Print is Alive With QR Codes!
If you don't change with the times, you're left behind.
For most of modern history, print has been the king of getting messages out. Today though, the number of ways we communicate has increased exponentially—rising to a level at which print has struggled to remain relevant in an increasingly tech-savvy world.
With that in mind, we’ve always taken the approach here at Pel Hughes to “make print live or it will die.” What do we mean? Well, over the years, we’ve infused the latest technologies and practices to give print the edge it had been so seriously lacking. We’ve incorporated full color personalization, data driven graphics, images, messages and content, and on demand digital printing to give print a whole new look. To drive the point home even further, we’ve also launched those tactics into multiple-touch, cross-media marketing campaigns.
A few years ago, we were first exposed to QR Codes and the possibilities of its integration into marketing campaigns. [Not sure what a QR code is? Click here] I have to say, I haven’t been this excited about a new, emerging tactic for our industry since our first full color printing press. QR Codes (Quick Response) are 2D barcodes that contain small amounts of information or connect people instantly to the Web using free QR readers downloaded to their smartphones. With the app, your camera becomes a barcode reader like the ones used at checkout counters and instantly links you to a destination on the web, launches a video, serves up digital content or many other possibilities. QR Codes can be either static (for the mass public) or personalized (individualized specifically for them). What a way to make sharing information easy!
Interestingly enough, by the end of 2011 there will be more smartphones on the market than regular cell phones—and that makes QR Codes a rising commodity.
So what does all this mean and how can we incorporate this into our campaigns? Well, at Pel Hughes, we have already begun incorporating them into our clients outreach efforts. Recently we launched a personalized, cross-media campaign with a personalized URL that the recipient could type into and view on their computer’s browser, or scan a QR Code that linked them instantly to their personalized URL on their mobile devices. Of all the respondents, 20% visited their PURL through their mobile device! This technology is still relatively new, yet almost no one has even scratched the surface of its full potential. Now think about the importance of using this for a campaign executed a year from now.
Long gone are the days of unknown results and metrics in marketing campaigns. This technology adds a degree of accountability and proven results that suits demand. It’s why we strongly believe in a relevant, cross-media, multi-touch approach to establish an intelligent 2-way dialogue with our client’s audience. With all of the forms of media these days, your message has to be where your audience is. And that means mobile. QR Codes can be seen in magazines, flyers, grocery stores—almost anywhere a person goes. And that means big things for the future of print. Long live the king.
By the way, the United States Postal Service is offering a 3% discount on postage for any mailer that has a QR Code on it. Check it out here http://postandparcel.info/38155/news/usps-to-flaunt-mails-smartphone-potential-with-summer-sale/
