Today's Thirsty Thursday of Knowledge - QR vs 2D Codes

I've been on a bit of a QR Code kick this week, but I just had to share this recent find. When I talk to folks about QR codes they usually have three issues.

1. Their ugly and creative types really don't want to muck up their ads with them - especially if the industry is brand image driven
2. They don't work on every phone (you need a smart phone)
3. They require extra software on the phone - you have to download an app first

These are all valid points and worthy of discussion and consideration. In fact, it was that desire to think through these points that led me to an internet search that led me to today's Thirsty Thursday of Knowledge find.

JagTag is a different kind of QR code. Like a QR code you need a phone with a camera but unlike QR, JagTag will work on ANY phone with a camera and you don't need to download any special apps. That's because JagTag actually just takes a picture of the QR code and then you text that photo to a special text code.

The upside is that the JagTag 2D code is pretty much universally readable.I mean even my grandma's cell phone has a camera in it. And pretty much everyone knows how to text. BUT - unlike QR codes, JagTag requires a two step process and a bit of explanation. So to use them you'd need the 2D image and then a line of text explaining to the user that they need to take a picture of the image and then text it to 55555 (or whatever # you use) provided your on AT&T or Verizon. Not sure why the example above doesn't work on Sprint, T-Mobile, etc. Maybe the folks at JagTag will stop by and explain that to us.

To see one in action, just take a picture of the JagTag at the top of this post and follow the directions. You can also see examples of it being used in advertising, POS, etc. by clicking here.  Check out the Ford example to see one in an actual ad. I have to admit, doesn't look half bad.

So what do you think? Is this better or worse than QR? Whatcha think?

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