2D Bar Code Strategy

Yesterday, I noticed a telephone booth billboard for the Food Emporium, a local New York City supermarket chain, and the product being promoted was the supermarket's private label balsamic vinegar, which is made in Modena, Italy. After reading the billboard, I thought what a missed marketing and sales opportunity, and here's why.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, the billboard was very well done and certainly got me to take notice. From a call to action perspective, however, there was absolutely nothing on the billboard (image or copy) that pushed or pulled me any further along the purchase decision process. In my mind, this would have been a great opportunity for Food Emporium to use 2D technology. For instance, if a 2D code was displayed on the billboard, perhaps the scan resolve could link to a contest to win a trip to Modena, or a video interview with a top chef who endorses the product, or a set of recipes using the product, or a mCoupon for the product, or a location map to help a consumer find the nearest store, etc.

While I know not all consumers have a smartphone to scan a 2D code, a URL could have also been provided to allow non-smartphone consumers the ability to take advantage of the enhanced experience/service that was being offered.

It is not my intention to pick on Food Emporium and call them out as an example, but how many brand and or product image ads does one see from day to day where there is no real call to action, no source of engagement, no next step provided, no offer made, no real substance, etc., and they just serve as an interruption? In my opinion, too many.

While I may be naive when it comes to certain points of advertising and brand management, I seriously don't understand the usefulness of brand and product image ads if, at a minimum, their effectiveness cannot even be tracked and measured. I suppose Food Emporium can compare vinegar sales before, during and after the billboard runs and see how sales are effected, but that leaves room for a certain amount of guess work and assumption. With 2D in place, it provides Food Emporium with a real tool to measure a certain amount/level of results. Additionally, it provides a way for consumers to interact with the brand personally, as well as socially should they wish to forward a code, a contest offer, a mCoupon, etc. to a friend. 

Also, from an integrated marketing perspective, why is there no tie-in between the billboard and the company's website? If you visit the website there is absolutely no mention or reference to the private label balsamic vinegar being advertised. But I digress.
 
To know the expense of advertising, especially in a city like New York, I would be hard pressed to think that any advertiser (i.e., a CMO) would produce a campaign, any campaign, that could not be tracked and measured to some degree. And, to know the power of all things social, campaigns need to include some sort of mechanism which allows prospects or customers to be just that, as it relates to the product or offer being promoted.

Kim Dushinski, founder of Mobile Marketing Profits and author of The Mobile Marketing Handbook, has decided to include my list of 2D barcode best practices in the handbook's second edition, which is due out next year.

In this practical handbook, Kim offers "easy-to-follow advice for firms that want to interact with mobile users, build stronger customer relationships, reach a virtually unlimited number of prospects, and gain competitive advantage by making the move to mobile now." In the next edition, Kim talks about the use of 2D technology and how it can be incorporated into a company's mobile marketing strategy.

Through Mobile Marketing Profits, Kim, who was named one of Mobile Marketer's Mobile Women to Watch for 2010, provides mobile marketing education and consulting services to corporations, marketing professionals and entrepreneurs.

(Kim, thank you.)

Atomic Skis has this print ad running, which features a Microsoft Tag. Scan the Tag and it resolves to a video.

With no other instructions than "Watch the video now on your phone" and a call to action that is not very enticing, I am hard pressed to know how many people will actually scan the code. In viewing the overall creative, my guess is that the 2D element was not incorporated into the creative process until the very end. For a sport that is known for its radical products and image, it would have been fun to see how "radical" the Atomic marketing and creative team could have gotten with a 2D-based advertisement.

With all of that aside, I wonder if Atomic makes use of 2D for other promotions and channels. For instance, at the ski events, ski locations and or sponsorships that the company gets involved with are any 2D codes used? My thought, they should be and could be if some creative effort were applied, but aren't. While there are some companies that do use 2D across channels, mediums, platforms, etc., the vast majority do not and I believe this becomes more of a disadvantage than any kind advantage, especially if it's all about consumer engagement, interaction, story telling, value, etc., which it should be.

ThirtyTwo, the snowboard outwear and advanced boot maker, is running a print advertisement, which features a ScanLife ezCode. Scan the code and it resolves to an interview with Joe Sexton, a rider for ThirtyTwo.

In viewing this ad, there is little doubt that 2D was part of the creative design process and overall strategy from the get go. No after thought here. The company does a fine job listing how to scan the code and describing what the scanned code links to.Whether it was intentional or not, and I have a feeling it was, I like the way the code sits over Joe Sexton's mouth as if to say, if you want to hear him speak, which is the call to action, you have to scan the code.

Questions to ThirtyTwo: Why use ezCode? I believe this might be the first time I have actually seen one used. Also, will the video interview with Sexton be enough of a pull for readers to scan and interact?

Overall, well played.

Last week, a frequent and valued commenter of the blog wrote something that I totally agree with and believe is very much worth mentioning.

People see, but they don't see. With literally hundreds, if not thousands, of online and offline images and impressions (i.e., print advertisements, billboards, banner ads, TV commercials, logos, etc.) shown to us each and every day, we can't possibly make sense of them all. So, over time, we filter much of this out and consider it noise, while only paying close attention to a select number of images and impressions. To look at it another way, we, as consumers, have become "scanners" not "readers" of images and information.  

So how does this relate to 2D barcodes? Due to the relative newness of 2D technology here in the U.S., most consumers have yet to see a 2D advertisement, let alone interact with one. So when a consumer does come across a 2D-based advertisement they might take a few extra moments to view the ad and actually read it, as opposed to simply scanning it. That's all well and good, as most any advertiser couldn't ask for anything more, but if companies continue to churn out 2D-based advertisements that are poorly designed and executed (i.e., no instructions provided, less than valuable or relevant call to action, scan does not resolve correctly, poor code placement, etc.) then consumers are very quickly going to see 2D as something to scan and not read, let alone interact with.

To quote the person who's comment gave me the idea for this article, "...people need to stop saturating the market with meaningless campaigns and starting QR-blindness, since there's no cure for it." Although 2D is more all encompassing than QR, the message is the same and very clear. Companies that wish to make use of 2D need to spend the proper and necessary amount of time, energy and resources, just as they would in developing most any other type of promotional campaign, to learn about and fully understand how best to integrate 2D codes and build a cohesive strategy with and around them. To analogize 2D to social media, just as companies want to incorporate social media into their marketing mix, it does them very little to have a presence on Facebook or Twitter, etc., with no solid social media strategy behind it. 2D should be viewed as no different.

[Thank you, Anonymous.]

Ride Snowboards has launched a two-page magazine advertisement (below is just the left-hand page), which features a Microsoft Tag .

Admittedly, I may be a bit older than the company's target demographic, but I do not believe a younger person could easily read the descriptive text that accompanies the Tag (the three microscopic lines of text beneath the code which, I believe, reads, "Snap the barcode with your smartphone to access exclusive Ride content). Maybe Ride assumes that its target audience is already familiar with Tags, or 2D codes in general, and there is no need to waste real estate to make the descriptive text larger, but I hardly believe the need for space is an issue with this ad. Also, why display the Tag in the upper left hand corner of the left-hand page? I do not believe this is the focal point of a two-page magazine spread.


More important than the above, what is the call to action for this ad? Exclusive Ride content? If that's the case, 1) why bury it in smaller-than-footnote-sized type and 2) is "exclusive content" really enough for a non-customer to take notice of the product or company and act on it? I am of the mind that something more or truly different needs to be offered.

As stated in previous posts, 2D codes are just a gateway. If an objective of advertising is to attract consumers and move them further along the purchase decision process then the strategy and creative need to go much further than the code itself.

A couple of month's ago, the New York City Department of Sanitation started to display QR codes on the sides of its sanitation trucks, and the story was much talked and Twittered about online (read article). Well, that did not last too long. Walking around the city the past few days, I have noticed that all of the QR code signs have been removed from the trucks and, as I see this, I am left wondering how many taxpayer dollars went into this failed campaign.

I'm not certain who may have been behind the QR code signs, but if this creative person or team did their homework they would have known that a 2D barcode does not really work well on a moving object like a sanitation truck and, more importantly, to have a code without any kind of meaningful call to action results in very little.

Since first spotting the sanitation department's 2D campaign, I have noticed other New York City departments making use of QR codes. Curious to know the scan rates and whether or not strategic objectives are being met.

Vans, the shoemaker, is running a two-page advertisement, which features a ScanLife generated QR code. Scan the code and a reader will be able to view an exclusive video of world class surfer Nathan Fletcher.



The ad provides basic information about scanning the code with a smartphone and downloading the ScanLife reader app. For some reason, I have an easy time believing that Vans' target audience knows full well how to scan a 2D code and where to locate and download a reader app. It's anyone else outside of this target demo that may not know the first thing about 2D codes, and why a little more descriptive copy may help. Also, does Vans purposely wish to segment between those who have a smartphone and those who don't, because there is no way a non-smartphone consumer can access the exclusive video. No URL address is given.

The video offered to those who scan the code is not what I would have expected from a company like Vans, it's not radical enough, but then I do not know the company's motive or objective for making use of a 2D code in the first place. Rather, I would have liked to have seen the company offer a chance to win a custom-made surfboard, or a Nathan Fletcher autographed board, or a trip to a professional surf contest, or a couple of hundred dollars worth of Vans merchandise. To me, this is how the customer experience can be enhanced, buzz can be created and engagement between prospective or existing customer and company can be established.

Overall, it seems as though very little creative effort went into this ad, especially as it pertains to the 2D code (i.e., the code resolve and the code's call to action). It does not appear as though using 2D drove the creative for this advertisement, instead it looks more like an after thought...once again.

Verizon, in collaboration with ScanLife, has created a very useful and functional point of sale (POS) display, which is based on QR codes.


The "Power Up Your Droid" place mat (shown above) features 12 different Droid apps, each of which can be downloaded to a smartphone by scanning the corresponding QR code. It doesn't get much simpler than that, but as great of an idea as this is, I was surprised to see so little attention given to it in the store. I could have very easily missed the place mat, because it was hidden under a pile of paperwork and equipment on the counter top. Verizon should have thought to make these bigger and or self-standing.

From a pure strategic perspective, this POS display is similar to the Ford advertisement that was reviewed yesterday. No real product or company information is being offered, just a value-add (i.e., a free and easy way to download smartphone apps), which makes for a positive customer engagement. I wonder if this is part of a larger campaign in that from month-to-month, for example, the apps on the place mat change.

In the future, I am most certain we will see more and more 2D barcode-based POS place mats, posters, billboards, kiosks, shelf talkers and the like in retail settings.

Last week, Ford ran a full-page advertisement in The New York Times to promote the 2011 Edge, the company's new crossover vehicle, as well as its new MyFord Touch on-board voice and touch command system, and featured in the ad were four Microsoft Tags. What's so innovative about Ford's use of Tags in this ad is that none of the Tags have anything to do with the 2011 Edge, MyFord Touch or Ford as a company.

Here's what's happening in the ad...

The top half of the ad (see top image below) promotes the Edge and the MyFord Touch system. The bottom half of the ad (see bottom image below) features the four Microsoft Tags. Next to each Tag is a short descriptive paragraph which explains that the Tag is linked to a New York Times article on the subject of either technology or style. Again, nothing to do with the product or company. To the right of the four Tags is a set of instructions which informs readers about how to get a Tag reader app and scan the codes, in addition to what they need to do if they do not have a camera on their mobile device.



After watching an online video demonstration for the vehicle and the MyFord Touch system, there is little doubt that the car is an automotive and technological marvel. Similar to the way smartphones continue to become more about apps and productivity and less about making an actual phone call, the Edge triggers the same thoughts with respect to automobiles and the act of driving. In viewing the product video, it seems as though a person doesn't even have to drive the car to still enjoy being in it and, if that were not enough, it seems as though a person can be more productive than ever while driving the car or just sitting in the driveway.

In my opinion, a 2D advertisement like this works, and here's why. By featuring Tags (i.e., 2D codes the latest in mobile technology, relatively speaking) in the ad, Ford reinforces the idea that the Edge is a technologically advanced automobile. Also, because the Tags resolve to articles of general interest that serve to enhance the everyday life of a consumer, Ford is able to reinforce the idea that the MyFord Touch system enhances the driver's experience. 

While I may be taking this to an extreme, what I am not doing is discounting the notion that 2D codes can be used simply to enhance the customer (or yet to be customer) experience. Nowhere is it written that 2D codes must be directly associated with the product, service or company that created them. To think in the marketing terms that Ford is strikes me, because I am not a huge fan of automotive marketing, past or present. Maybe it has taken the recent shakeup in Detroit to rethink how the company should market its automobiles.

What is also refreshing about this campaign is that, at a minimum, Ford has taken the time to think through the creative and overall strategy as it pertains to the codes. It will be interesting to see if and how this campaign continues to roll-out given that the Edge is a 2011 model.

Here's something new...a non-profit charitable organization making use of a 2D barcode. The American Cancer Society is currently promoting its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and the billboards used in the campaign display a QR code which, when scanned, resolves to a page that provides addition event information.



While the billboard creative looks great and the code is nicely sized and positioned in the lower right hand corner, the scan rate might not be as high as what marketers at the American Cancer Society hope for, because no instructions are provided on how to scan the code. All the billboard says is "Snap the smartphone code to get more information and start saving lives." What reader app should a person use? Where do they get one? If a person doesn't have a smartphone can they still find out more information even though there is a URL address higher up on the billboard? With respect to the code's call to action, "start saving lives," it is certainly powerful and reason enough for people to scan the code and learn more.

It would be interesting to know if the American Cancer Society plans to use more QR codes at the event itself.

HBO is on a tear using branded QR codes, as I just spotted another one. This one is for the series Eastbound and Down.

As seen in the images below, a branded QR code is displayed in the lower right hand corner of the billboard and, when scanned, the reader can view a trailer of the series. My comments on this campaign are similar to those for HBO's Boardwalk Empire 2D campaign, so I'll be brief. With no instructions on how to scan the code, it seems like HBO is comfortable letting people figure it out on their own. This does not seem like a pro-active way to engage with an audience, let alone to introduce a new technology, but who am I to say. To offer a trailer of the series does not seem very original, nor does it work to enhance the consumer/viewer experience, mobile or otherwise. In addition, why the branded code? Out of context, who would know the main character's profile, which is not very discernible to begin with, and how it relates to the series. In context, it is simply not necessary, so why the added expense.


I have an email into HBO to try and speak with someone about the strategy and thought process behind these recent campaigns. If I am able to share any insight I will.

Recently, Gap launched a major campaign to promote its latest collection of blue jeans, and a component of this campaign is the use of ScanLife generated QR codes.

The image below (top left) is an in-store billboard, which offers shoppers the ability to scan the code to see customer product reviews and styling ideas for the new line of pants. The top right image shows the mobile site that the scan mentioned above will resolve to. The bottom image shows a direct mail piece, which features a code that resolves to a video interview with a Gap designer, and it also features a discount coupon.


There are a number of positives about this campaign. First, the call to action and offer is certainly of value to the consumer. To provide customer reviews, styling ideas and designer interviews is spot on and all helps to move the consumer through the purchase decision process. Second, the campaign spans many channels/mediums. To fully integrate the campaign from in-store to direct mail to print, etc. makes a great deal of sense and helps to engage with the largest audience possible. Third, Gap takes the time and creative space in the various promotional pieces to inform consumers about the code and how to scan it. Fourth, the resolve sites are mobile optimized. With all of that said, I really can't find much wrong with this campaign. It all seems very well planned and executed.

The one question I do have is in regard to the barcode itself. For some reason Gap decided to use a QR code, as opposed to ScanLife's proprietary EZcode, and I wonder why.

Coming to a supermarket near you...boxes of Kellogg's Special K cereal, which feature a Microsoft Tag. On the back panel of the box, in the lower left hand corner, is a Tag which is accompanied by a block of copy that thoroughly explains the code.


What's different about this campaign is that it is co-branded with Lucky Magazine. Here's how it works...when the Tag is scanned it resolves to a video that shows Lucky Magazine editor at large Elise Loehnen talking about finding figure-flattering jeans. This ties in directly with the company's "Jeans Don't Lie"  campaign, because the premise of the campaign is that by eating Special K for two weeks a person can drop a jean size.

Kellogg's does a great job explaining the code and providing instructions on how to scan the code. Also, the placement of the Tag, the associated copy and the Lucky Magazine logo all work well with the main creative on the back panel. This was not an after thought. 

To date, I have yet to see any co-branded 2D campaigns like this one, but it's my belief that more are on the way. To co-brand a 2D campaign should be no different than co-branding a traditional campaign. When done correctly, as it is here, the customer experience can be truly enhanced and both/all brands can win.

HBO recently launched a three-page magazine advertisement to promote its new series Boardwalk Empire. The ad features a branded QR code which resolves to a mobile page that offers an exclusive trailer of the series...yawn.

Let's talk about content, offer and call to action for a moment. It's one thing for a consumer to stop and take notice of a company's advertisement, and it's quite another if that consumer actually chooses to take the next step and move closer to becoming a paying customer, or viewer in this case. Ad content, offer and call to action will often make the difference between the two, so instead of just offering to show the trailer, which is hardly an original or enticing offer/call to action, why not offer those who scan the code the ability to enter a contest and win a trip to Atlantic City, or an object that might have been used as a prop on the set, or an autographed copy of the original script, etc. Often times, we see 2D campaigns that resolve to nothing of substance, value or benefit and this needs to change. Not that companies need to break the budget and offer outlandish prizes or incentives for scanning a code, but at least be unique and original and provide something that truly enhances the user/mobile experience.

Beyond content, offer and call to action for this particular ad, I question why the code was displayed on the very last page of the three-page spread. Why not have it front and center, relatively speaking? If I'm not hooked by the first or second page, I'm certainly not sticking around to look at the third. And, to know that this is a branded code, why bother? The brand or logo in the code means very little, because all it says is "Empire." While it is great to see a branded code being used in the marketplace the expense is not justified in this particular application. If, if, HBO wanted to do a branded code, at a minimum, I would have designed it to read "HBO Boardwalk Empire" or something to that effect.

Also, the ad tells the reader to "Scan for an exclusive trailer" but it does not tell them what to scan with (i.e., reader app) and how to go about it, so where does that leave the reader? Once again, it's remarkable to see a major brand being lazy with respect to its marketing and advertising. Does HBO believe they need not spend some time and ad space educating and instructing on 2D code use, or are they just as comfortable knowing that only those few who are first adopters of 2D will know how to scan the code? At a time when companies are still struggling to increase revenue and grow a client base, how far can/will this mentality bring them? And, as I have asked before, what could the objectives actually be for a 2D ad like this knowing that full disclosure is not provided.

Lastly, why stop at a print ad? I have seen a number of other channels/mediums used to promote the new series, but only the magazine print ads display the 2D code. For maximum 2D exposure and interaction, the code should be displayed across channels/mediums, and also include the website itself to be fully integrated.

Nine West, the women's fashion shoe company, launched this two-page advertisement in the New York Post last week to promote its Runway Relief campaign. Featured in the ad is a branded barcode which, when scanned, resolves to a behind-the-scenes video and enables the reader to purchase the limited edition boots that are being worn by the models in the advertisement.



As is often the case, Nine West chooses to minimize the explanation of the code and the instructions to make use of it. Why? Are they afraid the added copy will ruin the overall creative of the ad? Do they believe readers who are curious about the code will just learn about or figure out the code on their own? Or, do they just not care and look at it as though they tried a new way to advertise; if it works fine and if it doesn't, oh well, better luck next time?

With the way CMOs are being tasked to explain and justify every spend these days, I don't believe Nine West, or any other company, can produce a 2D campaign and simply leave it to any of the questions/thoughts posed above. It doesn't make sense or, I should say, it makes little sense. If a company goes to such an extreme to put a code in place, why not make the interactive experience as good as it can be for any and all potential users? At a minimum, take the guess work out of figuring out what type of 2D code it is, so a reader of the ad knows which reader app to launch on his/her smart phone.

Recently, I wrote about FOX Broadcasting Company's QR code campaign called FOX Codes, and now that I have seen printed pieces of the campaign I still question its design and execution.

One of the three television programs that are featured in the campaign is Lone Star. Displayed in the lower left hand corner of this magazine ad (see left) is the "FOX Code" and caption "For Smartphones." As a reader of the ad, what am I to think? Regardless of whether or not I have a smart phone, what am I supposed to do? There is no explanation of the code and there are no instructions. And, if I did not have a smart phone, am I just out of luck with respect to being able to make use of the code and benefit in whatever form FOX intended? Or, am I supposed to go to the company's website and search my way through to the Lone Star site to see what I might be missing all because I don't have a smart phone? In any of these scenarios, it does not seem as though FOX is making it easy for readers of the ad to interact via the code.

Also, this is a right page magazine advertisement with a code displayed in the left hand side, which means the code is up against the spine of the publication. Why wouldn't the designer place the code above the time and date icon in the opposite corner, so as a reader thumbs through the magazine there is a better chance that the code will catch his/her eye? I only spotted the code because 1) I am already aware of the campaign and 2) I am purposely looking for 2D codes.

Another printed piece that I have seen is a billboard for the show Glee (see top image below). While it was known that FOX would be utilizing a variety of channels to promote the FOX Code campaign, do they really expect people to scan the code off billboards like this? What? You could not find the QR code. Look in the lower left hand corner. See it now (see bottom image below)?



What was the creative designer/team thinking when designing this billboard? The overall size of the billboard is about 4x6 feet, while the QR code is about 6x6 inches. Surely the creative designer must have known where the billboard would appear (this is on the outside of a bus stop shelter) and, if that's the case, do they really think the code is in an optimal location to 1) be noticed and 2) be easily scanned? Again I only noticed the code because I know to look for it.

My question to FOX...what objectives do you have for this campaign and can they possibly be met given the fact that the code is not the focal point of the creative, there is no call to action on the code and there are no explanations or instructions for the code?

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about a 2D magazine advertisement that Macy's ran, and I wanted to briefly revisit this. Whether you read the article or not, essentially Macy's placed a 2D barcode ad in a women's fashion magazine, and the video that the code in the ad was supposed to resolve to was not completed in time for when the magazine hit the newsstands. The result, a screen error message and "apology" from Macy's, as well as a number of consumers who had a less than optimal 2D interactive experience.

So what did Macy's do? Did they try to fix the scan resolve for others who may come across the magazine ad? Yes, once the video was complete it was properly linked to the code and released for viewing. Did they try to restore consumer confidence, interest and faith in the use of 2D technology? No, not that I am aware of. Why not?

For all of those who scanned the code and could not see a video, why not get their phone numbers from the vendor who provided the code and send them a mobile message (an apology) with an eCoupon for $25 off their next Macy's purchase. Seems pretty basic to me. Company sets an expectation, does not deliver, company works to restore and surpass the original expectation. Isn't that how customers are won? Or look at it from a social advertising (i.e., word of mouth) perspective. Scenario A: consumer scans the code, nothing happens. Consumer tells one or two friends about the bad experience and soon enough a number of potential Macy's customers hear about it and have a negative impression of the retailer, as well as 2D technology. Scenario B: Macy's pro-actively recognizes the situation, sends an apology and a discount coupon to the consumer who could not view the video correctly and the consumer walks away very happy. Consumer tells one or two friends about the experience and the friends are left with a favorable impression of both Macy's and the 2D experience. (Or Scenario C: Macy's does not let the situation happen in the first place, but that was the discussion in the previous article.) Maybe this is a very simplistic way of looking at the whole situation, but which would you rather have at the end of the day, prospective customers walking away and talking with others in a positive light or negative light.

All of this is not 2D barcode marketing, it's basic marketing and customer service. There is no reason for companies to be lazy when it comes to properly executing on 2D because, if they do, all this will serve to do is slow the adoption and acceptance of 2D and defeat the whole purpose of making use of codes in promotional ads in the first place. Then again, maybe companies or marketing departments are just so flush with money these days that they can afford to spend and not have to worry about an ad's ROI, let alone satisfied customers or prospects.

Last week, I noticed a QR code displayed on a ground level billboard that Newmark Knight Frank, a global real estate advisor, had installed in front of one of their New York City retail store properties. The QR code was set in the middle of the billboard and certainly large enough to notice, but there was no copy attached to the code in the way of an explanation or instructions (unfortunately, I did not have my phone with me to capture or scan the image). I found this strange, so, later in the day, I called the company and spoke with the gentleman who was responsible for managing this particular property. I asked him what the checkerboard symbol was on the billboard and all he said was that he himself was not sure. He said that he was not involved with the creation of the billboard, but could find out more if I wanted him to. I said thanks, but no thanks.

Forget for a moment what the QR code resolves to and offers to a person interested in the retail store site, that's not the point of this article, and just think about how ridiculous it is that information about a new and different way a company chooses to advertise and communicate with the public is not provided to the very people in the organization who interact with the public. Why would a company not disseminate this type of information to keep employees in the know? It's like a car manufacturer saying to their dealers, we have all of the information you need to answer a car buyer's questions and sell cars, but we are not going to give it to you. Who wins? Who benefits? No one.

As companies start to make use of 2D in their marketing collateral and promotional literature, etc., they should develop internal communication programs, which need not be elaborate, and simply explain to employees what 2D is all about and how the company plans to make use of it. This way, when asked, employees can be informed and speak intelligently on the subject. How very novel.

Last month, FOX Broadcasting Company announced that they will be using QR codes, known as FOX Codes, to deliver promotional and added show content for FOX fall programming. The FOX codes will appear in outdoor signage, print, on-air and online and, when scanned, they will resolve to mobile websites, which provide insider content, videos, first-look photos, show secrets, cast interviews and more. The FOX Codes will be focused on three shows, Lone Star, Fringe and Glee.

During the past several nights, I have started to see these codes appear on-air in between programs but, for the milliseconds that the code appears, does FOX really believe viewers are going to be able to scan the code. There's just simply not enough time or forewarning to do so. Does FOX's marketing team just assume that everyone has a DVR, Tivo, etc., where viewers will replay the program, pause the screen and scan the code? If this assumption was not enough, it seems as though FOX also makes the assumption that viewers will instinctively know how to scan the code and where to get and download a reader app.

From an online perspective, the 2D campaign is just as bad, or worse. I visited the company's website and there is absolutely no mention of FOX Codes on the corporate home page. I also went to each shows' home page and only for Lone Star did I see a QR code being displayed (below the fold in the lower right corner of the page); the home pages for Glee and Fringe did not have a code anywhere in sight. So how does all of this really deliver an enhanced customer experience, if at all? In my opinion, it doesn't.

It seems as though FOX put more effort into the corporate press release that was distributed last month announcing the QR codes, but a press release is not the way to educate and inform viewers about 2D. While it makes perfect sense for FOX to make use of cross-channel promotion to build awareness of the FOX Code campaign, it seems as though the ball has been dropped in too many places for this to be considered any kind of model for success. And that's also without my seeing any related print ads, because who knows what those look like.

As an aside to all of this, several months ago, I saw an article talking about the CBS Early Show making use of 2D codes as well, but I have yet to see them deployed in any shape or fashion. Why? Not sure.

While there may be a place for 2D codes on television, it all boils down to execution and making certain that it is done correctly. Also, assumptions should not be made at any juncture. And, if the objective is to integrate the campaign through various channels then all of the pieces of the puzzle need to be in place within those channels. Just think best practice.

In writing about 2D barcode use and strategy, I have noticed, and others have mentioned, that there is no forum for individuals who are specifically and directly responsible for the strategic marketing and creative services aspects of 2D/QR to easily find one another and network, as well as to share ideas, thoughts, experiences, best practices, etc. For this reason, I have created and will moderate a new LinkedIn group called 2D/QR Strategy and Creative.

While much has been written here and on other blogs and websites about 2D/QR, what eludes us is commentary from those who are actually calling the shots and allocating the resources to develop 2D/QR campaigns. This, then, is the goal of the group - to get marketing and creative leaders who are branching out into this technology to start talking about it more openly. Not that we all want to know the latest scan rates but, at a minimum, the strategy and thought process behind the ad, campaign or program.

Should you have any comments, suggestions or wish to start a discussion, by all means please join the group on LinkedIn and do so. Thank you.