QR Codes Have Become the Newest Wave of Mobile Technology

Taylor Wilson - August 12, 2010

With smart phones being the dawn of the new age for marketers, how can you best penetrate the market? The newest wave of mobile technology has become the creation and advertising of QR (Quick Response) Codes. A QR Code is a two-dimensional code, which is legible by QR scanners, smart phones and other mobiles devices with an advanced camera function.  

QR codes bond the physical world with the technological world by providing immediate access to online resources and information. Using QR codes will help add value to your current mobile or online promotions, by linking to your company’s mobile site or application. QR codes simply provide instant access to relevant content when consumers need it. This technology is universal, allowing for a broad audience. The encoded information can be text, a URL or other information accessible online. Although QR codes were initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now being used in a much broader environment.

As a result of the smart phone boom over the past year, the use of QR codes are on the rise.   Companies and brands such as Verizon Wireless, Calvin Klein Jeans, IKEA, Chevrolet, Iron Man 2 and Central Florida Regional Transportation are just a few using QR codes as a way to connect customers with information and content on the internet quickly via mobile devices.  

There are several free online QR code generators to customize your information. Verizon Wireless recently teamed up with a mobile scanning technology maker “ScanLife” to use QR codes to promote their variety of applications available for their Droid devices. Their QR Codes were placed throughout several mediums such as print ads, point of purchase displays, direct mail and websites. In just over three months, their campaign saw over 150,000 scans, making them the most successful ScanLife campaigns in North America.
Creation and distribution of a custom QR code is just one of many ways to tap into the ever growing mobile advertising industry. It’s clear that this technology provides a communication bridge between the real physical world and the online digital world.