QR Code or Microsoft Tag…Wine Estates take to Mobile Devices for Social Media but what Technology should they use?

(This editorial is the executive summary of an exclusive VitaBella report)(More wine news on www.vitabella.fr) QR Code, a strange name for wine promotion...You may already have seen these 2D bar codes, a black-and-white industrial look of a standard bar code. They can be found on shelf-takers, bottle-neckers or wine list stickers and consumers with smartphones can quickly and easily scan a bottle of wine that catches their eye to get more information about the wine, the winery, recommended food pairings and much more. In fact, it is a very good idea to promote a winery and its wines with this new technology and there will certainly be competitive initiatives in the future.

PSFK, a marketing trend service, has recently released a report on “The Future of Mobile Tagging.” They analyzed the future use of technologies that include QR codes, barcodes and Microsoft Tags in branding activity and communication campaigns. They mentionned mobile tags offer a unique opportunity for brands to interact with potential and existing customers. "The two dimensional barcodes can be applied to almost any surface and the information contained within them can be leveraged to create incentives and drivers that lead consumers along the purchase path. By bridging the online-offline divide with a click of a mobile phone button, mobile tags can drive a brand or product’s awareness."

And Microsoft is getting into this market with a powerful new offer, Microsoft Tag. Microsoft Tag is a dynamic and no-cost solution to enhance marketing campaigns. Wineries can create a unique personality and customize interactive experiences with customers. Wineries can also create standard or custom Tags for brochures, ads, catalogs, in-store displays, posters, business cards, or just whenever they want a unique design. With Microsoft Custom Tags, the code can be integrated into the look and form of the messaging itself.

In fact, Microsoft is pitting its Microsoft Tag technology against the QR Code, which is an open industry standard, originally created in Japan. USA Today is using this technology and readers can scan a tag to be directed to online videos, photo galleries or updated financial and sports news. Universal Pictures also adopted the Microsoft's version of the QR code, the "3D barcode" for the launch of a new film. Smartphone users can interact with full-page ads in magazines and have access to a large content.

A number of publishers have been looking at the use of these kinds of tags for some time. Mostly, mobile barcodes have been pretty successful in Japan, but have been slow to catch on in the rest of the world. But as smartphone (Apple’s iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices) penetration increases, the use of tags will certainly become more prominent. Wineries should leverage on this new technology ang get a modern approach in their marketing strategy. But before choosing between QR Codes or Microsoft Tags, they must get prepared to invest some time and money before getting any return on this new technology...(More wine news on www.vitabella.fr)