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Beyond the iPhone

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Peter Applebaum is the founder of Tick Yes, an interactive and online marketing company with extensive experience in creating, implementing and managing successful online social marketing campaigns. Peter can be contacted on 02 9387 3244, or by email.

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While the incandescent launch of the iPhone has been getting all the headlines recently, I think another story is infinitely more exciting for marketers.

With the emergence of mobile phone technology, mobile advertising is set to expand by 300 percent in Australia this year. Central to this is the mobile phone barcode technology QR Codes, which will expand the number and quality of consumer touch points.

Suddenly missing the bus doesn't seem all that bad

It's Monday morning, you just arrived at the bus stop and the bus is running late. You look around, hoping the bus will just somehow appear, and you spot a poster in the bus shelter of the latest movie you want to see. You also notice a small black and white barcode on the poster. You pull out your mobile phone and swipe its camera across the barcode. Almost immediately you are connected to the movie’s trailer, session times, reviews, you name it. And it doesn’t stop here. Sign up for a 2-for-1 voucher at the prompt and you can take a friend for free by redeeming the voucher sent to your mobile phone.

QR holidays

Same concept – spot, scan, watch the video of a gorgeous resort, check out the package deals, travel options etc. And the call to action? All covered. Choose to save the travel agent’s contact number on your mobile phone or connect through to a travel consultant in real time. It doesn’t get any easier for the consumer and the mobile marketer. By the time your bus arrives you’ve arranged your next holiday!

Telstra is the first carrier to offer QR code technology directly on its NextG handsets. QR codes are already huge in Japan with some QR codes even being put on graves – go figure.

What it means is that marketers will have a whole new level of interactivity to play with because it’s now possible to bring products and services to life through digital content. And with mobile phones a must have for virtually everyone this could also mean revolutionary changes to print and outdoor advertising. Not to mention a surge in one:2:one direct marketing programs.

2 Comments

Clarky
  • Wrote on 13 Aug, at 04:19PM
Great. Now we just need marketers to use them. Good luck to those bestowed with the challenge of educating the masses on the technology though. You don't need to wait for Telstra either, everyone with a half modern Symbian powered phone can install a free QR code reader and get started.

With the major Telco's finally releasing halfway decent data plans on mobiles, this 'could' be promising, providing the content on the other end is up to scratch.
Kenneth
  • Wrote on 13 Aug, at 10:48PM
This is actually really interesting. You should include some links in the article for those of us who are interested in further readings..

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