Category: Mobile Marketing

Smartphone friendly barcodes are being used in cell phone unfriendly locations.

It is becoming increasingly common to see a QR code posted in places such as in magazine print ads, on billboards, and on product packaging, but their latest addition to gas pumps is causing some consumers a great deal of confusion.

These quick response barcodes offer everything from discounts to free products when scanned.

However, the problem that consumers are having with these tempting opportunities is that they are located in areas that also display warnings that it is not safe to use cell phones and other electronic devices. The issue has been growing throughout the United States, appearing most recently in Minnesota.

The QR code ads promote opportunities for discounts but are posted in areas where cell phone use is banned.

Consumers are finding themselves quite confused by the conflicting information, as the signage both encourages them to scan a QR code and tells them not to use the device as it risks sparking a fire in a very dangerous location.

According to Jerry Rosendahl, State Fire Marshal in Minnesota, there is no real link known to exist between the use of a cell phone and the ignition of a fire at a gas station. He explained that there has never been any proof that the devices pose any risk of this nature. He stated that the concept that there was a problem seemed to have arisen when “Somebody had service station video of a person talking on their phone, getting out of their car and then they had a flash fire so they naturally jumped to the assumption that it was cell phones.”

The Fire Marshal’s office does not issue the signs that are posted at gas stations as they do not believe that the use of mobile phones causes the danger that the signage suggests. This means that it is the gas stations, themselves, that are choosing to post both signs that feature a QR code and those that warn consumers not to use their smartphones because it could cause a fire. According to Rosendahl, the largest risk of using the device near the pumps is that they cause consumers not to pay attention while working with gasoline, a hazardous material.

The Sawyer County Record has just announced the inclusion of quick response barcodes.

The latest addition to the Sawyer County Record will be the use of QR codes within its business directory, in order to help to enhance the paper in yet another step toward the digital world.

These barcodes will be used to bring the print paper together with the virtual universe via smartphones and tablets.

Readers will be able to use their mobile devices in order to scan the QR codes that are printed within the paper in order to access the digital content – primarily websites – that is relevant to their location in the newspaper. Within the Sawyer County Record, they will also provide opportunities for deals, special sales, and other unique features that advertisers would like to offer consumers.

QR codes are very commonly found in print media such as newspapers, magazines, and billboards.

This newspaper will now be selling ads to organizations and businesses who wish to make this type of offer to consumers through a simple scan from mobile devices. This type of mobile marketing is becoming increasingly common as print media works to keep its advertisers and draw new ones who may not otherwise have considered print.

David LaPorte, the Record sales manager explained that “With over 50 percent of web searches coming from a mobile device these days, this code will allow a user to scan it and take them directly to business websites.”

It has recently been estimated that in the United States alone, there are approximately 20 million QR codes scans occurring every day. This figure is only expected to rise as the penetration of smartphones continues throughout the population . This offers a tremendous opportunity to advertisers and to print media that would like to link the real world to the digital universe.

There are considerable benefits to using QR codes in advertising. Not only are they exceptionally inexpensive to create and to use, but they also open up a small amount of ad space into a virtually unlimited amount of available content and information. This can include formats that would never be possible in print, such as video and audio.