A More Effective Alternative to QR Code

Transcription

1 A More Effective Alternative to QR Code

2 QR Codes QR Code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of a two-dimensional code first designed for the automotive industry Initially designed by Toyota in 1994 to track vehicles during the manufacturing process It has recently become popular outside of the industry due to its fast readability and large storage capacity The QR code has become a focus of advertising strategy, since it provides quick and effortless access to the brand's website

3 USPS Mobile Commerce Initiative In summer of 2011, USPS offered a promotion of a 3% discount on Standard and First-Class Mail letters and flats that included a mobile bar code The mobile campaign was primarily designed to build awareness around how mobile bar codes could make any piece of mail more engaging and increase the value of mail USPS has offered a similar promotion in 2012 with the intention of creating awareness and more innovative uses of mobile barcodes, highlighting the value of multi-channel communications.

4 USPS Mobile Commerce Initiative promotion requirement 2% discount on first class and standard letters and flats Mobile bar code must lead the recipient to either a mobile-enhanced website where a PURCHASE can be made, or to a personalized mobile-enhanced website that leads to a unique page directed to the specific recipient. Full service Intelligent Mail Barcode and Electronic documentation Use of 2-dimensional barcode AVI has recently received an exception from the USPS allowing the use of IMB as an alternative to QR code Will be open for signup starting May 1, 2012

5 QR Code - Challenges Most QR codes are static and direct the recipient to a generic web site Often a turn-off and perceived as not worth the effort to scan Costly to design and print individualized QR codes Requires scarce IT resources Takes up premium real-estate on the face of the envelope QR scan action is cumbersome to change after it has been created and printed Some previously participating mailers have already stated that they do not plan to participate in 2012 due to the above complexities

6 Intelligent Mail Barcode - IMB IMB is required by USPS on most Standard and First Class mail to obtain mailer discounts Why not take full advantage of this barcode instead of printing an additional QR code? Scanning an IMB will also offer the opportunity to receive final delivery confirmation

7 Mobile Apps Mobile apps such as IMBscan are in the market today for iphone and Android, used primarily as a quality control tool for the mailing industry Decodes the IMB 4-state and POSTNET barcodes Performs a reverse address lookup using the 11-digit DPC Displays the results as shown below

8 IMB as a QR code alternative Advantages over QR codes Since IMB barcodes are already being printed on most Standard and First Class mail items, there is no need to create, manage or print new code Customizing the action of an IMB scan for each mailing or recipient is as simple as updating a mailing database Changing the action of an IMB scan can be done at any time (before or after the IMB has been printed) IMB barcodes already provide the means of deriving the name and address of the recipient and this information can be used to pre-populate mobile optimized web pages Real-time touch marketing ; delivery confirmation

9 IMBscan-NPF à QR code alternative A Demo app designed for the NPF 2012 Decodes the IMB 4-state and navigates the user to a mobile optimized website Pre-populates and individualizes the web page with user info extracted from IMB

10 Use Case: Bill Payment

11 Use Case: Donations YTD: %$25 %Received%on%Jan.%30,%2012;%Thank%you%so%much% Request: %Urgent%Need%in%Horn%of%Africa;%Please%Pledge%$50%by%March%30th%

12 Use Case: Coupons Hurry!!! Offer expires in 3-days Use your phone to redeem coupon

13 Use Case: Credit Cards $25,000 Credit Line; Click Here & Receive Pre-Approved Application à File in less than 2 minutes

14 mailscan à QR code alternative * Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for mailers to take advantage of the USPS mobile postage discount AVI will provide Smart phone app, mailscan, free to download for iphone and Androifd Mobile optimized website, customized for each mailer, including web hosting à personalized based on information from IMB Analytics and scan reports Mail.dat tool, if needed for consolidators to populate by/for fields Mailer provides IMB extract data à First/last name for each IMB needed to personalize the mobile web site Brief instruction print near the barcode for the user to scan à USPS requirement * Patent Pending

15 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ MAIN TITLE Greetings John Doe! Coupon%/%Offer% Text%Message% Main%Graphic% Enter% %address%to%receive%coupon% GO$ Follow$us$on $$$ Follow$us$on $$$ Other$ac<on $$$ TEMPLATE A Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient Pre filled, if info is already available Sample Actions: 1. Send printed material 2. Visit mobile website

16 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ MAIN TITLE Hi John Doe! Text&Message& TEMPLATE B Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient Enter& &address&to&.& Button A Text Follow$us$on $$$ Follow$us$on $$$ GO$ Sample Actions: 1. Send printed material 2. Visit mobile website

17 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ Hi John Doe! TEMPLATE C Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient Enter& &address&to&.& GO$ Display My Usage Graph Follow$us$on $$$ Follow$us$on $$$

18 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ APRIL 2012 DRIVE Hi John Doe! TEMPLATE D Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient Enter& &address&to&.& GO$ Make a Pledge Follow$us$on $$$ Follow$us$on $$$

19 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ Hi John Doe! TEMPLATE E Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient Enter& &address&to&receive&updates& GO$ Become a Reserve Customer Follow$us$on $$$ Follow$us$on $$$

20 mailscan à Mobile Web Templates AT&T$ 3G$ 5:44$PM$ 85%$ American Express HOME% CARDS% SERVICES% SIGN%ON% Welcome back John Doe! John% Doe% Please verify your contact information below Message% TEMPLATE F Different text messages and/or images based on category of recipient 100%Main%Street% Suite%500% La%Crosse% WI% 55512% I would like to receive a product brochure Submit

21 mailscan à Sample Analytics 120" ABC&Co.& 100" 80" 60" 40" 20" 0" Week"1" Week"2" Week"3" Week"4" Week"5" Week"6" Week"7" Week"8" Weekly&Scan&Count&

22 mailscan à Sample Analytics 30" ABC&Co.& 25" 20" 15" 10" 5" 0" 1'Jul" 2'Jul" 3'Jul" 4'Jul" 5'Jul" 6'Jul" 7'Jul" Daily&Scan&Count&

23 Concluding Remarks Mobile commerce initiative creates additional awareness and adds more value to mail as part of multi-channel communication There is no need to add yet another bar code to the mail, which already havs an IMB Changing the action of an IMB scan can be done at any time (before or after the IMB has been printed) USPS has extended AVI the option to utilize IMB in lieu of QR code for their summer mobile promotion AVI s solution enables a much larger mailer base to take advantage of this opportunity (2% postage discount)