News in South Korea about Home Plus

And then there’s this recent news in the US of a company using QR codes so parkers or, more clearly, car owners who park their cars in designated parking spaces can pay their parking dues using the QR codes.

As smartphones can be used to scan QR codes for shopping, vehicle owners also find the convenience of using QR-code-scan-enabled smartphones to pay their dues for occupying parking spaces. And take note, this is just one feature of a smartphone app from a company, ParkMobile.

Other features of this application include text notification when the time of the parking expires and a service that informs the mobile phone users of available parking spaces. The QR code is an added yet very useful feature and this is integrated into its line of services to provide convenience and, perhaps, eliminate the manual method of paying for the parking spaces.

QR codes are on stickers placed on parking meters. Although this may seem as an optional feature for car-owners to pay for parking spaces, using this can bring more convenience than the usual or “should I say” obsolete practice of putting coins. If putting coins would be a hassle and even time-consuming if the meter gets crazy when the coins are not recognized, then, perhaps, a new way must be applied. Parkmobile has a solution to it or at least, a solution-provider to eliminate the not-so tedious task of putting coins on the parking meters.

Parkmobile offers this service to major cities in the US. Using QR codes, the parking system for mobility efficiency can be revolutionized. And not just that, it also changes the way how car owners can put their minds at ease of their vehicles on parking spaces.

But this is not about Santa Claus or even Christmas. It is about how this big company, that gives us the carbonated drinks, utilizes new marketing medium and principles as they are popularized and effectively performed with scalable results.

In the age of social media and mobile marketing, Coca-cola has been in the front row of companies who embrace innovation in digital marketing.

Recent news of its partnership with a Spanish firm that provides BIDI mobile barcode service is in Spanish media and even in other digital news outlets. But what it makes it surprising and even a bit admirable is that the tie-up would help label Coca-cola as the pioneer in mobile marketing.

If the news of Coca-cola being a pioneer of managed bar codes would tip off some, then it may not be surprising at all.

ScanLife is the Spanish company Coca-cola is partnering with for their QR code campaign.

Using the smartphones, users can scan the codes positioned on the packaging of Coca-cola products. Upon scanning, the users will then be sent to contents in which the beverage company is involved in such as its YouTube videos and online communities.

The QR code is deemed as the new medium for Coca-cola to interact with its customers. The contents as they are featured upon being scanned would likely help increase the position of the company as the frontrunner of among big companies in the utilization of mobile devices for marketing campaigns.

This new feature of Coca-cola products will be shown in TV commercials. Statements of its commercials shown worldwide have not been relayed yet.

National Condom Week

To commemorate National Condom Week which starts on February 14 up to February 21, PPGNW distributed 55,000 QR code wrapped condoms in the colleges and universities of Washington State. This is not to promote promiscuity among students on lovers’ day and the ensuing romantic days, but to let them be aware of their responsibility toward themselves and their partners regarding their sexual health and the negative outcome of unplanned pregnancy.

For some, this method of promoting safe sex awareness may be a little kinky, but if you don’t preempt judgement before getting to know the facts, it is really an educational and informative program that will benefit not only college students, but also the sexually active members of our society.

Where Did You Wear It?

Users of the PPGNW distributed condoms who scanned the 2D bar codes in its wrappers are directed to wheredidyouwearit site where they can “check in.” An interactive map then shows the location of the tryst. When the blue circles on the map are clicked on, messages like these can be read: “A 20 something girl and a guy whose relationship is all about love and have already talked about safer sex and STDs used a condom in the bedroom to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. It was ah-maz-ing – rainbows exploded and mountains trembled,” or it can be, “An under 20 guy and a girl whose relationship is non-existent and have already talked about safer sex and STDs used a condom in the great outdoors because no one wants an STD. It was great-cant’ wait for round 2.”

The site is much more than these “steamy” messages though, it has a section for questions that you may have about condoms, it teaches and shows how to use them properly and guides you to a Planned Parenthood health center if you need more of these latex protection.

Aside from promoting sexual health, it is also a reminder to be responsible with the outcome of a few minutes bliss that can turn into a nightmare when one is burdened with an unplanned pregnancy while still young or not yet ready to face the responsibilities of becoming parents to an innocent love child.

PPGNW’s safe sex campaign through QR code wrapped condoms is laudable in its efforts to inform the public how to avoid being infected with sexually transmitted diseases that can cause HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) which leads to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a life threatening disease caused by the progressive weakening of the body’s immune system.

Why QR Code Advertising?

Monsieur Le Bohoc’s dairy farm is situated in an area northwest of France which prohibits the use of billboards and other advertising signs to mar its spectacular natural beauty. To circumvent the obstacle that prevented him to advertise and sell his products directly to the public, a friend knowledgeable about QR codes suggested painting 2D bar codes on the bodies of some of his 70 cows.

Aside from the unconventionality of painting QR codes on cows, it is not advisable if you are to follow the rules of how to properly post these codes so that your target scanners can scan them comfortably, because cows are mobile and they might object to the hassle of people coming up close to be able to scan the codes painted on their sides. Despite these deterrents, the two friends proceeded with their project and the phenomenal success of it, came as a most unexpected pleasant surprise!

The Scratch Game

Farm visitors who scanned the codes were directed to play a Scratch Game which entitled winners to get free dairy products from the farm or QR code T-shirts if they scratch three boxes with cows in it out of the nine boxes.

For some, the prizes mentioned above may not be worth the effort of scanning some cow’s sides, but the game, nevertheless drew enthusiastic response from some visitors and they even risked being trampled or evicted off the cows’ domain by climbing over the fence so they can whip up their pricey smartphones and scan the 2D bar codes. Different strokes for different folks, huh?

Unconventional? Unusual? The mobile marketing campaign certainly was, but it surely delivered its intended message on a minimal budget to boot without violating local ordinance on advertising.

Monsieur Le Bohoc and his tech savvy friend’s successful use of QR codes in the scenic agricultural town of Morbihan, France shows that ingenuity in the current online marketing trend is not only for industrial, multi-national companies. If large, multi-budgeted online marketing advertisements can be printed in expensive glossy magazines or be posted on subways and other conspicuous places, why not on cows for a small time dairy farm in a rural area too?

The GranTurismo S

The sporty and aggressive exterior design of the GranTurismo S reflects its sporty soul and its unique interior is truly something to be proud of. The cabin was designed to give a rewarding experience for driving a powerful and aggressive car with a 4.7L V8 engine and an impressive performance data of: 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, 0-400 meters in 13 seconds, 0-1000 meters in 23 seconds with a top speed of 295 km/hour! Wow, if that doesn’t make your heartbeat pulsing crazily, it does to mine!

Design Your Own GranTurismo S

Maserati’s single paged advertisement were posted in luxury-focused magazines with a description of some of the car’s features including extensive customization options, a call-to-action at the bottom of the page for a Maserati web page, a phone number and the custom QR code with the company logo in the middle of it.

Upon scanning the company’s custom 2D code, scanners were lead to a mobile optimized site where they can browse through data about the sportscar which include, among others write-ups about its exteriors, interiors, technology, technical data, services and the personalization program.

The personalization program was developed to allow each client to make his own made-to-measure car. The mini car configurator enables the client to design his ideal car online and ensures that the combination of colors, leather, materials, headlining finish, stitching, carpets, wheel rim designs, calipers and other details truly reflects his desires. The choices are varied enough to satisfy even the most demanding client.

To actually see and feel their dream car and discuss other brand components, they can consult with a dealer nearest to them or they can subscribe to e-mail newsletters for the latest news and trends of their favorite car brand.

Maserati’s QR code marketing campaign clearly shows they know their target audience, individuals in the higher income bracket who according to statistics most likely own smartphones and are tech-savvy enough to adapt to new marketing trends such as scanning 2D bar codes. The campaign also addresses the company’s aim to continually improve and satisfy the most demanding clients by giving them the opportunity to design their own GranTurismo S.

Its viral marketing strategies involve the use of QR codes in which GMC developed product brochures that contain QR code designs, which of course, can be scanned through the use of supported smartphones. At the beginning of such marketing efforts, GMC has already anticipated that the worldwide sales of cellular phones starting in 2011 is composed of 40% smartphones – which means a large percentage of the mobile phones sold are capable of reading QR codes.

The said 40% smartphones out of the total worldwide sales of mobile devices are owned by users under 40. GMC said the GMC Granite is targeted for young shoppers, thus the use of QR Code marketing to sell units makes sense. It won’t just allow GMC to save millions of dollars spending for TV spots, but also let them leverage the growing yet trendy use of QR codes in marketing.

The GMC Granite is expected to hit the North American market sometime in the 2nd quarter this year.

Tech savvy pedestrians who were intrigued with the visual display scanned the QR codes and played with a simple mobile fishing game. When a player “caught“ a fish, the message in their smartphone was, “Good Catch! You’ve landed the freshest fish around!” If players failed to caught a fish, the message in their smartphones were, “Unlucky! Your fish got away, have another go, there’s plenty more fish in the sea.”

Indeed there were more fish in the sea and the unlucky ones may gotten lucky the next day, because Ico Design, the company who devised the game regularly updated the code’s messages without physically rearranging the location of the fishes. This made the game new and enticed people to play many times. Many won more than once if they were fortunate. But, if not, they could have just waited for the QR code messages to be changed and tried their luck once again.

The simple mobile fishing game really engaged would be customers and they looked forward to Yoobi’s grand opening so they can present the voucher that they downloaded as their prize when they “caught” a Temaki fish. Winners were advised to present their vouchers on the first two weeks of the restaurant’s grand opening.

Yoobi’s promotional hype using QR codes to attract customers before their establishment was opened for business, is one of the best QR code campaign for the first quarter of 2012 as selected by Scanlife. The campaign showed a new creative way on how to use the 2D barcodes whether the business is still under construction or they are already operating.

From the company’s Facebook page, this is the message behind the musical box shelter: “To remind people how much they love their custom car stereos – and to remind them to check they are covered with the right policy insurance for them – NRMA Insurance have brought a car stereo to a bus shelter outside Wynyard Station in Sydney, and put the public in control of what is played via their mobile phones. The Bus shelter is fitted with speakers that can play a range of different tracks.”

In the bus shelter, fitted car stereo speakers are connected to QR codes when scanned and play the tracks selected by the public. Scanning does not lead the scanner to the insurance company’s web pages, but rather it takes you to the company’s Facebook page. When you “like” the page you can download a free app where you can select the track you want to be played.

The message that NRMA Insurance would like to tell the public is that aside from the usual car insurance coverage they offer, they also insure custom sound systems, window tinting, leather trims, alloy wheels, paints and everything that can be installed or added to a car.

The company’s unusual way of using QR codes for their mobile marketing shows that there are no definite rules in using this mode of mobile marketing campaign. Innovation and creativity always makes it a step ahead of others which made NRMA’s campaign to be among the best for the first quarter of 2012 based on Scanlife’s selection.

“Track Your Bud” concept

The QR code campaign expresses Budweiser’s desire to share the story behind every bottle or can of beer and instill in its consumers an appreciation for the process and stringent quality controls involved in beer production to meet the Budweiser standard of “heritage, full flavor and legendary consistency,” of which the company is known for and respected by its loyal consumers.

“Track your bud”

Scanning the QR code on the beverage’s packaging urges beer drinkers to download a free “Track Your Bud” app or they are asked to visit TrackYourBud.com. Upon entering the dates on their beer bottles or cans in the “Born On” portion, consumers are taken on a virtual guided tour to the brewery where the beer they are drinking were produced by the brewmaster responsible for its creation.

Ms. Jane Killebrew-Galeski, director of brewing, quality and innovation for Anheuser-Busch, the producer of Budweiser says that the “Track Your Bud” campaign not only traces the origin of a bottle or can of beer to its brewery plant, it also give consumers an insight as to where the raw materials came from. Barley from the barley farms in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and hops from Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Germany.

The guided tour explains how the beer ingredients were selected, explains the seven-step brewing process at Budweiser, identifies when the beech wood aging process started for the beer and introduces the brew master in charge of tasting the batch on several stages during the beer’s full brewing cycle to make certain that it will meet the quality standard of Budweiser.

Rob McCarthy, vice president of Budweiser said that they want to share their story with customers through the “Track Your Bud” QR code campaign to show “the pride, passion and craftmanship at our breweries that has been the backbone of Budweiser for generations.”

The direct mail ads aimed to drive customers to different Bath & Body Works outlets for an in-store promotion where they can sniff and spray the new line of fragrances. The two coupons attached to the mailer were used just recently for in-store or online purchases.

The QR codes which were at the bottom right-hand corner of the mailer provided a way to connect customers through the Bath & Body Works Facebook page. When the 2D code were scanned, users were led to the company’s Facebook page where they were asked to “like” the page. Upon pressing the thumbs up icon, consumers learned about the personal care retailer’s new products, got exclusive offers and were connected with world’s best fragrance fans.

Bath & Body Works operates 1,600 stores in the United States and has a range of goods that include bath and body products for skin and hair as well as home goods. The personal retailer company added QR codes to coupons to strengthen their direct mail efforts to reach out and interact with their customers.

With a mobile site and the use of bar codes, Bath & Body Works realized the importance of mobile marketing to increase the integral part of their digital efforts. Linking the QR code to its social media page was a smart move to increase their social media efforts.

According to Bryan Laurienti, co-owner and designer at BBB systems, “The mobile barcodes are a good way for Bath & Body Works to drive both in-store and social media traffic. Embracing mobile technology will help them reach more consumers and keep their current customers interested.”