Making the most of QR Code technology

More and more QR Codes are showing up. I have seen QR Code technology – on magazine advertisements, real estate signs, direct mail envelopes and postcards, brochures, t-shirts, business cards, restaurant table tents, and window decals – just about everywhere so it seems. 

Besides Near-field Communication (NFC), where you make communications between devices – hold your phone near the receiver like many credit/debit cards at checkout, or more recently you may have used your badge to access a secured office, QR Codes are an easy way to help readers/prospects make communications between from paper/print to digital – leading to websites, email, PDF files, images, apps, wifi login, and the list of destinations is almost endless.  

If you're clueless about what a QR Code is or how you can use the QR Code technology to beef up your brand exposure and marketing, this may be the technology you've needed. The QR Code, short for "Quick Response" is a square image that can be printed on your marketing collateral. The image is not something you read with your eyes, but it is readable like a barcode that your smartphone can read. If you've been to Japan, this comes as no surprise - it's been used there for a long time and just now starting to make its way into mainstream marketing in the USA.

The post is updated from time to time as I see unique instances of QR Code use and how it's shifting the ways we communicate and collaborate with customers.  Subscribe to this blog "Best Marketing Consultants in The World #AskGoogle" to get email notifications.

Apollo Building Products Catalog QR Code access to Digital Catalog.

McDonald's Wall Wrap QR Code Outdoor Graphic Decal

Round Business Card QR Code Special Marketing Offers

McDonald's My Rewards Join Now Scan QR Code on Bag

Kroger QR Code Earn Rewards on Groceries and Fuel POS Decal

FedEx Office Send. Print. Go. QR Code to Printing from your phone via printandgo@fedex.com

Vital Farms Join Our Flock QR Code Exclusive Savings Email Sign-up

Starbucks Rewards QR Code on Table Top Decal to Download App

Contactless Payment QR Code for Tom Thumb Deals and Rewards App

Denny's Restaurant QR Code lets you view the menu from your mobile device

Playworld Systems PlayPod Playground QR Code used to report equipment damage.

Chick-fil-A "Be our guest" QR Code offers customers Free breakfast menu items.

Square.com Point of Sale app QR Code used to Activate Debit Card / Square Card.

Smartphone use rises daily in the mobile market, popular brands are starting to take advantage of a better marketing mixture. As far back as 2011, when this QR Code article was first published,  Nielsen Wire, was reporting about low-tech material (mailers, newspapers, printed material in-store) still has the most popular consumer reach – Adding QR Codes connects low-tech with the latest technology.

Pharmacy Free Flu Shots QR Code to learn more about safety precautions.

Chauffeur Driver Employee Identification Card QR Code used to verify driver safety. 

Graphic design by Oevae Marketing Consultants

Starbucks QR Code Join Starbucks Rewards More fun.  More free stuff.

McDonald's QR Code turns your receipt into a coupon.

Exclusive Savings and Pizza Perks at CiCi's Pizza when you scan QR Code 

QR Code Parking Meter using PayByPhone.com – the most convenient way to pay for parking

Get special offers at Olive Garden when you scan the QR code on the beverage coaster.

Consumers are now learning that they can download a free QR Code Reader app on Android or iPhone that will scan the QR Code to uncover special messages, discounts, websites, telephone numbers, social media links, events dates, email messages, contact details, and much more. Add this to the smartphone web browser and you've just added a unique voice to your brand message.

QR Codes used on Direct Mail Promotion 

So where can you get your QR Code? Search Google for "QR Code Generator" and you'll have your share of websites that allow you to create your own QR Code in about 5 minutes.  We like QR Stuff, a Free Online QR Code Creator and Encoder for T-Shirts, Business Cards, and Stickers. The QR Code photos in this blog post are added and updated as we find new uses for QR Codes and how various businesses are using QR Code technology.

Last update Tuesday, June 7, 2022

How to expose your brand on Facebook.

"There are good sides to Facebook, but the media likes to report things that make people worry or things that cannot be imagined by a majority of people - That's how you get people to act." - Head Honcho, Oevae Marketing Consultants

Facebook Insights Screen Shot | Increased Brand Exposure with a 191% Comments Increase.

I heard the former database developer at Facebook, Joe Hewitt say something about many of the Facebook users were actually repeat customers – some people created Facebook accounts, then canceled sometime after using the account. A period of time passed and the same customer actually returns to the Facebook world to create a new account.

This is not really all that surprising when compared to your favorite highway or neighborhood. There will be a time when your highway to your BFF is jammed like a party at Charlie Sheen's crib. God forbid one day, what you knew as your favorite neighborhood is featured on Dateline To Catch A Predator – with what smells like a heatwave of pedophilia. Although these are facts of America, you will return again to your favorite highway and drive around the local predator's street to get to your friend's house – You don't really score any points if you run over the fool when you see him in the street anyway!

So Facebook is no different of course because it was developed by several of the smartest humans in the United States of America. However, being "human" we can rest assured that there will be mistakes. Few maybe, but it is surely inevitable. For this is the reason for planning. If we were all perfect, why would we need plans? All things would be successful. Sounds pretty boring actually. This would kill AFV (America's Funniest Videos), yet one could be perfectly rude - maybe that's comedy?

Anyway! Don't believe the hype. As a small business owner, you will have companies flocking to you, trying to get your business. There will be credit card offers, stamp machine offers, free business cards, banners, and sign companies just to name a few. After you have sorted through what hit your mailbox outside, then you have your email inbox with the same hype! I'm not talking about this stuff. I'm talking about Facebook branding.

Many companies use Facebook as a place to add large brand graphics on the Facebook wall. Sometimes these graphics will be part of a contest or news and deals like Nike Sneaker News. or Nike Skateboarding Fan Page. When you land on these pages, you instantly have the opportunity to resonate and evoke emotions with the viewer. It's the first few seconds where we have to make snap decisions. Like, when you are on the highway, you make a snap decision when you think about the exit you need to take to save time or make a snap decision when you are telling your friend how to get to the neighborhood where you live, you shout out a landmark or two or snap your fingers a few times before you remember the street they need to turn on to get to your house.

In a nutshell, Facebook for business can be a good thing if you want to increase your exposure and show people what you have, or what you can do. The media often talks about people "exposing" themselves in all the wrong ways just to get your attention.