FAQ #7 - What is a QR Code?

The holidays are upon us, and you've probably been bombarded with advertisements. Marketing shines this time of year with retailers spending record amounts to get consumers into their doors this holiday season. Coupons, sales, deals, freebies... anything to get you to shop at their store for all your gifts. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media are proving their worth and becoming more and more important as part of a successful marketing campaign. Another thing retailers have been using is QR codes. You may have seen them, but what are they, and what can you use them for? That's this week's FAQ:

What is a QR code?

Quite simply, a QR code is a matrix barcode. Unlike traditional barcodes, it's two dimensional, allowing for more data to be encoded. You can put a website URL or text to be decoded and viewed on a mobile phone with a barcode reader.

So what's the big deal?

QR codes open the door for a variety of different interactive marketing campaigns. Not only do they allow marketers to get precise data on the effectiveness of these marketing campaigns, but they also are fun for users. Imagine seeing a product at the store, scanning the QR code on it, and immediately finding more information or reviews. You could also have a QR code post a tweet with an image of the product, so users can tweet what they have their eye on for Christmas. Or, a single coupon mailing that would allow you to change the coupon's value without having you re-print the QR code.

QR codes have been found in magazines, newspapers, on products, even on billboards. They have even been used on business cards. How easy would it be to just scan a QR code and then add all of their information into your address book on your phone? By captivating your audience with a QR code, your advertisement suddenly has more of an impact than traditional print media.

If you have any additional questions about QR codes, or how you can implement them into your future marketing campaigns, contact us at Avallo. We can help get you on the right track and keep you one step ahead of your competition.