Rarely does anyone ever catch a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes at major corporations. Transparency, while lauded by officials, is rare in complex relationship between consumer and business. The relationship is kept alive by the products the company provides. However, much is lost in the process of manufacturing these products. Stories from their makers go untold as acclaim for a popular product is often seized by corporations rather than the ones that made it.
A new company based in Madrid, Spain, is looking to offer its customers a rare look at the creative process that is behind their new clothing line. The IOU Project, as it is called, is making use of social media and QR codes to “tell the story” of their products. Each shirt, scarf and dress produced is attributed with its own QR code.
The codes are linked to a series of pictures and profiles of those that weaved the fabric of that particular piece. Anyone that put work into that article of clothing is featured on the mobile website. Customers also have the opportunity to take pictures of themselves wearing the piece and uploading it to the site so that the makers can see their work.
This level of connectedness between manufacturer and owner is rare indeed. Enrique Posner, head of business development and chief technology officer for the company, says that “New models of business today must be – at their core – social.”
