QR codes are back in the headlines this week – not least because in the Netherlands (and across Euro-land therefore!) you will soon find a QR code on the back of the five Euro coin! It’s readable in the illustration, but I do just wonder how good it will be on the actual coin? We will, of course, let you know just as soon as we can! When officially released the site that the code links to will also change to be something a bit more meaningful (so we are led to believe, at least!).Tesco in South Korea and QR codes: sound like an unlikely mix? Take a look at this thought provoking video. You will see QR codes in a completely different light afterwards. The Tesco on-line grocery shopping business has risen to number one in South Korea through the innovative use of QR technology. What might it do for your business?
Regular readers already know that they need a QR reader in their smartphone in order to decipher QR codes. We have talked before about my own personal favourite, i-nigma for the iPhone, but we do appreciate that there are certainly more Android phone users out there in the real world, so here are Mashable’s selection of seven free QR code readers for Android phones.If you are new to PIND, we should really recap on why we think that QR codes are important to communications, and especially important to the future of printed media. This link from StickerScan actually sums up most of our thoughts on QR codes pretty well: have a read. It might just change your business! Printed information needs to carry QR codes because they provide a beautifully simple way of connecting static print to live, exciting and up-to-the-minute web pages. Another page offering five ways that small businesses can use QR codes is provided by ReadWrite biz, whilst a further four ways to integrate QR into your marketing programme are offered here.
Our own favourite example of the QR code in action is, of course, the Genesis Marketing business card. We have a QR code printed on the reverse of the card – just like the one to the left of this text. That simple code links to our GenesisNews blog site, and specifically to the “Further Information on Genesis Marketing” page. Scan the code that is shown here to see what happens. The landing page that it delivers includes connections to our LinkedIn page, our Twitter page, our Daily “newspaper”, and even our customers own home pages. It helps to tell a real great story about our business. Are your business cards doing something similar for you and your business?There are, of course, as many ways not to use QR codes and there are positive steps that you can take. This blog piece stabs at a few; there are plenty of others don’t worry!
One feature that we should have incorporated in last week’s edition came to our attention only early in this week. We apologise for missing it first time round! Certainly America’s leading writer on the subject of print, Frank Romano, has been busy sketching his thoughts out on how the industry will look in 2020. This short summary of an original article is a great read. Are you a printer? You should read it!Back in the world of print as it currently exists newspapers and their production staff are taking another hit at Trinity Mirror, as further confirmation is published regarding Guardian News and Media’s troubles.
Finally, do keep checking back to see what will be featured in our next edition, PIND 59. Details of our next edition will be added to this link during the course of the week. For an RSS feed of PIND, copy this link into your feed reader; and for the GenesisNews Print Daily, take a look at the link and take out a free subscription!
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