Pride starts speaking in QR codes

EXETER, Pa. - Pride Mobility Products added some high-tech muscle to its marketing department recently when it began imbedding quick-response (QR) codes into some of its ads.

QR codes originated in Japan years ago, and their black-and-white patterns work much like bar codes. When a person uses a Smartphone or mobile phone equipped with a camera to scan a QR code, it registers the text, a URL or some other data.

When a provider scans a QR code on a Pride ad, for example, a URL takes them to YouTube for a product demonstration.

"In our case, we decided to reinforce the print message with a short YouTube promotional video," said Dick McLane, general manager of product marketing. "There is no cost to put it on YouTube. The big thing about these codes is having the content."

At the moment, Pride appears to be the only HME manufacturer using QR codes. In addition to its own marketing, Pride will help providers use the codes, McLane said.

Providers can put the codes on their products or include them in direct mail pieces or, like Pride, embed them in an advertisement. The coded information could include the URL for the company's website, a television ad, a coupon or even a short satisfaction survey, McLane said.

"If someone asks, 'Where did you get that Pride scooter?' They scan the code and are at your Web site," he said. "In our industry, looking for ways to stretch marketing dollars is critical, and we are here to assist (providers) in applying this technology in the most cost effective way."

When it comes to using QR codes, the sky's the limit, McLane said.

"The one thing we find with this technology is that the more we discuss it, the more applications we discover," he said.