Bar Codes Add Detail On Items In TV Ads

By: Elizabeth Olson

The New York Times, Monday September 27, 2010

Today bar codes are becoming a very popular way to obtain information about certain companies who use this new technology. The “online fashion retailer Bluefly” has started to put bar codes on their television commercials. When the customer scans the bar code with his or her phone, they are taken to another commercial that is significantly longer than the commercial on tv. This commercial gives the customer more information about the company. In addition to more information, the company will give the customers who scan the bar code a coupon to use on their next purchase on Bluefly.com.

This idea is very interesting. I think people enjoy new technologies and they want to try new things. For example, the iPhone was a new idea with new technology and sold a significant number when it was introduced and with every new model that comes out the sales grow more and more. The bar code is something that has not been seen on commercials, which will cause people to be interested in it, and they will try it out. The commercials run on the television network, Bravo. This network has an audience that is “very engaged in fashion and pop culture” as Bradford Matson says, who is Bluefly’s chief marketing officer. I think Bravo is an excellent place to have these commercials with this new technology because the people who watch this network are interesting in fashion and new and improved technologies. This audience will also be interested in the special offer that the company will give them if they scan the barcode with their phones. Also I think that the people who watch these shows will be willing to try to scan the barcode and see the addition information about a company who sells fashion items.

Recently I have seen barcodes being used in magazines also. It looks very interesting however to scan the barcode you have to have a phone that is capable of doing this. This means that the company is only marketing to a select group of people and they are not including the people who do not have these phones. However the number of people who do have smartphones is significantly large which will benefit the company. Technology supplies information to people and the use of these barcodes does just that.