Turning One-Way Media Into a Two-Way Conversation

Digital media in all its wondrous new forms has inspired great innovation among marketers, and yet traditional media still provides the bedrock foundation for many a brand. Magazines, billboards and printed POS continue to play meaningful roles in the lives of consumers, even if these media can't link to Facebook pages or online video demos.

Or can they?

Well, in point of fact, mobile barcodes were designed to allow traditional media to do just that. A mobile (or 2D) barcode is a black and white symbol that is easy to generate and use in just about any form of printed or electronic communication. Consumers download readily available smartphone apps, such as AT&T's Code Scanner, and use them to quickly scan the barcodes, triggering any number of online resources: promotional web pages, social media messaging, rich animation and video, texting, etc.

In essence, mobile barcodes provide a much-needed "bridge" between traditional and new media. In so doing, barcodes offer a range of options for increasing the immediacy and depth of the consumer experience, while greatly improving the measurability of the campaign for the marketer.

Versatility with Benefits
Mobile barcodes can be used in print advertising, on web pages, on billboards, on digital or cardboard point-of-sale signage -- essentially anywhere within clear view of a smartphone camera. This gives marketers a rich "creative palette" for bringing ads to interactive life by linking consumers directly to online assets at potentially the time and place where it is most relevant to the purchase decision.

Among the many possibilities for using mobile barcodes...

• A shelf card beneath an espresso maker could link to a 90-second digital video demo;
• A billboard for a new urban clothing outlet could link to a GPS-enabled map, directing pedestrians to the location;
• A magazine ad for a new organic frozen entree could allow for the loading of an electronic coupon, plus a pass-along text for friends.

EXPERIENCE the AT&T Mobile Barcode interactive demo...
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