Over recent years, barcodes have revolutionised the way in which businesses go about promoting and advertising their products. They have also made shopping a much more interactive experience.

Although barcodes have been around since the 1970s, and QR codes since the 1990s, it has only been in recent years that these technologies have really grabbed the public’s attention and become a major part of marketing and advertising.

Here are some of the ways in which barcodes and QR codes can be used creatively.

Advertising
QR barcodes have changed the way in which businesses use posters, print and television advertising. No longer do they need to worry about including all the appropriate information into an advert. Additional information, facts and videos can be added via a QR barcode.

Business cards
Using a QR code on the back of your business card is a great way of linking people to your website or to further information on the internet. Not only is this a simple way, which cuts out the need for typing out a URL, but because it’s new and different, more people are likely to have a look at your site.

Personal QR codes are simple to generate online. And companies such as South East Labels can cater for all of your printing and labelling needs when it comes to barcodes, such as offering advice on the best label printer.

Downloads
There are many reasons to get unique and individual download codes. One key example is downloading music or other media. By giving users a code, they can scan it and get a secure link to their download.

Art
Japanese company D-Barcode has made barcodes fun and entertaining by creating artwork around them. These innovative designs include somebody surfing on a barcode, a barcode representing rain and even barcodes as the fat from a frying pan. Barcodes have also spawned many other artistic projects, including graffiti work by the likes of Banksy.

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Food packaging
In an age where people are increasingly concerned about their diets, food packaging is more and more likely to include QR codes which can be scanned to give nutritional information. No longer do you need to be concerned about mysterious fats or e-number content.

Competitions and vouchers
Fliers, and other smaller pieces of marketing material, can contain unique QR codes that offer the chance to win a prize in a competition or save money. Whether this is something big, such as a holiday, or simply a free cup of coffee, it can attract many new customers.