Sunday, July 20, 2008

QR Code Ad (A Poor Example)

Yet another full page newspaper ad (from last month actually, 6/15/08 on United Daily News) from GigaHouse that uses QR Codes for real estate advertisements. This time, there are a whopping 64 QR Codes to be found on the page. However the barcodes' usability has not yet been improved, they are still dense and consist of small module size (due to the long URLs that they encode). End users equipped with auto-focus camera phones such as the HTC Touch Diamond or Asus P750 might have a chance of decoding those barcdoes, but even then they will be disappointed because the target website are mostly not configured properly for mobile phones This is probably one of the most frustating things a QR Code can do to an eager user because it means that one could have potentially wasted their time & effort (in scanning the code), and money (for mobile data rates) on a completely useless piece of information. It is probably still a learning process for advertisers wanting to incorporate 2D barcodes into their marketing materials because they might be unfamiliar with the technology's limitations and capabilities. Personally, I think that 64 barcodes on a page is a little too much. I think that mobile barcodes work best when used sparingly, because it is easier to catch the reader's eyes and prompt actions based on their curiousity. 64 barcodes? Might be a bit too scary for some people.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Buy Tickets With QR Codes

Tickets for Air Supply's concert in Taiwan a couple of weeks ago could be purchased via 2D barcodes on their event posters (the photo depicts one poster spotted in the MRT station). The tickets were sold by the largest online tickets vendor ERA. Users need to be ERA members and download the QuickMark barcode reader to participate. Users that purchased tickets via this new method (scanning the QR Code) were treated to price discounts and better seats. Personally, I wish this offer was available for Namie Amuro's concert back in April or for more artists that are popular among a younger audience :)

Sunday, July 6, 2008

QR Code Marketing

QR Code mobile marketing materials from last year (2007). It was a 7 month trial run by a Taiwanese marketing company to distribute these booklets (free) loaded with advertising using QR Codes.

Posted by PicasaAfter the end of the trial, they merged their efforts into a different booklet that is distributed for free at various convenience stores in Taiwan.