Microsoft Tag – The future of Mobile??

The Microsoft website poses the question, ‘What is Mobile Tagging?’… A very good question, I mean it looks like a colourful version of the QR codes we’ve been seeing for a few years now.

So could this be the future of mobile?

In short… yes it could be. The main difference with Microsoft Tag, lies within the technology of the code itself. The technology powering Microsoft Tag, or High Capacity Colour Barcodes (HCCBs), was invented by Microsoft Research. It was designed with the limited cameras on most mobile phones, with advanced image-processing techniques resulting in the ability to decode even out-of-focus barcode images.



As explained by Microsoft the computer imaging of HCCBs employs different symbol shapes in geometric patterns and multiple colours to provide more information in less space.



This means that the HCCB’s are much better suited for use on packaging and advertising where available space is limited. Other advantages include the fact that the new codes are completely compatible with the latest smartphones, and once the Microsoft Tag reader has been installed allows for much more information to be sorted on each code. There is also the promise of much richer consumer analytics data, and further scope for creativity within campaigns.

At the moment the service is in Beta, and is free to use, so anyone can create, download, or use the Microsoft Tagging service. For example here is an example of Funkadelic Advertising in Microsoft Tag form…

Pepsi Max drives consumers to mobi site via QR Codes

This morning whilst carrying out my morning browse around the web, I noticed a new campaign by Pepsi which seems to be pushing QR codes to the UK public via online display. The banner ad shown below features the QR code with a message to click through and find out more.




Pepsi Banner Advert


Once on the site the user is educated as to what QR codes are, and how they work. There are also pointers on how to enable your mobile to recognise QR codes, and the benefits of doing so. In the case of Pepsi, the benefits to visiting their mobi site are games, videos, and other free content.



It is good to see another example in the UK of a brand trying to push consumers to use mobile to engage with their brand, but I can’t help but think that we as advertisers should be doing more. Although in the current economic climate it is challenging to encourage brands to ‘try something new’, there are brands which are proving that mobile can be a cost efficient media, and an effective branding tool.


http://www.comscore.com


The use of the mobile Internet has seen massive growth since the release of the iPhone in the UK, in early November 2007 (above), offering unlimited online access as part of their monthly package, and has shown how a simple technological movement can have such an effect on users browsing habits. As we are already seeing brands capitalise on this trend, it could again illustrate why it is so important for brands to test mobile sooner rather than later.


Related stories:
Street Art, QR Codes and Google Maps

Street Art, QR Codes and Google Maps

The voice of the street have provided a service for street artists. Combining street art, QR codes and Google Maps the service allows street artists to communicate with the viewer and visa versa. More on this video…


The Voice of the Street from Leif on Vimeo.

This has been mirrored in a similar way by the rarely seen internationally famous street artist Banksy, who has completed a mural in a disused railway tunnel near Waterloo Station as part of the Cans Festival earlier this year. The large image of a knife wielding hoodie shows a small QR Code which decodes to Banksy’s entry in Wikipedia.