Those funny-looking square barcode-looking blobs of black and white are becoming harder to ignore these days, as they increasingly pop up in print media, advertisements, billboards, websites, business cards – just about anywhere, really. QR codes (short for Quick Response Codes) aren’t going anywhere, with an QR codes on the rise in magazines making use of them. Even Vogue Australia is getting on board, including two QR codes in their latest issue to provide readers with behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the magazine.
Despite their increasing prevalence, many people out there still don’t know what these things exactly do. Even some bd staffers have only just come to realise the QR code’s potential.
In short, to read a QR code, you simply download a reader” app on your smartphone. When the user takes a photo of a QR code using their phone, the reader will then take that user to a location that will provide further information on whatever topic the QR code is relating to. Examples of the kind of content you will see after scanning a QR code including URL links, geographical coordinates, product details, contact details, event or competition details, a coupon, a Facebook or Twitter ID, or even a YouTube video.
Marketers are cottoning on to the potential of these two-dimensional barcodes, as it allows them to present more data that the consumer can then store. It also allows the everyday punter to share information like websites and contact information by including it on, say, a business card.
Brands and organisations including Ford, FIFA World Cup, Facebook and the Weather Channel are already utilising QR codes, so there’s little doubt that we’ll see many more of them in the near future. Now that you know what they are, you’re likely to start spotting them everywhere (if you weren’t already doing so)!
