Blog Posts tagged with "mobile"

I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz in the U.S. about the “new” two-dimensional barcodes, called Quick Response codes, or QR codes.  These codes, which look like mini crossword puzzles, were originally created in Japan in 1994 to track automobile parts.  As a result of the iPhone and Android smartphone boom over the past year, QR codes are finally catching on in the U.S.  Conventions, restaurants, retailers and real estate companies are using them as a way to connect people with information and multimedia content on the internet quickly via mobile devices.  To take the code a step further, some industries such as airlines have started to use "green ticketing", using the digital QR code data  in lieu of physical boarding passes.

Unlike traditional 1-D barcodes, which you can find on any store item and only contain serial numbers that refer to information in another database, QR codes have data emedded in them.  The data can include contact info, web site URLs, calendar event info, SMS text messages, or additional information simply by scanning the item with a barcode application readily available on all smartphones and newer camera-enabled cell phones.  There are several free online QR code generators to customize your own information, including Keremerkan, Zxing and Snapmaze.

I’m sure you want to know why I’m talking about this as a Public Affairs officer?  It’s clear that this technology provides a great communication bridge between the real physical world and the online digital world.  Here are five ways public affairs professionals can use the QR codes:

1. Video clips for printed news stories.  Welt Kompakt, a newspaper in Germany, has been using the QR code since 2007 to link its readers with streaming video, photos and additional information online.  This can be used for magazines, base newspapers or even command family newsletters.
    
2. Video clips for print advertisements. Video content can make advertisements and public service announcements come to life by giving the reader more information about your message or issue.
    
3. Audio clips. Clips could be in the form of podcasts or audio translations of the printed text for people who are unable to read it.
    
4. Augmented reality tours. Use AR applications to present a virtual view of a person's location using historic imagery.  This could be used for military landmarks, battlefield sites, etc.
    
5. Easy transfer to mobile device.  Make it easy for people to transfer your contact information, multimedia content or URL to their mobile devices for use later or sharing with others.

Since more and more people are spending more of their digital online time via smartphone, why not leverage this technology and make it easy for people to stay connected with you on the road?  The communication opportunities are endless!

Ed Buclatin
Captain, U.S. Navy
EUCOM Director of Public Affairs