![\"Snaptags.1.gif\"](\"https:\/\/server.peraltadev.com\/peraltadesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/6a0153915ddbff970b0168e7e3d837970c.png\" "\\"Snaptags.1.gif\\"")
<\/a>\nIt\u2019s no secret.\u00a0 I\u2019m not a fan of QR Codes. I\u2019m convinced these hideous square monstrosities are merely a passing fad, a marketing gimmick used to make clients appear to be tech-savvy or on the cutting edge. My main gripe with them has always been that they simply don\u2019t work. Let me clarify, they don\u2019t work the way they should\u2026 yet. Not only are they terrible to work with, the ugly little black boxes are supposed to be magically scanned by your smart phones (read: you\u2019re supposed to take a photo of it with your phone camera) and then when you run the scan through a QR code reader (which you have to download and install) it will then magically take you to a URL (which you could have typed 10 times into your web browser by now). OK, I need to keep the energy positive and by now you know I\u2019m not a fan.<\/p>\n
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That said, I still have clients that insist on appearing tech-savvy and cutting edge that request I use them. Don\u2019t get me wrong, there are some clever ways to use QR codes, I just can\u2019t think of any right now. I did see a Youtube video once of rapper Lupe Fiasco\u2019s marketing experiment where he projected a QR code onto the side of a building. Fans flocked to it like zombies and snapped pictures of it. Once scanned, the QR codes pointed fans to a free album download. I thought to myself, OK, that is pretty cool. Unfortunately, when I see QR codes in printed material, I don\u2019t get the same reaction.<\/p>\n
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This week I had a client reach out to me for some marketing materials. They were attending several shows throughout Europe, and they wanted some swag to hand out. Brochures, folders, flyers, etc. and they wanted me to place SnapTags and QR codes on them.<\/p>\n
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SnapWho? I have to admit that I hadn\u2019t heard of SnapTags until I was tasked with using them, and of course I quickly Googled what it was and started reading up on the little gizmo.<\/p>\n
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SnapTag where have you been all my life? This little invention just may be what I\u2019ve been waiting for: that new technology that will make the QR code disappear. Here\u2019s an example of what a SnapTag looks like. Let me know when you find it:<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n OK when you\u2019re done checking out Rihanna, look in the lower right hand corner. That little circle with the Facebook logo in it is a SnapTag. Pretty cool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What is a SnapTag?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a nutshell, SnapTag is a Unique Code Ring Technology. It\u2019s also a patented technology (which means its not FREE). The guys at Denver, CO based SpyderLynk have invented this nifty little new and improved \u201cQR code on steroids\u201d that incorporates your logo. This makes it not only beautiful to look at but also serves as a branding tool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s an infographic by SpyderLynk that explains it:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jackpot! I thought I had found just what I had been looking for. So logically, like I\u2019ve done with QR codes, I tried finding an online resource for generating one. I couldn\u2019t. I spent loads of time on SpyderLynk\u2019s website and couldn\u2019t find a way to purchase one, or generate one either. I\u2019ve put in an email to them to find out what the deal is. If there is a cost associated with it, or if I need start a campaign, I need to know so I can share the info with my client. Until that happens, I\u2019m on a deadline, so yes, unfortunately that means that I\u2019ll have no choice but to roll with the QR code.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n QR Codes:<\/p>\n Pros: Free<\/p>\n Cons: Ugly<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SnapTags:<\/p>\n Pros: Pretty<\/p>\n Cons: Not Free<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The difference here is that SpyderLynk\u2019s technology is patented. It\u2019s proprietary so only they control it (and charge for it) for now. When Denso Wave invented the QR Code to track vehicle auto parts for Toyota back in 1994, they didn\u2019t enforce the patent so everyone has been able to create their own QR generating and reading software.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite the fact that QR codes have been around for awhile they still don\u2019t really work right. They are still clunky and ugly IMHO. SpyderLynk is a small startup and even though they aren\u2019t going to make the QR code extinct overnight, I already feel like they have improved upon this technology in leaps and bounds. It really is just a matter of time before QR Codes disappear altogether (fingers-crossed). I can\u2019t wait to start using them because they not only have actual marketing functions, but they look really good while doing it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Still don\u2019t know much about SnapTags? You should. Snap-Snap.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you agree that SnapTags are the \u201cnext big thing\u201d ? Since QR Codes are free to use and generate, how do you feel about having to pay for the technology to use SnapTags for your own usage?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Resources and other articles about SnapTags<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SnapTags: How They Work:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.spyderlynk.com\/snaptag\/how-it-works\/<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chikodi Chima also blogged about SnapTags back in October of 2011<\/p>\n https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/apps\/2011\/09\/02\/could-social-snap-tags-ever-take-on-the-ugly-qr-code\/<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Publishers Weekly article on SnapTags<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/pw\/by-topic\/digital\/retailing\/article\/49922-snaptags-push-scanning-technology-forward.html<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n SnapTags: Will they kill QR Codes:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n