell phones. They are showing up on magazine advertisements, posters, billboards, CD cases, shelf talkers, packaging—just about everything. But, are they a fad? Or are they an important part of the marketing mix? If they're an important part of the mix, how do you sell them?

How to Monetize QR Codes

If you are going to monetize QR codes independently, outside of the value of the larger campaign, there are several places you can start:

1. Test—Test the functionality of the code. Use different phones and different QR code readers.

2. Track—Using URL shorteners like bit.ly or goo.gl, as well as proprietary software, you can track which hits come to your clients’ pages via QR code as opposed to another source.

3. Brand—Using Photoshop, you can brand your clients’ QR codes with their company logos.

4. Vary functionality—Although there are free options for varying QR code functionality (like embedding business card information, launching pre-populated e-mail and recording event dates in the phone’s calendar), these are lesser-known  features and offer an opportunity to add value.

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Heidi Tolliver-Nigro Author's page

Value-Add for Printers : Make Money with QR Codes