QR Codes Gone Wild

No, this isn't a post about Spring Break, but rather on the changing face of QR (Quick Response) codes. I love to see them evolve and grow in usage. The ever "with-it man" Trevor Eade at matcor added a Microsoft tag to his business card that leads to not just a website but a video! I recently saw an ad for the Houston Symphony that featured a MS tag in color. Both are great examples of using QR codes to draw in your readers in new ways.

Touchdown in 3...2...1!

I received an email the other day from Bed, Bath and Beyond. While I've subscribed to them for awhile, I admit that I subscribe to lots of emails (and delete a good portion without ever reading them). What caught my eye on this one is it told me to watch my mailbox for their next mailer -- and a special offer.

That very evening when I went home, the flyer (with a $5 coupon) was in my mailbox. And the next day, I made the 5-mile trip to the store to use it. These days it often takes a multi-pronged approach to reach consumers. And it works.

Yes You Still Need Business Cards

Here's a great article on Yahoo! Finance on the importance of traditional business cards. What's been the most memorable card you've ever seen? Some of the best we've done have been on the Indigo 7000. For one customer (an architect) , our designer made a "marbled" card, incorporating a logo and a clean, traditional font. Simple, yet elegant.

Quick, Quick, Where Am I Going?

Quick Response (QR) codes are a growing trend. I was talking with a friend yesterday who said, "I just don't get it." A client of ours had recently designed an printed invitation to a golf tournament. On my iPhone, I used QRReader app (free one!) to take a picture of the code. Granted, I had to try twice (as my camera lens was filthy), but when it did work, it pulled up a map to the golf tournament. He was still skeptical, saying "why don't you just put a drawing of a map on the dang invite?" I then used my phone to route me there from my current location...and another QR fan was born!