THERE’S A great discussion happening over in the LinkedIn group Digital Media Group – Australia and New Zealand: Are QR codes dead outside of Japan and Korea?
The group is split roughly 50/50 on the answer, which is fine, and there are some terrific examples of where QR codes are being used.
Emily Loughnan commented:
I’m actually seeing QR codes more and more. At TED this year, the entire conference programme was full of them, for example.
Here’s some uses of QR codes, as found in the discussion
- http://www.hardlink.co.nz/2011/05/4549-year-on-year-rise-in-qr-code-scanning/
- http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/details/Social_Media_Connect.html (scroll down to find it)
- QR codes on wine bottles? I’ll drink to that
- http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/story/2011/04/28/smartphone-boost-to-trade/ (“Participating businesses will be given a unique code called a “QR code” to display, and when visitors use their smartphones to scan the image, they will be directed to interesting information about each venue)
- http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/07/mobile_nation_seeks_vcs/
- New clothes brand will share product life stories via QR code
Shel Holtz also has a few posts about QR codes and their utility.
My favourite use is as a résumé (see this Vimeo video, below:)
QR CODE – Content-rich Resume from Victor petit on Vimeo.
Regular readers of this blog will remember that I had a QR code turned into a main feature of my business cards by Beth Sporne from ChinaShop.
There is a mob in the Netherlands who will create an online business card for you with a custom QR code – very neat! I only thought you could point to a website, but apparently you can do all sorts of stuff with it, including have it tattooed onto you! In March 2011 a tattoo parlor in Arizona reportedly began giving QR tag tattoos that linked to people’s websites and Facebook pages.
An argument against QR codes becoming more widely used
One of the arguments against the widespread use of QR codes is that there is no native application automatically added by the handset manufacturers/resellers that scans QR codes.
But that argument is false – there were no applications for Facebook or Twitter automatically added either, until those platforms became powerful enough to warrant it. If QR codes become ubiquitous enough, then perhaps code readers will be automatically added to new mobile phones as a matter of course. Google’s own Android handset includes a QR reader (ZXing) as part of the package on some of their phones.
I still think QR codes have a future, but like all who have grown up with McDonalds as part of their culture, I wish it would arrive *now*
UPDATE: Adelaide property consultants Raine & Horne’s North East office use QR codes on their display signs, and the Fullarton office use QR codes in their print adverts. Plus, the South Australian vineyard Shottesbrooke are considering putting the codes on their next batch of wines.
