QR codes are starting to saturate my daily existence – I’ve started noticing these things EVERYWHERE…

• The back of my ticket stubs have been colonized
• Billboards are blasting them out from the side of Interstate 5
• The cafe down the street proudly displays one
• Business card backs are stamped with them like a Mission Beach coed

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I hate to say it buuuut… you might be living under a rock.

And for those of you who are in fact living in that luddite xerox colony under that rock next to the fax machine, Quick Response Codes – commonly know as QR Codes – are 2D black and white square matrixes that can be scanned on your smartphone (iPhone or Android) by using an app (such as RedLaser).

When decoded, these UPC-like barcodes can prompt your smartphone to do nifty things like:

• Call a phone number
• Show you a plain text message
• Watch a video
• Send a text message
• Bring up a web page (homepage, facebook profile, twitter post, etc.)

The list of possible consequences goes on and on. You get the point…

Think of it like this: anything you can do on your smartphone can be prompted by the scanning of a QR Code. Can you say, “Advertiser’s Dream?” Large and small businesses alike have been starting to use these codes as the backbone of their marketing campaigns to engage with customers on a whole new level.

Some of the most creative ones I’ve seen to date are:

1) Victoria Secret’s “Sexier than Skin” Campaign

Scanning these QR codes entice users to unlock “Victoria’s Secret” and see what’s underneath the sexy pin-up girl images. Although unconfirmed, the billboards have been rumored to have caused a few fender benders…

2) “Get It Uncensored” Calvin Klein Jeans X Campaign

Calvin Klein really took the “less is more” approach to heart when launching their Fall 2010 Jeans campaign. No images, just scan their code. Passersby without smartphones had no way of knowing what these ads were all about. Suddenly, VIP status was given to smartphone users who could scan and watch CK’s racy, 40-second video instantly on their mobile devices.

3) New York City’s “The World Park” Campaign

This campaign is an amazing mobile interactive experience that creates engagement and raises awareness for city parks; basically turning New York City’s Central Park into a real-life board game. You could nerd out to facts about the park, discover scenes from movies shot there or unlock park history – all by scanning various “parkodes.” Balboa Park, take note!

4) Starbucks/Lady Gaga Scavenger Hunt Campaign

Earlier this year, the world’s biggest coffee shop teamed up with the world’s biggest pop star to launch “SRCH;” a digital scavenger hunt which involved scanning QR codes at participating Starbucks stores and searching out clues for a chance to win cool prizes (which coincidentally promoted Gaga’s new album and Starbucks’ new lattes) Check out this recap of Round 1 to get an idea of how the game was played: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/1020

5) Punchd! by Google

Punchd! is a mobile replacement for buy-10-get-1-free punch cards. Its an app that runs on your phone and keeps track of all your punches to ensure you get that free coffee/ sandwich / oil change you’ve been splurging for. No more toting around dozens of cards in your wallet or forgetting them at home. Simply scan the punchcode next to the register at participating shops to record your “punch.” I just scanned my first punch last week at Moto Fuco Cafe, what what!

So What’s the Payoff? Why QR Codes? 

Traceability: the best part about running a QR Code-based campaign is that they’re 100% traceable. By creating unique URLs you can easily track all of your QR code campaigns in Google Analytics. For more info on how to track your QR campaigns check out this post by Red Clay Interactive.

Bottom Line: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, QR Codes aren’t going away – especially with the iPhone 5 WAIT! I mean iPhone 4GS just out of the gates. I challenge all you Luddite laggards out there to stop judging the aesthetics of those funky digital labyrinths popping up everywhere…and start decoding!

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And here’s a couple related links to get you talking QR Codes like a pro at that next nerd convention after party:

Wiki Definition

QR Code Generator

Getting Unique with QR Codes

DNA QR Code Art

31 Brands with Some of the Best QR Code Campaigns

Fingers tightly crossed, it seems like we might, just might, be coming out of a marketing slump. Over the past two months we’ve been having more conversations with small to mid-size business owners business owners (and even a few adventurous start-ups) about their branding and marketing efforts than we have over the past two years.

Before I get ahead of myself, a few quick reminders about what a brand is at the end of the day:

A person’s perception and emotional connection to your product, service, experience or organization

And what it is not:

Your logo!!!

Okay, with that out of the way and everyone up to speed, lets talk branding and marketing in this roller coaster we call an economy…

New Normal or Good Times Ahead? Either Way, It’s Time to Get (Re)Started

As a business owner, I understand personally how the economy has affected business buying decisions. Keep the doors open or revamp a stale brand? Hmmmmm…not a tough choice. But now that we’re either stabilizing toward a “new normal” or starting to see positive shift in the economy, businesses are starting to realize it’s time to strengthen their brand, redo their website, jump into social media – or their competitors will.

The big questions now that its time to get back on the horse and start riding again:

• How to get started?

• Who to engage with to make it happen?

• How much to budget?

Finding The Right Fit

It’s absolutely critical to choose the right marketing partner to achieve maximum impact and return on investment (ROI) from from your branding and marketing efforts. I don’t know a CFO alive who would pass on spending money toward marketing if they could be given reliable data showing exactly how marketing has helped achieve business objectives and delivered on the investment. Is your goal to increase revenue? You should know how your marketing efforts have done that, or not? If your current marketing partner isn’t providing quantitative “dashboard” performance measurements and indicators throughout your engagement, then it’s time to think about finding a new partner. We have too many tools and resources in this digital age to not track marketing success.

The Perfect Partner? Us, of Course

At Project X Media our philosophy for helping companies realize success is quite simple, really. We align branding, marketing and sales to achieve their critical business objectives. Simple in theory, but it takes work. We’ve got a boatload of case studies that include actual numbers showing how we’ve helped companies over the last 15+ years achieve success. The secret?  Aligning all the “moving parts” of their communications (branding, marketing, sales) and developing strategic (and highly creative!) marketing plans that deliver serious business results.

Show Me the Money

We know it all costs money – nothing in life is free, including branding. If you’re wondering how much to budget, here’s a quick benchmark: industry standards typically recommend 10-12% of gross revenue should be allocated to marketing efforts (including branding and sales optimization). In these tough times this can be unrealistic for many companies struggling to cover basic costs like rent and payroll. Given the current economic reality, we’re recommending a minimum of 5-7% of gross revenue, with additional allocations as positive results point the way toward what is working and what isn’t. As President Reagan said back in the go-go 80′s, “trust, but verify”. He was talking about the Soviet nuclear arsenal, but the words ring just as true for smart marketing efforts in 2011.

Cheers.

We’ve just launched the new Walter Andersen Website and everyone is STOKED. As a result of a comprehensive planning and production process that matched redesign requirements with functional and business objectives, the site has all the tools and features Walter Andersen needs to promote and grow the company this upcoming year. Below are 10 reasons why their new site will yield big results now and moving into the new year:

Project X Media was hired to create the San Diego-based company CastShield™ brand, identity package, in-store packaging, point-of-purchase displays and their website design. The Project X Media design team helped this client tell it’s story and the true essence of what this company is about. We had our own “ah-ha!” moment while going through the brand strategy process how this product truly represents freedom for the end-user. Check out the Flickr photos to the right or click here.

The product is now on sale and engaging in social media as well.

Check them out:

Purchase CastShield on Amazon