Youku is using the smartphone barcodes to promote the use of its website by device users.
The leading video website in China, called Youku, has just added QR codes into every one of the videos on its desktop website in order to promote the use of smartphones and tablets in order to view them.
Though this may be quite a small and simple mobile marketing step, it is one that is quite creative.
The result is that each of the video pages on the Youku website – including those for its licensed movie and television show content – now features small icons that can be clicked in order to display larger QR codes. By using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet to scan the quick response barcodes, the same video on the desktop or laptop screen will then launch in the smaller device’s browser. If the Youku app is already present on the Android or iOS device, it will launch the video in that, instead.
The QR codes lead to videos that don’t require flash, as the site is based on an HTML5 version.
Many users have already reported that scanning the QR codes have brought about successful video playing on their devices, including on Chrome for Android. They have also noted that the videos will play both vertically and horizontally. These barcodes can be scanned using any scanning app, including any of the dozens that are available for free for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry devices.
The newly merged company that is officially called Youku Tudou has recently made note of the fact that 15 percent of the traffic to its Youku website in September was from mobile devices. Liu Dele, the president of the company, has said that it is expected that this trend will experience growth “very quickly”. As the usage of the internet over mobile has now surpassed that over desktop and laptop computers as of August of last year in China, it looks as though the tipping point has already been reached and the new online focus will be on the smaller screens of smartphone and tablet devices.
Yihaodian aims to open 1,000 virtual supermarkets throughout China
Yihaodian, a Chinese e-commerce company, has announced the opening of 1,000 virtual stores throughout China. These supermakers will inhabit empty spaces within cities, but will not have any physical products stored within. Yihaodian will make use of augmented reality in order to accomplish this task, enabling consumers to access a massive, interactive database of goods. Once completed, this will be the largest virtual shopping network of its kind in the world and could help spark similar initiatives in other countries.
Company hopes to exploit rampant popularity of augmented reality
Yihaodian is not the first company to attempt to establish a virtual marketplace in the real world. Others have made use of QR codes or NFC tags to accomplish this task in the past, but have been met with only modest and short-lived success. Yihaodian hopes to exploit the rampant popularity of augmented reality as a way to provide consumers with high quality service and ensure that the virtual supermarkets get the attention they need to become a success.
Unlimited Yihaodian stores to be stocked with digital goods
The supermarkets will be called Unlimited Yihaodian. The virtual stores will be located in 1,200 square meter rooms that will have a digital stock of over 1,000 items. Consumers will be able to see these products using a smart phone equipped with an augmented reality application. Purchases can be made using Yihaodian’s e-commerce platform, enabling consumers to skip long lines and get what they want in an efficient manner. Like other virtual stores, consumers will receive their products in the mail after purchase, usually the following day.
Yihaodian may succeed where others have failed
Yihaodian had attempted to bring virtual stores into the mainstream using QR codes. This endeavor proved informative, but largely fruitless. The United Kingdom’s Tesco had also launched a similar initiative in South Korea, where consumers were able to make use of QR codes to purchase products. This too was short-lived, with Tesco quickly taking down the virtual storefront and pursuing other avenues of e-commerce.
