We have just released the latest ScanLife Mobile Barcode Trend Report for Q4 2011. This edition takes a closer look at the busiest quarter of the year for mobile barcodes and some year-end growth comparisons to 2010.

One of the report’s highlights shows the “hockey stick” growth of scans by quarter dating all the way back to Q1 2009. Last year saw a 300% increase compared to 2010. Looking at the chart below, its pretty amazing to see just how far mobile barcode scanning has come these past few years.

The holiday season proved to be another huge period for engaging new users as people are searching for product information and millions of new Smartphones were activated.

Other key takeaways from this report:

• Q4 2011 saw more scans than all of 2009 and 2010 combined
• Over 3,000,000 new ScanLife users were activated in Q4 2011

• Among marketers using the ScanLife platform, the Consumer Packaged Goods industry saw the most scans for the first time ever
• Half of our users report being 18-34, and 60% are male which is consistent with the previous report

A HUGE thank you to everyone to everyone who made these numbers possible!  This data is compiled from our platform users, app users, and other 3rd party apps/code generators.

You can download the full report here.

Be a fan, and scan for your team to win the Big Game!

The codes above use ScanLife smart code technology which processes the number of scans per code and converts them into voting results.

ScanLife was launched in Beta in 2008.  At the time, cameras were terrible, and we had a perfect answer to bring 2D codes to millions of phones.  The answer was in the form of the EZcode which is an awesome solution, but it had one stigma – proprietary.  While marketers and publishers loved the technology, we quickly realized that they did not love it’s limitation of reach (only compatible with the ScanLife app).

So, in 2009, we made the specs available for the EZcode, but more importantly added open source QR Codes to our platform and to our application.  Since that time, the world of open source mobile barcode scanning has exploded.  The ScanLife platform has generated tens of thousands of open QR Codes which can be read by any standard app.  Therefore, we are seeing millions of scans per month and seeing 4x growth versus 2010.  Clearly this was the path forward for both marketers and users.

This week, Microsoft Tag made their decision to enter the world of open standards – almost 3 years after their product was launched.  We applaud this decision, and only wish they saw the light sooner.  In that time, consumers and publishers have been unnecessarily confused by a closed code format which only works with a single app.  We believe more open QR Codes will only mean more value to both end users and the businesses that use them to connect the physical world.

We know for a fact that code publishers choose “open” because the most important thing is reach.  Scanbuy just conducted an online survey among marketers, and the numbers speak for themselves (more details soon):

• 85% agreed that audience size is critical when choosing a 2D code solution (ranked highest of any feature listed)
• 73% of those using codes today are open code formats which ScanLife already offers (QR, Datamatrix, or EZcode) with QR Code being the most popular of any format.

The world of 2D codes will continue to evolve and we believe the best way for that to happen is by building from an open source symbology or “gateway.”  What you can do from that gateway is endless, and a managed platform (like ScanLife) can help harness that potential by using real time data, dynamic code actions and mobile formatted content.

Open is good, open is powerful.  Now let’s work together to unleash it’s full potential.

ScanLife 4.0, includes a couple cool new features to make barcode scanning a bit more fun for the holiday season.  One feature allows users to customize the scanner screen by selecting from themes like “Top Gun” and “Holiday Cheer”.  Just go to the Settings screen in the app to change it any time!

Current theme examples from our app:

Now we want YOU to design the next custom Scanner Theme and be seen by millions of ScanLife users around the globe!

So whether you’re a Photoshop expert or just have a knack for basic design, we want to see your ideas.   Make it fun, make it cool, make it colorful – whatever you want!  Just remember to leave some open space in the center of the screen so you can see what you’re scanning…

What do you get?

The winner will receive a $200 Gift Card and have their personal Scanner design embedded in the next release of the ScanLife app for iPhone and Android!

Rules to Enter

1. Create any kind a visual representation of your idea – can be a rough representation or a finished design, but we need more than text.
2. Upload your design to our Facebook wall – www.facebook.com/scanlife
3. Get as many Likes as you can which will influence the final judging

Entries will be taken until January 1st, 2012.

Now get creative and good luck!  If you don’t have the current ScanLife app, just go to www.getscanlife.com from your mobile device.

Black Friday to Christmas is always the busiest time for retailers, and it is for us also!   Now that the dust has settled (a bit) from the opening party (aka Black Friday, and now “Cyberweek”), we wanted to share some interesting stats.

First we should say that the 10 days from 11/24-12/4 were record breaking days which saw scan rates as high as 8 per second.  We also recorded our biggest single scan day ever on Black Friday which was very exciting!

Some other fun facts:

• Scan rates were up 158% versus year ago (both 1D & 2D), with QR Code scanning up 263%.  This just shows how many more QR Codes are in the market versus a year ago.
• The top 5 US cities scanning were:  Orlando, Houston, San Antonio, New York, & Chicago
• Scans by OS were dominated by Android (47%) and iPhone (43%) with BlackBerry and others making up the remaining 10%
  
• Black Friday by Time of Day:
  • Biggest spike was at 1:00 AM EST as doors opened for Midnight sales in the Central Time zone.  Apparently those hard core shoppers are using all the tools to find the best deals!
  • Busiest time block was from 12-2 EST with 18% of all scans that day
• Top 3 electronics products being scanned (from UPC codes):
  • iPhone 4Gs (16 GB)
  • Nikon Coolpix
  • Garmin Nuvi GPS

Thanks to all of our users for being part of these momentous numbers, and keep scanning!

If you don’t already have the ScanLife app, check it out from www.getscanlife.com. 

We’re thrilled to announce the release of the ScanLife Mobile Barcode Trend Report for Q3 2011. This edition marks the one year anniversary of the inaugural report, so we have  focused on how far mobile barcodes have come in the past 12 months.

One of the report’s highlights is the total number of scans processed by ScanLife to date. Through September, we’ve seen over 20 million scans, representing a 400% increase from 2010 during the same time period. This massive number shows just how explosive growth has been for mobile barcodes.

Other key takeaways from this report:

• 2D code activity continues to rise at an impressive rate, as 44,653 2D codes were generated from the ScanLife platform in Q3 of this year.

• Another demonstration of scan growth is around our single largest customer campaign.  A year ago the largest campaign saw 65,000 scans and in Q3 a customer completed a 6-week campaign that netted over 400,000 scans.
• The number of countries scanning in a single day also increased from 77 to 128, a 66% increase.

• Female scans increased by 13% and now represent over 40% of the ScanLife mobile app audience.
• Over the past year, the Grocery (food & drink) category jumped from 14% to 40% in all 1D products scanned.

A big thank you to everyone who made these numbers possible!

You can download the full report here.

If you’re like us, you’re always disappointed after you scan a QR code and receive a poor user experience. Either it links to a complicated PC formatted website, or it’s not providing additional value (i.e. simply a home page).  The content after the scan is really the most important piece to any successful QR Code project.

To make this easier, we have come up with the Custom Menu Code which is available right from the ScanLife platform with any of our Pro Accounts.

This new code action allows you to easily mobilize your brand – and your code in a matter of minutes.

• Upload your own image for a product or logo
• Choose up to 7 different code action options like a web link or a pre-filled email or just display some text for a coupon offer
• Easily connect users to your Facebook, Twitter & YouTube pages
• Choose from a couple background templates

Creating a Custom Menu Code is simple, just follow these steps:

1. Upload an image

2. Choose a background color

3. Enter headline & body text

4. Choose your menu items

Custom Menu Code Examples

Scan each code below to try it yourself!

To help celebrate “Mobile Marketing Week”, ScanLife is going to be giving away daily prizes starting today through September 9th.  All you need to do to enter is brush up on your mobile barcode knowledge.  “The QR Quest: Scan Your Way to Victory” Contest works this way:

1. Follow us on Twitter
2. Each day, a QR Code will be tweeted that links to a trivia question related to mobile barcodes
3. Just scan the code, and answer the question
4. If you are correct, tweet your conquest and you’re entered for the daily prize including gift cards from our favorite customers!

Need some help?  Here are a few key stats that might give you some hints:

- Scans come from over 125 different countries every day.

- 2D barcode scanning is currently outpacing the growth of 1D barcodes, a major shift from 2010

- Comscore found that more than 14M people scanned a code in the month of  June alone

- Over 45,000 2D barcodes were generated from the ScanLife platform in the 2nd quarter, a 300% increase from a year ago.

- Over 400,000 unique UPC codes, or products, were scanned by the ScanLife app in a single month.

You can also download the latest Mobile Barcode Trend Report here which has all the details.

Good luck, and happy Mobile Marketing Week….

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Here is some legal stuff for your enjoyment:

Eligibility: No purchase is necessary to enter the Contests. The Contests are open to all legal U.S. and Canada residents (other than residents of Quebec) 18 years of age and older at the start of the Entry Period (as defined below). Employees of Scanbuy, or those of its subsidiaries, advertising and production agencies, and other companies directly involved in the implementation and/or operation of the Contests, along with their immediate families and household members, are not eligible to participate in the Contests. All federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited or restricted, in any manner. By entering a Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Contest Rules and the decisions of Scanbuy and/or its authorized agents. Use of automated devices is strictly prohibited. An entrant shall only be entitled to win one (1) prize per ninety (90) day period and no entrant shall be entitled to win more than one (1) prize (by entering multiple Contests) in any ninety (90) day period.

Agreement to Contest Rules: By entering a Contest, you indicate your full and unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, (a) these Contest Rules and (b) Scanbuy’s decisions, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth in these Contest Rules.

Contests Timeframe: All Contests will take place in conjunction with Mobile Marketing Week, which will take place September 5^th through September 9^th.

Entry Period: A Contest begins when @ScanLife posts a link via Twitter leading to a QR code that contains the official giveaway question (“Official Giveaway Question” can be accessed by scanning the QR code with a mobile device equipped with a camera phone and mobile barcode scanning application) and ends when @ScanLife and/or @Scanbuy receives an @ reply with the correct answer to the Official Giveaway Question (as determined by Scanbuy in its sole and absolute discretion) from an eligible participant (“Entry Period”). Scanbuy’s computer is the official time-keeping device for each Contest.

How To Enter: Follow @ScanLife on Twitter and submit an @ reply to @ScanLife via Twitter with the correct answer to the Official Giveaway Question posted by Sponsor during the Entry Period. Only one (1) entry per person per Contest. Any attempt by a person to submit more than one (1) entry by using multiple/different Twitter accounts, identities, registrations, or logins, or through any other methods, shall void all of such person’s entries and such person shall be disqualified from the applicable Contest. In the event of a dispute over the identity of an entrant, the entrant will be the registered owner of the Twitter account.

Selection of Winner: At the end of the Entry Period Scanbuy will enter all correct responses (as determined by Scanbuy in its sole and absolute discretion) to the Official Giveaway Question posted by Scanbuy into a pool of potential prize winners, and the winner will be selected randomly. The winner will be notified by Scanbuy via tweet and/or direct message within three (3) days after the applicable Entry Period ends and will be asked to provide his or her full name and shipping address. In order to receive a direct message from Scanbuy, you must (a) be following @ScanLife on Twitter and (b) have your account settings set to “unprotected” and/or “public.” The winner will have three (3) days to respond to the direct message with their name and shipping address. If a winner cannot be contacted or fails to confirm his or her eligibility and shipping address within three (3) days of notification, an alternate winner will be selected by Scanbuy. Selection of winners will be conducted by Scanbuy, whose decisions are final.

Prizes: Each winner of a particular Contest shall be entitled to receive one (1) of the following prizes (as determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion):

• Gift Cards from various Scanbuy customers

All prizes awarded are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash or credit (in whole or in part). Any prize notification or prize returned as undeliverable will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. By accepting a prize, each winner agrees to be responsible for all federal, state, provincial, local, or other applicable taxes associated with acceptance and use of the prize. Once a prize has been delivered to a winner, all liability for any loss or damage, including any property damage, personal injury, or death to the prize winner or any third party shall be the sole responsibility of the prize winner and the prize winner shall indemnify and hold harmless Scanbuy and its affiliates for any claims therefore.

Release of Liability: By participating in a Contest, you release Scanbuy and its subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, employees, directors, agents, advertising agencies, and others associated with the implementation and/or operation of such Contest, from and against any and all injury, loss, or damage caused or claimed to be caused by your participation in such Contest and/or the acceptance, awarding, receipt, use and/or misuse of any prize. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the preceding release is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or void for any reason, each entrant agrees that, by entering a Contest, (i) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with such Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action; (ii) any claims, judgments, and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering such Contest, but in no event attorney’s fees; and (iii) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased and any other damages, other than damages for actual out-of-pocket expenses. Each entrant acknowledges and agrees that the Contests are not endorsed or sponsored by Twitter in any manner whatsoever.

Privacy and Publicity: Any information you submit as part of a Contest will be used for purposes of such Contest and will be kept private. Except where prohibited, participation in a Contest constitutes an entrant’s consent to Scanbuy’s use of his/her name, likeness, voice, opinions, biographical information, and state of residence for Contest purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

Disputes: Except where prohibited, you agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, a Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved exclusively by the appropriate court located in New York, New York. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Contest Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of Scanbuy in connection with a Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules.

We’ve just released our latest campaign examples from July. Like always, campaigns ranged from a variety of industries including Tourism, CPG and Retail. The summer has also become a popular time for sweepstakes, as we had codes linking users to contests from Hanes, JanSport, Tilly’s and more. And in perhaps the most bizarre code use we’ve ever seen, a man from Paris had an EZ code tattooed to his chest, becoming the first ever animated tattoo.

July’s Key Campaigns:

-          Frito Lay – Our Promise campaign

-          HP – Packaging promotion

-          SeaWorld – App Download promotion

-          Sharpie – Start Something Now campaign

-          Crystal Light – Flavor Over Fizz campaign

Due to the enormous growth of mobile barcode technology, thousands of marketers are turning to QR codes to engage with their audience. While great news, we’ve found that many codes are providing a poor user experience simply because the codes were published incorrectly. Some codes are not scanning at all, making them useless and discouraging to potential customers. 

As a perfect example of “when QR codes go wrong”, we were sent a recent issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Inside just one section alone, we spotted three different cases where each of the marketers published a QR code that didn’t even work!

To help you avoid this issue, let’s take a quick look at what these particular codes did wrong;

- Lack of Quiet Space: Every QR Code should be surrounded by at least 2 module sizes of ”quiet” or “white” space (modules are the tiny black squares within the code).  The code below lacked this requirement, and was unable to scan as a result.  

- Too Much Density: It’s critical to ensure that your code isn’t too dense. Density becomes a concern when your code includes lots of data and is shrunk down to a smaller size. The code gets too cluttered in a small amount of space, which makes it more difficult or in this case, impossible to read.   

- Poor Dimensions: A QR code has to be square. It cannot be circular, triangular, or anything in between. Square or bust, period.

All of these issues are common risks when using free generators because you lack consistency and quality control over your codes.

Just remember, whatever code generator you choose, please, please (please) test it first across several apps and devices. Merely one bad user experience can turn a customer off QR codes forever!

So consider these tips as step 1-A of “QR Codes 101”, as the single most important thing to remember is “does the code work?”