NeoMedia Technologies, Inc (NEOM)

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Making a case for mobile 2D bar coding
March 11, 2009

http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/opinion/columns/2809.html

Iain McCready is CEO of NeoMedia Technologies
By Iain McCready


“Show me the money, show me the money!”

More than just a ‘90s pop culture catchphrase, these words are on everyone’s lips once again.

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In today’s challenging economic climate, the true meaning behind “Show me the money!” is clear: show me real value or I will show you the door. We, as marketers, are possibly in the toughest position of all, feeling the squeeze from both sides of the equation – business and consumers.

These are lean times for brands. Companies have fewer resources to devote to marketing and advertising, while simultaneously consumers are placing a higher premium on both their time and money. The result? Brands and their agencies must get smarter about how, when and where they get their message out to customers.

Balancing bottom-line business needs for maximum ROI with consumer demands for better value for their money can be tricky, but with new technologies and a little ingenuity it can be done.

In a results-driven environment, measurability is king.

With traditional mediums such as print and broadcast, gauging consumer response and campaign ROI is often more like educated guesswork than exact science.

However, emerging technologies leveraging the convergence in mobile and online communications, such as mobile 2D bar coding, eliminate impreciseness while presenting opportunities for high-value personal customer engagement.

Mobile 2D bar codes – printed barcode symbols linking to mobile Web content when scanned with camera phones – offer a cutting-edge method for satisfying both corporate and consumer needs.

Deploying mobile 2D bar coding as a complement to traditional print, event or in-store campaigns opens new dimensions of trackability, interactivity and added-value to these static mediums.

In standalone campaigns, they are perfect for reaching the most highly used, “always-on” communication channel in the world.

In short, mobile 2D bar coding transforms one-way messaging into dynamic, two-way conversations punctuated by priceless customer demographics and hard campaign metrics.

Let us talk about those metrics for a moment. Mobile 2D bar coding answers questions of who, how, where and why by generating richly detailed customer demographics such as age, handset model, location and response.

The technology facilitates real-time tracking and analyzing of quantifiable results, enabling rapid reaction to, and adjustment of, campaign strategies on the fly.

Mobile 2D bar coding uniquely positions brands to not only accurately measure campaign ROI, but gives the flexibility needed to react nimbly to changing market conditions and consumer behavior.

And speaking of consumers, it is a tough crowd out there.

Shoppers today are more educated, empowered and pessimistic than ever before. A quick read of sites such as Consumerist.com offers a brilliant snapshot of consumer backlash to bad branding decisions.

So how do brands win the hearts, minds and, more importantly, the pocketbooks of world-weary consumers? The answer is two-fold: get personal, and make it worth their while.

Customers want personalized engagement on their own timetable, and something of value in return for their time and attention.

Mobile 2D bar coding can effectively meet these needs by providing personalized, customer-initiated access to pertinent information such as price and availability, as well as value-adds such as coupons and free games and ringtones, delivered through popular interactive elements including voice, text, images and video.

An intuitive extension of growing consumer affinity for interactive communications, mobile 2D bar coding improves the quality and frequency of customer-brand interactions, extends brand reach and elevates the overall brand experience.

“Show me the money!” is no longer a question that marketers should fear. For forward-thinking brands willing to adopt pioneer technologies, answering the question is as easy as scanning a bar code.

With positive, measurable benefits for both business and consumers, the time is right for brands to add mobile 2D bar coding to their marketing and advertising mix.

Iain McCready is CEO of NeoMedia Technologies, Atlanta. Reach him at [e-mail].