Have You Seen This Weird Thing in Advertising Lately?

These interesting looking icons are “QR” Codes. QR is short for Quick Response. This technology is definitely not new, but it is becoming more popular in the United States as smart phones take over the marketplace. This two-dimensional code, made up of squares and patterns, is a shortcut that can be read through your phone’s camera once you have downloaded the software. In fact, the next generation iPhone will come equipped with the QR reader program already installed. As you hold your phone over the code, your camera will read the code and automatically take you to a website or webpage, launch a video, play music or a game. 

The Barcode News recently released statistics that show a 4,549% growth in the use of QR codes from the 1st Quarter 2010 to the 1st Quarter 2011.  The leading age group of users is 35-44 years of age. However, the 55+ age group is trending up from 11% in December to 13% in May.