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Enhancing Direct Mailing with Quick Response Codes

Posted by Brian Berg Google+

 

New technology is constantly being pushed at consumers in today’s market.  Smart Phones (such as I-Phones & Androids), social networking sites, and text messaging have changed not only the way the world communicates, but how businesses choose to advertise themselves.  Businesses are also searching and testing ways to target the more digitally connected segments, such as Generation Y.

 

Over the past year quick response codes or QR codes have also emerged as a way for businesses to make their advertising more interactive.  A QR Code is a 2 dimensional barcode that allows its contents to be decoded at a high speed.   Many smart phones now come with QR readers installed at the time of purchase. 

 

Using their smart phones, consumers are able to “read” a QR code with their smart phones and are directed to special landing page on a website, a video, or can receive a text message about the QR code they have scanned.  Also, once a QR code has been scanned into your smart phone, the information you received is stored in your phone to access later.  QR codes are popping up EVERYWHERE; store displays, billboards, business cards, catalogs. 

 

They are being used to promote not only businesses in general, but specific items or services, promotions and special offers. You may be thinking, but I use direct mail marketing, I don’t have a location or a billboard to advertise myself, these QR codes don’t apply to me.  Well, you are wrong!  Businesses are seeing how effective advertising through QR code can be as more and more are choosing to apply QR codes to direct mail marketing mail pieces. 

 

The hope is that a consumer that would normally disregard a direct mail piece will notice the QR code on the mail piece and scan it into their phone to receive further information either immediately or in the future; therefore QR codes can be an effective call to action. The world of QR codes is ever changing and growing.  QR codes have been in use for a couple years in China and Japan and over the past year have emerged more in US markets. 

 

As more consumers switch to smart phones we can expect to see the QR Code trend grow and grow.  QR codes seem to be an effective way to engage your consumers on an interactive level while also reaching out the digitally inclined, Generation Y.