NeoMediaTechnologies Inc., which provides mobile barcode scanning, just had its patent for the technology affirmed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This is the second time the patent has been re-examined in the last few years, a testament to the potential market for mobile bar codes.
Laura Marriott, CEO of NeoMedia, said the allure behind mobile bar codes is that it is an easy way for brands to interact directly with their customers. “It’s hard to think of a brand that wouldn’t benefit from it.” As such, companies are getting more creative in how they interact with their audience. Enterprises are using 2D bar codes for field force management and supply chain management. One German company hired a pizza chain to recruit new employees by delivering a pizza that was a physical replica of a quick-response code to prospective hires. It worked, Marriott said, with every person recruited going to the new company.
NeoMedia believes mobile bar codes will replace urls in marketing campaigns because they can offer more information that is of more value to the customer. The best 2D bar-code campaigns have a call to action and offer value to the end user. “It’s an intense time of adoption.”