2D Bar Code Strategy

In one article or trend report after another, two reasons are often used to explain why consumers might be slow to accept, and ultimately adopt, 2D barcode technology. The first reason has to do with the fact that there is no universal 2D barcode reader app, and the second reason has to do with the fact that a 2D barcode reader app must be downloaded in order for a code to be scanned. Here's why neither of these reasons hold much water (in my opinion).

First, in a recent study by The Neilsen Company, Apple iOS users had an average of 48 apps on their mobile device and Android users had an average of 35 apps on their mobile device. Of the 48 and 35 apps, respectively, I would wager that consumers have more than one app for news, more than one app for finance, more than one app for games, more than one app for social networking, more than one app for entertainment, travel, dining, etc., etc., so, why should it matter that there is no one (i.e., universal) 2D barcode reader app? To scan the vast majority of 2D barcodes in today's marketplace, all a consumer needs is a QR Code reader app and a Microsoft Tag reader app. Two apps out of 25, 30, 35, 40, etc., what's the big deal? If, however, the argument is that without a universal code reader app consumers would not know which app to use to scan a particular code and then they would simply not bother scanning, then I believe the real issue is with the advertisers. Advertisers should, as best practice, inform consumers which reader app is needed to scan the code used in their ads. At this early stage in the game, where codes are just starting to enter the mainstream, consumers should not have to figure out or guess which app to use on their own. Advertisers need to step up in this area.

Second, last I checked, a consumer needed to search, locate and download the app for Facebook, The New York Times, ESPN, Fandango or any other application that they were interested in prior to use so, why should it be any different for 2D barcodes? Yes, the process of searching, locating and downloading an app may be a hassle but, here too, if the advertiser is able to help the consumer the hassle becomes less so. Also, once the app is loaded the job is done. It's not as if this is a recurring issue or problem to contend with each and every time a consumer wishes to scan a code.

So much of 2D and mobile is based on the consumer/user experience, and advertisers must understand this and be willing to take the lead here, or else 2D barcode adoption will most certainly suffer. Let's not get lazy and blame it on the code reader apps or, even worse, the consumer.

For the past couple of months, the U.S. Postal Service has been running this print advertisement, which features a QR Code. The ad promotes the USPS's priority mail flat rate shipping option and ties in with other marketing channels, namely television. 

If there is to be a model for how to properly develop and implement a 2D campaign this would be one of them. From the call to action to the descriptive/instructional copy to the simple-to-use mobile website that's linked to the code, the USPS has thoroughly thought this campaign through and offers consumers, as well as businesses, an easy way to learn more about, and experience, the priority mailing option.


The one comment I do have about the campaign is that on the mobile website the contact form defaults to "at work" and not "at home." If a consumer skips this step they might not realize why an error message keeps coming up saying that "some fields are missing required data." A radio button or check box for the at home/at company option should have been considered.

On another note, you may find this campaign from the USPS of interest, it's called the 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion.

2D Barcode Litmus Test: PASS

MonoSol, a water-soluble delivery systems company, recently launched a B2B print advertisement using a QR Code. Questions to the company's marketing team and/or agency: How do you plan to generate qualified sales leads through the QR Code if the code simply resolves to the company's main website? Was the code placed in the ad to help generate sales leads and, if not, then why is it there?

Strategically, tactically, what have you, it appears as though little or no thought has gone into this campaign, and the company and/or its agency has placed a 2D code just for the sake of doing so. If that is the case it's a shame, because there are some very easy ways for businesses to make use of 2D codes for sales lead generation purposes, all it takes is some thought and consideration.
  

What also strikes me about this campaign is that although the company bills itself as "the world leader in the water-soluble delivery systems market," the company has no mobile web presence. The company only has and makes use of a desktop version of its website. Not to single MonoSol out, but there are a number of  "market leaders" or "world leaders" who still have yet to establish a true mobile web presence, so the thought and/or question that goes through my mind is, how much of a leader can they really be in today's marketplace with no mobile presence or exposure? Just asking.

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL

Without even scanning the QR Code is this advertisement from Lending Tree, I can tell this campaign will fail the 2D Barcode Litmus Test. Why? How? Look at the QR Code that the company and/or its agency placed in the advertisement. Sure the code is large enough to be scanned, but it is also much too dense. I tried about six different reader apps on this code and two worked, but only after some time trying (i.e., it took longer than 10 seconds).



So, what's going on? My hunch is that the company has placed a number of similar ads with codes and they want to track back each ad accordingly. Great that the company wants to track and measure response rates in this manner, but if consumers can't scan the code to begin with then there ain't going to be a whole lot to track and measure on the back end.


Although there are a number of other issues with this campaign which place it in the fail category, let's stay focused on the code itself. The URL that was used to generate this code is as follows: http://offers.lendingtree.com/splitter/splitter.ashx?id=print&promo=00326&loan_type=2&source=5609720&esourceid=5609720&800num=1-800-555-8733&AdType=2. This URL should have been put through a URL shortener and the shortened URL should then have been used to generate the final code. By simplifying the URL, the code will be less dense and thus easier for a code reader app (i.e., consumer) to scan. Why the company and/or its agency was not aware of this best practice I am uncertain, but the real question to ask is, how did the company test this code/ad? What was the methodology there, which indicated that this campaign was ready for launch?

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL

As the adage goes, we learn from our mistakes. If you represent a company or agency that is interested in using 2D barcode technology, perhaps I can help you learn how to successfully develop and implement a 2D-based strategy or campaign without having to experience the trials and tribulations, as well as the expense and embarrassment, of making mistakes. 

While reading the corporate blog of a full-service interactive agency, I came across the paragraph below in a post about 2D barcodes and how to use them. "The first step for businesses is to choose which barcode you would like to create. The second step is to create the barcode. Company X has created barcodes for a number of clients and offers the service through our Mobile division. The third step is to publish the barcode electronically or physically print it on marketing materials. A barcode could also be printed on a sticker or insert to be mailed or included with a product. The last step, and possibly most important, is measuring the campaign through analytics."

Although this is a very simplified set of instructions, do you see what's missing? There is absolutely no mention of strategic or tactical goals and/or objectives, as they relate to the campaign, the 2D barcode, the call to action, the offer, the incentive, the scan resolve content, the mobile devices used to scan, the target audience, the user experience, etc., etc. In my mind, all of this is much more important than "measuring the campaign through analytics." If the strategy and tactics of the campaign are not properly addressed upfront, during the planning stage and before choosing the type of 2D barcode to use, then there won't be any analytics worth measuring and the point becomes moot.

While I do not wish to make any generalizations, if the paragraph above accurately represents how companies and agencies think about 2D then it should come as no real surprise that many of their 2D-based campaigns fall short or fail outright. It is imperative for companies and agencies to do their homework, take their time and invest as needed in order to craft a truly winning 2D-based campaign. And, by winning, I mean a campaign that achieves its strategic and tactical goals and/or objectives however they may be defined.

Published in the March/April issue of the International Prepress Association's (IPA) Bulletin is an article I wrote about the right way for companies to start using 2D barcodes. Read the article here (see page 32-33).

Farmland Dairies uses a QR Code to help promote its line of milk products. This print advertisement was found in last Sunday's newspaper coupon circular.


The call to action/scan instructions tell the consumer to "Scan this QR code with your mobile phone for mouthwatering recipes on Facebook." Where shall I begin. First, to use the term "mobile phone" is incorrect or, shall I say, not specific enough. The reader of the ad must use a smart phone to read the QR Code, a feature phone will not work. If the company wanted to reach all consumers, regardless of phone type, then they should have provided a text code. Second, the scan resolve links to a Facebook page, which requires the reader of the ad to either already have a Facebook account or be willing to open an account to see the recipes indicated in the call to action. Why make this a requirement? Why make the reader jump through this hoop? Third, if the reader of the ad did not want to jump through the Facebook hoop there is no other way for them to link to the company's main website to learn more about the company and its products. A bit shortsighted, especially when there is so much valuable and interesting content on the main website to share.


What I also don't fully understand about this ad is that it appeared in a coupon circular, but there is no discount offer made. Hmmm. What's that about? Why not offer an incentive to purchase, if in fact that's what the company wants to do (i.e., acquire new customers, strengthen ties with existing customers).

Overall, not a tremendous amount of thought in this campaign. Too bad.

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL

The New York Philharmonic dropped a new direct mail campaign, which features a QR Code. The objective of the mailer is to raise interest in and awareness of the 2011-12 season and to offer consumers the chance to win a new iPad2 in the process.

Through the mailer, a consumer has one of three ways to request information and enter a chance to win an iPad2. The first way is to fill out and mail back the postage-paid reply card. The second way is to scan the QR Code and fill out the requested contact information that appears on the scan resolve landing page. The third way is to go directly to the URL address that is provided on the mailer.  


The campaign is very straight forward and the Philharmonic makes it very simple to understand the call to action and the potential reward for taking such action. The only drawback that I see, as it relates to the scan resolve, is that a consumer has no ability to touch (click) their way to the Philharmonic's main website. The only touch link that is provided on the landing page is via the logo of the Philharmonic's corporate sponsor, which is Credit Suisse. When Credit Suisse's logo is touched the consumer is brought to the bank's main website.

While I understand the campaign's objective (i.e., to drive requests for additional information, raise awareness, etc.), why not allow consumers to view information when they want, where they want (i.e., on their mobile device)? Why make consumers wait for the mail to be delivered? Besides, some consumers might wish to learn more about the Philharmonic, but have no interest in trying to win a new iPad2. Thus, there is no need to fill out the contact form.

From a strategic perspective, I believe the organization utilizes and integrates the QR Code well. From a tactical perspective, just a minor tweak or two.

2D Barcode Litmus Test: PASS

Poland Spring launched a new out-of-home campaign, which features a QR Code. This billboard was spotted on the side of a New York City newspaper kiosk, and others have been seen on the sides of telephone kiosks.


With no other instructions and/or descriptive copy associated with the QR Code than "Snap it!" it seems as though the company is clearly targeting early adopters of the technology. When the code is scanned, the reader of the ad is brought to a landing page, which provides a 1-800 telephone number that can be called to order home delivery of the company's bottled water. What strikes me about the scan resolve is that, when I first spotted the billboard, and scanned the code, the code linked to another landing page altogether. On that landing page, the reader of the ad could have selected from a couple of order options and placed an order for home delivery right then and there.


From the looks of it, it seems as though the company is testing one scan resolve versus another (i.e., one landing page versus another), which is great to see, as most other advertisers never seem to make it this far in their "experimentation" with 2D technology. While I would have liked to have seen more instruction and/or descriptive copy surrounding the QR Code, as well as a more compelling call to action and/or offer (i.e., first month free, $25 off, etc.), testing in this manner makes up for it, as this is such a critical strategic component to the effective and long-term use of 2D barcodes. Hopefully, I can speak with a representative of the company to learn more about the campaign.

2D Barcode  Litmus Test: PASS

Recently, Mobio Identity Systems published a report which stated, "mobile barcode scanning increased by 4,549 percent in the first quarter of 2011 on a year-over-year basis." Other companies, such as ScanLife and Microsoft, have also reported similar findings (i.e., percentage growth rates in the hundreds or thousands), but what does all of this really mean? Before trying to answer the question, let's consider the following scenario.

Suppose in March 2011, I scanned only one barcode and in April 2011, I scanned 46 barcodes. That would equate to a 4,500 percent increase in scan activity. So, if I as one person could drive a number like that, does that mean that Mobio's report was based on a single person making scans? Of course not, but Mobio, as well as the others, never seem to divulge the numbers from which the percentages are derived (i.e., in the scenario above the 1 and  46 scans). In my mind, it seems as though it would be a lot more useful to know the actual number of individuals making scans from one time period to another than to know a percentage amount.

While it is not my intention to punch holes in the work that has gone into compiling the data and publishing these trend reports, I do believe the right number, the more accurate number, the more telling number, should be reported, as opposed to somewhat baseless percentages. No one is a bigger fan, advocate, evangelist for barcodes than I am, but failure to view the barcode industry and its trends on real numbers reminds me of the dot-com bubble, and we all know how that turned out.

From one day to the next, from one week to the next, from one month to the next, whenever I walk past a local New York Sports Club I cannot help but notice the billboard in the health club's window promoting the latest membership sale. Question to the company's marketing team: If everyday there is some sort of sale being offered doesn't the sale price then become the everyday price? And, if that's the case, then when is there actually a sale or what actually constitutes a sale?

I know this topic does not relate to 2D barcodes, but it is a strategic marketing question that I thought was worth asking. Is "discounting" membership from one month to the next the only way to lure people into the club and to possibly encourage or motivate them to join? Are there no other features or benefits of the health club that can be promoted?

To take this one step further, what about companies that promote discounts of 40%, 50%, 60% off of the everyday price of their merchandise? Do they ever think what a consumer makes of this type of offer? When I see a sign with a discount at these levels, I wonder how much I am getting ripped off paying full price and how ridiculous the mark-ups are to begin with. Sometimes, I even go out of my way not to purchase a product from a company that uses this type of pricing tactic or strategy, because it just reinforces the excessive levels of mark-up.

Yes, price plays an important part of the sales cycle and purchase decision, but so does engagement, interaction and brand experience. Instead of relying on price to drive consumer interest from one moment to the next, maybe the company should work to promote the brand/product/service experience.

Just a thought to share.

Disney Parks recently launched this eight-page print campaign in Real Simple magazine, which makes use of Google Goggles (GG).  Lots to discuss here.


First, when the last page of the ad is scanned using GG, the reader is provided with three options to choose from: 1) Dream Portraits - Behind-the-Scenes, 2) Walt Disney World Resorts and 3) Wall-E. Touching on the fist option brings the reader of the advertisement to a mobile website that offers information and videos on the creation of the Annie Leibovitz images, which are used in the print ad. Touching on the second option, the reader is brought to a Google search page, which has "Walt Disney World Resorts" as its first search result. Touching on the third option, the reader is brought to another Google search page, which has "Wall-E DVD" as its first search result. Questions to the mighty Walt Disney marketing team: What do Pirates of the Caribbean 4 character images have to do with Disney Parks? Why link readers to a search results page if options two and three are selected? What does the Wall-E DVD have anything to do with Disney Parks and/or Pirates of the Caribbean 4? A lot of messages and themes going on here and while I realize all of the Disney movie characters and theme rides reside at the Disney Parks, the signal being sent is just not clear.



Second, from a 2D barcode perspective, why place the instructions for using GG on the bottom of the very last page of the spread (see last image below)? For all intents and purposes, I was done with this ad by the fourth or fifth page. It's only because I happened to notice the GG icon on the last page (and know what it stood for) that I bothered to take a further look. In actuality, I should have ignored it, because this campaign is simply not worth the effort, especially if GG is not already installed on one's mobile device.


Third, there is no call to action, no value, no real benefit for a reader of the ad to engage with it. You want to get a reader to a park, give them an incentive like a travel package discount, something, anything. There is none of that here.


Fourth, why use GG, as opposed to a 2D barcode? Is there something that GG can offer or deliver for Disney and its prospective customers that a 2D barcode can't? Judging from the ad's interactive experience it certainly does not seem that way. Is Disney making use of GG anywhere else, like in the parks, hotels, etc.?


In summary, I can't imagine the cost of this ad versus the expected ROI. With so much potential to make for a truly engaging interactive/mobile experience, Disney does not deliver with this campaign. Better luck perhaps with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean 4. 

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL

This afternoon, KCBS Radio in San Francisco interviewed me about the barcode article, which ran in The New York Times last week. Have a listen.

NOTE: If you see a blank space below, click or touch on the space and the audio file will play. 

Hormel, the company that brings us SPAM and a number of other brand name meat products, has placed a QR Code in a Sunday newspaper coupon circular. When the code is scanned, the consumer is brought to a 30-second YouTube video, which provides a quick food recipe using Hormel products. Simple, yes. Remarkable brand/mobile/2D experience, not really.  

While it makes perfect sense for a food company to offer a recipe via the scan, it makes less sense that the company does not leverage all of the useful and valuable information that is already being provided on the company's website. Why not develop a mobile site and build it out with the content (e.g., company, brand, product, retail locator, healthy eating, social responsibility, etc.) that already exists? Yes, the company could even keep the 30-second recipe video and post that to the mobile site as well.  


Stepping away from content, it's good to see that Hormel provided a URL address next to the code for those who may not have a smartphone, yet want to still learn more about the product.

This is the first use of QR Codes that I have seen from Hormel, so they are probably in an experimental phase, but even so, I get a sense that they have not fully thought through the strategic capabilities and user experience, as they relate to 2D technology. Push the creative envelope a bit and let's not be so lazy or tight with the purse strings. You have to spend money to make money, the trick is just doing so wisely.  

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL

In today's New York Times, business reporter Elizabeth Olson writes about the use of 2D barcodes by Home Depot and Lowe's. Ms. Olson was kind enough to include some of my comments in the piece. Read the article here.

On April 28, ScanLife began a new campaign called the "ScanLife Barcode Jackpot." To promote the campaign, ScanLife sent this email to subscribers on their email distribution list and, perhaps, others received the email as well.

To enter and play the Barcode Jackpot, subscribers are instructed to first open or download the ScanLife code reader app on their mobile phone, and then to scan the UPC code found on cans and bottles of Coke or Pepsi. The more scanning a person does the greater the odds that they will have a winning scan which, in return, entitles that person to a gift card from a major retailer like Best Buy, Macy's, Amazon, etc.

I have been trying to look at this campaign as objectively as possible, but I just don't get it. From Coke and Pepsi's perspective, what good does a campaign like this do them? Nothing in the email states that a can or bottle of soda has to be bought in order for someone to participate in the Barcode Jackpot. So, what's in it for Coke and Pepsi? Are they really in need of that much more product/brand recognition? From an individual's perspective, I would like to believe that they have more to do with their time then to search out cans and bottles of Coke or Pepsi to scan their UPC codes all day long. And, for what? A gift card of which no dollar amount is discussed or provided. From the retailer's perspective, all I see is that they are on the hook to provide a gift card. I wonder what it cost them to get involved in a campaign like this, if there was an expense at all.

Judging from comments on ScanLife's corporate blog, it seems as though the campaign had a rough start and the company had to make some modifications to the Barcode Jackpot with respect to size and type of products that can be scanned. But I am particularly amused by a comment made on the blog on May 3, which reads, "Interesting….closely resembles an email I sent Scanlife a late last year but in discussion for a partnership…oh, well, thanks for doing the work (particularly the consumer participation/adoption test) for us! When our platform debuts we will certainly site your “flash-in-the-pan” efforts in our feasibility recommendation!" What's that all about?

In summary, it seems as though this campaign is all about scanning for the sake of scanning. No real value or benefit to the consumer. A gift card, yes, it has a monetary value, but how much time is one willing to spend scanning not knowing what lies in the balance? Are we talking about a $20 gift card or a $200 gift card? Also, it surprises me that ScanLife would focus this campaign on UPC codes, as opposed to 2D barcodes. Maybe there is some mysterious objective the company hopes to achieve via this campaign, I'm just at a loss to figure it out.

Last month, PSFK held their annual conference here in New York and, if you recall, I was invited to join a panel on the subject of "Mobile Tagging." I have been waiting for the video of the panel discussion from PSFK but, for some reason, it has yet to be released. So, without further ado, I wanted to follow up and provide some comments and observations.

The conference attracted about 300-400 people and was considered by PSFK to be a sell out. Those in the audience consisted of marketers, creatives, technologists and others from a whole host of brands, agencies and everything in between. On the "Mobile Tagging" panel was Patrick Donnelly (Founder, QRArts), Carlos LaMadrid (Chief Brand Officer, Woman's Day), Robin Lanahan (Director of Marketing, Microsoft Tag) and myself. Piers Fawkes, the co-founder of PSFK, moderated the discussion. Also discussing mobile tagging in a separate presentation was John Puterbaugh (CEO, Nellymoser).

First, some general observations. Microsoft Tags were displayed on all name badges. When scanned, the Tag provided an individual attendee's contact information. PSFK sent an email the day or two before the event to all attendees announcing the use of Microsoft Tags, and encouraged attendees to download the Tag Reader app. By the looks of the amount of scanning that was going on all day, I wonder 1) if people paid much attention to the email and/or 2) if people really cared to go through the motion of scanning. The only time that attendees did actively scan was during the opening presentation when Mr. Fawkes asked people to scan the Tag on the name badge of the person sitting next to them. When I exchanged scans with a person from American Express sitting next to me, they said that it was their first time scanning a 2D code. Knowing the make up of the audience, I found this to be a bit surprising. I would be curious to hear from PSFK and learn how many people actually scanned Tags for the day.

In addition to the name badges, Microsoft Tags were also used in the event program. Next to each speaker's name and photo was a Tag, and these resolved to a page on the PSFK website, which provided a full speaker's bio. Here too, I did not see many scanning the event program.

Although PSFK made an attempt to prepare attendees for the display and use of Tags, could or should anything else have been done to boost scan rates? In this environment (i.e., non sales related), does it matter? If I was Microsoft I would think so, regardless. A missed opportunity, perhaps.

Second, the panel discussion itself. If memory serves, as I was unable to take notes, Mr. Fawkes began by asking some very straightforward questions about the use of mobile tags and what the technology meant for the brand and the customer experience. From there, we spoke about mobile tagging best practices and before we knew it our 15-20 minutes were up. A brief session, yes, but I believe the panel members were able to hit home some keys points about what and what not do to when thinking about using mobile tags. I very much liked an answer given by Mr. LaMadrid in response to a question on best practices. He said, companies should look at the marketing campaign backwards and build from there. Meaning, once you know what you want your consumer to experience via the mobile tag, you can work backwards from there and build the campaign in such a fashion that the end game is achieved. Instead of "building it and they will come," the idea is to first ask why will they want to come and/or what do we want to achieve and then let's build it. A slight difference, yes?

With Microsoft Tag being a major sponsor of the event, the panel talked enough about their product, as opposed to QR Codes, or any other 2D barcode for that matter, but I suppose what's fair is fair. I don't believe the audience minded all that much, because a great deal of what we were speaking about I gather was new or relatively new to most of them.

Overall, it was a very worthwhile event, filled with a number of very interesting and informative speakers. My biggest take away with respect to mobile tagging was that many people within the fields of marketing and creative are still learning about the technology and how best to apply it. The tipping point has not yet been reached.

(To Piers and his team, thank you again for the invitation and opportunity.)

Recently, Glamour magazine announced the use of SnapTags in its upcoming September issue. SnapTags work like QR Codes and Microsoft Tags in that they link consumers between the printed world and the digital world but, instead of instantly making the link, consumers need to take a picture of the SnapTag, email or text it to a special address and then wait for a reply email which contains a link to the intended content. A circuitous process, yes, but theoretically any mobile device with a camera can be used to access the content.

The idea behind the use of the SnapTags is that they will be placed in a variety of advertisements throughout the issue and, when a reader scans a tag, which triggers a "like" on Facebook, they will be rewarded with a special offer. Through this campaign, Glamour hopes to help advertisers in the issue raise their social media status/presence and advertisers that get involved hope to raise product awareness and sales.  

Here's another one for the FAIL pile.

Sent to me by Erik Goldhar at QRe8, this photograph shows a real estate sign that features a QR Code. What? Can't see the code? Well, if you were walking down the street and got on your hands and knees and looked in the bottom right hand corner of the sign, you'll see the QR Code. Question to Forest Hill, the real estate firm that placed the sign, with the code just inches above the ground, who do you suppose is going to make the effort to stop, drop and scan the code, and why?


As noted in an article last week, 2D-based advertising is all about the user experience, before, during and after the scan. Clearly Forest Hill does not understand the concept of user experience, especially as it relates to 2D. Maybe the firm should take a page from the ClikBrix (a QRe8 company) playbook to 1) better serve their target audience and 2) derive greater value/return from their marketing efforts.

Regardless of where the scan resolve takes you, it seems as though Forest Hill wants to show itself as being a forward-thinking real estate firm, by making use of the QR Code. That may be all well and good, but if you look at the firm's corporate website you'll see that it needs to be modernized and given a facelift. In my mind, there is a definite disconnect between the corporate image presented on the website and the idea of wanting to be perceived as forward-thinking.

Based on what I see, it seems as though this firm views marketing on a tactical basis, getting things done as needed, when needed, as opposed to really looking at the situation from an overall strategic perspective. Big difference and a topic for a whole other conversation.

Lastly, going back to the use of the QR Code...where is the descriptive copy, where is the call to action, etc., etc.? Its all been said before. 

2D Barcode Litmus Test: FAIL