By now you have probably heard something about QR Codes and if you’re still confused or in the dark about what QR Codes are then look not further. We’ve put together a “QR Code for Dummies” presentation that you’ll enjoy and can benefit your business in today’s tech and social world.
@world, hello, please meet @Bannersonaroll
With 24 years in the promotional print and advertising business, Banners on a Roll® is going and growing with social media.
When we started Banners on a Roll, we made a commitment to create a people-centric company that understands the value of promotional products and how they make your brand, your event, your marketing efforts come to life. We created a brand and buying experience to understand our clients’ needs and reflect our belief that people matter most. To us that means that our top priorities are to serve our customers, care for our employees and educate our customers to become savvy consumers.
In my previous life, I was a non-profit fundraiser, who was in charge of community events. The only banner signage available then was conventional, vinyl banners, which, as you know, are quite costly. At each event I was the “banner guard.” Not only did I ensure that the event ran smoothly, but also I made sure that the banners were not stolen. Ugh! What an awful job! I constantly had to keep my eyes on the signage. Then after the event it was my job to roll up the banners carefully so that I could reuse them at other events. I wish that I had had Banners on a Roll! It would have been so easy to unroll a line of repeating imprints, put them up, and leave them for fans and participants to take home as souvenirs. I also would have had ready-made table skirting for registration tables and banquets.
Envision this. You are at a social gathering. People are mingling, chatting, and exchanging cordial pleasantries. Suddenly you overhear two people talking. One says to the other:
“Hello, nice to meet you. Please scan my QR Code.”
What?! Scan my QR Code? Really?
Yes, really. What you overheard could in fact happen. QR Codes are no longer a “what’s next” innovation from Popular Science. QR Codes are reality. As we discussed in one of our earlier blog posts, “Twitter, RSS Feeds, Facebook, oh my! Is Printing Getting Run Off The Press?” the offline world continues to seek stronger communion with the online world. QR Codes are a manifestation of this communion. The surge of online innovation has spurred a resurgence of offline innovation. And this is only the beginning.
Take Facebook for example … recently TechCrunch reported early rumors that this behemoth of a social network was experimenting with the integration of personalized QR Codes with online profiles. Print the code on practically anything and all your friends will be able to take a picture of it and instantly view your Facebook profile in all its glory.
Every year more and more new technology emerges and those who live and breathe the printing world are faced with the question “Is print going to be replaced by a new technology?” Will the digital products of Amazon, Apple, Google and others replace the printed word? Everyone knows this is a controversial topic. Clay Shirky, in fact, wrote a provocative piece on this topic last year and his post spurred 1,200+ comments. And so it goes ….
We would be myopic if we were to ignorantly gloss over the forces of the digital age and their implications on the way we do business and the new types of business models that are emerging. There is no doubt that there is a macroeconomic and technological big shift, but in our microcosm of printing promotional materials, we feel the printed word is here to stay.
Advertising and business will forever be interconnected and the modes of advertising are changing, however the Internet is not the panacea. Not everyone is as Internet savvy as the 18 year old college student who spends an hour a day on Facebook. Yes, it’s safe to say that the older generations are gaining significant traction when it comes to the web and social media and those 18 year olds will one day rule the world, but the key to this entire puzzle is figuring out how digital and print compliment each other not how one can destroy the other.
At Banners on a Roll® we love clever promotion and advertising and after scouring the Internet, and compiling what we like, we wanted to share with you some of our most favorite advertisements we have ever seen. These are just fun to look at. Take a gander and let your creative juices flow ….
Don’t drink and drive
The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada are in full swing. The worlds-best athletes have been training for years just for this moment. While it is the biggest stage for sports stars across the globe, it is also the biggest stage for marketing signage and promotional products. On every athlete, behind every news conference, around every competition, are print products. Marketing teams from around the world are blanketing the city of Vancouver with print. Take a look at these photos to really get an idea of how much printing is actually used at the Olympic Games. There truly is no bigger stage.
When seen in real life, Banners on a Roll® truly make your brand pop and grab the attention of others. Watch this video to see our clients in action.
Need a break from text? Watch our blog in video form to see the 29 Creative Ways to Use Banners on a Roll®.
Even though the economy is improving slowly, consumer spending is down and many companies are still struggling to deliver the profits that they achieved in the past few years. As a marketing/promotion person, where does that leave you? Your boss expects your company’s visibility in the community to increase in order to prevent declining profits, while at the same time your budget is slashed.
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