Multiple Choice: A) 2010 is the Year of the Quick Response (QR) Scan Code; B) 2011 is the Year of the Quick Response (QR) Scan Code; or C) 2012 is the Year of the Quick Response (QR) Scan Code
November 23, 2010 – Atlanta, GA USA – 2010 is the year of the Quick Response (QR)* scan code in the United States. 2011 is the year of the Quick Response (QR) scan code in the United States. 2012 is the year of the Quick Response (QR) scan code in the United States. And, you can quote me on that!
Fine. Okay. You got your bases covered. Which is it?
Actually, all three are correct.
Here’s why:
- 2010: 2010 is the year of the Quick Response scan code in the United States because more than 40 major broadcast and cable TV networks – and more than 100 national brands embraced these two dimensional (2D) scan codes, as I predicted in my June 12, 2010 That’s GREAT! blog post: 101 Uses For Quick Response (QR) Codes: Creating Audience Engagement With The Next Killer U.S. App. Major broadcast and cable TV networks include: [See List Below]. At least 101 Major U.S. national brands are using 2D scan codes. Here are some more reasons why 2010 is the year of the Quick Response scan code: 28% of the U.S. cellphone users have smartphones, according to Nielsen (11/1/10). Mobile data surpasses voice traffic, according to Chetan Sharma Consultanting (4/2/10). The percentage of people researching QR codes took-off like a hockey stick in 2010, according to Google Insights for Search (real time chart).
- 2011: 2011 is the year of the Quick Response scan code because the remaining major broadcast and cable TV networks – and most national brands will embrace these two dimensional (2D) scan codes in 2011. Plus, Time magazine will do a cover story on Quick Response scan codes in 2011. [Editor's Note 12/22/10: The New York Times magazine featured a QR code on the cover of its 12/19/10 issue. Click Here to see "The Balloon (QR) Code (Video): The Making of the cover [of The New York Times magazine) for the 10th annual Year in Ideas Issue"] (And, probably show an iPhone 5 scanning a QR code!) Plus, another reason why 2011 is the year of the Quick Response Code: 41% of the U.S. recent acquires of cellular are getting smartphones, according to Nielsen (11/1/10).
- 2012: 2012 is the year of the Quick Response scan code because it will be the first year that the majority of Quick Response scan codes: a) point to a value-added experience (versus, for example, a non-mobilized web page); b) follow best-practices for the use of scan codes; and c) become ubiquitous as nearly all businesses – regardless of size – integrate scan codes into all their: product; product packaging; and marketing, communication and engagement tools. By 2012, 80% of cell phones will be smartphones, according to Morgan Stanley. That’s possible because on average, people replace their cell phones every two years. Best practices include: telling people what they will see when they scan the code; how to get a free scanning app; and a short URL for those that either don’t have a smartphone or would prefer to look at the link on a desktop computer.
International:
- And, just in case you have your brand is also interested in business beyond U.S. boarders, global mobile penetration is on track for 100% in 2012, according to Total Telecom (11/17/10): that’s 6 billion mobile connections by 5/31/11 and 6.9 billion people in 2011.
GREAT! List:
101 Major U.S. National Brands Are Using Two Dimensional (2D) Scan Codes in 2010
Major Broadcast, Cable TV Networks and Newspaper/Magazines Using Scan Codes in 2010:
- ABC
- Allure
- Architectural Digest
- Better Homes and Gardens
- BBC
- Car and Driver
- CBS (Early Show)
- Charlotte Observer
- Conde Nast Traveler
- CSI New York
- Dr. Pepper
- Entertainment Weekly
- Esquire
- Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal
- Food & Wine
- FOX
- FOX Entertainment (Avatar movie)
- Glamour
- Golf Digest
- HBO
- IFC
- Ladies Home Journal
- Lifetime
- Lionsgate
- Lucky Magazine
- National Geographic Channel
- The NY Daily News
- New York Magazine
- The Oprah Magazine
- QVC
- Raleigh News-Observer
- Reuters
- Self Magazine
- Seventeen
- Time magazine
- Touchstone
- TV Guide
- VIBE magazine
- The Washington Post
- The Weather Channel
- Women’s Day
Are 2010, 2011 and 2012 the year of the Quick Response (QR) Scan Code? I look forward to reading your comments. Plus, please let me know if I missed a major media company and/or brand using scan codes.
Special Thanks:
- 2D Barcode Strategy (Roger Marquis)
- 2d Code (Roger Smolski)
- QRmedia (Stephanie Moss)
- QRe8: The List of Massive Brands Using QR Codes (Erik Goldhar)
- SocialWayne (Wayne Sutton)
Bonus
Here are daily online newspapers about scan codes:
- The @uSCANme #QRcode Daily published by @uSCANme (@smigrod)
- The QR Media Daily published by @QRmedia
- The Qr-Codes Daily published by @QRmedia
- The #QR Daily using the Twitter hastag: #qr
- The qr code Daily published by @waynesutton
- The #qrcode Daily using the Twitter hastag: #qrcode
- The #qrcodes Daily using the Twitter hastag: #qrcodes
- The qr Daily published by @tppowers
For more daily online newspapers about scan codes, please click here.
Two Dimensional (2D) Scan Code White Papers and Studies
- 2D Mobile Barcodes: A Definitive Guide (11/30/10) by NeoMedia
- QR Codes: A Point of View (11/18/10) by BBDO/Digital Lab VP, Associate Director, Business Planning and Digital Strategy Edwin Philogene
- ScanLife Mobile Barcode Trend Report (9/28/10)
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Subscribe to the Free Daily Online Scan Code Newspaper From GREAT!
That’s GREAT! Quick Response (QR) Scan Code Resources
1. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: 101 Ideas for Using QR Codes
2. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: 101 ‘Pointers’ for Using QR Codes
3. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: 101 Major U.S. Brands Using QR Codes
4. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: 50 Major Media Companies Using QR Codes
5. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Using QR Codes
6. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Top 10 Best QR Codes Uses in the U.S
7. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: (Video) ‘10 Reasons Free QR Codes Will Bite Me In The Tush’
8. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: (Video) What’s the Return on Investment (ROI) on QR Codes?
9. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: (Video) – 2011 is the Year of the Quick Response Code
10. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Multiple Choice: (2010) (2011) (2012) is the Year of the QR Code
11. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Top 300 Must Read QR Code Articles
12. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Top 150 Must Read QR Code Articles
13. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: How Newspapers Can Use QR Codes to Delay the Demise of Print
14. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: QR Code Book : ‘I Live in the Future & Here’s How It Works
15. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Top 10 Reasons EZcodes Are Better Than QR Codes
16. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Guest Post: The 10 Commandments for Marketers
17. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Guest Post: How to Use QR Codes to Promote Your Business
18. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Guest Post: An Introduction to QR Codes
19. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Product Camp Atlanta: 25 QR Code Ideas in 10 Minutes
20. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Follow Dan Smigrod’s QR Twitter Account: uSCANme
21. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: Free Daily Online QR Code Newspaper (The uSCANme Daily)
22. That’s GREAT! – QR Code 101: All ‘That’s GREAT!’ QR Code Lists, Videos, Articles and Resources
Bonus: GREAT! ScanLife Promo Code (“Invitation Code”) = great (for small, medium, large businessesand agency/resellers so you can play with a robust, paid scan code platform (For example: generate free QR codes to practice with and generate usage reports for these codes). When you are ready to use the scan codes commercially, please request a quote from ScanLife or email GREAT! CEO Dan Smigrod.
Disclosures
- GREAT! is a Referring Agent for the ScanLife platform. Use the GREAT! ScanLife Promo Code (“Invitation Code”) = great (for small, medium, large businesses and agency/resellers) so you can play with a robust, paid scan code platform). For example: generate free QR codes to practice with and generate free usage reports for these codes. When you are ready to use the scan codes commercially, please request a quote from ScanLife or email GREAT! CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dan Smigrod.
- GREAT! is a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) of scan codes. GREAT! provides clients and their agencies with: a) scan code implementation (the actual scan codes); b) strategy (best use of the scan codes); c) scan code management (including reports); d) fast-to-market; and, e) without costly and embarrassing mistakes common even by large; A-list brands. Turn-key scan code services are provided for a flat monthly fee. For a quote, please email GREAT! CEO & Chief Creative Officer Dan Smigrod.
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*Though Quick Response (QR) brand scan codes are a registered trademark of Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave, Quick Response Code (QR) are commonly – and incorrectly – used generically to refer to all two dimensional (2D) codes: including ScanLife EZcode brand codes; Microsoft Tag codes; datamatrix codes; and still other scan codes that are scanned or photographed on a smartphone such as an iPhone 4. Saying Quick Response code or QR code is like saying that you TIVOed the TV show when you actually used the Comcast brand digital video recorder to record the TV show.
I’m the community manager for Microsoft Tag and I think it would be a good addition for your post. You can check out the implementations here http://tag.microsoft.com/showcase/index.aspx and also we just released our momentum #’s that you might find quite interesting http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/oct10/10-26MSTagMomentumPR.mspx?rss_fdn=Press%20Releases feel free to shoot me an email if you have any questions
2010 – If anyone had success, I’d concur with @Elliot that Microsoft’s Tag format made the most significant and unexpected gains. QR companies can complain all they want about closed systems, Microsoft’s Tag was used in a variety of interesting and successful campaigns and it evolved beyond experimental use. QR’s biggest success was an abysmal 175,000 scans, totally insignificant. QR pricing and poor analytics aren’t doing much to endear QR to anyone.
2011 – QR will either implode as the industry narrow-focus their attention on complaints about other formats, or QR will pull together and present great user experiences that establishes itself as a viable consumer tool. We may find ourselves in a QR and Microsoft Tag shared universe with the niche formats vanishing. This is the make-it-or-break-it-year for both QR and Microsoft Tag to become standards in the eyes of the public.
Noting that QR is an “old” technology at this point and simply may be over-taken or over-shadowed by emerging technologies that provide similar end user functionality.
2012 – We’ll all look back and wonder why we were so excited about QR technology? Something else will either have replaced it or be about to replace it. Some of the existing companies will evolve and thrive, others will go extinct.
With the proliferation of proprietary QR apps (QR tags that are only read by a specific proprietary app and do nothing when scanned with a generic QR reader), the QR industry is set to self destruct.
Using QR codes in a manner that circumvents standard QR readers is why QR will not succeed. It creates too much confusion. So, QR people may blame other technology formats, but they’re being done-in by their own.
2010, the year everyone in QR thought it would be a big deal.
2011, NFC take at least 50% of the business QR thought it would get: http://blogs.oracle.com/retail/2010/11/nfc_will_be_the_killer_app_for.html AND, LBS/GPS will nab another 35%, leaving a lowly 15% market share for QR. Goggles becomes popular.
2012, RIP QR
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