QR codes in Wales make mobile marketing history

QR Codes

QR Codes

The Welsh city of Monmouth is the first city in the world to use barcodes to become a Wikipedia town.

The town of Monmouth in Wales is already known for its rich history, dating back to 1067, but now it is using some of the latest technology, in the form of QR codes, to become the first Wikipedia town anywhere on the globe.

Residents and tourists now have access to stickers and ceramic plaques that can be scanned with smartphones.

When the barcodes are scanned, they redirect the mobile device user to a Wikipedia page that will provide that individual with far more information and statistics about the site or the town than could be displayed on a typical sign.

Moreover, the content is displayed in the phone’s language, so that it caters specifically to the user.

This way, if a visitor from France scans the QR codes, the language selection from his or her smartphone will automatically direct the user to the French version of the Wikipedia article. The same goes for a full range of other languages.

The two dimensional barcodes are being posted in locations all over the town, including near rivers, on buildings, on landmarks, and within museums. There are even shopkeepers who are participating in this style of mobile marketing by posting stickers that will give the history of their store or profession, as well as the items that they sell, when it is scanned by a smartphone.

According to the project leader for the Monmouth QR codes, John Cummings, “It is an interesting experiment in how comprehensive an area can be covered by Wikipedia.”

The director of a charity supporting the mission of the Wikipedia encyclopedic website, Wikimedia UK, Roger Bamkin, stated that it took approximately half a year to bring the project together. The Monmouthshire County Council and Wikimedia had already agreed to split the project’s cost in half, but the council paid notably more in the end as it decided to add an additional free Wi-Fi access throughout the town. According to Bamkin’s estimates, the contribution of Wikimedia for the QR codes was approximately $40,000.

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