New QR Code Frame Ideas From Tappinn

There are plenty of opportunities to drive fascination and attention to your QR codes without actually touching the code graphically. We've all heard of "designer QR codes" that require code manipulation and testing. Tappinn calls theses "frames" and they are intended to be a visual call to action that can also include "download QR reader" text instructions and content information. Positioned in a way to cushion the QR code, the text and colour imagery frame the code in a compact and scalable way. QR code frames are an interesting new trend in mobile tagging that anyone can execute! 

Scan a QR Code, Get a Free Beer in NYC!

Heartland Brewery, a restaurant and brewery with locations in Manhattan, is running a mobile web coupon promotion with Tappinn QR codes to entice New Yorkers to come in and cool off with a free mug of Summertime Apricot Ale. The artwork below will be posted on gigantic kiosks in New York City's famed Union Square district and the QR code coupon will be valid through June 15th. Users who scan the QR code can present their screen to the Heartland Brewery wait staff at the Union Square location and receive a free Apricot Ale. This is an example of a QR code campaign that every restaurant and brew house should be running with their print advertising. Tappinn.com makes is simple, trackable and fun! Cheers!

Mobile QR Codes Hit The Wall Street Journal

TAG Heuer and TAPPINN have collaborated in quite possibly the most advanced QR code campaign on record. I will be writing much more about the unique model that sets TAG's effort apart from other mammoth brands using QR codes in their advertising. It doesn't get better than this! Email me if you would like exclusive content for your blog. Holler!

My Interview With 2DBarcodeStratagy.com

 Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Roger Marquis at 2Dbarcodestratgy.com. Here is the interview.


RM: Nick, your background is in traditional commercial printing. How did you make the leap to 2D barcodes?
NF: Several years ago, when I was at The Duratran Company, we were trying to visualize how we could make our clients' traditional print ads and signage that much more engaging and effective from an ROI perspective and, while trying to come up with a solution, we recognized how more and more consumers were using their mobile phones to aid in the purchase process. As we set out to find a way to tie the print ads and signs with mobile phones, we discovered 2D barcodes, specifically QR codes. In 2007, I partnered with Casey Ford and Kevin Galbavi to form TAPPINN, and here we are. Casey serves as CEO and Kevin as CTO.

RM: The word TAPPINN is supposed to stand for something, can you explain?
NF: Yes, the "TAPP" portion of our name stands for "Transmission Activated by Permission Protocol," and the whole idea behind what we are about is permission based communications between the brand and the user or consumer. We see a world where mobile advertising will be led by the consumer, meaning it will be up to them to decide which ad they wish to view and read about.

RM: You also use the phrase "beyond the code" to describe your business, please elaborate?
NF: The web platform that we have built and offer to both ad agencies and companies is full-service in that it does much more than just generate QR codes. The platform goes "beyond the code" by providing clients with the ability to inventory and manage all of the QR codes they generate, develop mobile web sites, or what we call smart sites, and track and report on campaign activity.


RM: Speaking of the QR codes that your platform generates, why do your QR codes have a red square in the upper left hand corner?
NK: The red square in the upper left hand corner is meant to represent quality.

RM: Quality in terms of what?
NK: Quality in terms of content. Similar to the idea behind Intel's "Intel Inside" campaign, we want consumers to be able to see our codes, recognize the red square, and know that the mobile web site that it links to is a quality site with respect to content. And, by the way of content, we mean that the site will be easy for the consumer to navigate, targeted to the consumer's need or interest and offer consumers the ability for them to share it in a sociable way.

RM: What do you mean by "share in a sociable way?"
NF: To us, mobile marketing is all about the user experience and the ability for consumers to share what they like with family, friends, etc. So, when a consumer views a TAPPINN mobile web site, they will notice on the bottom of the page four icons, which can be used to: 1) Facebook "Like It", 2) Twitter share, 3) email or 4) create their own QR code. We make it extremely easy for consumers to share and be social.

RM: What makes your creative design work different from others?
NF: When designing a 2D barcode-based print ad you can do it in one of two ways. First, you can design the entire ad and then insert the 2D barcode. Second, you can design the ad with the barcode in mind and then develop the entire ad around the code itself. We believe the second way makes more sense strategically and this is what we do with all of the ads that we are asked to design for our clients. It is also worth noting that often times the barcode becomes the ad's call-to-action, so here too we pay particular attention to where the QR code is placed and what it looks like.

RM: As I understand it,  you use open source to generate your QR codes. Could you speak more to this?
NF: Sure. In today's market, there are a few companies that generate proprietary 2D barcodes, which means that unless you have the scanner/reader software which corresponds with their proprietary code you will not be able to scan/read the code properly and link to the mobile web page that's intended to be seen. As an open source platform, we generate codes that can be scan/read by most any scanner/reader software. At a time when consumers are just learning about and getting used to 2D barcodes, we believe it makes more sense to make it as easy, and open, as possible for them to use and access the technology.

RM: If a company wishes to purchase your product what are the costs?
NF: We are a subscription site. Unlimited pages, unlimited QR codes.

RM: Who are some of your clients?
NF: We have done work with TAG Heuer, Hearts on Fire, Tissot, Spazio24, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Aetrex and others in the luxury brand space.

RM: Where do we go from here?
NF: We see the 2D barcode market ready to explode here in the U.S., and taking on a presence much like that found in Japan and Europe, which are ahead of us in many different ways. From our perspective, 2D barcodes will transform traditional print advertising and create a much richer, and more social, user experience for all.

RM: Thank you Nick.

Ze Jewelry Goes Mobile in Engagement 101 Magazine (QR Codes)

Ze Jewelry is a designer and manufacturer of wedding and engagement rings as well as diamond and colored gemstone jewelry including bracelets, necklaces, earrings and pendents.

In the newest installment of Engagement 101 Magazine, Ze Bridal uses a QR code in their ad featuring 5 different engagement ring styles and wedding bands. The QR code directs users to a landing page where they can view MORE styles related to the ad and share them from their phone. The landing page is clean, simple and most importantly, MOBILE. Each style has it's own product page which can be "liked" on Facebook. The Ze Bridal mobile site is simple to navigate, shop and share. I have attached screenshots below.

Canvas Magazine Does QR Codes

Canvas Magazine (www.thecanvasmag.com) is a print industry publication that supports print sales and marketing executives. In the June issue they dedicate the magazine to explaining QR codes and how they can be used to enhance print marketing efforts. Most of the ads within the magazine feature QR codes but not too many of those codes connected to "mobile" content. The codes were just a link to the company home page. It felt good flipping through the magazine and seeing QR codes galore. This is the way it SHOULD be.

Verizon "Droid" Posters Feature QR Codes

It's been no secret that Google and Android have embraced QR codes as an easy way to share information and apps. While in Chigago, IL for a wedding, I  stumbled across these posters on the side of a building using QR codes. Funny thing is that the movie poster above do NOT feature QR codes but the Verizon "Droid" posters do (I personally think that the movie industry needs get with it) .  The codes direct you to the same landing page for Iphone users as the same ad run in People Magazine. The codes are much more friendly to Android devises with links to hot new apps for the OS. For the Iphone, the content is blah, which isn't surprising.

Hearts On Fire Continues to Dazzle the QR Code World

This is what "BEYOND the CODE" is all about! Hearts On Fire continues to dominate the world of QR code marketing by offering custom mobile content (Smart Sites) for each audience of readers that is targeted and sharable. In this case it's the readers of Harper's Bazaar and The Knot. By scanning the QR code readers are taken to a custom landing page with info about the particular styles with social links, including the Facebook "like" button. 

Most brands who have been early to incorporate QR codes into their print media have been doing it wrong. The content isn't mobile or it's hard to share and gimmicky.  Hearts On Fire is doing it right. Check out the video and see how. Cheers

(Exclusive) Tag Heuer QR Code Counter Sign For JCK 2010

Tag Heuer is going BIG with QR codes. Freshness. This is a prototype sign design that I call a "TOWER," soon to dominate retail. All made possible by the Tappinn platform. Much more coming.....

Best Buy Updates App with QR Code Reader!

Best Buy has done it!! They are the FIRST retailer in the world to update their app with a QR code reader!! We have documented their support for QR codes in earlier posts but now they have taken it a BIG step further.

The newest catalog features a QR code on the cover (I was disappointed there weren't more)! What's different about this is the "Download Reader"   instructions direct users the the newest version of Best Buy's app, fresh with a QR code reader. This make me so happy!! {Video Coming}

Facebook next, PLEASE!!!

Norma Kamali Using Mobile EZ Codes To Enhance Shopping (Photos)

Norma Kamali is a New York fashion designer, famous for a variety of innovative designs over the past 30 years including the "sleeping bag" coat, a collection of style created from actual silk parachutes. 

Her store, located at 11 West 56th in New York City, has been the topic of conversation lately about something other than fashion, and was the real reason for my visit. Check out the segment on The Early Show about QR codes where they are featured #

The boutique is loaded with 2-barcodes. (EZcode by Scanlife) Shoppers can scan the EZcode with a Scanlife app and be directed to action, either to buy, or enter and win. When I scanned the codes I was directed to an Ebay mobile page for the item where I could buy it.

What struck me is how UN-noticeable the EZ code is, as opposed to real QR codes. EZ codes look more like a design than an actual source of mobile information. You decide. One thing is for certain, Norma Kamali can be credited as the FIRST retailer to implement 2-D code signage throughout a store in the United States. I like it.

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!

Hearts On Fire Connects With Bridal Shoppers Using QR Codes

{Press Release} BOSTON, MA -April 12, 2010

Hearts On Fire goes mobile in upcoming national print advertisements. The Company has partnered with Michigan -based mobile technology company, Tappinn, to create an innovative, new way to advertise in the print medium. A selection of Hearts On Fire print ads will feature engagement rings from their bridal line along with a mobile QR (quick response) barcode. Consumers will have the opportunity to reach a Hearts On Fire mobile site where they can view designs, share with friends, and engage in social media. The goal is to make it easy for consumers to learn more about Hearts on Fire products and create an experience that blends print with technology.

"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 In Fire.

"Smartphone users are connected at all times and can be the most viral for a brand. Web enabled smartphones have added an entirely new dimension to social media and Hearts On Fire has been early to recognize that" says Nicholas Ford, co-founder of  Tappinn. (www.tappinn.com) 

About Hearts On Fire 

The Hearts On Fire Company (HOF) is successfully building the pre-eminent consumer brand in the fine diamond jewelry business, powered by the pulsating energy of its extraordinary diamonds. Founded in 1996, Hearts On Fire has established a new industry standard for diamond cutting perfection, enabling the Company to become the world's fastest growing diamond brand. The company continues to redefine the industry through its extraordinary diamonds, sophisticated marketing and training programs and unique retail relationships. Hearts On Fire, The World's Most Perfectly Cut Diamond, is carried in 34 countries, including over 500 U.S. retail locations, as well as locations throughout the U.K, Aisa, and the Caribbean. For more information please visit www.hearsonfire.com.

Contact info:
Trisha Spillane- 617-912-5370
tspillane@heartsonfire.com

The Early Show on CBS Explains QR Codes

The Early Show on CBS yesterday morning did this segment on QR codes. It's interesting that they are lumping all forms of 2-D barcodes into the "QR Code" category.

Make Your Iphone 4g

Came across this and thought I should share. Sprint is toughting that they can make your Iphone 10x's faster.

The Green Cow Uses QR Barcodes and Pay-Per Performance

The Green Cow, eatery and catering company, has decided to use QR Codes to promote their menu and build Facebook friends. The quaint New Jersey establishment bordering the Hudson River serves a variety of cuisine between breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nestled on the corner of Essex and Hudson, across the street from Goldman Sachs. The Green Cow sees a ton of foot traffic which they are hoping QR codes will help convert.

"Almost everyone we see now has a smartphone!" says, Shobaum, Green Cow manager. "Why not give them the opportunity to share our menu on their phone!? Not only that, we have made it easy for those same smartphone users to become a fans of us on Facebook and read our Google reviews!"

Green Cow used the Tappinn platform to create the content or "Smart Site" used for the campaign. They built pages centered around each portion of their menu linking other pages back together. Basically the site functions like an app but works across all mobile platforms so an Iphone user can view the same content as a Nexus One user without having to download separate apps. The platform also generates the QR code that smartphone users can scan to be directed to the content. Even more shocking was what the cost to build the Smart Site. ZERO, NADA. The only charge is when people actually engage with the QR codes, and it's pennies. What a Phenomenal concept! QR code pay-per performance marketing is the future.

Nokia n900 Pictures

Here are some pictures of the new Nokia N900. This device will be rockin Maemo OS with a firefox mobile browser available. We've heard a lot about Firefox mobile, this looks to be the first device we will see with it.

Not sure about the stylus. Soooooo 2005!

ITG WindowsXP Phone Looks Sick

The ITG xpPhone is set to be the world's first Windows XP phone. It's being released in China first so we'll be able to get a glimps before it hit's the U.S. I'm interested in this Windows XP OS. Here are some more pics

Build Social Voice InThe Retail Enviroment With Mobile Content

Retailers need to wake up and smell the roses. I don't get it! Instead of RUNNING from the wireless/mobile revolution, they need embrace it! Give it a big sloppy kiss!

Brands and Retailers that sell out of physical (brick and mortar) locations have opportunities unlike ANYONE in this new era of social marketing. Think about it, shoppers are now carrying around the internet in their pockets! Give them the opportunity to share YOUR content while they are in the store! Target products and allow them to easily become a fans on Facebook from their phones. Walking into a retail store should be like stepping on the moon, a galaxy of wireless content swirling. The possibilities are endless.

Retailers need to create a wireless information superhighway within their walls, beaming with Wi-Fi and mobile engagement touch points such as QR codes. Give shoppers digital content to take with them or share on social networking sites. THIS is the future the the retail environment. ENGAGE the mobile user! MOBILE MOBILE MOBILE. I'm out of breath.

The"connected" shopper can be lethal for your brand if you can harness their power. GAME CHANGER. Call them Mr and Mrs Viral. Focus on creating digital content that they can share from the store and you won't regret it. NO, I'm NOT talking about apps!

There is a HUGE reason that we haven't seen retailers latch on to this concept! It hasn't been EASY enough to create the type of mobile content needed to engage the shopper. Tappinn is a platform for retailers to create/publish unique mobile web pages (Smart Sites) FAST and EASY using QR codes as hyperlinks in the physical world. Mobile advertising is too focused on apps right right now. Marketing is all about delivering the EXACT message ant the EXACT time. Creating "Smart Sites" for products for the retail environment that can be updated and managed is the only way to deliver VALUABLE FRIENDABLE SHAREABLE content to shoppers so they will engage with you in the future while sharing you in the present.

Smart Sites and QR Codes For Every Mobile OS Platform. Most Apps are CRAP.

Apps aren't the answer for MOST brands when it comes to mobile advertising. If you are considering investing in an app for your brand as the future of YOUR mobile advertising initiatives, STOP! Mobile content needs to be formatted for ALL mobile devices. Apps are cool but involve way too much time and money to develop and are often agency FLUFF. Consumer brands need to put their effort towards CONTENT. Not only that, they need to focus their efforts on a much broader philosophy. Mobile content needs to be ever-changing, location based, and shareable on social networks. Delivering unique content based on location and demographics needs to be easy and fast. Often apps are controlled by the software company who built them allowing little to no flexibility for the brand. The mobile terrain is difficult to navigate with such a static outlet. Look at the option of a Smart Sites/ QR Code campaign. This gives brands the ability to change content in real time and manage 100's pages specifically focussed on targeted groups.

Smart Sites are "micro" web pages formatted for ALL mobile browsers. These sites are content rich and drama free. NO banner adds or spam, just targeted, shareable information. Smart Sites are giving advertisers the ability to be flexible and transparent with shoppers, which is exactly what they deserve. Using QR codes as hyperlinks in the physical world to access Smart Site content will dominate the next couple years as the new territory of opportunity in advertising. The mobile web just turned 6 years old! It hasn't even started 1st grade yet!

Tappinn Smart Site Building Platform makes publishing mobile content to the web is a breeze. Create and deploy sites in minutes! Create catalogs of Smart Sites for each product and attach QR codes to packaging, displays, signage, magazines and newspapers. Engage shoppers in the retail environment with QR codes linking physical to digital. Allow shoppers to TappInn to your products and share them with the world. www.tappinn.com