In this episode of Thinking and Driving, I talk about QR code sightings at the 2010 Summer Outdoor Retailer show. But before I get too far into this post I will explain what a QR code is.
A QR code (or Quick Response code) is a square barcode that can be read by smartphones using the attached camera. The barcode can contain information like text, or a website’s URL. For my iPhone I am currently using a free app called Snappr.
The first QR code I saw at the Outdoor Retailer show was at the Mountain Hardwear booth. They had a sign that said Win A Pack with the QR code underneath. Scanning the code would either take you to a page that told you that you’ve won the pack, or it would take you to a page with reviews, videos, and specs about the pack. It was a fun experience and I actually won!
I made business cards that had only a QR code on it along with my website’s favicon. Scanning the code takes you to the about page of my website. My plan was to hand them out at a tweetup event during the conference, but I never found the perfect moment. I did pass them around at a family wedding recently and people loved the idea, and thought it was pretty clever.
It was tough sometimes when I would hype up the QR code and then it would have trouble scanning when trying to show it off. That is by far the biggest problem with QR codes. (Is this an app issue or a camera issue?) I play off the idea that it’s impossible to scan a code, with my idea for having one up on a billboard. Imagine if could win tickets to the local NASCAR event if you are quick enough to scan the QR code billboard on the interstate (as a passenger of coarse). I promise it would be a tough game, with multiple laps needed to get a scanner to read the code.
I also go into a few ideas for QR codes for the OR show in the future. Scanning codes at different partner booths could enter you in a contest, check off the OR show list that you have been to the booth, or plot GPS coordinates so that you could find the booth again in the future.
QR codes are the perfect medium for getting more information about a product. Imagine a QR code next to a pair of 5.10 climbing shoes on display. You scan the code and it takes you to a YouTube video of Steph Davis climbing in the shoes and explaining their strengths. This same idea could be used at museums to gain insight from the artist, or in book sleeves for author explanations or forwards.
Here are more QR code examples:
Giant QR Code Cut Into German Field For Google Earth
5 Unique Uses of QR Codes
QR Codes Used To Help Clean Up The Gulf
Stay tuned for more episodes of Thinking and Driving and future blog posts where I explore the possibilities of QR codes.
