Poll: QR Codes or 2D Barcodes as a brand name?
Posted by Bena Roberts on Aug 18, 2008 9:28
Recently Ralph Lauren chose to name its mobile barcode service RL-QR. Similar today I read about Tagnition also using the name QR codes. I have been using 2D mobile barcodes.
Which name is better or do you prefer?
[...] Original post by Bena Roberts [...]
If a QR code is used it should also be labbeld as “QR Code”. And it is the most common standard in the advertising world. We as agencies only recommend QR codes to be used.
2D Barcodes is also applying for Mobile Boardingpasses (Aztec code => which can’t be uses for scanning!), Data Matrix Codes, Beetaggs etc.
Stefan,
You are exactly right. There are far too many mobile 2D bar codes out there which would confuse users. For example UPS developed their own version of the Data Matrix code for tracking packages. It appears to be a mobile 2D code, but it is useless to a consumer.
It’s best for the marketer to specify what code their campaign uses, so that the consumer makes sure they have the proper software to participate.
On the same token, as with any product there is a general group title, and then individual titles in the group. For instance, in the automobile industry, one wouldn’t say I drive an automobile. They might say I drive a Ford Bronco for example.
I also agree on your point about QR codes being the most common standard. I was involved in very heated debates two years ago, where I predicted the QR and Data Matrix codes would be the prevalent codes, and was assaulted and ridiculed by some particular shareholders, who took the position that AZTEC would be the winner, because they owned Neomedia stock. Now two years later we see the QR codes are hitting the markets worldwide by storm, followed by the Data Matrix, and the AZTEC is very limited to some transportation operations, just as I predicted would be the case at that time, some two years ago.
The basic consumer does not know a shotcode from an aztec code, from a data matrix code etc., so identifying the type of code in your campaign is a good thing.