2D Bar Code Strategy

Rarely, do I write about any one company more than once, but when it comes to AT&T, I simply can't seem to help myself. Maybe it's because I am continually astounded by the way the company chooses to execute its own QR Code-based ad campaigns. Here's the latest.

In the current issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, I spotted this AT&T print ad, which displays a QR Code in the lower left-hand corner of the page (sorry for the poor image quality).
     
After scanning the code, I'm linked to the desktop version of the company's main website. Did I just write that? Yup. Here's a company, a major global (technology) brand at that, that markets and sells mobile bar code services, yet they don't seem to fully understand the best practices behind the use of such technology. Makes a great deal of sense doesn't it? Why doesn't the QR Code link to a mobile web page/site?


Granted the scan resolve takes you to a page with a large infographic but, even so, everything else on the page is for desktop viewing and clicking, which is not ideal.

Because this ad is B2B focused, I can only imagine business people who scan the code, go to the desktop website and think this is the way a code-based campaign is supposed to work. Boy are they in for an awakening, one that I'm not so sure AT&T's mobile bar code team is so willing to point out, let alone knows about in the first place.

And, to add insult to injury, how does AT&T intend to generate B2B sales leads from this ad? There are no lead capture/generation mechanisms on the scan resolve page. Wow, someone on AT&T's marketing/business development/creative team certainly earned their paycheck with this one.

If there is a silver lining in the AT&T saga it's this, the company seems to have finally given up on its own proprietary code reader app. Brilliant.

2D Bar Code Strategy Litmus Test: FAIL