You have probably seen them around – little barcodes popping up in surprising places, at your local coffee shop, in magazines, on flyers and coupons, even on badges and articles of clothing. For those with smart phones (an ever growing population of more than 80 million as of July 2011) these codes contain information, offers, and freebies that can be accessed on the go and sometimes exclusively. These QR codes, or quick response codes, are the next level of marketing and can be used to offer almost anything by any business interested in tapping into the mobile market.

Event hosts now have the opportunity to apply QR code technology to their custom wristbands. QR code wristbands (www.wristbands.com/qr-code-wristbands.html) allow campgrounds, churches, bars, nightclubs, and other organizations to supply highly targeted information to all attendees of a particular event, saving on paper and other promotional costs. While the cost-savings from digitization are valuable (and in fact, you can create your QR code for free on a number of websites!), there are many other perks to incorporating QR codes into your business and/or marketing strategy. QR codes vary in size but can transmit just as much information regardless of whether they are on a large poster or on a small wristband. They are almost limitlessly customizable, with the ability to direct someone’s phone to a YouTube video, company site, a Facebook page, Twitter feed, or a partner offer.

The possibilities of QR codes are only beginning to be explored, but many businesses and organizations have taken big steps forward and reaped the rewards in customer engagement, sales, and social promotion. South by Southwest, for example, supplied a QR code on every badge they issued for their 2010 event. The Home Shopping Network uses QR codes on-air. Starbucks uses these mobile codes, but so do libraries, city governments, and museums. There is no shortage of interesting ideas on how to use QR codes, plus as mentioned above the tools you need to design a code are free and easy to use.

There are a number of ways to promote with the codes, some common, some quirky. A custom code on a wristband could provide a free drink at your venue bar or a discount on a ticket to a future event. A wristband with a QR code at a DJ night could send you to a page where playlists are constantly updated, so you don’t forget the name of the song you liked so much. Trade organizations can put together scavenger hunts using QR codes for their conventions, incentivizing people to check out all booths or events. For an all-day conference, use QR codes on your custom wristbands (www.wristbands.com/custom-wristbands.html) to link to a schedule or provide updates on the day’s seminars and panels.

QR code technology allows you to get creative and engage with your audience in easy and exciting new ways. Plus, the technology is intriguing but not overly intrusive, and generates highly qualified leads or participants as the scanning is customer initiated. On top of all that, jumping onto the QR train now makes you a fairly early adopter of the technology, and the buzz from your organization’s use of QR codes can be leveraged to promote your business generally. Innovate with your use of QR codes and get people talking!

More and more businesses and events are using QR code technology to promote their business and expand the experience for their customers. Locking in your audience and promoting brand loyalty has never been easier. Use QR codes on your custom wristbands, badges, and other event related merchandise and take your marketing to the next level!