The Next Web

Mobile barcoding bridging the gap between Adwords and print ads

By Ernst-Jan Pfauth
February 11, 2008
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The Next Web Blog is fascinated by the revolutionary technique of mobile barcoding, so we’ve written quite a lot about it. In December 2007, guest blogger Polle de Maagt predicted that ShotCodes would join the deadpool pretty soon, we’ve published an outline of the mobile barcoding market and wrote about a really stunning Apple/ Starbucks design mock-up that used mobile barcodes. It’s a hot topic and once again we have some interesting mobile barcoding news for you: Google is exploring the possibilities of Print Ads 2D Barcodes:

Google believes that technology can revolutionize traditional print advertising and make it even more useful for readers. This fits with our commitment to making advertising as useful as possible for the end user. (Google Adwords)

American readers might have noticed newspaper ads for a jewelry retailer consisting of a normal ad with a Google footer. And that’s where it gets interesting, since it includes several connections with the digital media: an URL, search terms, phone number, coupon code, SMS code and there it is, the 2D barcode.

By doing this, Google wants to test possibilities to make ‘print advertising more useful for readers and more measurable for advertisers’. They’re probably referring to the number of barcode ‘clicks’. What will Google’s ambition mean for the mobile barcoding market? We’ve asked Dennis Hettema, founder and creative director of OP3, the Dutch company behind ShotCode.

“This technology is not about advertising but about delivering a compelling message”

Hettema: “I see Google’s mobile barcoding trial as a positive step forward for the mobile barcoding industry. It is imperative that major business-to-consumer (B2C) companies embrace this cool technology and more do so every day. However, I wonder whether Google’s approach is the right one. We have learned from our campaigns with a range of fortune 500 B2C companies (Nike, Coca Cola, Volkswagen amongst others) that this technology is not about advertising but about delivering a compelling message via this medium. If you mess up the message you invariably mess up your campaign. At the moment, Google’s approach is still very advertising focused.”

dennishettema
Dennis Hettema

That’s not the only question Hettema has, he also has his doubts about device compatibility: “As far as I know Google is only running this trial in the US, the amount of compatible devices there are comparable to the range we had about 2 years ago. Looking at our compatibility list today we see that on average 95% of the popular mobile phones used to surf the Internet are ShotCode compatible.
Something that has helped us, the only Dutch player in this market, to launch campaigns all over the world.”

Yet he ends the interview with a positive note. “Whatever way you turn it, there is still a lot to be decided in this market. Experimentation by companies such as Google, Nike and Volkswagen drive the technology forward to become top of mind at advertising agencies and brand managers alike, which is seriously positive news for everyone involved.”


  • Swampthing
    What about being able to click on the following:
    keywords (Google's main source of income), logos, trademarks, other (2D barcodes Aztec, Maxi, and data matrix), not proprietary codes such as (shotcode, Upcode, or Ezcode). What about 1D bar codes? Such as EAN and UPC.

    How many readers will a person need on their mobile device to reader all of the proprietary codes?

    The Neoreader offers the best option for a mobile barcode and physical world navigation tool.

    Why not build around it? Anyone???
  • Based off the award winning Lavasphere technology developed in Germany by Gavitec, the NeoReader features NeoMedia's patented resolution technology combined with Gavitec's ultra-small footprint and platform independent algorithms. It is able to read and decipher all common non-proprietary 2D codes (Data Matrix, QR, Aztec, Maxi) as well as URL embedded 2D codes and all 1D UPC/EAN/Code 128 open source codes. The NeoReader supports direct and indirect code linking, which guarantees maximum interoperability with already existing platforms like 2D Data Matrix Semacodes, and Japanese QR links. This allows the user to click on a variety of codes with a single application installed on their mobile device.

    The NeoReader ushers in and inaugurates a brand new era of innovative mobile enterprise and optical code reading solutions for the wireless industry. Visit get.neoreader.com to download the free application, and instantly transform your mobile phone into a universal code reader.
  • Google is developing the ANDROID operating system. Google is also developing its ZXING reader. ZXING can now read QR 2D open standard codes. In the near future, ZXING will also be able to read the Datamatrix codes and 1D standard codes.
    http://code.google.com/p/zxing/
    Shotcode (OP3), Beetag, Ezcode (Scanbuy), Mcode (Nextcode),...are proprietary codes.

    ZXING reader will be preinstalled on ANDROID application. We expect the launch of the platform in 2008. ZXING reader is not performing. That's the reason why Google directs us to other readers' web site:
    http://code.google.com/p/zxing/wiki/Interesting...
    I believe that GOOGLE will have to acquire one of the following companies: Nextcode, Neomedia, Scanbuy, Kaywa,…
    Let's not forget that Google acquired Neven Vision (Mobile Visual Search) in 2006. Microsoft has also developed its Mobile Visual Search application. http://research.microsoft.com/ ~ /
    Http://research.microsoft.com/vision/InteractiveVisualMediaGroup/

    Google will push the adoption of 2D codes technology on a global scale. It is only a matter of time. I also believe that Google will join the Mobile Codes Consortium (MC2). Here are some reasons:

    "OMA, GSMA, MC2, major telcos, Nokia, Google all working in the same direction..."
    http://mobile.kaywa.com/qr-code-data-matrix/joe...

    GS1 has probably decided to collaborate with the MC2.
    http://tinyurl.com/39mhm2

    Google, Publicis Working Together on Digital Ads Technology. January 22, 2008. Collaboration between Google and Publicis Groupe.
    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=public...
    Publicis Groupe is one of the founders of the group MC2. Google and Publicis Groupe want both use the 2D codes technology for advertising in newspapers, in magazines… It is also important to mention that Mauritius Levis, the CEO of Publicis Groupe, is a man who looks enormously to the new technologies. In December 2006, Publicis Groupe has acquired Digitas for the sum of 1.3 billion dollars.
    Meanwhile, Google has made an offer to acquire DoubleClick.
  • There is a Finnish company called Upcode that has been providing these barcode solutions for about two years. See: http://www.upc.fi/en/upcode/

    They have built their product in the typical Finnish way: Build a technically advanced product and hope it will sell itself. As they have done this for a couple of years, its clear that their strategy has not really paid off.
  • There is a Hungarian company called Bryton Media Group developing a mobilecode reader currently using Tom Gibara's moseycode. The app called iCode Reader runs on the iPhone and features realtime recognition! More info: http://blog.bryton.hu
  • Another one bites the dust - MoSecure based in UAE have developed their own 2D Matrix Barcode called MoSecure to address the huge potential of brands seeking to address the mobile digital media wave across the Middle East, they are also exploring licensing agreements across seven seas to not just promote the use of this technology but make it a way of life ... Find out more at http://www.mosecure.net

    I firmly believe that any brand manager or advertising agency not trialling Wireless Media should be sacked! Let's get together on http://mosecure.wordpress.com and hear your thoughts too ...
  • It's really not that complicated, promise!

    So much talk of this code and that code, this company and that company, this application and that application - wow - must mean there's something worth debating!

    But, let's not overcomplicate this whole code+reader issue. Quite simply, the two main points are that 1. you have a very robust and clever 'decoder' i.e, system to enable the code reading and 2. that you're better off decoding world standard codes - because they are already tried and tested and approved, and therefore easily applied, i.e. 1d barcodes (albeit effective, they have limited use), Data Matrix and latterly QR. Proprietary codes work, but you need specially programmed readers - so your exclusivity becomes your limitation.

    At the end of the day, this is a business and anyone from an ad agency to a packaging company needs revenue from this mobile access and interaction - not just gimmickry or simply connecting to a url.

    For those that want a further insight...

    QR does have major exposure as it was the 'first' to gain mass exposure for Mobile Access and Interaction, because, as you know, it was necessary for the Japanese kanji (their huge alphabet) and Japan created an instant success by making all cameraphones read QR (with a special macro lens switch) and by ensuring therefore that QR was the code of choice there, albeit that Data Matrix existed as a world standard prior to Denso Wave's creation of QR.

    However, whilst it was the first 'to gain mass exposure' on a consumer level - it doesn't 'necessarily' follow that it's the best. In fact it's not just about the code but also about the reader capability, and taking that one step further, the applications and solutions that 'code + reader' can provide.

    So, in fact one has to add DataMatrix into the pot too - because the jury is still out on which code (or even if both codes) take centre stage for the future. One thing's for sure, the use of codes needs to generate a revenue stream directly or indirectly to make it a viable business proposition - as you say, simply linking to a www. is not enough and should be free anyway.

    So intelligent solutions. Then perhaps it's time to 'think again' and evaluate readers - yes QR can do all you say, but so can DM and in fact DM can do a whole lot more than QR (and yes it is already used extensively in packaging and commercial applications).
    Any application worth evaluating should already read both QR and DM (and even 1D) because reading the codes is essential but beyond that it's not what you have it's what you do with it, or should I say it's what you 'can' do with it.

    Mark Hendriksen
    CEO
    UpCode Mobile Solutions
  • Sean Owen
    I realize this is an old post; it just came across my desk for some reason. I was at Google and am part of the zing barcode reader project. A few key points;

    - Re: ShotCode -- of course being "ShotCode compatible" is far different from having a reader installed that works well. Perhaps the better question is how many phones have reader technology that users understand and can use? I think QR Code wins there.

    - Re: advertising versus communicating message -- not entirely sure what it means but Google is definitely provides advertising, not branding or messaging, services. QR Codes might be a means to either.

    - The zing barcode reader does not ship with Android partly because it might be viewed as giving favored placement to one barcode app. In fact, two other good readers popped up, which is good.

    - The project goal always been, more broadly, to promote good reader technology. This is why we link to other sites, readers, technologies, companies -- even those that compete with our primary patron, Google. It certainly doesn't mean we don't think our reader is good stuff. We would be dishonest to say we think our stuff is the best in all cases, so where it's not, we just suggest other solutions.

    - One comment makes a key point: most of these formats people bandy about are proprietary. They face quite an uphill battle against free, open, established formats like QR code and Data matrix. Frankly, I can't imagine any of these proprietary formats succeeding at this point. Betting on these two open formats is just the obvious choice at this stage.

    - I do not see why Data matrix "does more" than QR Code. They both encode text, period. Some say Data matrix is a bit more efficient, but it's harder to detect too. I, personally, prefer QR Code, technically.
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