QR Code @Times Square
I bet that at least two-thirds of my (tech-savvy) readers have seen or used the ink pattern in this image that came to be known as a QR code, though surveys show awareness rates of just over 50%. These codes have been popular in some European countries and just started gaining some ground in the United States. I can’t say that QR codes are ready to take over the tangible world just yet, but 2011 will definitely be a big year. As a user, you can simply hold up your mobile device to scan the code – which usually links to a web page that will extend your interaction with the brand or activity on the web. These “hardlinks” can now be scanned with practically any camera-enabled devices which seem to read a QR code much faster than a bar code.
QR (Quick Response) codes were designed [as the name suggests] for decoding simple data at high speeds. Originally designed by Denso in Japan for automotive manufacturing, QR codes have turned out to be one of the most popular barcodes with various applications from marketing and fashion to ticketing and travel. Though there seems to be relatively low social buzz on this topic today, I believe this (or a version of it) will play a huge role in the next few years to bridge the gap between our online and offline worlds. The key to success of this technology is awareness. People don’t know what do with these ink blots when they see one. They generally cannot differentiate between barcodes, QR codes and other codes being used out there. Should we make a harder effort to mark them as QR codes, or even give them a user-friendly name other than “QR”? Just a thought.
As a marketer, it would be smart to run a pilot test and get your “feet wet” with this phenomenon – considering the low cost of adaptation. There are plenty of free and low-cost tools in the market like QRStuff and Delvr to help kick off a campaign. Moreover, the performance is easily measurable – which can gather loads of useful customer data. Marketers have an equally important role along the technology itself, in enabling the usage of QR codes. If users form an initial impression that these codes tend to lead them to pushy marketing messages, people will not bother to pick up their devices and will quietly lead to the demise of another hypermedia innovation. A few smart firms like Stickybits and SCVNGR are paving the path with some innovative applications using QR as the base ingredient.
There are other two-dimensional barcode technologies out there that are quite similar to QR codes – some with significantly higher data capacity. One such variation that has been picking up rapidly in retail are Microsoft Tags – which can be updated and reused with different content, however they need a unique software as they don’t work with current universal barcode readers. At first look, QR codes might seem bulky looking and a step backwards in the age of lean technology, but the heart of this creation is it’s simplicity & ease of use. Product manufacturers have the opportunity to drastically improve their digital footprint by utilizing smaller versions called Micro QR codes that can even go on smaller products with some print space. Could future versions of QR-ish codes hold more than a URL or basic info? Could they hold multiple web-destinations based on the user’s location or other device-based solutions?
At the end of the day, it’s not the technology but the application and implementation that will help it cross the river. I hope to see this morph into a powerful offline portal to our digital lives this decade.
Now to help me confirm my hypothesis from the first line of this post, vote on this simple poll and feel free to leave a comment:
Have you ever thought to yourself, how on earth does someone end up with 2,000 friends on Facebook or 500+ professional contacts on LinkedIn? Well I have. Several times. I’ve read theories on how many social contacts you can truly stay in touch with, but I’m curious to learn how and why that circle changes over time.
This curiosity made me want to start a “journal” of my thoughts and encounters with social technology and game-changing features – to help me think and reflect upon my thoughts, hopefully leading to some gripping conversations with like-minded readers. I believe there is a thirst to be quenched with a new social solution to help us achieve more than just getting “linked” with our network. The core trait of the ultimate personal network would be to help us stay linked with our inner circle (hence the title of this blog).
The launch of Path earlier this week is another reason that got me to start putting down some of my thoughts in words. Path is a “personal network” which seems to be based on an idea that had crossed my mind several times recently. The myriad of (social) networks out there are changing the face of social relationships, often reducing the quality of interaction. It is like meeting up with your old buddies after a long time at the loudest, most popular night club in the city, as opposed to having a private gathering where you can actually re-connect with each other. There is definitely an opportunity for a new way of thinking towards the online social life, addressing the apparent lack of privacy and intimacy.
It looks like Path is trying to test out the waters by just launching an “iPhone only” app for now and learn from customer data and feedback to improve their model, hopefully. The launch picked up media coverage quickly, which is easy to achieve when you are a bunch of ex-Facebook and Napster spin-masters.
Path is essentially a digitally shareable personal photo diary. I think this is surely the right idea, but with a questionable start on the execution. I see the potential for the concept to catch on and grow, but I also see some potentially game-stopping aspects of the model. In an attempt to make your network more personal, Path seems to think that they are doing you a favor by limiting your circle to 50 friends. So what happens when you reach the limit of 50 friends, and your brother decides to join your circle? Will you be forced to kick out your golf buddy to make room for your brother? Will you have to turn away friends, and tell them that they don’t deserve to be in your personal network? Let’s say Path then decides to extend your friends limit to 100, or 150. You will still hit the same wall, just further down the road. I just don’t see such a model of restrictive networks being sustainable.
In my opinion, there are two key moves that can make Path successful -
1. Position yourself with clear communication on what you represent in the social space
2. Shape your model around giving users ultimate freedom (not restriction) by investing in top-notch privacy controls, providing the greatest flexibility to create intimate personal networks
I hope that as people get more social-web savvy, they will “get” and accept more intricate systems that bridge the gap between the digital world and the real world.