More than just printing…

Advertisers now expect each integrated marketing campaign to stand out, be attention getting, relevant to their audience, perceived as cutting edge and able to drive action or response all with the same campaign. I have heard it called a tactic, sometimes a marketing strategy, depending how well fleshed out the plan is, but there is a low-cost way of bridging the gap between print and digital and shows your customers that you are making an effort to communicate with them in the mediums preferred by them. Try using a QR code on your branded materials. QR codes are a good way of involving consumers by making an ad interactive. At the very least it will achieve more recognition of the advertisement and more traffic to the website or wherever the link of the QR code leads to.

QR codes took over NYC in June of 2010 when the Thompson Reuters Building began putting QR codes on the face of the building in Times Square so passersbys could use their smart phone barcode scanning app to scan the QR codes — which were featured in an animated sequence on the buidling from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. When scanning the QR codes, it lead to information relating to specific agencies including 311, NYC Department of Transportation, NYCulture Calendar, NYC Business Express and City of New York Parks and Recreation.

Dubai is dedicating the entire exterior of one of their newest hotels to the movie industry,The CODE UNIQUE HOTEL at http://holtermanndesign.com/blog/qr-code-unique-hotel-dubai-studio-city/. The entire exterior of the building is a huge QR code. Reality is that the use of QR codes need not be on such a grand scale to be effective. Each anticipated result would drive different implementations.

Macy’s Fall Backstage – QR Code Campaign – Scan for a chance to win a $500 Shopping Spree is their latest integrated marketing campaign. They’ve integrated social media, video, mobile, and the “What’s in it for me” factor is a chance to win a $500 Shopping Spree. What more could you ask for in an integrated marketing campaign that has customer interaction?

We know you can buy awareness and customer interaction, even results with bold tactics. You can test and prove that you can get increased attention and greater customer intimacy on a shoestring, if you have good knowledge of the product, audience and market by linking the web with your ad or direct response piece with a QR code, keeping your message and offer relevant and monitoring the result.

We know that timeliness is key in advertising and direct response. So offer something to your prospects that they want or need, tell them the offer won’t last forever and make sure that you give them the opportunity to respond via the medium that they find most comfortable to use by employing even just one integrated marketing tactic, using a QR code. It makes it just a bit more convenient for your audience just that much easier for your customers to reach out to you.

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Mobile marketing is on the brink of explosive growth with the use of QR codes, text message marketing, sms campaigns, and much more. 270 million mobile subscribers and reaching 87% of US households – current statistics ripped from yesterday’s headlines? No that was at the end of 2008. Now it is up to 303 million users!

Mobile marketing is changing the way people communicate and the way companies create a marketing campaign. In 2010, US consumers sent 110.4 billion SMS messages per month. Consumers can now receive information, promotions, branded content or search your site with mobile devices. QR codes and Common Short Codes allow a consumer immediate, actionable access to your website or integrated marketing campaign on their mobile devices and at a time and place that is convenient for them. Apple, Android and many other smart phones in today’s market with their accompanying APP stores make it easy to scan a QR code and go straight to a web page, vote for your favorite American Idol, and even receive a digital coupon or special offer in real time.

QR Codes are matrix barcodes (or two-dimensional codes), readable by QR scanners, mobile phones with a camera, and smart phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data. It can be generated with free software and can be used on print media for the consumer to access the web.

A Common Short Code (CSC) is a 5 or 6 digit carrier approved numeric code that mobile phone subscribers can use to send SMS messages and receive information on the mobile device. A CSC can cost $500 to $1,000 a month and requires the cost of working with a Mobile Application Service Provider (MASP). They can cost about $5,000 a month and also require the use of an aggregator per carrier. These costs can vary greatly. CSCs can be used with any mobile devices that can text.

QR codes are free to use and for companies without a national or international audience, can be effectively included in an integrated marketing campaign. They do require a smart phone with a camera to read them. CSCs can be used by any mobile device, but carry a hefty price tag. There is a place for QR codes and CSCs in may integrated marketing campaigns that combine print, direct mail and other media to increase response rates, customer loyalty and ROI.

Including QR codes, just to include them, will not guarantee the success of your integrated mobile marketing campaign. Once online, people expect a relevant offer and fast answers to their questions. Consumers have become accustomed to having an online conversation and just not getting talked at with a sales pitch. The customer expects to be heard, not sold. To drive sales, build brands and customer loyalty, you still need to be relevant. Using QR codes and CSCs with an intergrated marketing campaign are tactics to be used with a relevant offer, but they are a very effective way to enter the conversation with mobile marketing.