At the Rochester Jazz Festival held a few months ago in New York, Philipson Group did magic with QR Codes as every visitor at the musical event could scan the ‘symbol’ on a 4x8 m vinyl poster to download a portable schedule of music on their smart phones. The QR Codes offered the concert-goers an opportunity to carry the music of the jazz festival in their palms. Similarly, Port Townsend Food Co-op in Washington is the place where shoppers enjoy QR Codes experience. Commuters passing Jack Olmsted’s symbol with their smart phones can view a video of Dave’s Killer Bread, which talks about gluten-free range of breads.

History of QR Codes

A QR code is a type of matrix barcode or two-dimensional code first designed for the automotive industry. But the system has become popular outside the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity compared to traditional UPC barcodes. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. Created by Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave in 1994 to track vehicles during the manufacturing process, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. It was designed to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. Since then the technology has thrived in the world of digital signage all across Japan. And now it is being started seeing in India as well.

Phone compatibility

QR Codes don’t work with every phone to fill in the contacts. Having been tested with BlackBerry, which couldn’t be successful, QR Code marketing companies like Warbasse Design, Tappinn and Mobilebarcodes offer a list of which readers perform best on specific phones. In order to make sure users could scan the QR Codes in its ad campaigns for Calvin Klein, Time Out NewYork, National Basketball Association and MasterCard, etc Ace Group in New York conducted exclusive tests on phones scanning a code and suggested which scanner would be perfectly suitable for the user’s handset.

Printing partners

QR Codes are virtually free but the only cost is learning how to deploy them. Canadian company Transcontinental suggests printers should become more advanced in understanding the process of QR Codes rather than the code itself. Being perceived as technology leaders could place printers in a more favourable light when negotiating for business. Agencies need to know that they get it and that the QR Codes companies have experienced technical partner to work with to execute the campaigns. Companies like Ace Group and Tappinn, which have advanced printing jobs and Warbasse Design, which works with heavyweight media clients like HBO and Sony Pictures, are already managing QR campaigns for the corporate clients.

StrandVision offer

Wisconsin-based StrandVision Digital Signage is one such digital major which offers integrated smart phone-readable QR Codes into its digital signages. The company has incorporated a QR Code generation tool into its online digital signage software administration console. In order to add the capability, subscribers simply make their selection and the familiar QR Codes are automatically generated and added to the page which would be viewed by the public on their digital signage players. By scanning the QR Codes with their smart phones, viewers interact with the StrandVision subscriber’s digital signage network in any number of ways – visiting website, sending messages or receiving coupons.

Features obtainable

QR Code add-on enables StrandVision subscribers to add the code to virtually access a range of applications.

• Once connected to the web, viewers can download coupons or access location-specific promotions making the digital signage player an interactive communication medium.
• Typical ways that StrandVision subscribers can add QR codes include creating links from their company information, mission, logo and/or hours digital signage pages.
• Subscribers enable the appropriate QR code function and the symbol is instantly added to the digital signage.
• For photo and text pages, StrandVision subscribers can select a dropdown menu in the Add/Modify pages section.

Future vision

QR Codes in the contemporary Indian digital signage market is seemed to be in an embryonic stage. Maturity of this interactive digital device may take a long way of developments in terms of technical as well as mass appeal of the technology. Unless the popularity of smart phones with pre-installed scanning software reaches a critical mass, QR Codes will not be of much use in the public domain. A matter of the fact in this respect is that the technology is still in developing stage even in the countries like the US and others. But the day when QR Codes rule the world, digital signage will mark a new milestone of evolution in the industry. Wait and watch!