Dentsu Canada QR Code Movie

The Canadian Marketing Blog spoke about the barriers of adoption. There are some good points, but also some misconceptions. I try to address them one by one.

Keep in mind handsets must be web enabled and able to send/receive picture messages - which isn't a substantial barrier. However more challenging is the software application that must be downloaded to receive and process the codes.

The handset must be web enabled if you want to download the reader (some Nokia's come with preinstalled QR Code readers) or visit a mobile website, but in case you have already a reader, you can also use offline codes (Contact data, SMS, Telephone, Text) where you don't need a connection to the web.
And you don't have to send nor receive a picture message as the decoding happens right on the phone.

I don’t understand why taking a picture of a code is easier than sending a keyword to a shortcode and receiving a WAP push (WAP push will facilitate a WAP session where the QR code is hosted). I am extremely confident that a SMS call to action will yield a much higher response rate vs. a “take a picture” call to action.

Scanning a code is much more convenient than typing, especially typing a URL. As for SMS, if you have to type a keyword, send and pay an SMS to receive one with a link in it, well a QR Code is certainly much easier and cheaper. Naturally SMS is well established and QR Code is not (yet), but scanning definitely beats (mis)typing.

No doubt the greatest barrier to the scenario described in the microsite is the redemption of these codes. Imagine for a second retrofitting hundreds, or even thousands, of Coke machines with one of these readers.

The Coke machine scenario is well established in Japan and Taiwan, but it's certainly not the way to start using QR Codes. There are so many other use cases much quicker to implement.

In my opinion, POS terminals and back office software vendors will be a catalyst contributor to moving this technology further.

The m-ticket or m-coupon is from a user's point of view certainly more direct to use as s/he doesn't need to have a QR Code reader, but then we come back to the above problem: we first need to install QR Code Scanners at the point of sale. So what is less heavy to start with: download the reader respectively use the installed readers on Nokia and Windows Mobile phones or equip the point of sales with QR Code scanners plus sending SMS with QR Codes around?

Personally I think we need both, but downloading the reader is certainly easier as a first step. And more and more people do it;)

PS: QR Codes as well as Datamatrix are also called 2D Codes (and not 3D Codes). The EAN-Barcode is a one dimensional code, Color Code would be a 3D Code (color being the third dimension). See also Denso's About 2D Code