2D Bar Code Strategy

To help consumers cross-over from the physical world to the digital world, more and more companies are starting to incorporate 2D barcodes into their print advertising and promotional campaigns. One such company is Best Buy, the consumer electronics retail giant.

Recently, Best Buy prominently featured a QR barcode on the front page of its weekly circular and, by doing so, created what some are now calling a "mobile call-to-action."


By adding a mobile call-to-action such as this, which prompts people to view a trailer for the new Super Mario Galaxy 2 game, Best Buy is able to extend and enhance the customer experience much more so than a static weekly circular, or any other print advertisement for that matter.

Developed by the Plymouth, MN- based mobile marketing agency Launch Media, the QR barcode featured in the circular has an invisible watermark, which enables the code to be scanned and read by most any smartphone. Should a consumer not have a 2D barcode reader on their phone, there is another call-to-action in the circular instructing consumers to text a keyword to a short code to download a QR code reader application. Once the application is downloaded, users can launch the reader and hold their smartphone over the special code to watch the game trailer.

As mentioned in a previous post, if a company plans to use a 2D barcode in an advertisement, and feature it as a call-to-action, then it may wish to take Best Buy's lead and make certain that 1) the barcode is fully explained to consumers (i.e., how to scan the code and what will happen when the code is scanned), and 2) consumers are given the ability to download a code reader application just in case they don't already have one. Thinking in these terms, perhaps this can or should be considered a best practice.

Kerem Erkan, a network and server security professional who lives in Turkey, and who has been working with 2D barcodes since 2006, has built his own 2D barcode generator. Written in PHP, Kerem's application can currently generate QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec Code and Micro QR Code. Whereas most other generators only offer the ability to create a code for URLs, text, phone number and SMS content, Kerem's generator offers the following:

• Browse to a website
• Bookmark a website
• Phone call
• Send a short message
• Send an e-mail
• Create a vCard (v2.1 or v3.0) with coordinates
• Create a meCard
• Create a vCalendar event
• Open location coordinates in Google Maps
• Create market:// URLs for searching for publishers or packages on Market app for Android
• Create special youtube:// URLs for YouTube app on iPhone
• Fetch and encode the latest tweet of a Twitter user
• Create a mobile URL to tweet on Twitter
• Create a mobile URL to update your Facebook status
• Read plain or free formatted text on your device

Using Kerem's generator, you can  make adjustments to the block size of the generated image to make it bigger or smaller, and you can also control the foreground and background colors. 

For someone who prefers to use open source code and write his own, clearly Kerem has done his homework when it comes to creating this 2D barcode generator. To learn more about Kerem click here or scan the code below.

Quebec's Tourism Department launched a new magazine advertisement, which features a QR barcode, to promote summer-time travel packages to the city.

The barcode is located in the lower left hand corner of the ad and written under the code is the phrase, "See where summer can take you." While the copy is somewhat intriguing and can be thought of as the ad's call-to-action, no information is provided on how someone reading the ad is to make use of the barcode. In most ads that display a 2D barcode there is usually some descriptive or instructional copy explaining the barcode and how to scan it with a mobile phone.   

If the ad was created in Canada, perhaps barcodes are more readily accepted and understood by Canadian consumers then by U.S. consumers, and the creative team just made a big assumption. If the goal of using a barcode is to make print media that much more interactive then I wonder what the analytics will show and how successful the ad really turns out to be.

Today, I spoke with Ofer Lev, Vice President Products and Marketing at 3GVision. 3GVision is the global pioneer and leader in mobile barcode reading and advanced image processing technologies.

Here's our discussion:

RM: How would you describe the use and acceptance of 2D barcodes in the U.S. today, and what will it take to raise overall awareness? 
OL: The acceptance of QR codes is improving in the U.S. even though it is still far from Japan where they are proven to be very useful. Saying this, the U.S. market still faces several challenges, primarily the fact that big players (mobile operators, big publishers and big brands) are not in the picture yet. However, as more barcode campaigns are initiated and big players enter the game (mobile operators, big publishers), the use and acceptance of 2D barcodes will increase.

What is needed to push things is more highly visible QR code campaigns with interesting and exclusive content. In Italy, for example, Panorama magazine managed to push QR success with campaigns including exclusive content and video related to hit feature films.

RM: When a company comes to 3GVision, what problem are they trying to solve or work through? Are they simply trying to drive traffic to their website, enhance the customer experience, show themselves as forwarding thinking (i.e., first to use 2D barcodes), find another type of response mechanism, etc.?
OL: Companies approach us with a wide variety of issues. Publishers and content producers are searching for ways to revive publishing with multimedia and up to date content and increase advertising. While advertisers and brands are searching for ways to introduce innovative campaigns and better engage target audiences with exclusive content, coupons, games etc. Traditional advertising cannot accurately measure consumer interaction with a brand. Our i-nigma end-to-end solution provides real-time tracking of ongoing campaign success according to key indicators like response volume by location, time, user segmentation etc. You can see how many people are interacting with your campaigns in real-time, allowing you to make immediate changes. This leads to higher consumer engagement and more successful campaigns.

RM: How is a 2D barcode-based ad campaign any different than a direct mail or email campaign? 
OL: Besides being easier to manage and less cumbersome than typing, QR codes can store a variety of data including binary data, text and SMS messages, email addresses and phone number. Moreover, a QR code campaign gives the ability to track and analyze user behavior – once the barcode is scanned. With the i-nigma solution, the data can be analyzed in real-time giving marketers and brands a full perspective of traffic and the ability to maximize campaign performance.

RM: Do you advocate any kind of barcode testing during a campaign? For example, one version of an ad has a black and white code while another version has the code in color.
OL: It is important to test that the codes work before embarking on a campaign. QR codes need to be created with attention to physical size, error correction and density. Other than that it is a matter of personal taste and campaign design if to use black and white, colored barcodes or barcodes with logos.

RM: I understand that i-nigma is an end-to-end solution, but can it be used and purchased in parts?
OL: 3GVision’s i-nigma is an end-to-end solution comprised of a highly intuitive and simple barcode creation, campaign management and reporting platform enabling the following:

• Fast and reliable web service for creating and web-linking Data Matrix and QR barcodes to information and promotional offers.
• Real-time tracking of on-going campaign success based on number of codes scanned and response volume by location, time, user segmentation and media type.
• Comparison analysis of different media channels/locations.

3GVision is open to discuss various business models with potential customers. Our product offering includes a handset reader and an enterprise barcode campaign manager. Each system component is priced separately. We also offer an SDK solution for vertical applications.

RM: What is the greatest benefit of i-nigma?
OL: 3GVision brings the right experience and technology to mobile operators, publishers, brands and advertisers. We are the only company with significant real-world, in-market expertise and experience in the mobile, image recognition and barcode markets.

In terms of performance the i-nigma barcode reader is:

• The fastest, most accurate barcode reader in the market
• Most popular barcode reader with over 150 million devices installed
• De facto industry standard in Japan
• Works on all platforms and supports the widest variety of devices models
• Supports 1D and 2D barcodes

Moreover, the i-nigma barcode campaign manager creates barcodes, manages campaigns and gets reports on barcode scans. It integrates with mobile operators services for comprehensive reports and is a scalable, secure, high performance solution.

RM: From a technology perspective, what do companies need to consider when making use of 2D barcodes in their marketing?
OL: It is important that the QR code points to pages and content optimized for mobile. It is also important to make sure that the code is easy to read and there is adequate lighting to easily scan the codes.

RM: Is any one person or company taking the lead on educating consumers about 2D barcodes?
OL: Things are improving in the U.S., as phones continue to advance. Almost all of the big 2D barcode solution players are taking actions to educate the market. 3GVision regularly publishes information on QR codes and their implementations in advertising and marketing in blogs and news portals. We also take part in panel discussions on the subject. In general it is important for marketers and advertisers to offer an easy solution to download the reader and provide exclusive content in QR campaigns. We are also seeing mobile operators entering while GSMA and OMA are taking care of standardization of the barcode technology

RM: Most mobile phone manufacturers selling into the U.S. market do not pre-load a barcode reader in their handsets, do you see this changing anytime soon?
OL: This is correct. We are not sure this will change. Today, more and more people are used to downloading applications. On the other hand, with the involvement of mobile operators, they might push the pre-loading of barcode readers on their devices.

RM: Who is the main competitor to your business? How are you staying ahead?
OL: Scanbuy. We are staying ahead technology wise, supporting new devices and platforms all the time. We constantly improve our technology to have the fastest most accurate barcode reading. Market wise, we have most experience in pre-loading and working with mobile operators, large brands and publishers and handset vendors.

RM: Thank you Ofer.

About 3GVision
Since 2002, 3GVision has embedded over 120 million mobile phones with its 1D/2D barcode readers for global tier-1 mobile operators like Telstra, France Telecom and NTT Docomo, mobile handset manufacturers including Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola; and most Japanese vendors including Sharp, NEC, Kyocera and Toshiba. Moreover, 3GVision is the ‘de facto’ industry standard in Japan – the world’s first fully developed mobile barcode market.

3GVision’s i-nigma, the industry’s most comprehensive end-to-end 2D barcode solution, incorporates a highly intuitive and simple code-creation, campaign management and advanced metrics reporting platform, to increase revenue opportunities for mobile operators and media & marketing companies. The i-nigma telco-grade solution offers a fast and easy way for offline media and advertising to connect to the online world and also facilitates efficient business operations.

The June issue of Islands Magazine features Microsoft's Tag barcodes within the publication which, when scanned with a smartphone, enables readers to access four apps developed by Islands' editors.

The cover features an app icon and URL for a Pictures app that is available exclusively in the Apple iTunes Store. It offers users a gallery of island photography, photo quizzes, and a photo feed of editors’ travels. The app is also promoted inside the magazine on the editor’s letter page, in a house ad and in a feature story.

The magazine also used Tags to unlock three free web-based apps: Islands Recipes, Islands Reader’s Choice and Islands Travel Guide: Dominican Republic. “For this particular issue, each of the three web apps organically fit as an extension of what was in the magazine,” Islands brand manager Chris Tauber says. “And re-purposing content or drawing on previous research was fairly efficient for us in each of these cases.”

The Recipes app is an extension of the magazine’s food column, the Reader’s Choice app builds off the issue’s “2010 Photo Contest” feature and the Travel Guide is an interactive connection to a feature story on the Dominican Republic.

"Response has exceeded expectations, with a solid rise in downloads for the Pictures app coming when we soft-launched it on Islands.com and Islands.com/Facebook,” says Tauber. “In terms of scans, the Recipes app is winning so far.”


Tauber says Islands so far isn’t charging for the Pictures app in Apple’s iTunes Store, but says it will experiment with different pricing models with future apps. “Right now we’re focusing on learning how to best use and execute them and gathering metrics that we can then share with clients,” he says.

The method by which Islands is making use of existing content and subject matter categories already found in the magazine makes perfect sense, as does their approach towards testing the use of Tags and the apps themselves.

Here's another type of 2D barcode called ShotCode.

Based in the Netherlands, ShotCode has been active in the mobile tagging space since 2003, and has worked for companies which include: Coca Cola, Heineken, Xbox, Nike, Volkswagen, Monsterboard and Jameson Whiskey. Currently, the company supports over 360 compatible phone models and ShotCodes have been printed on tens of millions of offline materials.

ShotCode is a circular barcode that uses a dartboard-like circle, with a bullseye in the center and datacircles surrounding it. The technology reads databits from these datacircles by measuring the angle and distance from the bullseye for each. ShotCodes are designed to be read with a regular or mobile camera without the need to purchase other specialized hardware. Other than a difference in appearance, ShotCodes differ from the popular QR and Data Matrix barcodes in that they do not store regular data, instead they store a look-up number. This look-up number links to a server that holds information regarding a mapped URL which the reading device (i.e., mobile phone) can then connect to in order to download the said data. The software used to read a ShotCode captured by a mobile phone camera is called "ShotReader."

ShotCode is the only circular barcode in the market and is priced based on the amount of ShotCodes you use, not how many times they are scanned or downloaded.

About two years ago, another Netherlands-based company called W-41 created a line of T-shirts which feature ShotCodes.


The idea here is that the owner of the W-41 T-shirt can program the barcode to correlate with their Facebook page, Twitter page, personal blog, etc., so people who wish to scan the code can then learn more about the person wearing the T-shirt. When one of the founders of W-41 gave a presentation at Luxury Interactive last spring, many in the audience were left scratching their heads as to the real need, value or merit for a product such as this.  

What say you?

This afternoon, I spoke with Thaddeus Kubis, President, NAK Integrated Marketing, about the use of 2D barcodes.

RM: Thad, for what types of companies have you created 2D barcode campaigns and what was the focal point of the campaign?
TK: We have used 2D barcodes for consumer product goods, sports and retail companies, as well as for B2B companies. The campaigns varied from shop on-line and click to get a discount coupon, to pass by the retail store and click the barcode in the window display for a discount coupon, gift, or other incentive, to using barcodes at trade shows to capture prospect contact information or to provide additional product information.

RM: What is the great advantage of using a 2D barcode in an advertisement, versus using a URL address?
TK: It is quicker and easier to scan/read a 2D barcode than it is to type a URL, especially when the URL might go beyond the home page and deeper into the site, for example, a landing page, where the URL can be quite long and tedious to type.

RM: Is there a greater click-through rate for 2D barcodes than for an on-line banner ad, click-through link, etc.?
TK: Currently, the data is too new to make a statement but, in Japan, where 2D barcodes have become very popular and widely accepted by consumers, barcodes outperform most other media for responses.

RM: Do you foresee 2D barcodes catching on here in the U.S. like they have in Asia and Europe, or will they be viewed as an advertising fad? If they do gain in popularity and acceptance, how do you see 2D barcodes being used in the next 1-3 years?
TK: I don't think 2D barcodes are a fad. My team at NAK and I see 2D barcodes as an emerging technology that will expand over time and the uses will increase as well. With the inclusion of a firm’s logo within the barcode and less constrictive design use, more 2D barcodes will start to pop up. One issue which may slow the use of barcodes is that many mobile phones do not come with scanning software pre-loaded. Also, the issue of educating the consumer may play a large role in the speed by which barcodes are used and accepted.

RM: How does your agency consult on the use of 2D barcodes in a company's overall marketing strategy? Do barcodes become yet another channel to promote through or does it replace something altogether?
TK: We suggest to clients that 2D barcodes be thought of as an additional response generation device. Although barcodes have seen a slow acceptance rate, many companies are now beginning to see their use in a different light.

RM: Are you aware of any best practices when it comes to creating barcode-based campaigns?
TK: Tough question. There are many concerns about how and what 2D barcodes are used for, but I believe it is too early for best practices to be defined or identified. There are some size limits, for example, codes smaller than 1/2 inch do not always read as well as planned.

RM: If a company decides to move ahead and make use of 2D barcodes in their marketing, what should they be aware of when it comes to barcode generators and or readers?
TK: Currently it would be a better plan to have a seasoned pro, even if that season has been short, to handle the project. As with all tools there are some levels of experience that would be helpful and not all code generators are the same. Barcode readers are a different animal, from my experience nearly all work well and read 90% of the codes in use.

RM: Thank you Thad.

About NAK Integrated Marketing
NAK has thrived for over a quarter century, helping companies connect with customers and prospects more cost effectively. NAK has been in the vanguard of the digital revolution in print, on the Internet and in cross media marketing communications programs. The company offers strategic and tactical solutions in these areas: personalized websites, emerging technologies, branded content, mobile apps, cross media, new media, SMS text, 2D barcodes and e-brochures. To reach NAK and you have a barcode reader scan the code below, otherwise email Thaddeus Kubis.

Microsoft is currently beta testing a new kind of 2D barcode, which is technically known as High Capacity Color Barcodes (HCCBs), but is more commonly referred to as a Tag.

The advanced computer imaging of Tags employs different symbol shapes in geometric patterns and multiple colors (cyan, magenta, yellow) to provide more information in less space than QR or Data Matrix barcodes, and Tags were purposely designed to be used with fixed-focus cameras, which is the type of camera found in most mobile phones, so readability becomes less of an issue, versus other types of 2D barcodes.


Although Tags originate in color, they can be printed and used in black and white.

Microsoft Custom Tags can additionally combine branding and code reading into a single footprint (see sample below). Traditional 2D barcodes require devoting space exclusively to the footprint of the industrial looking code itself often taking visual focus away from the hero of the message. However with Microsoft Custom Tags the code can be fully integrated into the look and form of the messaging itself.


For the 2010 Winter Olympics, Wheaties cereal created a box with Microsoft Tags on it. When the Tags are scanned you are taken to a social mobile experience where users are able to follow Wheaties on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. You can also find out more information about the product.


Below is a snapshot of the mobile experience users will see on their phone:


Microsoft Tags can meet the wide range of publishing demands from color package, black and white newspaper, to store shelf labeling. Microsoft Tag Reader seamlessly detects which color format is being scanned delivering the end user content in a flash. All existing Microsoft Tag Readers already have the ability to decode both color and black and white Tags.

The New York Acura Association, which is comprised of three top U.S. Acura car dealers (Paragon Acura, Rallye Acura and Acura of Westchester), recently teamed with with Level 5, a digital advertising agency that focuses on the automotive industry, to create a new advertisement, which features a QR barcode.

The advertisement began running in The New York Times and other local New York papers in mid-April and promotes a new joint purchase and upgrade program called "Advance." The QR barcode is displayed at the bottom of the page in the right hand corner and, under the barcode, there are instructions for readers of the ad to download a QR code reader to their mobile phone and then scan the code for special offers. Brian Benstock, VP and General Manager of Paragon Acura said, "It makes sense for Acura to be on the cutting edge of technology with our marketing and advertising. Our clients expect it." In developing this ad, the New York Acura Association intends to lead the industry in using this technology/medium to promote and sell automobiles.

It's befitting that an automobile company like Acura make use of a QR barcode, because the QR barcode was originally developed in 1994 by Japanese researchers to index and inventory car parts.

In addition to making use of the barcodes in the ad, two of the three dealers in the association have developed mobile phone-based promotions on their respective websites, where a viewer can text to a certain number using their mobile phone and qualifiy for special discounts.

Aside from the promotional use of QR barcodes, it might be interesting if a car manufacturer used a QR barcode in some other way. For instance, what if a car manufacturer inconspicuously placed a QR barcode on the dashboard of a car, and when the owner of the car scanned the code with their mobile phone they would be able to view and read the entire owner's manual for their car.  No more having to fumble through the glove box for the hard copy version. Also, think of the cost savings a manufacturer can realize by going to digital manuals. Or what about placing a QR barcode on the side of a tire, so if and when a flat tire needs to be fixed and the driver needs instructions, all he/she needs to do is scan the code with their mobile phone and read the instructions as he/she changes the tire.

QRe8, a new Toronto-based full service advertising agency that specializes on QR code strategy and execution, claims to be the world’s first agency that truly connects high tech and high touch.

With clients including Costco, Dove, Unilever, Kraft Foods, Royal Ontario Museum and Safeway, QRe8's services include QR barcode strategy, campaign management, real-time campaign reporting, custom and branded QR barcode design and mobile touch website strategy, design and build.

To ensure the readability of the QR barcodes that QRe8 creates for its clients, a potential problem for any agency or company wishing to use QR barcodes, the agency generates their barcodes using open platform code and tests their barcodes on iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices, which they believe will dominate the market by 2011. Another service that QRe8 offers is branded barcodes, whereby the company's brand icon is placed in the QR barcode and corporate colors can be used for the squares that make up the barcode instead of just black and white.

Do you know of any other agency that is specializing in QR barcode strategy?

Today's job market is more competitive than ever and job seekers need to be as creative as possible in their search for a new position in order to distinguish themselves from other candidates. To help job seekers accomplish this, many career experts and coaches suggest, among other things, to create and promote a personal brand, write a blog, be active in social media and to write a resume that specifically mentions the value that a candidate can bring to a company, as opposed to just listing prior work experience.

To focus on the last item, what if a job seeker were to place a QR barcode on his or her resume and have this code link to their personal blog or website, LinkedIn page or Facebook page, for example, where the recruiter can then read and learn that much more about a candidate. Would this tactic be a turn-off to a recruiter and viewed as being too gimmicky, or would it be viewed as something that is substantially different and worth taking note of?

In my opinion, I believe a barcode could be helpful, because 1) the symbol itself stands out on a resume and a recruiter can't help but stop and take notice, and 2) the symbol illustrates to a recruiter that this candidate is knowledgeable of the latest tools, applications and strategies that are being used in the business world , especially marketing, to promote products/services, generate word-of-mouth and enhance the customer experience. Of course, there will be those human resource/recruiting traditionalists who can only see and understand a resume in its standard one dimensional format, but then there may be those non-traditionalists who do not mind the extra few moments it may take to snap a picture of the barcode and follow the link to a web page to learn more.

As QR and Data Matrix barcodes start to enter our everyday lives and become more mainstream in their use and acceptance, I suppose the question is why not now when it comes to placing them on a resume. 

What are your thoughts, do QR or Data Martix barcodes belong on resumes?

Listed below are just a few of the many companies and individuals who offer free QR and Data Matrix barcode generators. Most of these sites offer the option to generate a code for a website or link URL, general text, SMS or contact information for business card purposes. Additionally, many of the generators enable you to set the overall size of the code and, in some instances, the color.

• i-nigma
• Invx 
• Kaywa
• Mobile Barcodes
• Morovia
• Nokia
• Racoin Industries
• ScanLife
• ZXing Project 

If you use or know of another barcode generator please send it along.

Not just for retailers, QR barcodes are now being used by Frankfurt's transport authority to aid bus, train and underground passengers. These barcodes can be found on smart posters known as Info-Modules, which are being placed in train cars on the U1, U2, U3, U4 and U5 lines on Frankfurt's U-Bahn underground railway.

On the U-Bahn the Info-Module smart posters, supplied by TagAge in Finland, provide a link to real time travel information and access to information about transport connections, special events and points of interest. The transport authority plans to test the Info-Modules for the next 4-6 months.