AGIS | Web Development & Marketing Blog

You might have seen these black and white squares popping up on many printed pieces. They are used on product packaging, magazine articles, advertisements, posters, brochures, etc. What are they? QR codes are a two-dimensional barcode that can hold large amounts of data such as a URL (web address), text, or other information. It can be read by a QR code reader.

How can I obtain a QR code reader?

Sounds expensive, doesn’t it? Well it is free! If you have a smartphone, go to the app store and search for a QR code reader. Download the free app onto your smartphone. Run the app and then hold your phone’s camera over a QR code to read it. Most likely the QR code will redirect you to a web page with additional information.

Why do I need additional information?

Knowledge is key! If you scan a QR code you could possibly receive promotions, surveys, special offers and subscriptions with just the click of a button. For example, if you scan a QR code on a package of graham crackers you might get a coupon, a reciepe, nutritional facts…the possibilities are endless. 

QR codes are great marketing tools to share information about your company’s products or services to the public. Nowadays, people do not leave their homes without their smartphone so their handy QR code reader will always be close by. Call AGIS to see how we can help you reach your target audience through a QR code.

Is it Worth it?

That is a question you may ask yourself everyday, perhaps even multiple times a day.

…is it worth doing this load of laundry now, knowing the kids’ practice clothes will be in the clothes hamper in four hours?

 …is it worth washing the car even though there is rain in the forecast tomorrow?

 …is it worth going to the gym this morning when the entire house needs cleaned and exercise will be obtained via vacuuming and scrubbing floors?

 Okay, maybe these are just the neurotic questions I tend to ask myself as I’m always looking for ways to be more efficient in time management, but you get the point! Does point 1 outweigh point 2? Does it make sense to do A, when you know what lies ahead with B?

In any business, one needs to ask questions and assess information to make good, solid decisions, especially in these volatile economic times. Most decisions directly affect bottom line, and that is where the question of “is it worth it” comes into play. Maybe the questions above aren’t the best to illustrate an “is it worth it” question from a financial standpoint (although with gas so high, daily exercise through cleaning house or jogging the neighborhood may outweigh driving 14 miles roundtrip to the gym and back). Every dollar matters today, and every decision made in business should be viewed from a financial standpoint.

 Take the situation of one of our clients. In the manufacturing sector, they and their peers, including other manufacturers, vendors, OEM’s, etc. participate in several trade shows per year. Trade shows are the perfect venue to display new goods/services, meet and greet customers, clients and prospective customers and clients, hold strategic planning meetings with vendors and distributors and generally speaking, “be seen”!

 But at what “cost” is it worth it to be seen these days?

 I’ve approximated the amounts below for a client’s participation in a recent trade show:

•  Booth space at expo hall: $33,000
• Exhibit company – prep, shipping, set-up/dismantle: $15,000
• Hotel for eight employees (3 nights/each): $5,400
• R/T airfare for eight: $6,000
• Meals, cab/bus fair, other incidentals: $5,000
• Meetings/meals for customers: $8,600
• New shirts for staff: $1,700
• Marketing firm work (i.e. advertising/press; coordination of all hotel, meetings, space, exhibit; correspondence with all staff, sales representatives, hotel staff, banquet managers, etc.): $8,000
• Other miscellaneous (i.e. shipping charges, special signage/printing, etc.): $3,000

 Total: $85,700

 Wow – a lot of ca-ching for three days of exposure! Think about the kinds of things a business could do to gain similar exposure with almost $90,000? That kind of money buys a lot of print advertising in trade journals and magazines. It would also buy a company a lot of air time on regional radio stations. A new website with all the bells and whistles, plus a mobile website for smartphone using customers? There is a good chance $90,000 would cover it! How about engaging the company in a new internet marketing plan, including SEO, PPC and a social media plan to go with? With $90,000 they’d be off to a great start!

 Now this article isn’t to knock trade shows as there is a lot of marketing benefit from gathering with peers, competitors and customers who are all like-minded in their business goals and who can share ideas, thoughts and product innovations. Instead, the point of this blog is to pose the question as you ponder business decisions for 2012…

 Is it Worth It?!

Call the internet marketing experts at AGIS for information and a quote (and yes…we do trade shows, too!)

In any trade there are tools you need to be successful.

And then there are the absolute, must-have, “can-not-do-my-job-without it” types of tools essential for ANY kind of success. BPA Worldwide (www.bpaww.com) is a non-profit media-auditing organization based in Shelton, CT and is the latter of the two tools for the media buying trade.

To say BPA Worldwide is a wealth of knowledge is a pure understatement. They provide media audits for over 1,500 B-to-B publications, 350 consumer magazines, 150 newspapers, 450+ Web sites and a variety of email newsletters, databases, wireless and other advertiser-supported media. They boast the largest membership of any media auditing organization – their worldwide reach spans more than 25 countries. BPA provides credibility as an independent, self-regulating organization governed by a Board of Directors that is comprised of 17 advertiser and advertising agency representatives and 15 publication representatives.

But what is a BPA audit exactly?

Say you are trying to choose between four industry trade publications for which to place your company’s (or your client’s) advertising. Sure, each one of these publications will have a media kit filled with information for you to digest. But where do you find comprehensive, targeted demographic information that is unbiased and precise, measured and presented in an easy-to-understand format with plenty of quantitative information to compare one magazine to the next? A BPA audit, of course!

No, I don’t work for BPA! I work for an advertising firm and I place trade magazine advertising for one of our clients in the manufacturing sector. I’ve been an avid “BPA audit” reviewer from day one. There are many publications to choose from and the decision is never easy. BPA audit allows me to see lots of useful information such as the circulation for each magazine and where the circulation is concentrated – important for my particular client who sells mainly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. The audit also shows me the breakdown of “types” of people that receive the magazines and positions they hold – i.e. presidents, executives, sales people or trades people – also important factors.

To be honest, there are magazines that I’ve bypassed, simply because they were not audited by BPA. It is definitely my “go-to tool” for media buying.

Register online for free at www.bpaww.com.