Tesco Virtual Stores Utilize QR Codes

Wow! This is an amazing video. Tesco creates a virtual store at a subway station in South Korea where shoppers can browse naked displays with pictures of products and purchase them by scanning the QR code on the display.

QR Codes Are Old, Yup, So Is The Internet

“QR Codes are an OLD technology”… WTF? I keep hearing this from the tech-snob QR haters on Twitter or in the blogosphere as part of the famous “QR codes will never go mainstream” argument. While the QR code itself does in fact date back to 1994 when it was invented by Denso Wave as a quick way to track auto parts in Toyota factories, it has taken on a completely new identity when teamed with TODAY’s web-enables mobile device. Make NO mistake about it, 15 years AFTER the QR code was born, it is augmenting our lives in NEW ways every day! We are an instant gratification culture who already craves decoding celebrity gossip from the pages of US Weekly. QR codes could easily be the new form of content crack rock that U.S. consumers get hooked on as mobile continues to emerge into a behemoth. There will be MILLIONS of new mobile web users born into the world in 2011 btw. #Fact

Big in Japan. YES, Japan started using QR codes well before the U.S…. WE KNOW THIS. That does NOT mean they are that far ahead of us from user experience perspective. The devices over there simply aren’t web friendly enough to allow it. I’m also not sure the Japanese were using HTML 5 four years ago. Were they?  Americans have become so accustomed to hearing “Japan is light years ahead of the U.S. in mobile technology”. While this may be true for some unique applications, we still see the Japanese line the streets of Tokyo for the iPhone release. Hmmm. If they are so far ahead of us then why do we see a record demand for an American mobile device?

Ralph Lauren debuted the first QR code advertisement in the U.S. almost 3 years ago! Again, the devices were NOT in people hands yet for campaign to be as effective as it would be, say, today. To give you an idea, Android didn't exist. Part of the criticism about QR codes is that they have been around for awhile but have NOT caught on to the masses. If you exclude Blackberry (QR experience sucks) from the equation, REAL web-enabled smartphones are only about 15% of the market. The potential is ridiculous, no wonder QR codes don’t have mass adoption. It’s simply a numbers game. To bet against QR codes as a legitimate medium for mobile web content delivery, at this point, is like betting against smartphone growth! 

It’s all about the web, baby. Apple was first to bring real internet experience to the palm of our hands and now we are hooked. Each day a new Smartphone user is born wondering how they ever lived in the land of flip phones and limited data plans. NOW, freshly equipped with the web in the palm of their hands, these consumers are open to an entirely new world. The ability to access content from anywhere on our phones via the web is evolving at lightning speeds. For another example, take a look at 1D UPC barcode scanning. Same principles apply. The 1D barcode has been a staple of our society for decades yet they have only recently become useful to everyday consumers when scanned with particular app to open up a world of information that can be valuable to the buying process. This is a completely NEW model revolved around an OLD technology (1D barcodes).

SO the question is....Should QR codes even be considered "technology" at all OR are they just an ingredient to a larger "quick response mobile web technology" landscape? 

QR Codes Symbolize More Than We Know

Okay…QR codes are seriously blowin’ up, homies! I am literally getting flooded with emails and news about NEW campaigns daily. For anyone who has been following the world of QR codes as I have, the hype has undoubtedly reached a fever pitch. The continuous exposure they are getting has been GIGANTIC for awareness, which is the obvious hurdle for the technology. Although QR codes can still only be appreciated by an elite group of smartphone users, they represent much more about who we are becoming as “consumers” and how we expect brands and advertisers to communicate with us. It makes me think about what a “QR code” really symbolizes in this NEW era of “anywhere” web content.

Today, sharp advertisers are thinking of consumers more as “content consumers”, first and foremost. The swift change that the internet brought upon traditional advertising can be attributed to one word, SEARCH. Once digital content around our niche interests and products could be searched and therefore found, the game changed forever. On-demand information and the “long tail” were born while one-way, broad, intrusive messages grew stagnant. So if we can agree that search has had a revolutionary impact over consumer content consumption and advertising, what happens when the ability to search and absorb web content goes completely MOBILE?

Web search is embedded in our culture. Googling words and phrases to find information has become a way of life for most of us. Websites, blogs, reviews, comments, photos, videos, forums, status updates and tweets are ALL considered searchable content. Each form of content serves as unique education to whoever is searching, depending on what they are searching for. There is an innate satisfaction that is had by consumers who are able to instantly feel knowledgeable (or perceive they are) about a brand, product or service that immediately pertains to them by the power of their own searches and clicks on the web. This is where I see QR codes as the trigger to a metaphorical loaded gun, with bullets being content. The user gets a feeling of “empowerment” by pulling the trigger, in this case, scanning a QR code.

“Instant Education-Gratification“……. is a term that has been spawned by an online culture and is ripe for QR codes to own. It defines our emotional search for empowerment and feeds our craving for valuable content, instantly. The physical act of scanning a QR code is a lot like typing a keyword into a search box. It’s immediate and responsive with the user having full control. Now brands can deliver unique, valuable, unobtrusive web content to consumers through QR codes and mobile web content while tapping into the “emotional gratification” and “education” that search provides. QR codes are already the ultimate bridge between static physical media and its dynamic digital counterpart. This is a completely new way to think about the satisfaction they can bring if the content is valuable. This is when they become more than just a code, but a way of life.

QR Codes Hit Fifth Avenue Luxury in High Fashion (Press Release)

Luxury Manhattan Retailer Michael C. Fina Adopts New Technology and Builds “Mobile Storefront” to Celebrate NYC Women and A. Jaffe Platinum Jewelry


New York, NY; September 14th, 2010 – TAPPINN Inc., A mobile applications platform and QR code creative agency today announced their collaboration with retailer Michael C Fina, PGI-USA, and A. JAFFE to bring QR (“quick response”) mobile codes to Fifth Avenue. The retailer’s five massive storefront windows on 45th Street off NYC’s famed shopping strip are dedicated to the women of New York and the platinum ring designs that symbolize their character. Each window features a different QR code that shoppers can scan with their smartphone cameras to view facts about the platinum jewelry designs being showcased.


After the QR code in scanned, shoppers connect with a Michael C. Fina mobile-optimized site that includes easy contact (email, call) function, videos, product galleries, pricing, mobile wallpapers, information about designers and product pages with social sharing function including the Facebook “like”. There are 27 exquisite A. Jaffe platinum bridal designs being highlighted in the display, each with its own mobile page that shoppers can interact with and share from their phone. Demo of "Mobile Storefront" site below.




Michael C. Fina is located at 545 Fifth Avenue, at 45th Street, and the campaign will run through October 11, 2010.

“At Michael C. Fina, we’ve been committed to providing our customers with exceptional service for 75 years. This means not only working one-on-one with customers here in the store to help them select the perfect ring, plan the perfect proposal, etc. but also educating potential customers by distributing information in their preferred form; online or through a Smartphone. The QR code technology is going to allow us to reach a whole new range of New Yorkers in a way that is both comfortable and convenient for them. Once they see what makes platinum the most desirable metal choice and A.JAFFE so special, we are confident they will want to come in and learn more.” - Jacklynn Manning, Communications & Creative Director

A 2009 consumer study conducted by PGI-USA (Platinum Guild International) illustrated the importance window displays play in capturing the attention of pre-engaged women and men during the crucial engagement ring research period. More than 54 percent of the study’s respondent window shopped stores during their engagement ring shopping period, and they reported they were more likely to enter a store if they liked the products they saw in the window.

“In addition to revealing the importance of retail window displays, our consumer study revealed that pre-engaged women and men expect online educational content from retailers,” stated Michelle Peranteau, Manager of integrated Marketing for PGI-USA. “The Michael C Fina Mobile Storefront marries these two elements to create the ultimate platinum jewelry retail shopping experience. Before even speaking to a sales associate, shoppers will enter Michael C. Fina with in-depth knowledge of both platinum and their favorite A. Jaffe engagement ring.”

Nick Ford, Co-Founder of Tappinn, believes Michael C. Fina’s storefront will revolutionize the way retailers engage consumers, and do it in a nonintrusive way. “QR codes are rapidly becoming the most exciting thing to hit mobile advertising since the ‘app’ because consumers have control” stated Ford. “The demand for mobile smartphones continues to sky rocket and so will the demand for mobile web content. We believe consumers are craving to connect with their favorite products and stores and share those favorites from their mobile phones while shopping. Storefronts can be the ideal communication application of QR codes and retailers should embrace it.”

In addition to debuting the world’s first Mobile Storefront, the window displays will also feature model shots from A. Jaffe’s new branding campaign, which pays tribute to the company’s rich New York heritage. “Just as New York represents success, magic, romance and charisma, so does the confident woman who chooses a platinum A. Jaffe engagement ring from Michael C. Fina to symbolize her marriage,” stated Pooja Johari, Marketing Director for A. Jaffe.

About Tappinn:
Tappinn is a web application used for the building of web sites and pages that are optimized for mobile. These “Smart Sites”, make it easy for brands, retailers and agencies to deliver customized mobile content (pictures, video, text, coupons, product specs, ect.) to unique shopping environments using mobile tagging with QR codes. Page content can be geo-targeted around physical advertising media such as displays, posters, magazine ads, events, business cards, billboards and other forms of signage. The built in QR code management tool in the Tappinn platform also helps the advertiser generate, tag and track all responses to any QR codes used in a campaign. BEYOND the CODE www.tappinn.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/tappinn.

About Platinum Guild International:
Platinum Guild International is dedicated to promoting Platinum and its pure, rare and eternal qualities to the consumer and the jewelry trade. PGI has offices in each of the world's major jewelry markets, providing information, assistance and education on all aspects of platinum jewelry. For more information please visit www.platinumguild.com.

About Michael C. Fina
Michael C. Fina is the perfect place to turn when celebrating all life’s many milestones, big or small. As New York’s premier family owned and operated retail destination, we have been providing customers with quality products and exceptional service for 75 years. The flagship store, located at 545 Fifth Ave. New York, NY, offers a stunning variety of engagement rings, wedding bands, fine jewelry, tableware, estate silver, and bath accessories.

For more information visit our website (www.michaelcfina.com ), friend us on facebook (www.facebook.com/mcfina ), or follow us on twitter (www.twitter.com/MichaelCFina ).