QR codes in Mainstream Media in Nashville, TN
The Tennessean ran an article called “Bar code fever: Smart phones turn squares into sales tools” in the February 20,2011, Sunday paper. Writer Anita Wadhwani discussed the concept, how it worked and showed a few local examples. The spot got a lot of buzz here in Nashville. This is a good thing for those attempting to use the codes in daily business. Click on the image to take you to the article itself.
So for those of us who may want to use these codes, here’s the behind the scenes. First, the photo of a tag being scanned at Best Buy is an example of QR codes in use. Once scanned they take you to the company website and you can see the product there as well as the online price. In a lot of cases it’s cheaper and they will match that price. O
k, I guess that’s cool, but I already had the product info in front of me; and why would the price be different? Best Buy, you need to add value to the scan, or why would I take the time to scan it? Take me to a comparison review, or maybe a video of the product… tell me more. As far as the price is concerned, Best Buy tells me that the online business is different then the store business. I tested this and found some prices to be less at their online store then in-store. But instead of scanning the QR code and stopping at Best Buy, I’ll use Shop Savvy and scan the product bar code and see the price across multiple stores. Now we are talking value. Another problem I had at Best Buy was not all QR codes worked. Some were dead links. But all of the bar codes do scan. Remember folks, people will only do this for awhile before they give up on it. And Best Buy, if the only value you bring to your QR codes is for us to find pricing differences between in-store and online, then you have bigger problems at the corporate level.
Rating – B
Pro
- QR Codes on every product
- Price comparison between Best Buy in-store and online
Con
- Scanned codes take me to same information, no value there
- Shop Savvy is a better tool for price comparison
My next example is another big mistake companies make when using QR codes. It’s the old bait and switch. Take a look at the photo below. It came from an ad placed in the Franklin Review Appeal. 
Guess where the code is going to take you? I thought it was going to take me to the articles mentioned next to it. And yes, one of those articles is the article mentioned above about QR codes. So I curiously scanned the code. Hoping for a great mobile enabled link to that article. What I got was something very different. It took me to an advertisement for a marketing service offered by Yahoo. It took me awhile to get it. This ad was designed to entice businesses to advertise. Very confusing for the end user. Funny really, talk about it on Sunday, fail at it on Wednesday.
How to make this more successful? First, put two codes in the ad; one to take readers to the article and to show potential advertisers what an ad would look like on a mobile platform, the other to take businesses to a mobile site to learn more about advertising in this new medium. Make sure the code is large enough; this one was a bit small and quite dense. Also, clearly tell people where this code will take them. It’s really not that difficult to think these thing through before you print them. But it’s very difficult to change perception once people feel like they are being misguided.
One more thing, make sure to include your social links in every mobile landing page. Don’t trap people on a page. Let them see the rest of your offering.
Rating – D
Pro
- Use of a QR code
Con
- Misleading code
- Code size too small
- Density too high
- No social links offered when scanned
- Poor use of the code
I didn’t want to comment on the photo of the real estate agent holding a blank sign with a code on it. I’ll let you comment on that. Tell me what you think and how you would approach this.
About the Author:
Jeff San George, owner of Pineapple PC, believes it’s more about you than the technology. An expert at QR codes, San George helps clients use this measurable and cost effective tool to extend marketing shelf life, as well as shorten the path from required action to results. Although not new worldwide, QR codes are quickly becoming a very valuable tool, especially for traditional print based marketers. San George believes QR codes offer unlimited potential for your clients, now and in the future.
Based in Franklin, TN, Pineapple PC is a technology, web, and social media solutions company that always considers the customer first. Pineapple PC listens to the needs of the client and helps that client select the right tools for the job. Using our vast knowledge, considerable experience, and constant research, Jeff San George offers clients well formed strategic solutions that are ready for today’s market.
Knowing it's more about You
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