By COLIN M. STEWART
Tribune-Herald staff writer
What the heck is that thing?
Did ink spill on the printing press?
It looks like a crossword puzzle and a grocery store label had a baby.
If you've ever entertained questions such as those, chances are you were staring at what some people are calling the future of print advertising.
Developed in 1994 as a way for Toyota to keep track of automobile parts in its factories, the quick response code -- or QR code, for short -- has slowly been catching on. In recent years, the proliferation of smart phones in the United States and abroad has significantly boosted the use of QR codes, including in the pages of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Much like the universal product codes (UPC) -- which have been used for decades in grocery stores so that clerks can simply swipe a product over a laser reader, rather than typing the price into their cash registers -- the QR code is a two-dimensional graphical representation of information.
But an important difference is that QR codes can be used anywhere. No expensive laser readers are needed. Anyone with a smart phone and the right "app" can use the codes to quickly view much more than simple pricing information.
That fast-and-easy access to digital information is increasingly appealing to print advertisers. Rather than asking readers to type long and sometimes complicated website addresses into their computers, QR codes can do the heavy lifting for an advertiser.
"It's really important to start bridging that gap between traditional print and ... web and digital media," said John McCollum, owner of Hilo-based Integrity Graphics Advertising Agency.
As the agency that handles advertising for Kama'aina Motors and Kama'aina Nissan, McCollum said he has found QR codes to be a refreshing and exciting way to deliver information to customers -- and potential customers.
"We learned in working with Kimo's used car ads, that it provided us an opportunity not just to display the info of a vehicle," McCollum said. "People could snap (the QR code) with a smart phone and go straight to a video walk-around of that same vehicle. It gives you a more rich experience, and I think that's what customers are looking for."
Android, iPhone and other popular smart phones can download QR code apps, many of which are free, for snapping a picture of the image and converting it into data. The advertiser decides where the code sends the reader: it might be to a website, a video of a product or service, or contact information for a company, business or individual.
For Bob Hanley, the advertising manager for Orchid Isle Auto Center in Hilo, part of the attraction of QR codes is the mystery and surprise involved in discovering where a code leads.
"I was at the beach one weekend ... and someone had put their QR code on the side of their van. I wondered what it was and snapped it to find out what it was for, and it was a website for an artist who was obviously out surfing that day. I waited around until they got back to find out if they were getting business off (the code)," he said.
Hanley uses the QR codes in his used car advertisements in the Tribune-Herald to direct readers to www.fordhawaii.com, which allows customers to browse the vehicle inventory, or build their own new vehicle and select the individual options. People can even apply for financing right on their cell phone, he said.
"The thing that's good for the advertiser is that if you're paying for space to put an advertisement somewhere, you can fit a whole lot more information in a small space," he said. "For the customers, it good because they don't have to write things down, and they can go back to it anytime they like."
Howard Meguro, a Realtor at Coldwell Banker Day-Lum Properties, says he's been using QR codes in his advertisements since February. He admits that the response has been mixed thus far, but, he said, "I am a firm believer that with the growing number of smartphones becoming available in the market, QR codes will become an integral part of print advertising and especially as it relates to real estate. What better way to get information about your client's home to potential buyers instantly?"
As for the future of the technology, Meguro says he's looking forward to cell phone cameras improving so that the QR codes can be printed in smaller sizes. Also, he said, "in most cases, you need to download an app, but it would be ideal if QR readers would be included as an app right from the start when you get a new phone."
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
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