2D Bar Code Strategy

Miss Me, a Los Angeles-based women's clothing company, launched a new advertisement in this month's issue of Lucky magazine, which features a QR code (see bottom half of image below). With no other text than the headline question, "Do You Miss Me?", and the step-by-step instructions which explain the code, where and how to download a reader app and where the code will bring the reader, the ad's call-to-action (i.e., scan the code) is somewhat hidden. Once scanned, the code resolves to a video, which is the same video that can be viewed if one were to go to the company's website directly. So, after all is said and done, what's the real objective of this ad?


Miss Me displays and explains the QR code well, but the company 'misses' an opportunity to use the code to further enhance the customer experience, or move a prospective customer further along the purchase decision process. Why not offer a discount, conduct a contest, show a video which explains why their jeans are so different or so much better, or explain the 1% for the Planet initiative? Almost anything would be better than the video which is shown, which I simply do not understand, but that's besides the point.

Companies need to really think through a 2D barcode campaign and look at it as more than just making use of a code and trying to show the world how tapped in they are to "new" technology. A 2D campaign needs to go beyond that if it is to achieve a desired marketing objective or ROI.

In addition to spotting the Miss Me ad in the magazine, I also noticed a number of Microsoft Tags scattered from one page to the next. These codes are placed by the magazine itself and serve to provide readers with additional editorial information about certain products and link them to how-to videos.

What's interesting to note about the MS Tags is that here is yet another women's magazine making use of them, and it begs the question, "Is Microsoft specifically targeting young women to make use of/adapt to their reader app and Tags?" One of this blog's readers has commented before and believes this is the case. While it is hard to say, because I have seen Tags used in other types of publications, it should come as no surprise if Microsoft, like most any other company, has segmented the market and decided to pursue a certain target audience.

The television channel, Starz, has launched an advertising campaign to promote a new 8-part mini series, which is based on Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth." In the two-page ad found in Entertainment Weekly, a Microsoft Tag is displayed. Scanning the Tag brings the reader to a trailer for the series, which is fully explained in the copy along side the Tag.



I have seen full-page versions of this ad in The New York Times and other publications, but there was no Tag displayed. Why? From what I can tell, there was more than enough real estate in these others ads to display a Tag, so why wouldn't Starz want to reach as broad of an audience as possible and allow them to interact with a Tag and show them the trailer? I can understand testing and research may be happening in the background, but even so. Anyone care to guess or comment?

To promote the 17th Annual Cancer for College Golf Classic, Golf Magazine has launched a new print advertisement, which features a JAGTAG barcode. Scanning the code brings the reader to a video, which features actor/comedian Will Ferrell and, from there, the reader can go to a contest entry form, the winner of which gets to play in the Golf Classic.

In the middle of the JAGTAG is a silhouette of a golfer, and this is how JAGTAG "brands" the code. Having seen a couple of other JAGTAG codes that have similar silhouettes, I wonder if this is the only way that the company can brand a code, or can they place a corporate logo in the code and or use corporate colors.

The August issue of Allure magazine is filled with 36 Microsoft Tags. The Tags are being used by the magazine to giveaway over 32,000 products, which are valued at $750,000.

Each year, the magazine holds its "Free Stuff" promotion and, this year, they have decided to use 2D barcode technology as the way by which readers can enter into any one of the 159 product giveaways. From one page to the next, readers will find the Tags along side products, and there is one page in the front half of the magazine which fully explains the Tags (i.e., how to scan them and how and where to download a Tag reader app).

As mentioned in a comment on yesterday's post about Clinique's QR code ad in Vogue, and now with this Allure campaign, one wonders if companies are focusing on women to be the early adopters of 2D barcode technology. And what's also interesting is that a publisher is behind this use of Tags, not a specific product company. This makes the fourth or fifth magazine that I have found to use 2D technology more from an editorial perspective than a pure product advertisement perspective.

Lastly, my question to Allure is, why Tags? Why not use any other 2D barcode. Stay tuned, as I try to contact the company.

Clinique has recently launched a two-page advertisement in Vogue, which features a prominently displayed QR code but, based on the descriptive copy which accompanies the code, I wonder how effective the ad will be and if it can achieve Clinique's marketing ROI objective.

On the right hand page of the ad, the descriptive text next to the QR code reads, "Use your smart phone to scan this code or visit m.clinique.com/evenbetter for a special offer when you discover Even Better Clinical." While that's all well and good, what Clinique does not tell a reader is that a QR code reader app is needed and where to find one in order to be able to scan the code in the first place. An important step I would say. But the company does the smart thing by providing a URL address so that non-smart phone readers can receive the special offer as well.

Time and again, I see companies taking short cuts when it comes to the descriptive copy that is used along side a 2D code and this will only work to slow consumer adoption and acceptance. If there is real estate in the ad, which there certainly is in this one, then the company should use the space to fully disclose what the code is, how to scan it and where it will resolve to. Additionally, the company should include a URL address, so that non-smart phone consumers can benefit as well. Of course, if the sole purpose of an ad like this is to conduct market research, where copy, code and imagery, etc. was being tested then fine, but I have a feeling this was not that kind of ad.

Lastly, and from a pure marketing perspective, when I went to the website that was advertised, the only special offer that I found was free shipping for a $49.50 bottle of lotion. Unless I was missing something, since when is free shipping on the Internet considered a "special offer"? I believe Clinique could have gone a bit further in their thinking and offered something truly special.

The NYSE Euronext's new advertising campaign, which promotes their exchange listing/member service, features a JAGTAG barcode but, after following the ad's instructions, I am unable to listen to the information they wish for me to hear.

After scanning the JAGTAG with my phone and texting the image to the number provided, a few seconds later, I received a message on my phone, which prompted me to go online to a Verizon website. When I finally log into the website, I have no idea where to go or what to look for. NYSE Euronext, you lost me.

Let's back up a minute...why does NYSE Euronext display and make use of the barcode in order for people to hear a message from 'global leaders' in the first place? Why not just provide a 1-800 number, which has an introduction that ties into the advertisement and, from there, a series of menu options, each one offering the reader the ability to hear from a global leader? I can think of a number of ways that financial institutions like NYSE Euronext can make use of 2D barcodes, but this is not one of them. Or did I just miss something in the translation (i.e., the scanning process)? Also, if the ad's call-to-action is for a reader to "Hear from global leaders in their own words" then why is this message/copy buried in the ad?

While it is great to see a financial institution making use of 2D barcodes, perhaps the strategy and or execution needs to be thought out more and thoroughly tested (IMHO).

FYI...this advertisement appeared in The New York Times and consisted of four panels like the one shown here. Two panels were on the left page and two panels were on the right page. Only the last panel in the sequence displayed the 2D barcode.

Did you know that Best Buy now sells electric bicycles? I didn't, until this morning, when I walked past a Best Buy store here in Manhattan and saw a series of large window posters promoting the bicycle. The posters had a picture of the bicycle and some headline copy, nothing more, nothing less.

Question: For a company that already makes use of 2D barcodes in their advertising circulars, and which understands the value and benefit of what a 2D barcode can offer the client/prospect experience, why doesn't Best Buy display a 2D barcode on the posters? How perfect if the code resolved to a video that showed the bicycle in action, and then offered some sort of incentive to test ride and purchase. Or, because only select stores carry the electric bicycles and offers test rides, why not display a code that resolves to a store locator? Seems like a lost opportunity for Best Buy. Your thoughts?

Washington Square Press has created a newspaper advertisement, which features a Microsoft Tag, to promote a new book called Stardust. Scan the Tag and it resolves to a site that brings the reader on a tour of Hollywood, the city used as the book's backdrop.

Although the Tag holds a prominent position in the ad and there is a decent enough call-to-action next to it (Follow Joseph Kanon on a tour of Hollywood on your smartphone!), there is virtually no information to help the reader understand what the Tag is, how to make use of it and what it means to get the Microsoft Tag reader app. Also, there is reference to "Atria Authors On Your Smartphone" underneath the Tag, and I am hard pressed to know what or who this is referring to and why the valuable ad real estate is used in this manner.


As discussed in previous posts, in order to speed consumer understanding, acceptance and interest in 2D barcodes, companies must pay greater attention to the description and instructions that surround the barcode. Additionally, while Washington Square Press makes use of a call-to-action line, here too companies need to realize that a 2D barcode cannot fully stand on its own, it needs the support of a well thought out and defined call-to-action.

I am curious to know the scan rate and success of this advertisement, especially when space in The New York Times, where this ad was found, does not run cheap.

In today's The New York Times, the city of New Orleans ran a full-page advertisement to promote the city's food, music and events, as well as travel deals. The ad features a Microsoft Tag, which is branded with the same fleur-de-lis icon that is also used in the campaign logo ("It's New Orleans - You're different here.").

While the Tag is well positioned and sized, and offers a strong call-to-action, I question the copy that is used to describe the Tag and what a reader is suppose to do with it. The copy to the right of the Tag says, "Snap It. Snap this tag with your mobile phone for Spicy Summer Deals, free New Orleans music, deals and event info. The Microsoft Tag app is free at http://gettag.mobi". First, only smart phones with a reader app can scan 2D barcodes, not just any mobile phone as mentioned in the copy. Second, the copy does not fully define the app to download as the app which enables the reader to scan the Tag. There's a little bit of a disconnect.

For readers who may have never seen a Microsoft Tag before, let alone a 2D barcode, all of this is new to them, so the descriptive text which accompanies a code really needs to be explicit and very much step-by-step. To accomplish this is a limited amount of space is, of course, the great challenge, but advertisers need to fully and properly explain 2D barcodes if they wish to have fast and widespread acceptance of the technology, let alone a decent ad response/scan rate.

Also, from a more strategic sense, what about all of those people who do not have the ability to scan the Tag, because they do not have a smart phone (still the majority of mobile phone users). There should be a shortened URL next to/near the Tag so that non-smart phone users can access the same information and deals.

Because I would like to believe that there is some truth in advertising, I thought it was worth mentioning a campaign that I have recently seen, and how I believe this is a positive for the 2D barcode marketplace.

The campaign is entitled "Magazines, The Power of Print" and it was developed by five major magazine companies (Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, Meredith Corporation, Time Inc. and Wenner Media) to promote the vitality of magazines in today's digital age.

Metrics supporting the campaign's message include:

• Magazine readership has risen 4.3% over the past five years
• Average paid subscriptions reached nearly 300 million in 2009
• Adults 18-34 are avid magazine readers. They read more issues and spend more time per issue than their over-34 counterparts
• During the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership increased 11%
• Magazine effectiveness is growing. Ad recall has increased 13% over the past five years. Action-taking—based on readers recalling specific ads—increased by 10%
• Magazines outperform other media in driving positive shifts in purchase consideration/intent

So how does this translate into a positive for the 2D barcode industry, simple, the Internet does not seem to be replacing the need or interest in magazines anytime soon, or as predicted, so one of the primary channels by which companies can make use of 2D codes remains extremely viable.

As the Internet has evolved over the past 10-20 years, so too has the use and sophistication of icons. Not formal brand icons or corporate logos, but more simplified icons like the ones below, which have come to represent a particular website or software application.


Within the 2D barcode space, I have seen icons being used in conjunction with a 2D code and sometimes a few lines of descriptive text (e.g., the Microsoft "Snap It" icon, below), and wonder if the 2D barcode industry will settle on a common or universal icon, similar to what has recently developed with the "iPhone app store" icon, or will individual icons continue to be developed and used to represent the company that is behind the code (i.e., Microsoft, ScanLife, JAGTAG, BeeTag, SPARQCode, TAPPINN, etc.).


If 2D barcode companies continue to develop and make use of individual icons will this be a positive or negative towards consumer/user education, adoption and acceptance? Your thoughts?

W magazine has created a new promotional campaign called "Love It? Tag It," which features Microsoft Tags.

In this month's issue, we find the double-page spread shown below. On the left hand page (see top), a description is given to explain what a Tag is and where and how to download a Tag reader app. Then an explanation of the magazine's sweepstakes is provided and how, by scanning the Tag in the ad, a reader can then input their contact information and be entered into the contest. In addition, readers are prompted to scan as many Tags as they can find in the magazine, because it will increase their chance of winning the grand prize, a $500 American Express gift card.  

On the right hand page (see bottom), there are three mini ads from Estee Lauder, Hugo Boss and St. Regis, respectively, each of which features a Tag as well. By scanning these Tags, readers are able to view exclusive videos and receive special discounts and offers.



W has clearly thought out the details of this campaign from contest name to ad page layout, and it would be interesting to learn the results. In addition, this campaign is an excellent example of how companies need to spend the time, and the ad page real estate, to educate consumers about 2D barcodes, because without this education the process of consumer adoption will be that much slower.

In this week's issue of New York Magazine, there is an in-house advertisement featuring a QR code. The advertisement promotes an Android-based app, which enables readers to access popular nymag.com blogs directly on their mobile phone.

Two items worth noting about this ad, one good, one bad.

Good: the ad clearly explains that the blog app can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace and, to find the app at the Marketplace, a reader can either search for it or scan the QR code displayed in the ad.

Bad: the ad does not tell the reader how and where to get a QR code reader app, so that the QR code can be scanned in  the first place. Seems like the cart is before the horse.

While this might have been an honest mistake, or maybe it was done on purpose, companies should not assume that consumers will know what 2D barcodes are and how to make use of them. Because 2D barcodes are still so new in this country, companies should fully explain the codes they are using, where and how to download a reader app and what the code will link to. This disclosure need not be wordy, just succinct and thorough.

Lastly, while Starbucks is merely a sponsor of the ad, I would be curious to know if Starbucks itself makes use of 2D barcodes. I believe I have seen something from them recently, but cannot recall. If you know please comment or email.

Big or small, new or old, companies invest a great deal of time, money and resources into the creation and management of a brand identity. So why, when a company uses a 2D barcode in their advertising or marketing collateral, does it choose a generic barcode, as opposed to a branded one?

For reference: a generic barcode refers to a simple black and white code, nothing more, nothing less. A branded barcode refers to a code that has been customized with a company's name and or logo placed in the code symbol itself and, instead of being the utilitarian black and white in color, the code is generated using a myriad of colors (see example).

While not all 2D barcodes allow for branding and customization, QR codes do, and there is one company that has been making a name for itself in this area, QRArts. Founded by Patrick Donnelly and based in Washington, D.C., QRArts specializes in branded QR codes, as well as mobile website design and print content management.

In speaking with Patrick, he predicts that the majority of QR codes that we will see from day-to-day will be branded for the simple reason that a branded code serves to differentiate and distinguish one company from another, especially when a code stands alone and is not directly associated with an advertisement or promotional piece. From an overall brand management perspective, codes will be considered as one more item to be standardized.

If a branded 2D barcode makes sense for your organization and or brand/marketing strategy, know that before rushing to generate and make use of a code it's prudent to "scan test" the code to ensure that it works properly.

Running shoe company, Brooks, has recently rolled out an in-store campaign to support the launch of their new running shoe, the Ghost 3. Featured in the campaign is a 2D barcode supplied by JAGTAG.


From July 1 - August 31, the JAGTAG code will be included in store posters, table tents, shoe talkers and on retail store staff shirts. A second phase of the program will roll out around July 15th, when sneaker retailer Finish Line will send out a direct mail piece to 10,000 people. For both phases of the campaign, the return message to a consumer who scans the JAGTAG code is a video of the Ghost 3 shoe, along with a sweepstakes confirmation message and the option to opt in to their mobile database.

This campaign illustrates the variety of collateral that 2D barcodes can be displayed on and, to this point, I believe we will start to see 2D barcodes on more and more point-of-sale and direct mail pieces in the future.  Additionally, the Brooks' campaign also demonstrates how codes can be linked to much more than just a mobile web page.

The New York Islanders are now the second National Hockey League team of which I am aware to make use of QR codes for marketing and promotional purposes (the Detroit Red Wings is the first). According to a recent press release, as the 2010-2011 season begins, the Islanders will display QR codes in print ads, on web pages and as social media avatars to get fans involved in events, contests and other team promotions.

The press release does a great job explaining QR codes to fans and informing them of how and where to download a smart phone reader app. In addition, the release mentions how fans without smart phones can still participate in the upcoming contests, events and promotions by taking a picture of the QR code and texting or emailing the image to the team's Facebook page. From there, a member of the Islander's social media team will then respond with more information.

From a 2D barcode best practice perspective, the Islanders' marketing department scores a hat trick and shows organizations--sports-related or otherwise--how to properly launch a 2D barcode strategy/campaign. Now, if only the rest of the team can do some serious scoring this season, perhaps we can see the Islanders in post-season play (sorry for the rant; it comes from a long-time Islanders fan who sorely misses the years when the Cup was won).

The other day, I wrote about an advertiser in Islands magazine who used Microsoft Tags to promote a vacation contest. Now, I come to notice that the magazine itself is using Tags.

The page below, which promotes discounted summer vacation packages, can be found towards the back of this month's issue, and it provides readers with a detailed explanation, and visual, of what Tags are and how to scan them. Realizing that not all of the magazine's readers have a smart phone to scan the Tag, Islands' publisher wisely provides the URL address that the Tag links to, thus anyone and everyone can gain access to the same information.


Because many magazine publishers now have as much content to offer and promote online as they do in print, 2D barcodes make just as much sense for publishers to use than advertisers, and it seems as though this trend is already in the making.

Microsoft Tags can be found in this month's Food and Wine magazine, but their use is more for editorial purposes than outright advertising. On the front cover and in the "Best New Chefs" section of the magazine, Tags are displayed along with a caption, which prompts readers to scan the Tag to view videos about these new chefs. The caption also informs readers where to download a Tag reader app, if needed.

As more and more magazine advertisers are starting to use 2D barcodes to bridge the gap between print and digital, why not the magazines themselves, since so many have a very substantial web presence to promote and offer.