2D Next… A beginning
Do you remember the first time you saw one of those funny looking barcodes? Even a year ago you rarely saw mention of them. I know my early files include an article by the Wall Street Journal and this was stated in 2009. "Anyone passing by who wants to know more about a project will be able to scan the QR code with a smartphone and learn about the property owner, the approved scope of work and any complaints or violations related to that project," Mr. Bloomberg said. It was an in-depth look at this new and upcoming technology and of course we had to be told that it was already “big” in Japan. I decided that there was something to this and I should start keeping track of it.
I began searching for the elusive “barcode” in January of 2011. Now just a few months later I have a stack of a couple hundred examples of the QR codes or Microsoft TAGS in use. In July of 2011 it's tough to pick up a magazine and not find a 2-D barcode. You can find advertising campaigns like RadioShack and nationwide businesses such as Best Buy and Home Depot currently using 2D barcodes, and even RedPlum.com coupon sheets have the now familiar QR code barcode asking you to just to scan their barcode. 2-D barcodes are everywhere and you can even get them on a T-shirt or jewelry. We have to admit the 2-D barcodes time has come.
That's why I have started this blog and it's accompanying website. I want to connect everything that's a 2-D barcode, QR code or Microsoft TAG and any other new comers. 2DNext will be a place to find information on the latest usage, and celebrate the once lowly “barcode”. So if you're into 2-D barcodes, come aboard and join us!
Best regards,
HV
Early adopters of 2D Barcodes…
MovingCool - www.facebook.com/movingcool.com
With any kind of new technology especially that which falls into the computer realm, you would expect early adopters to be technology companies. For example, with 2D barcodes it's not surprising at all to see Microsoft not only uses 2D barcodes but to be one of the early providers of that technology with Microsoft TAG. Beyond such obvious examples the next prime candidates would be those with very deep pockets and large advertising budgets. We've seen companies in the consumer field such as mass merchandisers and snack food companies, be early to jump on the bandwagon. Example would be Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowes, Frito-Lays and Pepsi-Cola just to name a few.
Recently, I came across an ad in Plant Engineering, for MovingCool. Not only had they embraced 2D barcodes with an ad using QR code, but they used the barcode to link to their Facebook page. It is clearly an example of a company that gets it and is leaving no stone unturned to reach new customers. At first blush, I had intended to give MovingCool high marks for being an early adopter of the 2D barcodes. After a second look, a name caught my eye. MovingCool is a brand of the Denso Corporation. Anyone who recognizes that name gets two points extra credit for knowing their 2D barcode history. Back in 1994, Denso, a subsidiary of Toyota Corporation started using 2D barcodes to track automotive parts, so it should be no surprise at all that MovingCool would use 2D barcodes for their advertising.
We see so many early adopters making use of 2D barcodes just because it’s something new. MovingCool must be complemented on the particular way that they have used this interactive link. Potential customers that use the 2D barcode scan are taken to a Facebook page which shows a number of examples of how the company's products are used. The company’s cooling products are shown in a wide range of situations from cooling our bovine friends, to fighting the summer heat and finally to keeping our favorite golf commentators cool while covering this week's tournament. In addition to finding product photos, the most important option allows customers to check out a map to find their local dealer. It's exactly this kind of immediate sales link that will make the 2D barcode a valuable addition to any marketing campaign. Any reader would be smart to follow the MovingCool’s example when it comes to using 2D barcodes.
Best regards,
HV
The Emergency Room & the 2D barcode
Besides going to the dentist for a filling, there is nothing worse than being sick and making a visit to the Emergency Room. You feel awful and now you face a couple of hours in the waiting room. Now a smartphone and a 2D Barcode are coming to your aid. A new start-up company, InQuickER allows a user to scan a QR code with their smartphone to hit a landing page for the local hospital emergency room appointment list. For a fifteen dollar fee you can pick your appointment time down to a fifteen minute window. You show up just in time for your appointment and you are guaranteed to see a healthcare professional or your fee is waived. Just when more resturants are refusing to take reservations, being able to forgo a long wait to see a doctor when you are feeling under the weather is a great deal,even at an extra fifteen dollars!
As many companies struggle to find the best use of 2D barcodes or a reason for another cellphone app this idea is a real winner. This is business 101 find a “pain point” for the customer and use technology to make it better. InQuickER found a fix for something everyone hates. Then they utilized 2D barcodes, smartphones and computer automation to solve the problem without adding expensive human resources. Even better in this day and age, they resisted the urge to offer a new concept for free. If you want to be successful in selling services to business, show them how to find a new revenue stream.
Besides hoping this new concept comes to your local hospital, why not find a similar “pain point” in your industry! Get your team familiar with 2D barcode technology and find a way to make your customers “feel better” about your product! HV.
2D Barcodes Hiding in the Garden
We've come to expect 2-D barcodes to be synonymous with high-tech. You see them in Best Buy as you’re searching for that new laptop and they are all over techie magazines. But who would've thought to look for 2-D barcodes in the garden. Well, just check out your local Home Depot's garden center. There among the daisies and daffodils you will also find 2-D barcodes. Home Depot uses this new technology to help us with the very low tech pastime of gardening. Don't know the difference between your impatiens and the snap peas?
Well check out these two flower tags posted above and you will see how technology has come to your rescue! The one on the top takes you to the Home Depot website where you find all the information you could possibly use for that DIY green thumb. The one on the bottom from a competing company quickly runs out of available space to provide useful information. 2-D barcodes are a natural addition to any do-it-yourself product. They offer as much or as little information as the customer needs, and all without trying to find that less than helpful store employee.
Best regards,
HV
Beware the 2D barcode, “they're here”…
RESTON, VA, August 12, 2011 - comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released results of a study on mobile QR code scanning based on data from its comScore MobiLens service. A QR (“Quick Response”) code is a specific matrix bar code (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by smartphones. The study found that in June 2011, 14 million mobile users in the U.S., representing 6.2 percent of the total mobile audience, scanned a QR code on their mobile device. The study found that a mobile user that scanned a QR code during the month was more likely to be male (60.5 percent of code scanning audience), skew toward ages 18-34 (53.4 percent) and have a household income of $100k or above (36.1 percent). The study also analyzed the source and location of QR code scanning, finding that users are most likely to scan codes found in newspapers/magazines and on product packaging and do so while at home or in a store.
“QR codes demonstrate just one of the ways in which mobile marketing can effectively be integrated into existing media and marketing campaigns to help reach desired consumer segments,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile.
I have read a couple of articles that have scoffed at 2D Barcodes hitting 6.2% of the US population quoted in this study. We are reminded that the USA is home to 350 million citizens. To these folks I would suggest that they go back and look at the early acceptance studies on the Internet usage. This phase of 2D barcode usage looks like the early Internet usage and will be followed by the "hockey stick" chart effect - a line that looks like it will go right off the chart. You can call me a cheerleader for the 2D barcode industry and I have no problem with that label, but what I would call your attention to is the fact that 2D barcode usage in Japan is 50% of adult cellphone users.
So ignore 2D barcodes at your own risk. Call them a fade or even ugly as one person put it, but don’t underestimate this trend. That light you see in the tunnel is an oncoming freight train. You have been warned!!!!
Best regards,
HV
Welcome to the 2DNext Blog
Best regards,
Howard