2D barcodes and their imitators are likely to be among the biggest failures of 2010, at least among marketers who use these technologies expecting to achieve direct response rates like those of SMS text message programs. That’s both a prediction and more strongly worded follow up to this recent post of ours regarding services claiming to offer 2D barcode benefits but that are consumable by nearly every mobile phone user.
Those benefits include ease of interaction; simply point your camera-equipped device at a code to have information immediately presented and/or be pointed to a website. In localized programs outside the U.S. 2D bar codes have proven successful. However, as pointed out in this very good post, standardization among devices and software (or more accurately, a lack of it) is a gating factor to widespread accessibility by consumers in the U.S.
“…2D barcodes…are pretty cool solutions for specific applications, such as mobile airline boarding passes or advanced inventory management, but not exactly the best of what’s out there for mobile consumer marketing in today’s rapidly changing world of mobile media and brand interaction. The name of the game is to get as many high-quality customer interactions and conversation engagements as possible with your targeted demographic. Severely limiting the potential response pool by applying restrictions will simply decrease the success of the campaign.”
Articles like this on ChiefMarketer.com present a different picture that marketers would be wise to balance against the facts on the ground.
The universal nature of SMS text messaging has created an impression that mobile marketing can access anyone, anytime and anywhere but until technologies like 2D bar codes and augmented reality are as “standardized” as SMS, text messaging will remain the defacto method of reaching as many of your target demographic as possible.
In the meantime, hybrid services requiring a consumer to snap a photo and send it via MMS are emerging that ultimately lack the instant gratification of real 2D codes and the universal nature of SMS. Marketers be warned.
With competition for mobile consumer mindshare reaching a fever pitch, marketers will increasingly face an engagement barrier, even around SMS text message programs. To break through and achieve their objectives, marketers should evaluate offerings such as Interactive Mediums’ multi-channel mobile customer engagement platform.
