But why? According to QRcodepress, this effort is an attempt to get individuals more interested in the world around them and to raise awareness about the importance of trees in the urban environment. Twenty-four of the species in the park are now equipped with quick response signage, which allows anyone in the immediate area to learn about the tree.

Ron Muller spearheaded this project and was integral in creating the codes and affixing them to the trees. He said, “I think it’s important for the younger generation, who use these QR codes for sure, to get acquainted with what’s around them and trees are certainly an important part of what we are and what we have.”

It is definitely a unique take on integrating technology with nature and engaging the population of people that most need to learn about the importance of urban trees.

To learn more about this innovative use of tech in nature, check out the full story here.

The post QR Codes Really 'Branching' Out appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

By the beginning of 2014, no one seemed excited to be using QR codes—at least, not like they used to.

They used to be all over everything, and every smartphone came standard with a QR scanner. They were supposed to make finding the webpages and information you wanted easier, and they were a great way for marketers to direct individuals in the physical world to the virtual one.

Though they have been slightly out of vogue in recent years, could they still be a useful marketing tool? I mean, they still do what they always did—direct a scanner to a landing page. It’s easy and convenient, especially on the small smartphone screen, where it can be difficult to navigate to the right page.

The key is correct implementation. You can really see the death of the QR code in how they have been used on billboards. How is a driver ever supposed to be able to scan that code? But using QR codes on product tags, in paper advertisements, and around brick-and-mortar stores is still a great way to incorporate the virtual into the physical, especially if the QR’s destination is useful and engaging information.

For a great piece on contemporary QR codes and how they could “make a comeback,” check out this recent post from Business2Community.

The post So… Whatever Happened to QR Codes? appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

uQR.me, if you’re not familiar, was created by Mobile Leaves, which also provides free QR codes.

According to Mobile Commerce News, not only does this free service generate QR code statistics, but it is already calculating the success of millions of QR codes from around the world.

The goal is to help businesses and online marketers determine the conversion rates of their QR code campaigns as well as to provide general QR code statistics and trends from around the world.

The free tool provides specific QR code statistics and even filters the results by a wide range of factors, including demographics, originating country, and the type of mobile device or operating system utilized for scanning the code.

To check out this new resource for yourself, click here.

The post Marketers Invited to Check Out New QR Code Generator Stats Page appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

McDonald’s kicked off their campaign two days before the start of the season. They are using several marketing efforts including scanning QR codes, offering rewards to fans, and using web-enabled marketing platforms.

For the campaign, there are materials displayed at the point of sale at 14,000 restaurants nationwide featuring the “McDonald’s Tailgate Photo Sweepstakes” which rewards fans for their images that reflect “Tailgating McDonald’s-style.”

The idea, QRCodePress reported in depth, is to get fans to use their mobile devices and PCs to sign into Twitter and Instagram to use the #mcDTailgateSweeps hashtag to share their pictures and videos of themselves tailgating with McDonald’s products. The posts will be entered into a sweepstakes and winners will be given “the ultimate McDonald’s tailgate party” which will include prizes from an 18 wheeler truck converted into a restaurant, to enough McDonald’s food to feed up to 200 people in the winner’s hometown, to gift cards.

To encourage fans to continue posting throughout the season, medium sized product packages will continue to feature the QR codes along with the NFL logos.

The post McDonald’s Uses QR codes and Mobile Marketing for NFL Campaign appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

If you’re keeping score at home, that’s a 20% increase from Q1 2013. Scanbuy says this expansion demonstrates continued strong growth and interest among mobile consumers.

“Mobile triggers continue to help consumers make product choices, engage their favorite brands, receive more informative information, quickly download their favorite apps, and much more,” explains Mike Wehrs, CEO of Scanbuy.  “With millions of mobile engagements completed each month, and with user activity distributed fairly evenly across age groups, and areas of interest, there’s no question consumers continue to value ScanLife for the quickest route to more information and the best deal.”

The top user type for both Android and iOS devices was “Value Shoppers,” demonstrating consumers most often scan to get information, reviews, prices, deals and more, making it apart of how they shop.  The most “liked” QR Code category by users were app downloads, a category that is gaining momentum as consumers see the benefit of accessing apps marketed to them in contextual, real-world circumstances.

Other highlights from the Q1 2014 report include:

• The most popular type of content accessed in mobile engagement campaigns was product information, video, customer relationship management, app downloads and mCommerce
• 51% of scans came from Android OS devices compared to 46% on Apple iOS devices
• The most “liked” brands by the ScanLife community were Lego, Lucky Lotto, McDonalds, Novartis and Taco Bell
• Cities around the world that scanned the most frequently: Houston, Madrid, Barcelona, Dallas and New York City
• Industries that saw the most scans included food and beverage, consumer electronics, entertainment, media and wireless

The post QR Code Scans Reached Record Heights in First Quarter appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The simple fact is that QR codes were so easy to use to route a consumer to a business’s website that the majority of businesses actually neglected to take the steps necessary to keep a consumer engaged once they actually arrived at their website.

What most businesses didn’t understand was that, just like near field communication (NFC), QR codes are simply a trigger; they can lead a consumer wherever a company wants to but, once done, that company actually has to have something engaging, interesting or valuable to keep them there.

Knowing this, one of the early pioneers in QR codes, Scanbuy, recently introduced a new platform to help companies deal with the back-end processes necessary to make QR codes valuable. They’re hoping that, with new and better experiences ready, consumers who gave QR codes a shot in the past (and gave up on them) will consider giving them another try.

“Someone used to be able to create a code but it just linked to a website,” Scanbuy CEO Mike Wehrs told mCommerce Daily. “Now it starts with what do you want to do, not what code do you want.”

Scanbuy’s new platform will help marketers to create unique experiences after a QR code is scanned using templates to create dynamic and customized results. Factors like the operating system of the device used to scan the QR code, the location of the consumer, the time of day and even the consumer’s loyalty can be factored in to the template, and YouTube videos, photo galleries and Google Maps can also be embedded.

What this leads to, after the scan, are various other activities such as sending a text or email, receiving a notification of winning a contest or making a call, most of which is much more engaging than what was offered in the past.

QR code scanning, to be sure, continues to increase. Scanbuy says that they logged nearly 90 million interactions in 2013 and that their Scanlife app has been downloaded 85 million times.

They’ve also included something extremely important to brands and businesses; back-end tracking of data. Companies can now track scanning activity, campaign comparisons, demographics, location information and first-time customers.

All of which, according to Scanbuy, should finally give QR codes the respect that they’ve always deserved.

The post QR Codes Finally Getting the Respect they Deserve appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Last night in Austin at the mega convention, Mahala introduced its new digital commerce platform, which allows consumers and fans to purchase digital content or merchandise directly from artists, labels or merchants, using their mobile phones.

The team at Mahala clearly picked the perfect event and venue to tout its newest offering.

So how does it work? Consumers simply scan Mahala’s S-QR codes, using Mahala’s Mobile Wallet application or any standard QR code reader, to immediately and securely purchase items.

Artists, labels and merchants can easily sell digital content or merchandise to consumers anywhere over any media using the Mahala app available for iOS and Android device. The S-QR codes can be placed on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, embedded in videos, and placed in print media, like posters or magazines. Consumers then simply scan the S-QR code to make purchases.

Wu Music Group has partnered with Mahala to launch the pre-sale of the much-anticipated Wu Tang Clan album “A Better Tomorrow” at SXSW this week. Wu Music Group will sell copies of their new album via promotional posters placed throughout the SXSW event.

“We’re excited to work with Mahala to provide our fans with a great and unique purchase experience while at the SXSW event. We constantly look for ways to better engage our fans and provide them with new ways to interact with us. Mahala delivered that for us,” said Mitchell Diggs, Executive Producer of Wu Tang Productions and now COO of Wu Music Group. “Mahala gave us the capability to reach thousands of fans at the SXSW event with a direct purchase experience, something we’ve never been able to do.”

The post QR Codes Prove Hot Commodities at SXSW appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The entire millennial generation has been pegged as target demographic for QR codes if you’re a marketer looking to get the most bang for your buck.

Although some industry analysts have become concerned that QR codes are not the novelty they once were, the study reveals that a good portion of the population is still enamored of QR codes and willing to scan and use them when appropriate.

Among the three million British mobile users who have scanned QR codes, almost two thirds (63%) were men, with women making up the other 37%.

25 to 34-year-olds claimed the number one spot among most likely QR code scanners with 18 to 24-year-olds coming in second. Those deemed least likely to scan a QR code are 45 to 54-year-olds.

Promisingly, the study also found that among consumers, there seems to be a good working knowledge of QR codes, how they work, and what value they provide.

The post Who is Most Likely to Scan a QR Code? appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

The first of its kind, Scan, Click & Go enables customers to simply scan a quick response code (QR) at venues in and around the town to book their car.

Within seconds a SMS is returned to the user confirming the booking and vehicle details.

“It is the first time any such technology has been used in the region to book taxis and is a much needed advance in technology,” a press release from the company reads.

Here in the U.S., mobile technologies are similarly taking the transportation industry by storm.

As MMW reported last month, the team at PayAnywhere is bringing national attention to some regional news that could soon be a coast-to-coast phenomenon wherever there is a need for taxi cabs.

New legislation in Washington D.C. is causing taxi companies in the area to rethink how they accept credit and debit card payments and PayAnywhere is stepping up to help.

airsMobile Inc. recently announced its partnership with USA Cabs, resulting in the first install of TaxiRadar, a next generation E-hail and smart meter taxi system designed in response to the new DC taxi commission regulations.

According to a post on PayAnywhere blog, “TaxiRadar leverages the PayAnywhere API to enable in-app mobile payments via credit or debit card, completing the smart meter and secure credit card payment experience.”

With TaxiRadar, not only will passengers be able to see the GPS location of available taxis in real-time and to hail one with one simple touch, but they will also experience the benefit of being able to pay with plastic, now a required capability mandated by the new D.C. Taxi Commission (DCTC) regulations.

The post QR Code Booking Comes to English Taxi Company appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.

Electronic dance music – or EDM – is enjoying unprecedented popularity in the United States, particularly among younger music lovers and concert goers. And although electronic artists aren’t seen with regularity on the mainstream charts, don’t be fooled.

According to SF Weekly’s Ian Port, top acts on the EDM scene today can earn between $75,000 to $100,000 per live show, leading to the growing phenomenon of DJs bringing home paydays comparable or superior to what today’s leading mainstream acts are earning.

Not surprisingly, the digital age has contributed immeasurably to the popularity of EDM. Today’s biggest acts and their promoters are often described as digital and mobile marketing experts. From building fan bases through iTunes and YouTube, to engaging with music fans via SMS marketing and boosting concert attendance through electronic tickets, QR codes, and other mobile-centric offers, the EDM industry has been called mobile marketing’s Petri dish due to the industry expansion that has resulted from mobile’s role in the promotion of electronic dance music.

Nowhere will this reality be more apparent than in Las Vegas next week for the kickoff to Insomniac’s EDMbiz, a “ground-breaking and culturally essential conference” for the electronic dance music industry. Fittingly, the event takes place June 18-20, during EDC Week in Vegas.

Descending on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will be scores of top industry players, artists, and digital marketing gurus.

Event organizers say EDMbiz will facilitate relevant discussions focused on the most pertinent topics and issues specific to the scene including:  best practices, branding, direct-to-fan relationships, festivals, licensing, social media, sponsorships, technology platforms, and sustaining community, humanity and credibility during a period of massive growth.

“On the one hand EDMbiz is about creating business opportunities, learning and networking, but on the other hand it’s also about discussing the steps the industry must take to preserve the unique elements of dance music events that make them so special,” says Pasquale Rotella, CEO and founder of Insomniac. “We place a lot of focus on the fans and their voice will be heard at this year’s conference alongside artists, visionaries, and executives.”

Added to the list of confirmed speakers today was Jared Reitzin, CEO of mobileStorm, Inc., which has empowered clients spanning American Idol to Kaiser Permanente since 1999.

Focused on helping companies reach their customers via email, mobile and social channels and influence behavior to drive revenue, mobileStorm strives to reach customers where they want to be reached. In the world of EDM, for example, music fans have been more than willing to be reached by mobile. And the industry experts and participants headed for Las Vegas are poised to discuss that and more next week.

Other advertised speakers and panelists scheduled for the conference include:

• Marc Geiger, Head of Music, William Morris Endeavor
• Vivien Lewit, Director Content Partnerships Music, YouTube
• Kerri Mason, GM, inthemix.com and Contributor, Billboard
• Bill Freimuth, VP of Awards, Grammys
• James Barton, President, Live Nation Electronic Music

To learn more about EDMbiz, click here.

The post mobileStorm CEO Jared Reitzin to Speak at EDMbiz appeared first on Mobile Marketing Watch.