Bracketron is a company with a very specific remit – it makes mounts for various consumer electronics. From mobile phones and laptops to Personal Navigation Devices and netbooks, if you need to mount it on a bracket, Bracketron can help you. The company has now announced it will be using Microsoft Tag to advertise its products.
Microsoft Tag?
Most mobile barcode services use open standard barcodes. QR Code and Data Matrix can both be used free from any licensing or patent charges, and are probably the most widely used standards around. But not everyone wants to use an open standard. Microsoft, for example, developed it’s own colour barcode called Microsoft Tag. It can contain a fantastic amount of information, thanks to the addition of colour to the coding process – and the bright colours have made it more appealing to magazine publishers. However, since it’s a Microsoft-only code, users have to download the Tag scanner in order to read the barcode.
What’s the Bracketron deal?
Bracketron is going to use Tags for what you might call the “classic” advertising use case. The codes will be placed on printed promotional materials from Bracketron, like posters or brochures in a retail store or at a trade show. Users who have the Tag reader will be able to scan the code in order to access videos about the product being advertised.
What we think?
Honestly, this isn’t a great use of barcodes. I’ve got a few reasons for thinking that. First, it will most often require people to do two downloads – one to get the reader, and another to get the video. If you’re in a shop, you probably don’t have the time to wait around doing downloads. Second, just attaching a video to a barcode doesn’t give someone much reason to scan it. How many people really need a video to teach them how to use a Bracketron device? They’re pretty self-explanatory. Attaching a money-off coupon or other promo deal to the Tag would get a much better response.
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Your article caught my eye because I bought a Nav-Mat II last week and watched the video before I bought it.
I actually thought the video was very helpful and informative before I decided to make the purchase. Regardless of what type of barcode reader you’d use, you would have to download the app first anyway, so that doesn’t bother me.
I like the coupon idea, but I don’t think Best Buy or other reatilers honor eCoupons when you’re in the store.
My two cents.
Downloading videos while at the store is a tricky proposition, but there are times when it’s appropriate. What if video rental displays allowed you to preview a movie, based on a tag on the label? In-store posters for movies or TV shows are also prime candidates, as Warbasse Design (http://www.warbassedesign.com) proved with their Iron Man 2 and Trueblood campaigns. The nature of the tag (QR, Microsoft or whatever) is less important than fitting the mobile experience to the needs and habits of the audience.
I disagree with the last statement. Well, I do agree with the coupon aspects, but videos and details instructions can be useful for someone to add to favorites for viewing later when they need it. Your are right, for someone like you and me, installing devices like the ones they sale are easy and self-explanatory. For some people, they may need videos to help them. So, it is up to the user is what I feel about that and this company is going to test the waters on this. Microsoft Tag is great and so is QR Code, time will tell if companies and people are utilizing them to it’s potential.