By Neets- ETMG Writer

Have you wondered what these odd-looking black and white matrixes are that you find on department store flyers, magazine ads, business cards, movie posters and even your favorite fast food products? Those matrixes are QR (Quick Response) Codes, a relatively new type of barcode, which encodes much more data than a standard UPC barcode.

One of the main differences between UPC barcodes and QR Codes is the amount of data and the type of data captured. UPC barcodes are great at identifying different aspects of a particular product—brand, size, quantity and price. They make it easier to track inventory and to speed up the checkout process in stores. QR Codes, on the other hand can provide additional data by launching a website, a video or audio file, displaying a text message, providing contact information, directing consumers to a social media link, or providing coupons and discounts.

Whereas UPC barcodes requires a special manufacturer’s ID number, licensing and annual dues, QR Codes are created by free online QR Code Generators, which encrypt your website URL or other digital data to create the code matrix. They are decoded by specialized mobile apps for Smartphones and tablets, which scans the code using the camera app, and then launches your website, displays your text message, plays your video or whatever function you have encoded.

As a marketing tool, QR Codes are in their infancy. Early adopters are still getting the hang of figuring out what to brand with a QR Code, and how that code will carry their message. End-users are figuring out what they are, how to decode them and what their potential value may be. As the technology gains traction between both groups, we’ll likely see these black and white matrixes on every conceivable product and in every conceivable location, bridging the gap between the real world and the virtual world.

If you have a Smartphone, you can download a free QR scanning app to read any QR code. Try it now, scan the code above and see what happens.

Stay tuned for our next blog on best practices for QR Code usage.