A brief insight into Quick Response (QR) Codes and how they could be used.

We were recently asked the question – What are those funny bar code things that have started to appear in adverts recently? We thought it may be a good idea to throw a little light on them.

QR codes – or Quick Response codes – are similar to traditional barcodes that retailers use to track product stock levels and price products at the point of sale, the beep noise as the checkout operator scans your items. The key difference between the two is the amount of data they store.

Barcodes are one-dimensional, holding up to 20 numericaldigits, whereas QR codes are two-dimensional matrices that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters.

Though QR codes are considered a little of a novelty in the West they have been used in Japan for over a decade (originally registered to a subsidiary of Toyota).

There are a number of sites that generate QR codes for free, try:

You can scan the codes with a camera-enabled Smartphone, iPhone or Android. It can then link to web content, instant messaging, SMS and canalso connect the mobile device to a web browser.

You would need to download the correct app, there are many to choose from a good free download can be found at:

The ability of these codes to connect people with each other and to multimedia digital content, throws up enormous possibilities as an added weapon in your digital marketing strategy. There is no limit to how or even how much you can share with QR codes. A video or home page is easily shared; you can go even further and share an eBook, multiple pieces of content, offers and promotional vouchers.

Below are some the most common uses for QR codes, airlines have been using them on digital boarding passes for some time now and by the end of 2011 all carriers will be required to provide this service for international flights.

• QR Codes could be used:
• The back (or front and back) of your business card.
• Your brochures and other marketing materials.
• The sides of lorries and trailers.
• Product tags and packaging
• Conference, exhibitions and event nametags
• Restaurant menus
• Event ticket stubs
• Point-of-sale receipts
• QR Codes could link to:
• Installation instructions
• Sources for replacement parts and service
• Directions to your business
• The process for hiring your professional services
• Valuable coupons and special offers
• Recommendations for complementary products and services
• Free mp3 downloads
• Customer feedback forms

Below is the QR code for our website: