Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Watch out QR codes, a new kid is coming to town
Image courtesy of tillwe on flickr
Personally I’ve never been a huge fan of QR codes. They can be a bit clunky to scan and usually the effort of doing so doesn’t give me anything all that compelling in return. However, they became a bit of a marketing darling a few years ago as brands found them a relatively inexpensive way to integrate mobile into a campaign, popping up everywhere from magazine ads to beer bottles to t-shirts to even airplanes (though I would definitely pay fifty bucks to the person who can hold their phone steady enough to scan that…). Pharma marketers have also tested the QR code waters and our ePharma Consumer® 2011 study found that about six percent of online consumers have accessed pharma resources via a QR code.
A new QR alternative made news this past week - BBC News reported that Korean scientists are introducing a new printing method that facilitates the exchange of digital info via mobile devices when swiped. While near field communication is not a new concept, this development is unique in that it allows for NFC to be implemented at a very low cost (less than one penny per printed rectenna) – which may prompt more businesses and organizations to adopt this technology. Gyoujin Cho, co-author of the study, predicts “the application of NFC technology with the smartphone will be limitless in the near future” and that “the medical, automotive, military and aerospace industries will benefit greatly.”
The digital printing technique will be featured in this month’s journal Nanotechnology, and we’ll be keeping our eye on this and other disruptive technologies changing the game for marketing and medicine.
Posted by Maureen Malloy, Senior Healthcare Analyst
