The Sun newspaper launches QR codes
When The Sun, the UK’s most influential newspaper launches QR codes, you know that technology is advancing — particularly given the popular saying that The Sun is written for those of a reading age of 8. Or is it 7? Is consumer acceptance of QR codes just around the corner?
Link: The Opinionated Normob: SuperSexySoaraway: Now with added QR codes
The Sun newpaper’s new mobile content service has achieved early success with around 11,000 users registered so far.
The barcode-based technology enables users to scan their mobile phone over pages of the newspaper, which in turn uploads relevant information onto the device. For example, a football fan could read a match report and use the technology to upload video highlights of the game.
Readers must download a piece of software onto their mobile to use the service, but new Nokia handsets come with it pre-installed. The application uses a barcode technology called QR (quick response) code.
am I missing something? isn’t that like carrying round several sheets of neatly typed A4 paper with all your favourite bookmarks on it and a little barcode next to each one. And then if you want to view one of the websites on your mobile you have to scan the barcode, which is actually to take a photo of it, then using a piece of software that you previously downloaded you upload the image and then wait for it to translate into your URL and then the mobile will view the web page you were after.
phew…Talk about building a nuclear reactor to crack a walnut…
Posted by Steve Procter on January 16th, 2008 at 10:19 am.@steve - while no-one can argue with your description of the process, I think the reality for a publication like the Sun is that it’s a logical (albeit slightly brave) thing to do. There will be many of its readers who will happily point their phone at the paper in order to get today’s P3 girl as their wallpaper (for instance). The Sun knows its audience better than almost any other paper (except perhaps the Daily Mail).
You can’t argue that it beats trying to convince someone to type in a URL on their phone, when they can be bothered, if they remember. This way you do it on a whim, while on the page. Bingo! Brand extended, download sold, etc.
Posted by MarkW on January 16th, 2008 at 11:23 am.Yes, but can’t you see kids loving this? (Not by reading the Sun, but in general).
Also most people don’t want to type in URL’s so I suppose it’s a way of getting round that and a bit of a novelty into the bargain
Posted by Mark on January 16th, 2008 at 11:47 am.hmm… 11,000 users.. when the circulation is what 2-3m?
I think getting users to use the QR codes is the very last of their concerns.
Posted by njar on January 16th, 2008 at 12:13 pm.It’s nice when something I predict comes true! http://shkspr.mobi/blog/2007/12/qr-codes.html
If you want to create your own codes, I have a nice mobile-friendly site at http://shkspr.mobi/qr.php which also has a list of barcode readers if your phone doesn’t come with one.
@Steve, you don’t carry around your bookmarks. You buy a copy of The Sun*, and you see “To see exclusive pix of Princess Diana’s sensational links to Madeline McCann visit http:/some_long_url_which_you/mistype_anyway” Because people don’t want to type in URL, they can snap the QR code and be taken straight to the site.
Rather than have people mistype itagg.com as itag, iitag, iitagg etc you can just show them this…
*Or, perhaps, a real newspaper
Posted by Terence Eden on January 16th, 2008 at 12:46 pm.Education. Education. Education.
I’m all for it.
Posted by James Whatley on January 16th, 2008 at 12:52 pm.@ JM.. yes for sure. It’s GREAT that this concept is getting such exposure…
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I do think though that as with a number of things the NI group has done over the past few years in mobile they have reacted to a ‘problem’ with an answer they got ’sold’.. ‘Sold’ because it’s not really the best solution for what they are trying to achieve. A shortcode/keyword combo would have been infinitely more sensible.
Yes they’re tesing new products, but ultimately they have revenue and profit in mind.. and If this falls flat which it probably will, then they will want to know why.. and I bet you 1 meeelion pounds that they got very little in the way of caveats..
We’ll see!
Posted by njar on January 16th, 2008 at 3:55 pm.I accept some of the arguments that this may work for this demographic of user (male, 18-34, can’t read or write, thick us muck, still thinks stories about Diana are worth reading, etc, etc…..) but my feeling can still be summed up in one word…”gimmick”.
Or in 20 words…”will work for about 6 months before the Sun get fed up of handling support queries from people who can’t get it to work, etc, etc, etc or can’t get the initial application to download onto the handset in the first place (I reckon that’ll be the main problem). And then they’ll decide to go with the latest gimmick and QR will be history.
But having said that, I guess I’m still up for innovation and people trialing various ideas to see what sticks. Just IMHO the best way is being asked to “text DIANA to 60300 to get the latest photos”…this has now been around for years and is being used by thousands upon thousands of businesses every day, and growing at a very fast pace. So the QR idea seems a little late to get any traction now.
Posted by Steve Procter on January 16th, 2008 at 4:00 pm.@Steve, Was that text “Diana to 83383″ or “Dana to 838383″ or “Diane to 83338″ or…. you get the picture. You could leave it to your memory, try to T9 with frozen finger or you could snap the advert with your phone. And if you’re doing that, you might as well let the camera do all the hard work. QR, as they say, is Big In Japan and Google is busy working on an app for Android and Java capable phones. http://code.google.com/p/zxing/
You might to take a look at this QR Blog - http://qrcode.es/?language=en
Posted by Terence Eden on January 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm.At the risk of opening myself to a good old-fashioned flaming, I think some people are underestimating the average Sun reader. From a personal point of view, there are so many ‘innovations’ in mobile and communications that have me scratching my head and thinking ‘why would would I bother to arse around doing that?’. When I first tried out QR codes (having downloaded and installed a reader without problem) the little lightbulb went on over my head. It was easy to use - easier than texting ‘big bro to 60300′. I think this might fly…
Posted by MarkW on January 16th, 2008 at 5:49 pm.@ Terence.. I don’t think Keyword/Shortcode combo’s are an issue in the UK market in this day and age. We’ll let the evidence do the talking and will see how long it takes NI to pull this. I love QR technology, but in this instance the glove doesn’t fit.
Posted by njar on January 16th, 2008 at 6:07 pm.Doesn’t it cost the user money to text to a 63000 etc number….?
QR seems a cheap way to do things to me but would depend on how well it works.
As for the number of phones with the scan software, well I would think in two years maybe all of them will come with it.
Passing by a poster and taking a picture seems like a really simple process to me and could work in almost every arena. Again though, it depends on how well it works.
Posted by Mark on January 16th, 2008 at 6:33 pm.I don’t think anyone disputes the coolness of QR technology, and no I’m not underestimating the sun reader… BUT we are talking about downloading and reusing a mobile app.. does anyone remember the Sun’s much hyped Java worldcup soccer app? No.. exactly..
Mark, you even remembered the Sun’s code.. it’s 63000..
Texts to 63000 cost standard rate or up to 12p (Vodafone).. With QR/Downloaded apps.. ‘DATA RATES MAY VARY’….
Posted by njar on January 17th, 2008 at 1:13 am.- I’m struggling to know (because I refuse to buy the Sun to find out) how when I open my paper, they are instructing me to initially download the app. I’d love to know if it is “text QR to 60300 to receive our cool QR app”
- “passing by a poster”? so what happens if that poster is 50 feet in the air and 50 feet away from you? And you are driving past at 40mph. But seeing “text info to 60300 for more info” on the same poster is easily read and digested and memorised in 2 seconds for future use.
- texts cost standard rate(’ish). QR costs varying amounts of expensive data.
- texts don’t require downloading of an application (together with it’s bug fixes and updates every now and then). And the argument that all handsets will have it pre-loaded in a few years…? Ewan, make a note to buy me a hat to eat in 2 years if this actually happens!
- if your fingers are too cold to type “Diana” then they are too cold to aim and take a photo/scan that is correctly lined up/focused, etc.
- if you can’t spell “diana”: that is why most of our keyword clients buy the common mis-spellings of their keyword to ensure they capture all the variants.
QR is a “cool technology” but it’s uses seem to be limited. Whereas keyword/shortcode technology is multi-purpose and with the education that has gone on for the past several years (certainly in the UK) via many high profile uses, the concept can now easily be imagined in many different scenarios. Texting a shortcode can be used for: receiving SMS and also MMS picture messages; for competition entry; for requesting auto-response information/URLs be sent back; for voting; for image submission to a photo board; subscribing to regular info updates; requesting ringtones; requesting contact details; requesting maps and location sensitive info;…..
Posted by Steve Procter on January 17th, 2008 at 11:16 am.Looks like Google have started promoting QR Codes (hat-tip to Terence):
“Google’s efforts to get into the newspaper ad business have yet to yield much. One tool it hopes will eventually change that: Small, square barcodes, like the one at the right, at the bottom of print ads. When a person scans the barcode with a compatible camera phone, it takes their phone’s browser to a mobile Web address encrypted in the graphic.”
[Silicon Alley Insider]
(Nokia says QR Code software is already on 10% of phones; a mobile marketing exec reckons only 1% have used it; so presumably the other 9% couldn’t find the app and gave up looking?)
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