After less than four months from when they were introduced to Malta by Strategic Communications, QR codes have become a popular marketing tool on the island.
The bi-dimensional bar codes have caught the attention of many, as, shortly after having been featured in an advertisement by Strategic Communications on the 27th March 2011 issue of a local magazine, the trend took on and the use of QR codes started mushrooming in various printed media, and have now become a staple feature of magazines and newspaper advertisements.
“We knew that QR codes would have been as much of an instant hit in Malta as they have been in the rest of the world”, says Dott. Fabio Giangolini, owner and director of Strategic Communications. “Unfortunately, due to a general resistance to innovation and the notorious ‘play-it-safe’ factor which affects many companies in Malta, their introduction was somewhat slower locally. Thanks to our continuous research for new and ground-breaking ideas to enrich our clients’ advertising campaigns, we grabbed the opportunity of being the first company to utilize QR codes in Malta. The fact that many others followed suit, has proven that we were indeed correct in our forecast.” After introducing QR codes to magazines, Strategic Communications took the concept to a new level in April by utilizing it in the first billboard to feature this interactive form of advertising, which was placed in a prominent part of Bisazza Street in Sliema (see photo).
QR codes consist of modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background, which can be read by any Smartphone with a QR code reader application, that can be downloaded for free from the internet. QR codes containing addresses and URLs may be placed in magazines, on billboards, buses, mugs, business cards, or on any other item. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the QR code to display text, contact information, or open a web page in the phone’s browser.
