Top Five Great And Not So Great Things About The QR Code

[by: COMMANDER ENTERPRISE]

Smartphones and tablets aren’t quite sure how to make of the popular QR (or Quick Response) code. On one hand, they can open the device to malicious script and harmful content, while on the other; they offer exclusive content and cool links not accessible anywhere else, all in the comfort and convenience of the handheld mobile gadget.

QR codes may be awesome, but aren’t perfect or bulletproof at all in terms of reliability and trust issues with everyone’s device. And we know how everyone values their phone’s and tablet’s well-being.

In today’s top five list we’re going to tackle five different things the QR code gives us, right after the jump. We say different, because when it comes to relationships between QR codes and our devices, we cannot have just the good with the bad, and vice versa.

Yeah, sure, that easter egg of a QR Code might be as super awesome as an outer space koala wearing colourful Geisha robes and playing Thin Lizzy while somersaulting around Saturn and Uranus, but don’t get carried away yet. Pay heed, but always proceed with caution.

Malware
This is one of the main issues with regards to scanning QR codes. And even though most of the QR codes stamped everywhere are generally safe, the links and content they lead to may not be so safe. They may also be altered and changed unknowingly. Malware, Trojan Viruses and those that involve automatic Javascript action once activated (and are difficult to stop) are some of the most common problems that can open a portal into the smartphone or tablet used and from there leave the unit vulnerable to attacks.

While it is best to equip the smartphone or tablet with reliable security software, there are also other ways to avoid malicious links and content. Make sure that the source of the code is authorised or official from the brand, company, store or organisation and has been tested or approved. Always preview the link given – is it hidden with a shortened link version? Does the link lead to a trusted site or to the correct link or page as advertised? Is it displaying other content, or is asking to provide information? These are a few tips to bear in mind if checking the actual content of the code, where it leads to and what it does.

Exclusive Content
On the other hand, QR codes have a lot of great stuff that’s exclusive, for example, to customers who have been to a specific branch of a store or company, or at a remote or hidden place. It’s like a lucky draw for those who are able to access where the QR code is posted, and becomes a treat on their phones with cool stuff, links, promos, maybe exclusive multimedia or downloads or special access. It is more than an electronic, interactive ad to be accessed through smartphones only, and gives a user with something that’s not distributed publicly, giving it a secretive, exclusive feel only for those who are qualified or were able to locate the not so hidden QR code ad.

Smartphone format only
Another exclusivity feature of the QR code is that it is limited only to these mobile devices. No phone? No exclusive content / No problem. There’s that duality aspect again. That in and of itself can cause issues, or give exclusive cool stuff to the owner, depending on how he or she uses it. Whether the code is something the owner loves and appreciates, or is a malicious code that gains access to personal files, it only happens on that person’s device, oblivious of the outside world. Think of the QR code as a gift box with the extra information or name (or minimal text) as its only vague clues, and the only catch is that that it can come with not so sought after things, and only a smartphone or tablet can open it.

Compact Advertising
Advertisers often use the term KISS (not the legendary 70’s rock band or the activity) for advertising: Keep It Short and Simple. It has to be short enough to be checked out in a glance, and simple enough to be viewed, and register in the brain. It also has to catch people’s attention and hook them in order to be considered effective advertising.

The QR code as an advertising tool has all these classic elements, in a compact square that can be conveniently placed anywhere. It is also small enough not to demand a huge space, saving advertising money. All it needs are people with smartphones to check it out – this weird cube graphic standing out in the middle of nowhere, adding to the hype and mystery of its content and what it promises to the viewer. And we’ve got that in spades in all the right places where the QR code is usually placed. No other work is required after a final QR code is posted for everyone.

Great QR Code content
That mystery cube about to be scanned could hold anything, and we prefer them to be something really awesome, like a free download, a funny flash animation, a stream of a new record, a sneak peek trailer or poster, a great new website, cool promos, exclusive news, web-only offers and many other possibilities. And we wish all the time that when we do discover or stumble upon one on some spot, restaurant, shop, bar, store or mall, that it would be something great and worth the time to take a look and scan. After all, why go through the trouble of creating a QR code, doing a campaign to get it out, have people download an app to scan it, and then in the end have something that wasn’t even worth the hassle?