Rating: Kicks off with iPhone app & nothing else
Calculating that it has found a novel way to sell its greetings cards, California-based Paperspring has started adding 2D barcodes to its ‘social’ stationery. Describing its Paperlinks as ‘custom QR codes, the company appears to have launched the service with nothing else besides an iPhone app. It’s also currently necessary to input a code after scanning, which is kind of self-defeating.
The aim with Paperlinks is to connect invitations, announcements and other greetings cards to individualised landing pages where visitors can access additional content.
At present, having visited the Paperspring site to create their greetings card online, customers are then taken to a micro-site, where they can build out their custom landing page and add content such as photos, videos and event information.
Soon, customers will be able to go directly to www.Paperlinks.com to create a personalised QR code and page for any use.
Hamilton Chan, Paperlinks’ CEO, claimed, “It’s the social web in a card.”
Recipients of a Paperlinked invitation will be able to RSVP to an event from their phone; make a comment; view a map to the event; view photos, and add the event to their calendar.
The Paperlinks mobile app is now available on the iTunes App Store, but there’s no mention of any other platforms such as Android.
However, you can scan a Paperlinks QR code with any good barcode reader and it will take your handset’s browser directly to the Paperlinks site.
GoMo News tried this with an ordinary Android handset and was able to view the content, so it’s not exactly clear what additional features the iPhone app adds.
“While digital replaces offline media in newspapers, magazines and even books, people continue to value the printed invitation, card or announcement as a memento of important life events,” claimed Chan.
“With Paperlinks, you have the best of both worlds: – a beautiful, tangible keepsake and the convenience of digital communication. Paperlinks bridges the gap between printed and digital elements of social interactions.”
In other words, QR codes are being employed to sell traditional paper-based products. Sneaky.
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We noticed one fact you mention that isn’t accurate; that it’s necessary to
input a code after scanning. We totally agree – that would be
self-defeating if the ease of scanning was hindered by the necessity of
inputing a code. We recognize that not everyone has a smartphone,
therefore we added this code, which is printed below the QR code on cards,
for those who still wish to access and interact with the content through
their web browser. When you scan a Paperlinks QR code with the Paperlinks
app or any other scanning app, it should take you quickly and directly to
the mobile landing page without having to input any code. We’d appreciate it if you could make that clear. Thanks!
Power to the landfill.
I like that idea but if I already got the card is not working. What about if you add a Generic QR code or maybe you can go to the site and enter a code. Check http://www.liliali.com