Bribing customers to use mobile barcodes: smart move from TrueMove

3GVision is one of the bigger providers of mobile barcodes around the world – and it has announced an interesting new way to get people to download its reader application in Thailand. It’s Thai operator partner, TrueMove, is giving free top ups to anyone who does!

What’s the story?

The 3GVision barcode reader is called i-nigma, and it allows mobile devices with cameras to scan 2d barcodes known as QR Codes:

GoMo's URL, in QR Code form

QR Codes are one the of the most widely used types of 2d barcodes used across the world, and contain far more information than your regular product barcode. This allows the phone to access pretty complex information through the barcode – with TrueMove, for example, users can scan a barcode to download ring-tones, MP3s and shopping coupons.
In order to get its subscribers to download the i-nigma based barcode scanner that it has licensed from 3GVision, TrueMove is basically offering a bribe. Every user who downloads and installs the app will get a 10 Baht top up for free.

What we think?

Ok… so 10 baht is only 30 cents. But even international calls only cost 1 baht a minute through TrueMove, so that’ll go a fairly long way.

It’s a shame that barcode companies haven’t gotten as much co-operation from operators in Europe and America. TrueMove is going out of its way to publicise the use of mobile barcodes. It has placed posters around country, advertising the codes and the fact that they’re basically paying you to use them. It even promoted the codes in magazines and on TV. Even the download process was incredibly simple:

1. Text QR to 3434 – a cost free text
2. Click on the URL written on the replied text message.
3. Download barcode reader application from the site referred by the URL.

From what we’ve seen in America and the UK, it’s usually brands (example) or travel companies (example) that have been pushing the use of barcodes. It’s very rarely operators. Which is a shame, because I can only imagine that well placed, national TV campaign promoting and explaining the use of mobile barcodes would do wonders for the industry.