QR Code?

[false_Aesthetic]

Does anyone use QR codes on their promotional items? Biz cards, pamphlets, etc?


I'm photographing a lot of strangers lately and I often feel that handing them a biz card seems a bit passe. Since so many of them have smart phones I'm considering simply converting my business card to a QR Code linking my website.

What are your thoughts?

T

[David A. Goldfarb]

I generally advocate for them in any print materials we produce at work, since they are easy to generate and don't cost anything, but we don't seem to have any stats as to how many website hits we get from the codes. I figure it can't hurt to have another way of connecting print to the web for marketing purposes.

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...] we don't seem to have any stats as to how many website hits we get from the codes.

Presuming your server generates a log file that you can access, you can track QR hits by having the code go to a very small page that immediately redirects to your main page. The log will show that QR hit as the name of the page. Try something like /QR/index.htm

[polyglot]

Only a very narrow audience will have any clue what it is and how to read it, let alone the inclination. By all means have one, but I think it would be the height of foolishness to have it be the only way of discovering your address.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Only a very narrow audience will have any clue what it is and how to read it, let alone the inclination. By all means have one, but I think it would be the height of foolishness to have it be the only way of discovering your address.

Apropos of that...

http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

[polyglot]

Apropos of that...

http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

lol

There is a related tumblr, wtfqrcodes of spectacularly stupidly-placed QR codes, e.g. in a website, a code on a highway billboard, a tiny code on a billboard on the far side of a subway track, a code fractured across multiple posters, a code wrapped around a circular post, etc. Best use I've seen (though borderline-offensively sexist) was putting QR codes on the asses of dresses on models at one of the US tech-shows (CES or the like); resulted in lots of photos of asses photographing models' asses.

I like the idea of putting one by each image in a gallery.

[Bob Salomon]

We are starting to add them to our ads as it is a very cost effective way to impart more details, information, videos, etc. about our products without having to increase our ad sizes or ad budget.

[Mike Anderson]

I'd put the QR code on your card but still keep the text info on it, because there's still a lot of people that don't know what a QR is.

Also, I've heard of photographers placing a QR plaque next to displayed work. The QR contains a link to a web page about the photo. Some venues might not allow sales/pricing info to be displayed with the photo, or simply have a limit on the displayed metadata of the photo, so this is kind of a back door way to make that info available.

[false_Aesthetic]

I'd put the QR code on your card but still keep the text info on it, because there's still a lot of people that don't know what a QR is.

Also, I've heard of photographers placing a QR plaque next to displayed work. The QR contains a link to a web page about the photo. Some venues might not allow sales/pricing info to be displayed with the photo, or simply have a limit on the displayed metadata of the photo, so this is kind of a back door way to make that info available.

I keep thinking that I need to make 44x44" QR codes and frame them. Then when all the art hipsters come by they can scan my prints and see the real prints on their iPhones and make use of their 4G technology.

Unfortunately some kid with a moustache, gold tooth and a PBR tattoo on his forearm has probably done this already.

[false_Aesthetic]

I keep thinking that I need to make 44x44" QR codes and frame them. Then when all the art hipsters come by they can scan my prints and see the real prints on their iPhones and make use of their 4G technology.

Unfortunately some kid with a moustache, gold tooth and a PBR tattoo on his forearm has probably done this already.

Actually, it'd probably be even better if I kept the gallery closed and instead placed a QR code in the window. I could also put up pictures of wine and cheese and PBR with QR codes underneath them so that the public doesn't feel cheated.