Yeah, I confess that I’m sort of a QR code junkie (although I prefer the term “aficionado,” because it’s more fun to say). But after this post, and following a discussion with a client about possible ways they could help achieve his organization’s mission, I have a heightened awareness of how they’re being used in real life.
The most recent example appears in the current edition of Spirit, the Texas A&M Foundation‘s quarterly magazine (you can download a PDF version here). It uses QR codes linked to YouTube videos to supplement the written articles. Below is an example:
It’s an effective way to expand on subject matter in traditional media, although it requires a bit of work from the reader. This is apparently a new technique for the magazine, because the publisher has included detailed instructions on the table of contents page about how to use the QR codes.
The magazine’s use of the codes works well, although I think that they should have made them larger. It took a little practice to know how best to hold my iPhone to get the software to scan them (I use RedLaser).
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Hello,
we believe that QR codes will make the connection between offline and online worlds easier. That’s why we created our QR code generator with social features – YouScan.me – http://www.youscan.me. You can add all your info like Facebook profile or fan page, twitter, youtube, etc. and connect with others.
Cheers
While I normally don’t allow comments that are (or appear to be) self-serving advertisements, I’ll make an exception in this case. Your service is intriguing, and your website does provide some useful practical information for using QR codes. Thanks for dropping in.
Eric,
Thanks for your blog about our QR code experiment in Spirit magazine! How nice it is to be noticed. Like you, I’ve also become a QR code junkie, and I wanted to give our readers the option of viewing videos associated with our printed content on their mobile phones.
For a while now we’ve all assumed that our more senior donors would not be interested in this kind of technology. That’s all changing fast. We have donors / former students in their 60s, 70s and even 80s who are as tech-savvy as our recent grads.
So far we haven’t seen too many “hits” on our codes, but enough to know that, perhaps with time, more readers will use them as they become more familiar with this technology. For us, it’s all about convenience and CHOICE for our readers.
It’s a great marketing tool because you can track how many people view a video or go to a web page. You can also create custom QR codes through various online services.
Before too long, Aggies will be seeing a maroon QR code in the shape of our Texas A&M Foundation logo.
All the best. Gig ’em!
Sondra White ’87
Editor, Spirit Magazine
Texas A&M Foundation
Sondra, thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. I’m glad to see that you’re pushing the technology envelope a bit, and also are being realistic about the adoption rate for that new technology. If you were getting thousands of hits right off the bat, that would probably mean that you waited longer than necessary to introduce the concept! 😉
Speaking as someone who’s close (but still not quite there…I’m Class of ’75!) to the demographic you mention above, I can attest that the technology is not lost on us baby boomers. I told my wife last night that if I ever get a tattoo, it will be a QR code that leads to my blog URL.
Eric,
We checked our bitly account again yesterday and it looks like we’ve got about 117 total QR code scans from our Spirit magazine print readers! So it’s actually going better than I thought it would.
I love your idea of a custom QR code tattoo. Have you designed it yet? Let us know when you do!
Sondra
I’d say that more than a hundred QR scans is a pretty good response for such new technology. That number should only go up as people start understanding the implications, and how to use the codes.
What would be cool is if you could easily create a custom page that only QR-directed visitors would see, and have a simple feedback form on the page to assess how they liked the technology.
Re: the QR tattoo…don’t hold your breath. I’m not sure I trust any artists around here to do something with enough precision that it would actually be scannable. Plus, with my luck, they’d get a pixel or two out of place and I’d end up sending people to another website that would shock and horrify them…like the UT home page! 😉