Smartphone users can download an app to scan QR codes using the phone’s integrated camera. The encoded information may be a photo, text, or even a URL that directs the phone’s Web browser to a designated site. The implications for advertisers are obvious: QR codes in printed ads can be used to drive traffic to the home page, register new users for e-mail lists, download coupons to be used online or in-store, even launch a YouTube video of the product being used. But what about for editorial purposes?
The Washington Post is one newspaper that has been experimenting with QR codes as a way to direct readers from the print edition to the interactive content available online. Cory Haik, WaPo’s universal newsdesk deputy editor, said reader engagement is the ultimate goal.
“We want to innovate with new ways for readers to engage with and access our digital content, particularly by way of mobile devices,” Haik said. “QR codes make it even easier to provide our users with content they are interested in, from wherever they are.”
In late November, WaPo published a QR code in the food section that directed readers to more than 120 Thanksgiving recipes. The paper’s first code was printed in the Veterans Day edition, and led readers to an online tribute of photos and stories. Of course, trying something new is not without its learning curve.
“We had to consider a number of factors including the right image size for the code, placement on the page, how to educate readers on how to use it, etc.,” she said. “One thing we have learned is that images in the paper shrink by a couple percent when they go to press. This is a significant difference for QR codes.”