Shawn Hocking | QRCodesGlobal.com | (808) 854-0661

2012 media kit

The future is now. made up 54% of all mobile phone sales in the US. According to last year’s predictions, Smartphones

Smartphones capturing 50% of overall mobile sales was supposed to happen by the end of 2011. This is

HUGE! Smartphones are penetrating the market fast and deep. Might we soon see the day when feature

phones no longer exist?

So what is your take-away? Can organizations of any kind ignore the growth of Smartphones any

longer? They are quickly becoming a ‘can’t live without’ commodity in consumers’ everyday lives

Businesses must stay at the forefront of this growth – to remain relevant to customers. What is your

organization doing to capture and engage consumers with mobile?

What’s next?

With technology you never know what may come through the door next. Bar codes changed the way the shopping ,

industry worked, and now QR codes are taking bar codes Leaps further to change the way the marketing industry

works.

What are QR codes and how can you use them? The first thing to realize is that QR codes can be as much about utility as they are about marketing. The more your QR code enhances or streamlines the lives of

customers, the more engagement you can expect. As such, the most important step in making your QR

campaign a success is to think clearly about the purpose of your code.

Is the purpose to provide an instructional video, a photo catalog of products, contact information or

product suggestions?

Or are you looking to incentivize mobile purchasing behavior through coupons and loyalty rewards?

What is the advertiser hoping to garner – an email address, social media engagement, a phone call?

Are you seeking to provide information about a single product or about the entire brand line?

The clearer you are about the purpose of your campaign, the easier it will be to discern whether your

goals have been achieved

Why Real World Hyperlinking Is on the Rise!

If there is one thing that can be counted on in

our technological future, it’s that information will

continue to become more widespread, available

and relevant. The Internet will expand from a

network of computers to a network of everything,

with interactivity pre-programmed into nearly

every object we use.

There’s no doubt that QR code traction in the

U.S. is on the rise. Evidence has been shown in

a number of recent market reports, including

a study by Mobio Technologies Inc., which

reported a 9,840% increase in QR code use for

the second quarter of 2011 (compared to the

same time last year).

Even a recent annual report from Gartner, a

market research firm, puts QR codes on the

“slope of enlightenment” when it comes to

mainstream adoption of the technology. Further

adding to the evidence, comScore reported that

in June of this year, more than 14 million

Americans scanned a QR code, representing

more than 6% of the U.S. mobile population.

What is your organization doing to

capture and engage consumers with

mobile?

QRCodeGlobal.com

Shawn Hocking

Creating a Code with us

Several different types of codes are

available in the market, though they all

behave in similar ways. QR codes are

becoming the industry and can be

seamlessly integrated in to your exisiting

product designs or new applications.

For potential customers free code-reader

applications can be downloaded to any

smart phone. About 82 percent of phones

on the market today have camera abilities,

and the number will grow closer to 100

percent in the near future, Ochman says.

Once you have a tag, put it on just about

anything: packaging, ads, posters,

billboards, business cards, signage,

stickers, and your website. Bonterra

Vineyards includes tags on its wine

bottles; Ed Jordan, CEO of JAGTAG, says

he sees them in New York Cityon bus

shelters, phone kiosks, drug store signage,

cocktail napkins and sporting venues.

The more places they appear, the people

are getting used to the easy transition

between the physical and digital worlds.

"Even if you battle and get shelf space, you

really need to differentiate yourself,"

saysJerry Whiting, president and CEO of

Azalea Software, which makes the

QRdvark reader for iPhone and Android.

"As long as you're printing packaging, why

not put a QR on it?"

The key is to be ready on the other end of

the code with some content that actually

intrigues the user, and makes them get

out their phone and scan.

What Content to Offer

A QR code can link to just about anything.

But whatever content you send back to

user must be something worthwhile. "You

need to interact with people in a way

that's going to be interesting and fun,"

Ochman says.

McGuire says consumers don't want to be

bombarded with more brand information

or plain advertising. Customers who scan

the Microsoft Tag on a Bonterra bottle

may be greeted with a recipe, a pairing

suggestion, a coupon, or a holiday video

message.

"It's just up to the brand to be as creative

as the want to be with the tag," she says.

"Then, actually give consumers

information that would enrich every day

life."

Jordan says some companies he's worked

with send slideshows or sweepstakes

entries back to users, while clothing

companies will send fashion tips.

"Anything really that can be presented in a

digital or image format can be returned

back to the consumer," he says.

The codes can be formatted specifically for

contact information so that someone's

phone number and e-mail address are

immediately added to your contacts. In

Japan, foods commonly link to nutritional

information or cooking tips. Sports

Illustrated used a JAGTAG in its swimsuit

issue to link to outtakes from the photo

shoot—which became a big hit with

readers.

"Making it as relevant as possible is

extremely important," says Spyro Kourtis,

CEO and president of The Hacker Group,

a marketing firm based in Seattle that has

been pushing QR codes for its clients (and

has one on its own building). "Just going

to a generic home page is wrong."

Marketing professionals say a common

flaw occurs when companies don't keep

mobile devices in mind when designing

campaigns. The content has to be able to

fit on a phone screen; any video should be

short and to the point.

"You've got 20 seconds playing a video to

convince them you're the hippest thing

since sliced bread," Whiting says.

Change it Up Over Time

Another reason people are falling in love

with 2-D tags: some such as Microsoft

Tags let companies change the content

without altering the tag. A consumer who

scans a tag in a magazine might have a

different experience from a person who

picks up that magazine three months

later. The advertising campaign then turns

into a living, evolving experience.

"A lot of people think they can just put the

bar code on wherever they want and leave

it there," Jordan says. "Lots of campaigns

fail because there's a call to action, and the

call to action is poor."

Bonterra, for instance, alters its outgoing

content to match changing wine varietals

or seasonal pairings. "The options are

unlimited with the tags," McGuire says.

"We can change what's on the back end of

the tag any time."

Create Awareness

QR codes have only hit the American

mainstream in the past year or two, so

people are still learning how to interact

with them. Some experts recommend

including a small icon or text instruction

in your ad campaign to let people know

how to use with the tag.

Other companies are easing into it by

starting with codes that link directly to a

1-800 customer service number or a

mailing list. If your company is in the tech

field, or targets younger markets, that's

probably unnecessary, though. "Most

people who are technologically savvy

recognize the code and know what to do,"

Kourtis says.

Collect and Use the Metrics

Successful campaigns entice consumers to

voluntarily engage with your brand. But

using the tags provides another benefit:

an easy and seamless way to collect

information on potential customers. Tag

systems will track when and where your

code was accessed, what type of phone

was used, and can track repeat visitors.

"You need to collect analytics to justify to

boss why you didn't waste their money,"

Whiting says. "You know whether it

worked or not."

Ochman says the tag systems allow

companies to easily collect phone

numbers and e-mail addresses from

people, then ask whether you can continue

to contact them with information or

offers, and help build them into loyal

clients.

"If that is the case, you have the

opportunity to build your list," she says.

QRCodeGlobal.com

Shawn Hocking

Shawn HockingQRCodesGlobal.com(808) 854-0661

Shawn HockingQRCodesGlobal.com(808) 854-0661

Shawn Hocking | QRCodesGlobal.com | (808) 854-0661

Shawn Hocking | QRCodesGlobal.com | (808) 854-0661

Call today.We will change your tomorrow.