Case Study on QR Codes

Introduction of QR codes contributed significantly improvement of advertising and enhancing efficiency for an organization. The codes help an organization to offer customers a chance to obtain extra information about the product or the company itself. QR codes offer companies an excellent chance for advertising because the symbols used can be used be converted into video and thus helping to convey the message to the customer. The QR code works in such away a way that the company uses a QR code generator to design a readable and interesting message (Dacko, 2012). For the customer to see or read the message or the content of the QR code, they should have a smart phone which has QR reader application. One of the advantages of QR code over bar codes is that consumers will tend to spend more time on the company’s website which may influence their decision to buy. QR codes are capable of holding bulk information which makes it very convenient for companies using it. This report anal yzes how QR codes influences the decision making processes for individual consumers. It also analyzes the use of the codes in marketing and how efficient they are. 1. QR codes are used in several stages of consumer decision making process. The first stage in which QR codes are used by decision makers is the information searching stage. This is the stage where a customer gathers information about a particular product or line of product after identifying his/her needs. Searching of information helps the consumer to make informed purchase decisions. Since QR code offers quick access to a company’s information, the consumer can therefore obtain useful information from the website (Bryson & Daniels, 2015). The website may contain information on product offered, description, prices, after sale services offered and other useful information on the product that the consumer wants to buy. Therefore, by using QR codes, a company such as Gellerie can provide information on a product to the consumers easily. QR codes are also useful in evaluation of alternatives by the consumer. The consumer can scan the QR code and get access to the different types of products offered by a particular company. For example a McDonald’s customer can identify th e available flavors and varieties of Pizza by using QR codes (Haase, 2011). A customer can also compare different companies by accessing their QR codes. QR is also important in the post purchase evaluation. Consumers can compare what they bought with what was promised in the QR code. Consumers also obtain usage prescriptions and manual for machines and equipment to guide them in using the product. 2. There is huge marketing opportunity in the service sector. This is because, QR codes helps in making provision of services more efficient. This is therefore very important since the aim of every service provider is to offer efficient and reliable services to its customers. QR codes can be used in the retail business to check information on a product. An example is when a consumer wants to buy a product in a supermarket; he/she can scan the QR code to obtain information on the manufacturer of the product. A QR code can also be used in the financial services industry. Banks can place QR codes in their products such as cheques which customers can scan to get information on the state of their account and market the institution to its customers. The banks can include information on products offered and interest rates. QR codes can also be used in the health services sector. An example is an hospital issuing its patients QR codes to identify the period of time it will take them to be s erved and their number in the queue (Kotler, Armstrong, & Harris, 2017).This will help to eliminate physical queuing by patients. In the transport industry, QR codes can be used in place of paper tickets. Customers can book to travel online and then obtain a unique QR code which contains their identification details and all other relevant information. 3. The fact that use of QR codes help in bypassing multiple layers of distribution and support marketing. This not only applies in the goods market as well as in the service market. The advantages of bypassing multiple layers of distribution in the service sector include; Increasing efficiency in an organization by reducing the time taken to serve each customer. This happens by reducing the procedures that a customer should go through before getting the service they require. The use of QR codes are important in reducing layers of distribution by making it possible for customers to obtain some services online instead of physically. QR codes helps an organization to market the services it offers by giving customers QR through which they can access extra information about the company (Russell, 2010). By reducing support services, the organization will be able to reduce costs that it would have otherwise incurred and therefore its important in reducing costs which in turn increase profit margins. The level of customer satisfaction is   also increased when layers of distribution reduce. This is very important in maintaining existing customers by an organization. 4. QR codes affect perceived risks of a product through various ways. One of the ways in which the use of QR codes has affected the perceived risk in the service industry is that it has reduced the risk of delay in getting services. Time Is a very important factor especially in the service industry and therefore, there is always a risk not getting the services a consumer needed on time. Since use of QR codes helps in reducing distribution layers and reducing the time taken to serve each customer, the use of QR codes will reduce the perceived risk of delay in service delivery. QR codes also reduce the perceived risk of getting poor services from an organization (Woodall, 2007). By using the QR codes, customers are assured of good services from the service provider since the QR code offers important information on the services offered and the organization itself. The use of QR codes helps to reduce the perceived risk of loss of confidentiality. Since most consumers of services are ver y concerned about confidentiality, the use of QR code will help reduce the risk of unauthorized persons gaining access to their private information. 5. Use of QR codes has been very fundamental in improving service support and customer satisfaction both in the service industry and the product market. There are other forms of interactive content that can be developed to improve service delivery. One of this content is the development of a self service application that can be used by customers to obtain services online. This will help the customers to get the service they require very quickly and conveniently without having to visit the facility physically. Development of a machine that can be used to make deposits in the bank like an ATM is used for withdrawing would be important in improving services and customer satisfaction in the financial services industry. This will help in eliminating long queues in the banks. QR code should be used by companies more in promoting and advertising their products and services. This will help in reducing the costs incurred by organization in advertising. Organizations should be innovative and embrace the use of interactive technology in adding value to the services offered to consumers Bryson, J. R., & Daniels, P. W. (2015). Handbook of Service Business: Management, Marketing, Innovation and Internationalisation. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Dacko, S. (2012). Time?of?day services marketing. Journal Of Services Marketing, 26(5), 375-388. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/08876041211245290 Haase, M. (2011). Service-Dominant Logic for Marketing. Marketing ZFP, 33(2), 98-110. https://dx.doi.org/10.15358/0344-1369-2011-2-98 Information Resources Management Association. (2016). Web-based services: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., & Harris, L. (2017). Principles of marketing (1st ed.). New York: Pearson. Russell, E. (2010). The fundamentals of marketing (1st ed.). Lausanne: AVA Academia. Woodall, T. (2007). New marketing, improved marketing, apocryphal marketing. European Journal Of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1284-1296. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560710821170

Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Board - Assignment Example This highlights the importance of several types of task analysis such as procedural analysis and concept analysis. Procedural analysis, as the name connotes, is a type of task analysis that focuses on procedures. It is "used to identify the sequential steps for completing a psychomotor or cognitive task (Luppicini, 78)." The nature of this method makes it appropriate in identifying the contents that causes problems, hence, the information necessary in solving them as well. For example, an analysis is broken down into several steps, the first being deconstructing a task being examined into several units. Structures are then determined using tools such as those performance-related matrices. Based on these structures, an evaluation can finally be performed. This demonstrates that, as with the traditional task analysis, procedural analysis is focused on the sequential approach in completing its analytical objectives. On the other hand, concept analysis is a type of cognitive task analysis that is used to represent the structure of an experts thinking (Jonassen, Tessmer and Hannum, 201). It sequences concept characteristics that relate to the concept or concept hierarchy (Olrich et al., p.143). These mean that this particular tool is particularly appropriate in analyzing tasks that are knowledge-based. This characteristic should differentiate it from the manner by which procedural analysis works. It operates through several approaches such as conceptual graphs or concept maps. By articulating knowledge through a systematic visual structure, relationships, issues, questions, problems, and new information, among others are revealed. For instance, a conceptual graph depicts these through nodes that include actions, events, and goals, wherein a specific set of relations exists for a specific type of node (Jonassen, Tessmer and Hannum, 201). Concept analysis can also

Introducing of the New Temporary Coke Assignment

Introducing of the New Temporary Coke - Assignment Example This paper tells that the danger of extinction of polar bears has grabbed the attention of the public worldwide and people resonate with the idea of contributing to saving the species. With its new design with the polar bear on the can the company not only tried spread awareness and raise funds WWF’s polar bear initiative but also tried to use this an emotional strategy to drive sales and increase customer involvement. By this initiative, Coca Cola tried to appeal to the hedonic needs of the consumers. The company expected the consumers to identify themselves with the cause and buy more of these cans. The consequences were not on the expected lines. Consumers confused the new white Coca Cola can with diet coke and this lead to a backlash from the consumers. Consumers were not happy with the move and even protested the change in color by calling it blasphemy. The sales of the product also declined and forced the company to bring back the red cans.   The truly great brands are those which develop a loyal customer base and are able to develop a relationship with the consumer. Consumers identify with brands and products. Loyal customers are satisfied with a brand and buy it continuously over time. Satisfying the customers and establishing a loyal customer base is at the heart of all marketing strategies. Coca Cola is one such brand whose consumers have developed a relationship with its products and it has established a loyal customer base. To consumers a red can means a Coca Cola and a silver can (not red) means a diet coke. Over the years, this has been the distinction that consumers have adopted to identify the 2 different products of the company. Consumers have mainly identified the brand with its traditional Red color. By changing the color of the can the company had completely messed with the brand. This did not go down well with many loyal consumers. Such was the brand identity of Coca Cola that the change of the color was even termed as blasphemy by some consumers. The consumer’s perception of a product depends on the sensation. The immediate response we have to basic stimuli through our sensory receptors are known as sensation. The selecting, organizing and interpreting of these sensations lead to perception about a product. The first sensation of any product that we have is through our eyes. Light and color are the most basic stimuli. By changing the color of the can Coca Cola had changed the first perception that the consumer would have about the product. As soon as a consumer saw a Coca Cola can that was not red, their immediate perception was that it is diet coke. Another factor that leads to this perception is the basic stimuli i.e. color. By changing the color to white, Coca Cola had chosen a color that was very similar to the silver color of their diet coke cans. As the new white can was very similar to the old diet coke can, the change or stimuli was not enough to make the consumers differentiate the two. The c hange or the difference between the two is â€Å"just noticeable difference† wherein it had to be â€Å"just meaningful difference†. Just noticeable difference is the minimum difference between two stimuli and just meaningful difference is the minimum difference needed to influence consumer behavior.