Make Your Print Interactive With QR Codes
QR Codes - Integrating Your Print and Online Media
QR codes are a great way to integrate your print and online media. They can be used to direct someone to a web page, they can also be used to create a contact in a phone's address book (scannable business card), and they can be used to create an event in a phone's calendar.
History of QR Codes
QR Codes were first developed in 1997 by a Toyota subsidiary to track automotive parts. QR is the acronym for Quick Response
referring to the quick decoding of the code. The use of QR Codes
quickly expanded to be used in printed media as an active element for
mobile phones - also called mobile tagging. They can now be
seen on various media including business cards, billboards, direct mail
pieces, in-store displays, print ads, trade-show collateral, and
coupons to name just a few.
Will Your Target Market Know What To Do?
While
QR Code have been used since 1997, they are still a "new" media
element. Your target market need to have smartphones, and they need to
recognize the QR Code as a scannable element. The best advice is to
include an explanation of the QR Code on your printed piece.
Including QR Codes in Your Printed Media
Wilson
Printing can help you integrate your media by creating QR codes for you
and including it in your printed media. Give your sales rep a call
today to discuss integrating your print and online media!
Example Uses of QR Codes
Open a web site URL.
There are many uses of this - such as directing the user to a page for
more information on a product, to purchase tickets for an event, or
register for an event. (This example opens the URL to the Lobero Ticket
Office.)
Create a new contact in an address book.
Depending on the smartphone and application used to scan the QR Code,
the QR Code will create a new contact in the phone's address book, and
can also trigger the phone to call the person or email the person. Many
new business card designs are using this type of QR Code so that the
recipient can easily enter the contact information into their phone by
simply scanning the business card. (This example creates a contact for
our sales reps Jim Petrini and Steve Jones. The contact information
includes their name, email address, phone number, and address of Wilson
Printing.)
QR Code for Jim Petrini's VCard
QR Code for Steve Jones' VCard
