Toolbox: QR Codes for Campus & Conferences

You may have already seen them around. A strange series of black and white boxes arranged on a grid. They appear in some magazines, on a few billboards, and even on that kiosk at the mall. But what are they?

QR CODES

A “Quick Response Code” is a matrix barcode, initially created in Japan in the mid-90’s. At first they were used to track auto parts during manufacturing, but quickly gained traction as a popular marketing tool in Asia and overseas. The United States has been a slow adopter, but recent data begins to demonstrate a shift towards greater use and bigger companies like Target, Best Buy, and Macy’s are now endorsing and using the technology.

How does it work?

A user simply points their mobile device’s camera at the QR CODE. The QR Code reader (native on the Android OS and available as a free app for the iPhone and other devices) will launch a website, important contact information, begin a text message, etc depending on how the code is set up. Just search “QR Code Generator” and you can find a bunch of free sites/apps to create one for free. If you want to practice using the QR Reader on your mobile device right now, take a look at this QR Code which should direct you to my facebook fanpage.

It’s an interesting technology that has a lot of great opportunities as more and more users adopt the technology (I added it to my iPhone for free just last week).

Many in the business world have already looked at ways using a QR Codes can enhance conferences. Here are 12 great ideas to make your next conference or convention even better. (big thanks to Matthew Soeth for sharing the link with me)

Here are a few ways you can use QR Codes on your campus:

Sporting Events
QR Codes can link to specific sport pages, providing rosters, stats, future game schedules, discount codes to future game tickets, lyrics to fight songs and alma maters.

Club Fair
Individual clubs can have QR codes on tables. Rather than making a too many wasted photocopies, interested students can utilize the QR code to go to the club website or send an email signing up for membership.

Elections
Candidate profiles, responses, even YouTube videos of speeches can be linked to a QR Code.

Registration
The fine print from many documents could be contained on a website. Printing costs are reduced. Students could reserve specific picture times or a “fast pass” to return to specific lines. As our schools slowly adopt online shopping systems for the basic school needs, those sites can also be linked to a QR Code that parents can activate.

Spirit Weeks
Full schedules of dress up days and events can be linked to a simple QR Code. A Spirit Scavenger Hunt can take place on and around your campus using simple QR Codes to provide the next clue.

T-Shirts
Add a QR Code to your ASB t-shirt that links up to an event calendar page on your school website. This way students can always have the latest info as to what is taking place on campus.

Admittedly, the technology still hasn’t completely caught on in the United States, and the under 18 population is one of its slowest adopters so far. Still, I believe that tide could quickly change as more of us start utilizing QR Codes.

A few things you can do right now to get that ball rolling:

1) Provide a QR Discount Code: Include a QR Code on your advertisements for an upcoming dance that links to a discount image on a website. Students that show that image can save $1 on their ticket.

2) Do a QR Code Only Marketing Campaign. Hang flyers with just a QR Code and a date. Students that utilize that QR Code will be sent to a website or a video promoting that event. Word will spread as students wonder: “What is that?”

3) Go Deeper. Use your QR Code to launch content rich material for your group that goes beyond what one could ever read, see, hear, experience on paper.

I’m personally excited about the opportunities, and I hope you are as well. Keep me posted on how it is working for you!

Special Note: You may have noticed this blog is a little bit different than some of the other ones I’ve been writing recently. Today marks the beginning of a new type of blog post, The Toolbox. Don’t worry, I’ll still share stories and insights. I’m just going to try to regularly dedicate a blog entry to highlight new tools, technologies, resources, and/or approaches that affect the way you can serve and lead on your campus and/or in your organization. If you think you’ve got a  great toolbox idea to share, please let me know at pm@pmaurer.com

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