Tappinn on Tumblr For The Hottest Trends in QR Code Advertising

Tappinn BEYOND the QR CODE is posting some of the hottest trends in QR Code advertising on their Tumblr blog. Happy NEW Year. Smartphones and QR Codes rule 2011. Book it!

Tappinn on Tumblr

The Ultimate QR Code For Business Cards by Tappinn

QR codes on business cards is not a new concept. Codes have been randomly popping up on the business cards of computer geeks and "techies" for over 2 years. Used in a variety of ways, QR codes on business cards are usually linked to a company website OR contain contact information (vCard) which can be downloaded instantly to the phone. This makes tons of sense given that the ultimate objective of TODAY's business card should be to land in someones digital contact manager (Outlook) or be bookmarked, followed, friended or mapped. The FASTEST way to allow this from a 2inch by 3inch piece of paper is to use a QR code, NO DOUBT! This can only be true if done correctly though. Let's look at all of the ways QR codes are being used on business cards  to understand the landscape.     

Common functions of QR codes used on business cards. 

-QR Code links to companies website (mobile or non mobile) 
-QR Code links to a Facebook profile 
-QR code links to Twitter page 
-QR code links to a blog 
-QR Code links to Linkedin profile 
-QR code links to Google Maps coordinates 
-QR code contains contact info (vCard)

This list is meant to give a snapshot of how QR codes are being used on business cards and the thought behind it. Tappinn has recognized that ALL of these QR code functions are important but much too static and inefficient by themselves.

Introducing the "Code Card", the ultimate QR code for professional business cards that includes all of the above and much more. Code Cards are created on the Tappinn platform and include a suite of analytics and custom design options that make them special to each Code Card holder. In essence, Code Cards team QR codes with a trackable, custom mobile "landing page" that includes your contact info, website, social profile links, phone prompts, logo, photos, map, Vcard and easy sharing function including a Facebook "like" button. This QR code solution ensures that your business card can be used as viable new tool for connecting with contacts in 2011.

Build "Code Cards" with an unlimited subscription to Tappinn BEYOND the CODE

QR Codes Used as Post-its on Advertisements

True Romance is a collection of diamond bridal rings and affordable bridal jewelry that reflects classic American design. Using the Tappinn platform and "post-it" themed QR code frame, this bridal brand gets it right with QRcodes! I'm in love with post-it QR codes!  

American Eagle QR Codes in Times Square

Scan the QR Codes and recieve a coupon (screenshot below). American Eagle is flashing giant QR codes between promotions on the digital billboard above their store in Times Square.

Danica Patrick Is Driving QR Codes, Literally!

TAPPINN inc. - Danica Patrick will make QR code history on Saturday, October 9th in her #7 Chevrolet as she debuts the world's first race car strapped with a QR code on the hood. The NASCAR Nationwide Series CampingWorld.com 300 is in Fontana, CA  at 4:46 (et) and will be televised on ESPN2. The QR code was incorporated by Danica's primary sponsor for the race, Tissot Swiss Watches. Scan if you can!

I'm officially calling this "NASCAR with QR", catchy, I like it! Photos and video below.

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.

Priceless Photos of Michael C. Fina QR Codes on Fifth Avenue in NYC

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 ).

9 Golden “Rules of Engagement” For Advertisers Using QR Codes

1) This is MOBILE, dude. Content must be mobile and properly formatted for ALL smartphone OS screens (Android, Apple, Blackberry, ect). Speed is everything, design content that can be efficiently outputted on a mobile device. This is a completely different animal than regular web design. Large buttons and easy "touch" navigation are crucial to user experience. Easy "contact" function can win with convenience. Keep the call, email and V-card buttons close by! Also, popular locations services such as Foursquare are becoming popular to incorporate as well.The #1 mistake made by early QR code marketers is using regular desktop pages as links in the codes.

2) People LOVE to share. Sharing content over the PC web has become ridiculously popular over the last 5-7 years. Sharing content over the MOBILE web is still pretty new but has explosive potential. You are already seeing it with adoption of text messaging (texting) and Twitter (tweets) which are both “mobile born” forms of communication. Everything MUST be easy to share on the go (galleries and product pages). Make it easy for users to post content on Facebook and Twitter in seconds. Make sure that the content is accessible on the desktop web also. Mobile to desktop sharing is still prominent. 

3) A new smartphone user is born every day, seriously, THOUSANDS of them. Don’t be discouraged by low numbers/scans. The success of phones like Iphone4, Evo, DroidX and Galaxy are obvious indication that the DEMAND is rising. Focus on the experience and users will come. Every engagement by a mobile user of scanning a QR code is a connection far beyond any traditional marketing thought. This is the first step in a new relationship.

4) Don’t get cute, focus BEYOND the CODE. I’m a huge fan of “designer QR codes” and I think they can serve a wonderful purpose for early QR code campaigns to build BUZZ. However, it’s early in the game and recognition is still relatively low, don’t get lost in the ad! Also, customized “designer QR codes” can’t be duplicated near as efficiently. It gets tricky if you want to run a nation wide magazine campaign with 6 splits a you would want a SEPARATE code for each split in every magazine for each month. Those who want to be specific and run different codes for different media applications will have a hard time achieving results they need with a “designer” QR code.

5) QR Codes are here to stay. There has been an ongoing debate between nerds on Twitter about whether QR codes will hit “mainstream” in the U.S. The answer is YES. Argument over. Deal with it, haters.

6) Deliver custom value wherever possible. In my opinion this is all about CONTENT. The mobile environment is a swirling terrain with unlimited possibilities. Create and deliver content that makes sense to your market and helps shoppers make honest buying decisions. If it's a magazine, consider the readers of THAT magazine and offer exclusives and target content around that group of readers. A QR code that leads directly to video in a loud atmosphere isn't powerful. A landing page where users can select the FORM of content they want is much more effective. QR codes that lead users straight to video are mostly ineffective.

7) Proprietary codes suck. The "QR code" is famous for its "three squares" in the top corners of the code. It's also famous for being OPEN. There are several codes that fall into the "2-D Barcode" family with QR codes but are NOT actual "QR codes". Microsoft Tag, Scanlife's EZ code and JagTag are often mistaken as QR codes when they are not. The problem with these proprietary codes is that they can ONLY be read be THEIR app which has fragmented the sector. So "QR code" readers can't even scan Microsoft Tags, ect. Last we checked there were over 60 different applications that read QR codes, none of them could read a Microsoft Tag, WTF. Get it?

8) Instructions are important. Keep in mind that a majority of users are still "first timers"so making it easy for them to download a QR code reader specific for to their smartphone OS is crucial. Shortcodes can be texted and a link will come back to the user that will download a reader. I prefer to list a short URL that users can type into their mobile browser to retrieve a reader like Tappinn.mobi. The landing page is then set up to visually guide people to the correct app with icons for each OS (Apple, BB, Android, Windows, Nokia). Once Facebook updates their app with a QR code reader most of these issues will be resolved.

9) Have fun! It is the dawn of a new day. New forms of communication centered around the smartphone device mean new opportunity to connect with your customers. Get creative and think LARGE.

(10??)BONUS! Oh yeah the biggest secret to all of this that WE built a platform to make all of the above EASY. Tappinn.com.... BEYOND the CODE. Visit us and starting building today! Let's build a community

-Nick Ford

CMO Tappinn.com

QR Codes Make Me Wanna DANCE {VIDEO}

This is a great video that my office made. It's informative and FUN. All about QR codes and the mobile web. Get down Get down Get down da da da da. I've got it in my head. LOL. ENJOY!

Luxury Brand Wins With QR Codes

Hearts On Fire, The World's Most Perfectly Cut Diamond, is carried in 34 countries, including over 500 US retail locations. Widely considered to be the leaders in the diamond engagement ring category, they continually look for new ways to connect with buyers. As a market leader in the 21st century, it is important to adapt your brand to changes that occur through technology, exposing the new efficiencies they bring. It almost seems as if Hearts On Fire has done this before.

Print advertising has seen better days, no doubt about it. The internet era has brought forth several "game changers" to advertising. Most notably, Google. For consumers today, there are unlimited ways to get information to make a buying decision, this has diluted the effectiveness of print advertising somewhat. Converging the mobile web with a traditional powerhouse such as print gives it entirely new fire power. Print can now be "clicked" by a smartphone user to continue the conversation beyond the ad. Not only that, the user is giving permission to dive deeper into content. They are "tapping in" per se. People do like advertising, just on their own terms. A new model for success?


Bridging The Gap
Hearts On Fire has connected mobile web content to magazine ads using QR codes as the link. Short for "quick response", these codes contain URL's that when scanned, direct users to a Hearts On Fire mobile landing page. Without having to type in a URL, QR codes are the fastest link from print to the web.

The Boston-based diamond company teamed up with a Michigan mobile tech company, Tappinn, to execute the campaign. Tappinn is a web platform to build, track and manage mobile websites and QR codes.

Smartphones have become an increasingly popular portal to the internet and brand content needs to be formatted accordingly. Tappinn has made it incredibly easy to build custom mobile web pages to deploy them with QR codes.

"We know our customers (especially our bridal customers) prefer to access information from their phone. This technology allows us to give them what they need and direct them to their closest Hearts On Fire retailer in the most efficient way possible. Plus, it is fun to use" says Caryl Capeci, VP of Marketing for Hearts On Fire.

The Hearts On Fire mobile landing page includes links to engagement ring galleries, social fan pages, retailer finder, product pages and easy sharing function on Facebook and Twitter.

"Readers see ads in magazines that they like but haven't had the means connect with them in real time. That has been what's missing from print, the "click-ability". TODAY is all about the connection and the mobile device has changed the way we make those connections. QR codes teamed with targeted mobile web content is the most efficient way to bridge the communication gap between readers of a magazine and an ad" says Nicholas Ford, Co-Founder of Tappinn.

"It's just the easiest way to let readers efficiently browse more information pertaining to your ad from their phone, it's not magic. Just imagine now having the ability to "like" "friend" and "share" Hearts On Fire styles that you see in the pages of a magazine from your phone. QR codes add the missing link to print advertising, literally." 

Check out the Hearts On Fire advertisement in Elle magazine which will reach newsstands on April 21st.

Download a QR code reader 

There are lot's of QR codes reader apps out there, too many to keep track of. Here are a few good ones that we recommend. Unfortunately, if you don't fit into these categories you're probably going to have a hard time. Iphone and Android and the leaders by far in ease of usability. Just hover your camera over the code and it picks it up instantly!(in the past you would have to actually snap a picture with the app)

Iphone apps: MobileTag, Neo Reader,

Android apps: ZXing, MobileTag

Blackberry apps: BeeTag, (BBM 5.0 has QR reader built in, although it's slow)

Windows Mobile: Quickmark

Below are some bonus images to help get users in the swing of scanning. Courtesy of Hearts On Fire. Click on the images to blow up. Have Fun!

Nexus One Gets Pinch Zoom Software Update

I'm impressed. Now the Nexus One can really put some heat on the Iphone.

Introducing The Apple Ipad

Finally! After years of speculation, Apple has introduced the Ipad to the world. In typical fashion Steve Jobs presented the new device in front of a packed audience of eager spectators and reporters. He stood on stage at the Yerba Buena Center in San Fransisco, site of other legendary launches, dressed in a black turtle neck and jeans. Job's described the device as "truly magical and revolutionary". He went on to say that it has created "third catagory" of devises next to the PC and Iphone. The crowd was in awe as he demonstrated several features of the device. "It's like hold the internet in your hands" he added.


The Ipad weighs a lean 1.5lbs and is half an inch thick. The device features a 9.7" LCD screen touchscreen combined with an updated Apple Iphone OS ripe for apps, music and movies. The Ipad also boasts a custom one-GHz possessor chip called the A4 which is the first of it's kind to be shipped in an Apple devibe. The new OS will be equipped with 11 pre-loaded apps including iwork and ibooks

It's no secret that Apple has been forming alliances with several different content providers for it's iBook application , a e-reading app for the Ipad. Books and magazines can include color, movies and sound. This feature alone will blow away current e-book readers. Five major publishers have signed on to the ibook store--HaperCollins, MacMillen, Penguin, Hachette and Simon & Schuster.

What really got people excited was the price! Originally expected to range from $800-1000. Apple announced that the Ipad's price will start at $499 for the 16gb, $599 for the 32GB and $699 for 64gb. 3G will be made available through an additional AT&T fee.

Obviously Apple has a good track record when it comes to pioneering new devices and categories. By the looks of today's event, we're in for a wild ride.

Android is Iphone "Chiller"

Google to eat Apple.

The Iphone is losing it! YES, I said it. Apple better come up with something, and FAST. After spending a solid week the the Nexus One, Android's newest device, I have adjusted my outlook on Apple's future in the mobile scene. The Nexus, which is positioned to become the RAZR of smartphones, beats the Iphone....straight up. (more on that later)

Card insert for Nexus One packaging

The Iphone has too much cache and better marketing right now for anyone to admit this defeat or even recognize it. This is NOT about " Devise vs. Devise" though..... That's another story. It's about the BIG picture and how Google is about to swallow Apple.

Handset manufactures and carriers are flocking to Google's mobile OS, Android. Why wouldn't they? Google has tied everything together! Their mobile OS is smooth and friendly. Everything they do embodies Google's ease and honesty, naturally this would carry into the mobile world. Can you imagine Apple's Google Maps being better than Google's Google Maps? Lol.

I have been and Iphone user since the beginning.

I LOVE my Iphone!

Just starting to see the momentum shift.

Adobe Flash 10.1 For Android and Nexus One

Pretty cool video demonstrating Flash on a Nexus One. What's interesting is that he's playing the game on the actual site w/URL. This is not an "App". You are going to see this become popular along with many other things as soon as flash get's incorporated into mobile. Look out Apple!