The technology, applications, and best practices of QR code use are available to print businesses of all sizes. They offer a great opportunity, yet have almost no cost to deliver to clients. Report author Heidi Tolliver-Nigro discusses the topic in a free podcast for those considering purchase of the report.

Lexington, KY - Quick Response (QR) Codes are one of the hottest topics in mobile marketing today. This easy-to-implement technology allows mobile phone owners to scan two-dimensional barcodes and automatically access marketing content like Web pages, videos, or games. QR codes can also launch and pre-populate emails, add events into the phone’s calendar, and send marketers’ business card information directly into the phone’s contacts.

“Printers who think QR codes are a fad need to take a closer look,” says author and publishing veteran Heidi Tolliver-Nigro. “Nearly three-quarters of all smartphone owners have scanned QR codes, which explains why these codes are being embraced by today’s biggest national brands, from Calvin Klein and Louis Vitton to the National Football League, Ford Motor Company, and Best Buy.”

Tolliver-Nigro adds that while big-brand marketers are the most visible users of QR codes, their low price point makes them available to all businesses, from restaurants to small local businesses to commercial printers themselves. “Not only do they allow prospects to respond immediately to marketing content no matter where they are or what they are doing, ,” she says, “but they get marketers into some of the most coveted marketing real estate - consumers’ mobile phones.” QR codes are now seen in magazine ads and editorial, store and truck signage, billboards, posters, and many other places, she explained.

For print and marketing services providers, of particular interest is that by linking print to the Web, QR codes create higher relevance of printed content and actually make print appear to be interactive media. “QR codes, therefore, become a reason to print, and make print a necessary and indispensable part of a multi-channel campaign,” explains Ms. Tolliver-Nigro. “When clients buy into QR codes, they see that print can lead to immediate action for information requests or sales transactions.”

The opportunities are exploding:

• 80%+ U. S. consumers own mobile phones
• 28% of those phones are smartphones
• 71% of smartphone owners have scanned a QR code
• Consumers who have scanned QR codes tend to be older, more well educated, and have incomes above the national average.

What does it take to be successful using QR codes? What are the various types of codes? Can they be personalized? What are the key applications? How do they fit with other marketing channels? What are the best practices? What are keys to success?

The report answers these questions, and more. It is now available at the WhatTheyThink e-store. This practical, low-cost 52-page analysis is an easy-to-read but detailed explanation of QR codes, including their creation and use, marketing benefits and drawbacks, top applications, case studies, best practices, and additional resources.

(NOTE: Hear Heidi Tolliver-Nigro discuss why you need to get involved in QR codes in a special free WhatTheyThink podcast)

QR Codes: What You Need to Know was created for graphic communication professionals whether they are printers, publishers, graphic designers, or industry suppliers, as well as for marketers themselves. It is available for online purchase at the WhatTheyThink eStore in PDF format.

Editor’s Note...

Additional information about WhatTheyThink reports are available for editorial purposes. Please make inquiries directly to Cary Sherburne at 603-430-5463 or [email protected], or visit www.whattheythink.com).

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