In this corner, wearing the square trunks with black and white trim, the current mobile weight champion of the world, QR Codes! The challenger, hailing from the halls of SpyderLynk in Denver, CO & wearing circular trunks with logo branding, SnapTags!
While maybe not so dramatic as that of a heavyweight boxing match, there is a new contender in the world of mobile marketing with its eye on taking QR Codes down for the count. SnapTags are the creation of SpyderLynk as a new method of delivering a richer mobile marketing experience to consumers through the use of targeted marketing initiatives. Before we dive into the details, lets get a little background on just what QR Codes are.
A Brief History of QR Codes
Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) were first developed and used by a Toyota subsidiary, Denso Wave, back in the early 90’s to track vehicle production during the manufacturing process. It is a matrix style barcode that consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be made up of any kind of data (e.g., binary, alphanumeric, or Kanji symbols).
Since its creation, it has been used as a tracking method for shipping companies like FedEx and UPS and more recently has been adopted as means for mobile consumers to quickly and easily access large amounts of information without needing to access a desktop computer. There ability to store large amounts of information has made them very attractive as a means of viral marketing.
Now that we know a little bit about QR Codes, lets see how the challenger stands up in this head to head competition.
Round 1 – The Visual Appeal
Various examples of QR Code use in marketing campaigns
QR Codes don’t really do much for the eye when it comes to aesthetics. On their own, they are nothing more than a series of black and white squares that leaves little. When used creatively, however, QR Codes can become more apart of the visual style of a marketing campaign as opposed to sticking out like a sore thumb.
SnapTags seem to have the visual appeal factor in their corner from the start. Consisting of a circle with white dots and the ability to have a company/campaign logo or other visual element in the center, the SnapTag is able to vary in size, shape and color to meet the needs of the design. The one downside I have noticed is that a white background around the SnapTag is still needed for implementation. It is possible in the future this will change, but for now it still allows for detraction from the overall look of the campaign.
Round Winner: DRAW
Round 2 – The Functionality Factor
A comparison of the abilities of SnapTags and QR Codes. Image from SpyderLynk's website.
One of the advantages of QR Codes is their ability to compress a large amount of information into its small size for scanning. There are different sizes of QR Codes available for use that can hold varying amounts of information, depending on your campaigns needs. The other side of this coin, however, is that in order to take advantage of a QR Code, the consumer must have a smart phone. Not only that, they must have a QR Code reader app installed on their phone to read the code. For some, this is seen as a limitation to the use and viability of QR Codes in mobile marketing because you aren’t reaching as broad a market as possible. However, this can also work to your advantage because you can target those consumers with smart phones with special deals and incentives if they do scan your code.
When it comes to SnapTags, they function in a similar way in that the white dots placed around the circle of the tag can be placed in millions of unique ways in order to link the consumer to specific offers and information. Along with this, the tags can be setup to allow users to automatically LIKE or FOLLOW a persons or company’s Facebook or Twitter page. This creates an opportunity to allow for very specifically targeted campaigns that reward consumers who use the SnapTags to get content. The best part about SnapTags is that anyone with a phone that has a camera in it can take advantage of them. By using your phone’s camera to snap a picture of the SnapTag, you can text that picture to a number that will then send a text message via SMS or MMS to the user with information of the campaign associated with that tag. Smart Phone users also have the option of using a SnapTag reader app (currently only available for iOS phones) to take advantage of SnapTags. By not limiting itself to needing an app to read the it, SnapTags create a much more accessible mobile user based that can access your marketing campaign.
Round Winner: SnapTags
Round 3 – The Cost of Use
Since their first use in the early 90’s, QR Codes have been free of any license so they are able to be used by anyone using QR Code Generators available via the web.
SnapTags are the creation of a private company, SpyderLynk, and come at a price. At time of writing, there is no standard price for use as the creation and implementation of SnapTags must be done through SpyderLynk. While this does create an extra cost, it comes down to whether or not that cost is worth it to be able to access a broad base of mobile users.
Round Winner: QR Codes
In the end…
QR Codes have been in use for almost two decades now and while they have only recently caught the eye of the public as a means of mobile marketing, it has stood the test of time and is used by many industries as a proven method of storing scanable information. While SnapTags are new and provide some advantages of QR Codes, I am of the opinion that it will be some time before they catch on as an industry standard for mobile marketing.
