QR or ‘quick response’ codes originally took the marketing world by storm, with their invention in 1994, winning a ‘Good Design Award’ in the Media for Industry category in 2012 (Denso, 2012). The two dimensional bar codes are now being used globally in the publishing of books, magazines, newspapers and on tablets with e-reading capabilities. QR codes are used in books such as The Visitor’s Guide to American Garden’s, providing readers with links to websites holding information on visiting times, open days etc. for each garden, (Habash, 2011).
Magazines such as Vogue can publish QR codes leading to the websites of the magazine’s advertisers such as Stella McCartney, (Vogue, 2014).
(Photo taken from: http://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code)
This inevitably increases sales for the companies using the magazine as a method of boosting sales, which therefore increases the value of advertising in the magazine for the sales company. As a result, publishers like Vogue can secure advertisers, and charge higher prices for such valuable advertising space, increasing revenue. With advertising space being such a crucial source of income for magazine brands, any technology to improve this income is surely welcome.
Publishers are also using the codes as a promotional device and to link readers to social networking sites such as Facebook, where they can remain up to date with authors and view potential new purchases. CEO of Link.Me, McGregor Dey, has claimed that the ‘interactive experience really enhances the reader’s level of engagement’, (Habash, 2011). This seems true, and publishers have much to gain through the use of QR codes. The codes help publishers create fluidity within written works, reducing the rate at which printed information become outdated. Instead readers can visit websites with current details. The links to online features using QR codes also add value to publishers products by increasing interactivity and involving consumers with online resources.
And this success should be guaranteed. The number of people in Europe using smart phones to scan codes previously doubled year on year between 2011-2012, and the publishing industry is no exception. However, despite this, only 10.8% of smart phone users in the UK used QR codes. This may be largely due to the fact that 94.5% of smartphone owners in Britain require an external app to use them, (O’Dea, 2014). This figure includes iPhone and Google phone users. This is surely a large factor causing the lull in the use of QR codes. As two of the biggest manufacturers of mobile phones, a large section of the market is currently unable to simply scan a QR code without pre-downloading the appropriate software. The issue certainly is not the possession of phones, 82% of phones purchased in the UK last year were smart phones, and one in five Britons are already using smartphones to make online transactions, (Mohamud, 2013).
It appears to me that with the advancement of tablets and enhanced e-books, which now allow consumers to enjoy embedded audio and video, as well as rising levels of interactivity, there is nothing a QR code can achieve that cannot already be gained through these means. Many publishers, such as Barnes & Noble’s are already investing heavily in creating new enhanced ebooks. This is particularly true in relation to children’s publishers. Therefore, aside from the benefits for advertising purposes for retail brands, is there really a need for QR codes in fiction books?
Bibliography:
Gunelius, Susan, (2012), Corporate Eye, QR Scanning Among Smartphone Owners in Europe Doubles in 2012, Available from:
<http://www.corporate-eye.com/main/qr-code-scanning-among-smartphone-owners-in-europe-doubles-in-2012/ > [Accessed 22/10/14]
Habash, Gabe, (2011), Publishers Weekly, Publishers Find More Uses For QR Codes, Available from:
<http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publishing-and-marketing/article/49317-publishers-find-more-uses-for-qr-codes.html> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Mohamud, Ayaan, Comscore, (2013), UK Digital in Focus, Available from:
<http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2013/2013-UK-Digital-Future-in-Focus> [Accessed 22/10/14]
O’Dea, Sharon, (2014), Sharon O’Dea, Will QR Codes Help Consumers Get Cheaper Energy?, Available from:
<http://sharonodea.co.uk/2014/03/11/will-qr-codes-help-consumers-get-cheaper-energy/> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Vogue Website, available from:
<http://www.vogue.co.uk/accessories> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Wave, Denso, QR Codes, The Answers to Your Questions about QR Codes, Available from:
<http://www.qrcode.com/en/history/> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Magazines such as Vogue can publish QR codes leading to the websites of the magazine’s advertisers such as Stella McCartney, (Vogue, 2014).
(Photo taken from: http://en.
wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code)
This inevitably increases sales for the companies using the magazine as a method of boosting sales, which therefore increases the value of advertising in the magazine for the sales company. As a result, publishers like Vogue can secure advertisers, and charge higher prices for such valuable advertising space, increasing revenue. With advertising space being such a crucial source of income for magazine brands, any technology to improve this income is surely welcome.
Publishers are also using the codes as a promotional device and to link readers to social networking sites such as Facebook, where they can remain up to date with authors and view potential new purchases. CEO of Link.Me, McGregor Dey, has claimed that the ‘interactive experience really enhances the reader’s level of engagement’, (Habash, 2011). This seems true, and publishers have much to gain through the use of QR codes. The codes help publishers create fluidity within written works, reducing the rate at which printed information become outdated. Instead readers can visit websites with current details. The links to online features using QR codes also add value to publishers products by increasing interactivity and involving consumers with online resources.
And this success should be guaranteed. The number of people in Europe using smart phones to scan codes previously doubled year on year between 2011-2012, and the publishing industry is no exception. However, despite this, only 10.8% of smart phone users in the UK used QR codes. This may be largely due to the fact that 94.5% of smartphone owners in Britain require an external app to use them, (O’Dea, 2014). This figure includes iPhone and Google phone users. This is surely a large factor causing the lull in the use of QR codes. As two of the biggest manufacturers of mobile phones, a large section of the market is currently unable to simply scan a QR code without pre-downloading the appropriate software. The issue certainly is not the possession of phones, 82% of phones purchased in the UK last year were smart phones, and one in five Britons are already using smartphones to make online transactions, (Mohamud, 2013).
It appears to me that with the advancement of tablets and enhanced e-books, which now allow consumers to enjoy embedded audio and video, as well as rising levels of interactivity, there is nothing a QR code can achieve that cannot already be gained through these means. Many publishers, such as Barnes & Noble’s are already investing heavily in creating new enhanced ebooks. This is particularly true in relation to children’s publishers. Therefore, aside from the benefits for advertising purposes for retail brands, is there really a need for QR codes in fiction books?
Bibliography:
Gunelius, Susan, (2012), Corporate Eye, QR Scanning Among Smartphone Owners in Europe Doubles in 2012, Available from:
<http://www.corporate-eye.com/main/qr-code-scanning-among-smartphone-owners-in-europe-doubles-in-2012/ > [Accessed 22/10/14]
Habash, Gabe, (2011), Publishers Weekly, Publishers Find More Uses For QR Codes, Available from:
<http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publishing-and-marketing/article/49317-publishers-find-more-uses-for-qr-codes.html> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Mohamud, Ayaan, Comscore, (2013), UK Digital in Focus, Available from:
<http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2013/2013-UK-Digital-Future-in-Focus> [Accessed 22/10/14]
O’Dea, Sharon, (2014), Sharon O’Dea, Will QR Codes Help Consumers Get Cheaper Energy?, Available from:
<http://sharonodea.co.uk/2014/03/11/will-qr-codes-help-consumers-get-cheaper-energy/> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Vogue Website, available from:
<http://www.vogue.co.uk/accessories> [Accessed 22/10/14]
Wave, Denso, QR Codes, The Answers to Your Questions about QR Codes, Available from:
<http://www.qrcode.com/en/history/> [Accessed 22/10/14]