QR codes in Australia

Is it a plane ? Is it a new freaky new eye test? No it is a QR Code and it is set to revolutionise the way advertising companies provide consumers with information in Australia.

QR Codes are the hottest marketing trend in Japan, and now the functionality and capability of Australian mobile phones has reached a critical mass, the Australian market is on the cusp of the QR Code revolution.

A QR Code is defined as a matrix code (or two dimension bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-wave back in 1994. The ‘QR’ is derived from ‘Quick Response’ as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. (Wikipedia).

QR Codes are designed to direct customers to an immediate action, whether it is to purchase a brand or to facilitate information. Among other things QR Codes make the average print brochure or billboard an immediate and interactive piece of media.

So how do QR Codes work?

Some mobile phones already come with the QR Code reading application and other phones can simply download it. And once your phone has the QR Code reader application the device can unscramble and decode the QR message.

Why not simply tell the customer in words, I hear you ask?

Simple, QR Codes can direct a customer to a website or specific landing page, provide a specific message, direct a customer to a contact number, or SMS, and even provide you with a Google map location, all quickly, easily, and without the need for remembering or confusing web addresses or telephone numbers. So the customer gets what they need quickly and easily.

And because QR Codes are easy and cost nothing to generate, businesses can create a QR Code tailored for each piece of marketing collateral including billboards, posters, brochures, and even television commercials.

Marketing Strategist Gordon Watson says, “Australian businesses are just realising the power of QR Codes, real estate agents are using them on their for sale signs and taking their clients on virtual tours, magazines are using them to take clients to product pages, Governments could use the codes on billboards to direct customers to more information.“

“Apart from contributing to cool and sophisticated brand attributes, QR Codes allow business to make their marketing more measurable in terms of response and waste, and this is a huge leap forward. The old adage used to be that 50 % of advertising works, we are just not sure which 50%, well QR Codes combined with other electronic media are making huge advances into producing less waste by allowing business to know exactly which elements of their marketing mix is producing the best return for investment.”