Target vs. US Post Office

In a new category of blog posts called “vs” I am going to compare how two different companies implement a mobile marketing strategy and I will declare a winner in the imaginary competition. First up is Target vs. the United States Post Office.

In this battle I am examining their use of QR Codes. A technology that I am not yet fond of, but I digress, and will tell you why later in this post.

First up, let’s see what the USPS offers up. In the October 2010 issue of their “magazine for marketers” called deliver (www.delivermagazine.com), they present a huge QR code that is the only thing on the cover of the magazine. It actually looks pretty good, but there are no instructions.

If someone doesn’t already know what a QR code is and have the scanning software on their phone, they would have no idea what to do about it.

On the back cover of the magazine (but nowhere inside it) there are vague instructions as to what to do with the bar code. Step #1 says, “Download a barcode reader for your mobile phone” but doesn’t say where or how. Is it an app? Is it from a mobile website? Is a particular kind of barcode reader needed or will any bar code reader work? Is it free?

Next, if someone holding this magazine did have bar code software on their phone and knew what to do with it there would be no compelling reason to do so. On the back cover it says that one will “be amazed at what you see.” OK, what does that mean? People are busy. Do they really have time for unknown amazement from the post office?

In the other corner we have Target and their Toy Catalog.

On the inside cover there is a box titled Scan Joyfully. In it is a three step set of clear and helpful instructions plus an example of a QR Code to give a visual cue that is what the instructions are for.

Step #1 says, “From your mobile phone, download the FREE ScanLife app at Target.com/scan.” These are instructions a person can actually follow easily.

The third step also offers an alternative in case the person reading it is, like me, not so fond of QR Codes yet. It says, “Can’t scan? No problem. Just use the short URLs next to the QR Codes within the catalog instead.” Perfect.

This brings up why I don’t like QR codes. Frankly they slow me down. It is much simpler for me to type in a URL than to open my bar code app, take a picture and then wait while the app decodes it and routes me to the proper action. This could be a function of my phone and the bar code software I have, but I am certainly not the only one with this issue. It is wise to offer alternative ways to take the same action.

Next, Target gives compelling reasons to scan the codes. There’s holiday decorating tips from Sabrina Soto, a Sautéed Shrimp Cocktail recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, holiday fashion tips from Nina Garcia and a How-To TV Buying Guide. Each option features a QR Code and a short URL in case the code is not how I want to access this tantalizing information.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Target is the winner in this first “vs” column. In fact, I would go so far as to say it was a knockout.

For further reading on mobile barcode strategy, check out www.2dbarcodestrategy.com.

3 Comments

  1. Kim, you make some very good points about he differences in the campaigns. I agree the Target one’s were much better. I just made a QR code for my meditation centers program page, http://la.shambhala.org/categories.php, so that if people visited us when we weren’t there they could still connect with us.

    FYI I tried posting the QR code in this comment box and apparently it is not an accepted format. Do you know of a way to do that? Can the spiders read a code directly or do they rely on tags?

    Thanks!

    Bruce

  2. Hi Kim, great blog. Looking forward to December 15. For the bigger companies that use bar code scanning is anyone concerned with employees damaging expensive phones while trying to scan. Also for text messaging are business owners concerned that employees may mark down a discount then charge full price and pocket the money themselves since there is no way to track? Thanks

  3. Bruce:
    No, I don’t know a way to allow images (a QR code) into my comments.

    By “spiders” I assume you mean search engine spiders. QR codes are strictly for mobile phone use and to a search engine look just like any other image.

    Pete:
    I don’t think that the concept that using a QR Code could somehow harm a phone, through malicious behavior on the part of the code has really reached our consciousness yet. It will, sadly.

    What you are asking about employees marking down a discount, then charging full price makes no sense. The consumer would not pay full price if they were redeeming a coupon. There would be no difference to pocket.

    Thanks for your comments, both of you!

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