QR Codes have recently become the latest marketing craze, the monochromatic matrix barcode box appearing in magazines, on packaging and other marketing materials. When the QR code is scanned with a Smartphone camera, the user is presented with additional information, such as a text message or a link to product-specific website. As QR codes have become more common, customers have also become more acquainted with the use of the technology, knowing what the image is for and how to access the data stored in them.
QR Codes have successfully breached the mobile marketing market, but in purely technical terms, they are already becoming obsolete. Advances in wireless communication protocols such as Near Field Communications (NFC for short), are allowing digital transmission of marketing data between business and consumer. NFC marketing uses a tiny data chip which is affixed to a poster or other surface. When swiped with a compatible smartphone, the NFC chip automatically transfers information to the handset screen. NFC remains a relatively new phenomenon however, restricted to owners of the very latest smartphone handsets.
UK startup typtag.com believes they have developed a solution to the obsolescence of QR codes and the scarcity of NFC-enabled smartphones through the formation of a new partnership with Surrey-based Reaction Printing. Typtags combine QR codes printed by Reaction with embedded NFC smart tags so that the marketing message is accessible by potential customers, regardless of their mobile phone handset. Says Paul Lakeman, founder of Typtag.com, ‘Traditionally NFC is a toy for techies and geeks making it inaccessible to Joe Public. Typtags have been designed from a marketing viewpoint, mixing both technology and simplicity to ensure that anyone can use them. Typtags help marketers avoid the potential Betamax – VHS version of the new digital marketing world.’
A typical Typtag would be affixed to an in-store poster produced by Reaction Printing, advertising a new product and offering a special electronic discount voucher to the customer. The customer can then snap the printed QR code or tap the embedded NFC chip and a special discount voucher will be automatically transferred to their smartphone. The customer then shows the voucher to the cashier at the checkout and claims the discount.
The use of NFC smart tags or QR codes allows retailers to easily disseminate extra information about products and services. Typtags simplify the process yet further by combining both systems and maximising the potential audience for the digital marketing message. ‘The Typtags approach is unique,’ says Lakeman, ‘there are several companies producing QR codes or NFC smart tags, but none are unifying the technologies to produce a coherent marketing strategy. Our partnership with Reaction Printing ensures that Typtags remains well ahead of rival products.’
Typtags allow for virtually any kind of information to be encoded, from website addresses, to simple store location details to 3D product models ready for display on a customer’s phone handset. Typtags also provide a useful way for marketers to collect demographic data about their customers and their interactions with the brand. Every time a Typtag is scanned, the retailer is able to collect information about the client which can then be used as the basis for future marketing efforts, and to increase sales to existing customers.
‘We believe Typtags provide the most cost-effective form of digital marketing for our customers,’ concludes Lakeman, ‘The combination of QR codes and NFC smart tags into a single unit provides support for users of older phones, whilst encouraging them to engage with digital marketing methods. The use of NFC tags allows for future-proofing of the marketing investment thanks to the reusable nature of the technology and its increasingly common use.
