This is a continuation of our 5 day Gold Nugget Series on QR Codes. Normally we publish our Nuggets publicly right here, but the content in this one is for your Gold Subscribers only. We have to apologize again for how long this is, but it's worth it.
Today we have for you an advertising methodology and 2 effective ways to use QR Codes if you are located in a touristy area. These techniques were learned first hand while researching mobile advertising in Europe in July 2010.
The methodology is simple: Make sure you are showcasing regionally specific jewelry in your store. Do you have jewelry representing the area? Examples that come to mind would be Statue of Liberty jewelry in New Jersey and New York City, or manatee jewelry from Florida, or jewelry shaped like Lake Tahoe for those towns in Nevada and California. Simply think about what jewelry could be unique to your area that has tourist appeal.
Even if you don't have tourist attractions in area, you could still capitalize on the ideas below by showcasing jewelry from local designers that either can't be found anywhere else, or that would be more expensive somewhere else (think middle man and shipping markup costs).
Of course this is a specific targeted audience, but a happy customer will remember you next time they are in town, and better yet, with the internet they can continue to purchase from you all year long.
The tourist will not be at a computer unless in their hotel room, and then they will only be for checking email and in with work. Your marketing strategy needs to be where they are: mobile, with mobile interactive marketing and mobile websites.
These are the top 2 ideas we experienced while searching for successful mobile marketing ideas.
1. Every tourist town has free maps available from car rental places and hotels. We're talking about the town maps that have ads around the edges. The ad you purchase on this should mention your regionally specific jewelry along with the QR Code to the mobile website that expands on the specifics of your unique regional jewelry selection. Request ad positioning wherever the map will not be folded, so get a map for yourself, fold it up how you would naturally use it, then request your ad away from any fold. Explain to the ad company that your ad has a barcode that needs to be scanned and that your ad is worthless if folded. Depending on the quality of the QR Code Reader this might not be true, but it will take them at least a year to realize it.
2. Local or regional tour guide books. Every touristy area will have a variety of guides. You will have to test and see what king of response you get from these guides. Your local Office of Tourism might give out a quarterly guidebook, but in all honestly a tourist is not going to take the time a read through it until they get back home, so that's a waste.
From what we've observed (in NYC, Atlanta, Orlando, San Francisco, Hawaii and many locations in Europe) the best way to get to the tourist audience is through the small magazines freely available on the street corner and local souvenir shops. These are the magazines tourists look through for things to do, places to visit and special offers. They look through them while walking, standing at a street corner and eating lunch, and then they are quickly discarded by dinner time. But your ad with a QR Code and associated mobile website will remain with them throughout their trip.
Another tip: Since you are targeting tourist your ad either works or doesn't. Don't target any long term branding value from local residence. Keep changing your ad weekly until you get the customers.
In conclusion, there are probably several options for maps and tour guides in your area. Contact your local Office of Tourism for full details and advertising options. If they don't know directly, they will at least put you in touch with the people who produce maps and tour guides.
