Black Friday - Scan a QR Code to win a prize!

Mall of America has a display that features a design using its logo and 100 QR Codes. The first shoppers who come in on Black Friday can get a chance to scan the QR Codes to win prizes ranging in value from $25 to $1,000 and including items such as shopping sprees and gift cards.

The campaign's goal is to educate shoppers about QR Codes as well as drive traffic to the mall where videos about how QR Codes work will also be shown. During the holiday season, staff T-shirts and signs featuring QR Codes will give shoppers a chance to win a grand prize for a $1,000 shopping spree.

QR Codes help raise funds for childhood cancer!

QRickit helps Chili's Grill & Bar raise over $5 million for childhood cancer. See the Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campaign at http://www.createapepper.com/.

QR codes printed on the back of kids' coloring sheets and restaurant table tents directed guests to either a special patient thank you message or to the fundraising campaign website. There have been 291,000 QR code scans.

"By incorporating the QR codes into this charitable campaign, it was a great way to relate to Chili’s tech-savvy guests while giving St. Jude supporters another, easily accessible way to donate to the charity," said a Chili's spokesperson.
 
Thanks for your donations.
 
QRickit

Get your own QRickit at QRickit.com!

QRickit in your coffee!

Starbucks is using QRickits in shops as well as magazine, newspaper and outdoor ads to promote its app and new coffee products.

When people scan the QR codes, they can watch a video about Starbucks’ Caffe Verona blend and do other things, such as find the nearest location, learn more about other coffee products, view the Starbucks menu, check their card balance, and shop.
 

Papa John's Pizza QR Code

Papa John's prints QRickits on its pizza boxes. When scanned, the QR Code takes consumers to a YouTube video of the company's founder telling the story of how he started the business. "QR codes are the best way to bridge digital to print, connecting consumers with interactive content within a static medium." - Papa John's Executive

QR Codes help you do grocery shopping at the subway!

This is a virtual store in a Korea subway station where huge posters displaying grocery items together with QR Codes help busy commuters shop with their mobile phones. Groceries are delivered right to their door. This is a common use of QR Codes but taken to a larger scale than just a catalog, newspaper or magazine ad.

QR Codes help people find their style at Timberland

Timberland is handing out 10,000 booklets during its "Style Night Out" events that feature QR Codes linked to mobile videos to promote its women's fall collection and deepen the brand experience.

QRickit the TV Star!

HSN (Home Shopping Network) is showing me on TV! When people scan me on the TV, they can go to the product page for more info and ordering - all on their smartphone or tablet.

Scan a QRickit to help homeless dogs!

Pedigree and Walmart are using QRickits to help feed homeless dogs. When a consumer scans the QR code on a package of Pedigree sold at Walmart a bowl of food will be donated to a shelter.

QRickit in Cosmopolitan magazine

QRickit is featured in JCPenny's ad in Cosmopolitan magazine. When scanned, consumers are directed to JCPenny's mobile site where they can view (and shop) the "Call It Spring" collection.

Free wings when you scan a QR Code

The QRickit on this print ad lets users "Like" Hooters on Facebook to receive a Buy 10 Get 10 Wings free offer. QRickits are also used by Hooters to lead consumers to its Facebook page to interact with the brand and to enter a chance to win a trip.

Diesel "Likes" QRickit and Facebook!

QR Codes at Diesel stores take customers to Facebook Like Pages. Customers can get a discount when they scan the QR Code and "Like" a certain Diesel product on Facebook. See how this QR Code Campaign works in the video below. (When customers "Like" a certain Diesel product, all their friends will know about it and likely check it out! This is the essense of this campaign.) 

Happy Father's Day QR Code

Gadget and gift retailer, Brookstone, is using QRickits in its NY stores and catalogs to help customers pick out the perfect Father's Day gift. Customers can see mobile videos which demonstrate how some gadgets work.

Mobile Coupons, Specials and Foursquare Check-In with QR Codes

Create a QR Code that helps people check-in to your Foursquare Venue at http://goo.gl/DwWMJ or QRickit.com. (Get a venue ID for your business at Foursquare) Google Places, Foursquare and Keypons allow you to create specials or mobile coupons to use at your shop or restaurant. Use QRickits to promote your mobile coupons in other print and online media and help consumers get them on their phones.

QR Codes can help you win a trip to SPACE!

How It Works: Go to a 7-Eleven store. Check in with your Foursquare app. You can scan the QR Code (where posted) to check-in quickly. How convenient! Unlock the special and follow the link to see if you are a winner. Win cool prizes and enter to win a trip to space. Every 88th check-in who participates can win a free movie ticket and every 88,888th check-in can win a Zero-G Experience weightless flight. Spread the word. The more people that check in, the more chances there are to win and the 888,888th check-in unlocks the trip to suborbital space. See http://www.7-eleven.com/Only-at-7-Eleven/Promotions/Check-In-To-Space/Default.aspx for more details. *Make your own QR Codes to help mobile users check-in to your Foursquare venue at http://QRickit.com.

QRickit is a TV Star!

QRickit is BIG in NY!

Real Estate Agents Love QRickit QR Codes

QR Codes are all the rage now in the real estate industry. Here are a few examples:

Also check out the following link to a company that provides real estate signs with QR Codes. http://www.drivebuytech.com/ Some say it's a fad, but whatever makes it more convenient for potential buyers to get info is not a bad thing considering QR codes are free and easy for anyone to make and use. If you're in the real estate industry, or any business for that matter, you should be using QR Codes. It's a no-brainer! QRickit Get your own QRickit at QRickit.com!

QRickit Quick Tips and API

QRickit Quick Tip #1: Just copy and paste the following in front of any URL you are viewing in your web browser and hit enter to get a QR Code for it: http://qrickit.com/api/qr?d=

QRickit Quick Tip #2: Just copy and paste the following into your web browser, add your text after it and hit enter to get a QR Code for it:
http://qrickit.com/api/qr?d=

For advanced website managers/developers, QRickit also offers a free and custom API so you can dynamically generate and display QR Codes on your own web pages. Please see the QRickit API Guide.

QRickit Widget for Your Web Pages

Let your users create their own QR Codes right on your website, blog or other web page. Simply copy the QRickit Widget code and paste it into any web page that permits the iframe tag.

Try it out! (I added an HTML gadget to this blog and pasted the QRickit Widget code in it so it appears in the right side column. I also pasted the code in this post.)

You can get the free widget code at http://QRickit.com/qrickit_widget.php






From your little friend,
QRickit

How to track QR Codes: Simple and Free Solution

- How many times was my QR Code scanned/used?
- How can I easily track my QR Code(s)?

Simple & Free Solution:
Get a free Google short URL with statistics (URL tracking). Then use the Google short URL to create your QRickit QR Code at http://qrickit.com/ or using the QRickit Widget here. Google gives you a link to a page where you can view basic stats for the short URL (a "click" means someone scanned your QR Code and went to the short URL). If you wish to track the same QR Code displayed in several places, you can get multiple Google short URL's that point to the same long URL (i.e. get one Google short URL for the QR Code on your flyer, another one for your magazine ad, another one for your business card, and so on).

Tip: If you are only allowed to make 1 short URL per long URL, you can append something to the end of the long URL which makes the long URL unique but does not affect it. For example: qrickit.com/index.html?id=1, qrickit.com/index.html?id=2, etc. By appending ?id=# it makes the long URL unique but it will always leads to qrickit.com/index.html.

Tracking a QR Code means we are tracking the URL associated with the QR Code. So tracking only works with QR Codes embedded with URL data.

For users who need a more advanced solution and analytics, please see my earlier post about using multiple QR Codes, Google URL Builder and Google Analytics.

QRickit

VCARD and QR Codes - Tracking and other issues

Several people have asked me about how to track QR Codes embeddded with contact info (such as a vcard). Below is my answer:

"There is no real way to track how many people scan a QR Code embedded with contact info.

But since it is possible to track URL's, one possible solution is to use a QR Code embedded with a URL. For example, when people scan your QR Code they will get a URL which leads to an online page (this is the page you will track) that could say "click to download my vcard" or "click to add me to your address book". So just put your vcard file online (i.e. on your web server) and create a web page with a link to it. You can track this page using Google Analytics (as explained in an earlier blog).

*Issue: iPhone's Safari browser (and some other phones) cannot directly download a vcard file from the web. But if emailed to the iPhone as an attachement then it can be opened and added to the address book. That means iPhone users have to provide their email address to get your vcard (which may or may not be a bad thing). You can program a form on your page that will email your vcard file to the submitted email address.

The above requires some programming skills, but your local web guy/gal should be able to do it..."

*Since extended contact info in a Vcard contains a lot of data to embed in a QR Code it usually results in a QR Code image that is too dense for some mobile phones/reader to scan and process. That is another reason to use the solution above for QR Codes and contact info. The QR Code Creator at QRickit.com allows you to make a QR Code embedded with basic contact info (MeCard and vCard).

New QR Code Creator at QRickit.com

NEW! Now make your own QR Codes with custom data, colors, sizes, and footer text. Print, share or download standard gif, jpeg, png or high-res 300 dpi image files. Go to QRickit.com and use the QR Code Creator. It's quick, easy and totally free! See samples below (try scanning them...)

QRickit

Get your own QRickit at QRickit.com!

QRickit - Dreaming in Stereo T-Shirt

Check out the band Dreaming in Stereo. Their t-shirts are both a fashion statement and marketing tool. They are performing at SXSW next month in Austin, Texas.

Click here to get your own custom design QRickit t-shirts.

QRickit

Get your own QRickit at QRickit.com!

QRickit Invasion in Austin, Texas!

QRickits will soon be invading Austin, Texas next month.
Read article at Evolver.fm on what's happening at SXSW.

QRickit

Get your own QRickit at QRickit.com!

Tracking QR Codes (Campaigns) & Mobile Tagging Analytics / Stats

- How can I find out how many times my QR Code was used?
- I want to display my QR Code in multiple places, such as a website, business card, magazine ad, newspaper ad, billboard, flyer, etc. and I want to know which one is being used the most (and other stats)?
-I want to set up and track QR Code campaigns. How do I do that?

QUICK & EASY SOLUTION: Get a Google Short URL with free statistics (URL tracking). Then use the Google short URL to create your QRickit QR Code. Google gives you a link to a page where you can view basic stats for the short URL (a "click" means someone scanned your QR Code and went to the short URL). If you wish to track the same QR Code displayed in several places, you can get multiple Google short URL's that point to the same long URL (i.e. get one Google short URL for the QR Code on your flyer, another one for your magazine ad, another one for your business card, and so on).

ADVANCED SOLUTION: Similar to above, but instead of using Google short URL's, use both Google Analytics and Google URL Builder to tag your links and track campaigns. A Google Analytics account is required for this. (click here to learn about tagging links)

*In effect, you are tracking the QR Code by tracking the landing page (or URL) associated with the QR Code.

Example: How to use multiple QR Codes, Google URL Builder and Google Analytics to track QR Codes (campaigns).

The QR Codes in the image above each direct users to a unique URL. The URL's can be made using a free URL shortening service or Google URL Builder. (Google URL Builder was used for this example.)

QR Code 1 can be displayed on your website.
QR Code 2 can be displayed on your newspaper ad.
QR Code 3 can be displayed on your billboard.
QR Code 4 can be displayed on your flyer.

To track the QR Codes (campaigns), we can track its related URL. Google Analytics can tell you the type of mobile phone used, the mobile carrier, the city/region, and other stats for each URL (campaign) associated with the QR Code.

*Tip: Since you can't really tell what data a QR Code holds unless you scan it with your mobile phone, you can print a reference number or label near or on the QR Code when using multiple QR Codes so you don't mix them up. (*The QRickit QR Code Widget here or the QR Code Creators at QRickit.com allow you to enter a label, reference number or any text in the footer of the QR Code image.)

Making Mobile Content

Nowadays, almost anyone can make mobile content. This can be as simple as posting an image (i.e. coupon) online. Your QRickit can direct smartphone users to the URL of the image.

A mobile site is basically a "lite" version web site with small images, brief text and links in a simple layout to fit the smaller screen size and browser limitations of smartphones.

So anyone with basic web and graphic design skills can make a mobile site and content. If you don't have these skills you can use the services provided by Google Places to create a free business mobile site with coupons or BigCommerce to create a mobile (and web) shop to sell your products. If you don't have the time or skills and wish to outsource this work, there are plenty of web and graphic designers eager to work with you. If contacting a designer for outsourcing, make sure they know about QRickit.

QRickit

QRickit for Printing & Design Professionals

Thank you to all my friends in the fields of printing and design who are helping to spread the word about QRickits.

Some of you need to generate your own hi-res images of QR Codes, and many of them. Here is a link to a software to help you do this: Barcode Studio - Barcode Maker

QRickit

New Year's Resolution - Adopt a QRickit in 2011

Happy New Year to Everyone!

2010 was a good year. I met a lot of people around the world and made many friends.

Glad to see companies like Best Buy and Future Shop starting to use QR Codes in their weekly flyers.

I am hoping you will see more of me in 2011.

Your little friend,

QRickit