Here at the Axon Garside offices QR codes are turning into a marmite issue. Love them or hate them they are one of the hot topics in all areas of marketing but are they viable long term and how well do they make the transition from b2c to b2b marketing?

The smart phone generation cannot get enough but some industry experts are yet to be convinced.  One key objection is that they are ugly and uncompromising - yet with a little creative thinking they can enhance a design rather than detract from it.  Here’s a recent QR code that we have used on a business card for software provider MidlandHR:

Whilst QR codes have quickly become commonplace in the world of b2c, they are still not completely established in the b2b sphere.  One thing QR codes do is encourage users to interact with your brand.  This in itself automatically makes you more approachable as well as portraying you as forward thinking to your customers.

The clever bit is how you encourage them to interact.  As a starting point directing users to your home page or using as a way of getting your contact details directly into a customer’s phone are both useful tools.  Additional uses already include automatically dialling a telephone number, sending a text message or an email, viewing a Google maps location or Youtube clip, linking to a guide / white paper and sending users to a social media profile, with many more to come.

In essence QR codes are the bridge between digital and print, connecting your offline offerings with your online. An obvious example of this is through business cards but there are many other uses.  Using a QR code on a stand graphic at a trade show can limit the amount of collateral you need to carry, but also empowers the customer.  When customers are handed collateral they are passive; receiving a sales tool, whereas the act of them scanning a QR code changes the dynamic, they are requesting information therefore subconsciously they have already aligned themselves with you over your competitors.

Further ways of using QR codes alongside your current marketing include: Press Adverts - again these can be targeted to specific content a microsite, Youtube clip, case studies, white papers or even an interactive catalogue.  Direct Mail is another way that QR codes can make previously intrusive sales tools interactive.  If you are hosting an event placing a QR code as an rsvp works well.  Printed Literature -  be it a brochure, case study or white paper.  Product and Packaging  - putting a QR code on the actual product you are selling is another innovative way of linking to an installation guide or service desk contact details.

Whether you think they are a fad or a crucial tool for b2b marketing one thing’s for sure, QR codes are hot at the moment and by incorporating them into your b2b marketing you portray your business as innovative and progressive which can surely only be a good thing.

For more information on how to use QR codes or any other aspect of b2b marketing please call us on 01663 766 565 or email nina@axongarside.com

I’m sure many of us are sick of the sight of mince pies after Christmas; well spare a thought for poor Fat Santa.  He ploughed his way through thousands of pies whilst playing our festive game.

Congratulations to Christina Riley who had the highest score of 146,750 on January the 1st – we will be donating £100 to her chosen charity – Dementia UK.

We hope you enjoyed playing the game and were overwhelmed at the response we had.

Find out how you can incorporate gaming, and other innovative ideas, into your b2b marketing plan for 2012 by calling 01663 766 565 or emailing nina@axongarside.com.