best practices

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2D Barcodes: Critical Mass

May 18, 2011 in Barcodes by Peter Langlois | No comments

How do you know when a new technology reaches a critical mass? Remember when the first flood of iPhone apps started coming down the pike? Even jaded tech veterans acted like kids in a candy store.

There is a similar shift happening with 2D barcodes. The range of factors driving this technology — easy access through smartphones, increasing customer comfort with the new channel, the ability to essentially uncover hidden value — make it clear that in the right environment, there’s a major potential audience seeing a shift in barcodes from holding just pricing information to holding much more.

Here’s one example: THQ’s “Homefront” video game, released this spring, featured no less than 10 hidden QR codes that led users to exclusive content. Even with virtually no promotion, there were tens of thousands of scans, downloads and video views within a few days. The technology was perfectly suited to the nature of the content, not to mention the marketing effort behind. With dynamic linking capabilities, those codes can continue to produce dividends by linking to current promotions as the game maker changes them.

It’s even more fun seeing how these 2D barcodes increasingly play a role in how marketers are engaging consumers online via an offline retail environment. Think about products that have a long shelf life, and a story that changes over time. Gifts that have a seasonal value or wine that’s gradually aging.

Old wine that gets better with age, matched with the newest technology to help its story mature — now that’s a good match.

You can help the new generation of barcodes mature. Even though many people know what to do when they see a barcode, until the technology becomes native to every handset, you may want to coach customers a little: include instructions for downloading a reader and how to scan. We’ve posted some other best practices here. What great use cases are you seeing, and what best practices do those reveal?

We’d also like to hear where you think the tipping points are for mobile barcode adoption.

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Best Practices for a Successful Mobile Barcode Campaign

December 9, 2010 in Barcodes by Peter Langlois | 2 comments

In many ways 2010 has been a great year for mobile barcodes.  There were lots of new companies offering related services, loads of graphic designers including barcodes in ads, and enough campaigns in the market to learn some practical lessons.  If you’re working on a barcode campaign for the first time, here are some best practices that may help you maximize your results:

Assume your audience has never scanned a barcode

  • Many consumers are still not aware of 2D barcodes or how they work.  Be explicit in your marketing materials and tell them what to do, i.e. “scan the barcode with your camera phone.”
  • Also give them directions for what to do if they don’t have a barcode reader – “visit www.getreader.com on your mobile phone now to download a reader” (or whatever app and app download site you prefer).
  • Another option is to include SMS – so if they don’t have a reader tell them to “text CODE to 24286” (whatever you like, get a free barcode reader, download the retailer’s mobile app, participate in campaign and also get a free reader, etc.)  This response is appropriate to the ad’s purpose but also can provide a link to get a barcode reader, or simply imbed a hypertext link within the mobile site to which they are directed.

Keep the barcode design simple

  • Some brands try too hard to come up with clever designs for their barcodes, but they may only work well with one or two scanner types.
  • Keep it simple and make sure the 2D barcode is able to be scanned by many different readers.
  • Make sure the barcode actually works. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised to learn that some companies don’t take the time to test their barcodes. It’s even better if you can do a final scan test on the advertisement before it heads to the printer.

Use a common barcode type

  • Quick Response (QR) and Data Matrix barcodes are the most common and are non-proprietary and built on open source technology.
  • There are other types of 2D barcodes that may work for your needs, so this isn’t a hard fast rule, but there are plenty of readers that recognize QR and Data Matrix codes.  Even notable retailers are building QR readers into their branded mobile apps.

Be mindful of how the barcode will be printed

  • Give explicit instructions to graphic designers and printers so that the printed barcode can be easily scanned and read.
  • Avoid glossy paper or materials as they often create glare or reflections that can make getting a good scan difficult.
  • Consider the size. Renu Mobile, for example, has done a lot of testing on the ideal size of mobile barcodes.  They’ve recommended a minimum barcode size of .85 inch by .85 inch and 100dpi (enlargeable to 300dpi and perhaps more) for the best scans.
  • Test the barcode with several scanners before your ad goes to print.

Ensure a rewarding experience

  • Think about what’s in it for the consumer. If you assume your audience has never scanned before, reward them well for engaging your company in this way.
  • Entertain them or give them something else of value or else it may be a while before you see them scan again.
  • Unless it makes sense for some really good reason, don’t send them to your home page for information.  If you do, make sure the site is optimized for the best viewing on an array of mobile devices.

It only takes one bad experience to turn a consumer off and associate the negative experience with your brand. By implementing these simple best practices, you can avoid some common mistakes and ensure a good experience for the end user that will have them coming back for more.

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