[Hilton]

Fantastic toy, I cant leave it alone.

So long as you have a smart phone you can scan the bar code to reveal a web site, offer, information or what ever.

some of you that are not so techi (like me,) have been probably wondering (as I have) what are these strange funny looking grey pixalated boxes that seem to be cropping up everywhere on ad's and in newspapers and magazines, use your smart phone to reveal whats in them. All the rage in Japan apparently.

The uses for these are endless,     

[Colin Day]

I was thinking about adding these bar codes to my leaflets.... Just after I ordered them and they'd gone in to print....

[wynne jones]

Hilton, what's the uptake like?

Great idea but still a lot of people don't have smart phones and even less know what they are/have an app to decipher them. Think though it will be something that does catch on  once the masses are clued up. 

[Allan Simmons]

We use them on the reorder label on the retail products, takes you to the checkout with two in the basket  .  Not been using long, about five or six weeks so not had anything come through yet.  As Wynne says it's a slow burn but get em out now and hopefully when everyone seen it as the next best thing it will be there ready.

[Hilton]

Not done anything with it yet apart from playing around, but put on your leaflets with an offer and it would be interesting to see what the response is like, These will be every where soon ,

If you want to play with making your own up and you have a smart phone, TRY THIS   www.qurify.com/en/
Just put your message in the box and click qurify,,,, It will then generate a QR bar code.

hold your smart phone up to the screen it will scan it and your message will appear on your phone.   bloody clever stuff .

By the way you have to down load a QR code scanner app to your phone first, you can do this for Free.

Believe me if I can do it anyone of you can,  I strongly believe you will need to have these as part of your marketing and information services in the near future, so play around and have fun  

[wynne jones]

Good link Hilton. 

[Jay JCS]

They're spreading!

I've seen them in estate agents windows, and also on Vans.

Here's one of mine!  

[Robert Watson]

  Nice one Jay. I think they will catch on.
Last week I past a shop with a poster saying. Three hour`s free fly fishing lessons, I thought I fancy that, but was in a rush so I took a snap shot of the phone number and had to phone the guy up. If he had a QR code on the poster I could have got all the info I needed and I could have just phoned and book it, saving us both time.
Good for bus tracking as well.
We`ll be getting some rude ones up here shortly. 
Rab.

[Allan Simmons]

They're spreading!

I've seen them in estate agents windows, and also on Vans.

Here's one of mine!  

likify, genius!  going to give it a go.

[Mike Halliday]

why do people feel they need to keep ahead with technology and have all the latest gadgets as soon as they come out so they can  'keep ahead of the game'

the amount of space this takes on  any marketing could be better used with something useful (that will appeal to everyone not just the technophiles)

 I bet more people have Alsatian dogs than have the ability to read those GR bars........ but we don't have any marketing specifically target Alsatian owners.

when its big then do it.  To commit time and money to something because its 'new' and the latest  'big thing' is not sensible( IMO)

[Dennis]

Come on Mike get with it!

They're known as German Shepherd dogs these days.  

[Allan Simmons]

We just jumped on it as our products have a shelf life and live in the customers cupboard for a while.  Hopefully more people will be aware of and use QR codes in 6 - 12 months when they're ready to reorder and the small space it takes up on the sticker on the can hopefully means they'll have seen it there and think "Oooh, i'll scan that."

I think if you're having something redesigned as you need some new anyway it's worth doing, but to go the expense of changing for the sake of it would be a waste.

Al.

[Ian Gourlay]

I think its fine to use them as long as you put in your web address as well  for people who do not have or understand smart phones etc.

[Adam P]

think they're a fad and will not really catch on, at least for what we do. if i'm say looking for a builder, get a leaflet through, i'm not thinking hmm i want to read their website so will wipe out my smartphone and struggle to see it. however there is potential for other uses like putting it on products like someone has mentioned above, which still i can't see getting used much tbh, and especially any time soon.

they are also on vans i notice, who really thinks the customer will be walking down the street, think christ i need my carpets cleaned, rather then take the number and call the number, they will go onto the website, and do what i don't know whilst in the street, and then call?

[John Milnes]

I would go with what Mike says.

Lets think reality here....

So MR and Mrs Smith are sat at home and it comes to their attention that the carpets need cleaning....hey lets do some spring cleaning

So whats the next step....their gunna ask relatives friends if they know a carpet cleaner....or thier gunna go on the internet or perhaps peruse yell or thompsons.

Is Mrs Smith gunna say......hey I'v an idea, lets see if we can find a carpet cleaner using a bar code :

You realy have to accnowledge what people are doing and what they want....not what you would like them to do or find another techno angle.

It's like when a custy calls you....you ask them how they found you.
Did they ever say, well you know....I screwed around with my phone for ages trying to bar code a carpet cleaner :

[wynne jones]

The whole idea is to be ahead of Mr & Mrs Smith so that you can capitalise on it before every tom dick and harry are on to it.

Look back and you will see the same conversation about Facebook, Twitter, websites, email, databases......
 

[Adam P]

but you'll also find the same convo with other situations which no one can remember because they didn't work.

QR codes are an ok idea, just not for how we use them. i'm willing to bet you've never used a tradesman from a bar code and never will. we need to think, would we select a company based on the fact they have a QR code. where it may work is because customer gets your leftlet, sees the barcode and go hmm that's interesting they've got a QR code, and although they'll noever use it it may be a reason why they remember you, as QR codes can sometimes stand out to some people over the standard leaflets they get through all the time, but i really don't think they'll scan the code.

[wynne jones]

Like I say Adam, 10 mins to implement and test or you could do what someone 'thinks' about it.

You could play safe though and stuff leaflets through letter boxes all day I suppose like everyone else.

Just look at what's happening with SEO. Those that started early put a lot of effort into it and reaped rewards. Now everyone seems to be an SEO expert just as Google is cr@pping on anyone with a link network.

[Adam P]

10 mins for you maybe, but for plenty of people it's not 10 minutes work. some may read this thread and without differing opinions just think my god this sounds like i have to get one of these and (imo) waste money paying someone to add it and then get nothing from it.

[John Milnes]

Google is cr@pping on anyone with a link network.

I think also that google will start to give less relevance to sites that use FB, blogs and twitter  (containing garbage) to artificially drive thier rankings. Me thinks these guys are starting to sit down and decide what has relevent quality and what has been produced generically