NBCUniversal Trying to Make QR Codes a Thing Again

[rkolsen 1678]

 NBCUniversal is trying to bring back one technology that never caught on about a decade ago - the QR code back. These little barcodes could encode a lot of data and were frequently seen outside of businesses or on the back of business cards and in some commercials around for years.  But they quickly faded away and there seemed to be no universal app for them or phone manufacturers didn’t include them. However with recent software updates on iOS they have included a QR code reader within the camera app. 

 

So over the past few weeks you may have noticed QR codes appearing on screen during the Today Show segment Steals and Deals.  The code is on screen large and long enough so that a viewer can snap it and be automatically taken to the products website. 

 

This all was a test run for today’s launch of ShoppableTV. ShoppableTV will appear during “on-air shoppable moments” on the networks of NBC, NBC Sports, USA, Bravo, E! and CNBC Prime. Users who scan the codes on the TV will be taken directly to the marketers website. 

 

During the test run on Today NBC saying that “within minutes it saw tens of thousands of scans and six figures of sales.”

 

Its definitely a novelty idea and one thing I’m not sure of is if it will be used in native advertising or in commercial breaks as well. 

[Eat News 4738]

1 hour ago, rkolsen said:

During the test run on Today NBC saying that “within minutes it saw tens of thousands of scans and six figures of sales.”

 

Its definitely a novelty idea and one thing I’m not sure of is if it will be used in native advertising or in commercial breaks as well. 

 

EatNews has one rule on new tech...

 

Only invest in new tech if it's already been adopted by the military...or porn industry.

 

 

 

 

[mrschimpf 2058]

QR codes haven't really outright bombed...they've just found a perfect niche as a 'for more information scan the image' type of technology to quick-link someone to a website or app download page with print and billboard media, or to link some kind of device. They certainly did leagues better than CueCat.

 

Here though...this is definitely not the optimum use for it. You basically have to 'stop the show' and keep the code on screen for at least a minute while the consumer digs up their phone, opens their camera app, scans the image and clicks the prompt to go to the website. And if they would have been perfect for that purpose, HSN/QVC/JTV/evine would have picked them up years ago without much ceremony. But they haven't because it's just easier to Google the on-screen product number/name like most sane people do and buy the item that way.

 

Finally...ugggh. This is just idiotic in general because it shows more that Today is in a race to the bottom with GMA with these dumb deals and steals segments on junk no real person actually buys. There's a reason Nexstar and most local groups dumped the 'deal of the day'/.biz site model for their advertorial shows very quickly; because it made them look like they were nickel and diming every part of the screen and was generally offering very chintzy products or services.