You've left us really enthused about the whole digital dimension and we're looking forward to developing our plan with your support. Simon Beardow - Deputy Director, British Council, Vietnam
Want to capture the attention of those busy commuters and convince them to shop with you? Here's what Tesco did in Korea, redefining the meaning of 'grocery shopping' for today's generation.
Using Smartphone technology it is providing QRCodes for items. A quick scan of a mock supermarket shelf (the poster version) puts the product into the virtual shopping basket. Once the shopping list is complete he or she pays for it online and the products are delivered to the home.
No more standing in Supermarket queues and being kneecapped by errant trolleys for these savvy shoppers. The virtual grocery stores are to be found in subway stations and similar location where traffic is heaviest.
Here's a couple of products with similarities. Both seek to merge online with offline connections to create a visually appealing product; in this case the combination of a snazzy bracelet with QR Codes.
Symbol - Cash Flow: Liking your work, not working to live
QRLiving connects you online through a wearable QR code and does so automatically; not a word needs to be uttered by either party.
Whether this idea will kill the art of conversation stone dead is a moot point. The downside of this adornment is that it requires the user to sign up to yet another network, rather than building on existing social profiles.
I am also not that keen on the rubbable symbols that adorn the side of each wrist band but maybe these are designed to appeal to a much younger market.
By comparison, Skanz, while linking together QR codes with mobile technology, social media and fashion allows the wearer to make full use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ social profiles. As they put it "wearing the web".
They are also cleverer than their opposition, encouraging prospects to sign up as product Ambassadors.
The use of two dimensional codes is growing and QR Codes are being used by people in greater numbers. A recent study by Forrester Research found that 5% of adults use 2D codes compared to 1% the previous year.
Forrester also found that too few eBusiness professionals use best practices to offer consumers good experiences once they've scanned a bar code.
Maybe part of that "good experience" could be to give away a free QR Code bracelet?
If you are nor familiar with this image then you are perhaps not alone.
It is a QR Code ® and this one is for thedigitalconsultant blog's URL.
Such coding will becoming increasingly obvious on magazines and as prevalent as the barcode which appears on most products.
A 1994 Japanese invention, the QR Code is a two dimensional code (matrix code) which you can read on mobile phones that have a camera, smart phones and dedicated QR scanners.
The beauty of it is that you can encode text, site URLs, and other data that you wish to share.
The QR code (its name is short for quick response) was developed to promote quick identification and processing.
They have moved quickly from being a geeky novelty to an item that should be included in all digital channel communciations and deployment.
Source: Global Graphica
With the rapid deployment of smart phones expect Q Codes to be increasingly used in all forms of advertising - on buildings, buses, print material and even on business cards.
Even shopping will be quicker. Imagine you are reading an article in a magazine and you spot a QR Code.
All you need to do is get your phone with its free QR scanning software and scan in the QR code. One quick scan and you are instantly transported to the relevant website to get additional information. Simple - no keyboarding required.
So how do you go about creating Q Code for you company or personal use? The answer is very simple using this free tool from Kaywa.
Source: Kaywa.com
Those industries who rely on handscanners can use Q Codes to revolutionise their businesses and the scanner process will be considerably cheaper than the hardware currently in use. A cellphone with a camera is all that is needed.
Here is an example of QR Codes being used in the manufacture of electronics and if you would like to learn more about the technical side of this data encoding system I would recommend a visit to QR Code.com.
