October 26, 2010
(Albany, NY) - Commuters in Albany, NY, are currently part of a grand experiment, thanks to Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq: LAMR) and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA). For the next month, people in CDTA stations and riding CDTA buses will do a double take at what first may appear to be high-tech hieroglyphics. The symbols are Quick Response bar codes placed by Lamar Advertising as part of a study into the effectiveness of this cutting edge advertising technique.
“We were approached by several national clients who were interested in utilizing QR code technology in outdoor advertising,” said Lamar Transit Advertising Vice President and General Manager Clifford Wohl. “We know the potential there is huge, but rather than speculate on potential success, we decided to conduct the QR code field test on Lamar’s displays.”
Lamar Advertising’s media space throughout the Albany, NY, market is being used to conduct the field test. Graphics displaying the QR bar code dominate the walls, floors, kiosks and additional areas in Rensselaer Rail Station, and can also be found in bus shelters and on the ceilings of over 50 Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) buses circling the Albany area. The campaign runs through November 13, 2010.
“We continue to explore new technology and methods to improve our service, and attract more customers and business partners,” said CDTA Chief Executive Officer Carm Basile. “Bringing the QR code technology to our transit advertising program opens the door to more clients who cater to a tech savvy market and offers a fresh way to deliver their marketing message immediately. This type of technology may also have the potential to be used to improve our communications and service.”
A QR (“Quick Response”) code is a two-dimensional bar code that is decoded by a smart phone with a camera in order to redirect users to online content. In this case, when a person scans the QR code in the station or on the bus, the user is immediately redirected to the Lamar QRious Albany website www.QRiousAlbany.com, where they can learn more about QR codes and register to win prizes. CDTA partnered with Lamar so it could learn more about its riders and find out more about the innovative technology available for its stations.
On November 13, 2010, Lamar will randomly draw the winners of the QRious contest. The first place winner will receive an iPad (courtesy of Lamar Advertising) and twelve other winners will receive a CDTA 31-day Rolling Swiper card valued at $65 each (courtesy of the CDTA).
