No sooner had we vintners mastered blogging and tweeting then the next digital communication channel is upon us. In this case it is QR codes, those square barcodes that when photographed by smart phones and computer tablets direct us to more web-based information.
The QR code in itself is just an updated barcode, but it represents the relentless march of mobile marketing as the QR code is designed to provide instant information to people with smart phones or tablets.
For vintners, QR codes are not just going to be confined to more information about a wine (the current thinking is about sticking a QR code on a bottle) but also about newsletter sign-ups, loyalty-card schemes and issuing of tickets to attend events.
That last point about ticketing is very important, not only will people scan a QR code to receive information but a purchased ticket to an event such as a wine tasting could be a QR code downloaded to a smart phone, displayed on the screen of the phone and scanned by a device at the entry to the event.
It is a brave new marketing world out there and one that is very digital.