The Wrack

Alert tech-savvy visitors may recognize what we're up to with a small poster that's just appeared on our bulletin boards. Those who aren't following the latest crazes in social media and tech-based marketing might gaze quizzically for a moment before moving on to the more traditional fliers posted alongside it.

Our latest dabbling is with QR (Quick Response) Codes. These have been appearing with increasing frequency in all kinds of venues, often in newspapers or magazines, but also on posters, billboards, and business cards. They're a convenient way to display text or contact information — or link to a web page or video — as long as the viewer knows what to do with them.

QR Codes target smartphone users with an app like i-nigma, QR Droid, Google Goggles, or many others. Using a device's built-in camera, the square patch of specks resolves into something meaningful. It's cool, but is it nifty enough for mass appeal?

What's Next?

Are QR Codes a passing fad or a lasting and powerful tool? We'll get a feel for how interested our visitors are this summer and plan our next steps from there. Many marketers are using these 2D codes to make special offers — through coupons or discounts — and we might just try that ourselves before this experiment is over.

One thing's for sure: The rapid pace of innovation in the connected world means simply having a website is no longer enough. For over two years, Facebook has been a key point of contact for hundreds of our friends and we've been building a base of followers on Twitter. In the past few months, we've noticed folks "checking in," not only with Facebook but with Foursquare (which is growing rapidly) and Gowalla. If you know what we should be watching as the next big thing, please get in touch!