Bluetooth vs. QR Codes

A Reuters article on mobile marketing highlights some of the strengths and weaknesses of Bluetooth and QR Code marketing for mobile devices. Overall the carries don't like Bluetooth solutions because they don't require a data plan.

The carriers favor another method called QR Codes or Code 2D: "These bar codes, already used in Japan, are read by camera phones and send the user directly to a Web page. Accessing a Web site requires a subscription to a wireless Internet connection for which users usually have to pay."

Either method still has work to do to. "It (mobile marketing) has the potential to become a significant player in the marketing world as TV advertisers struggle to get people's eyeballs," says Jon Hudson, senior vice President of PC, automotive and consumer business units at CSR, "But it has to be more than 'your next McDonalds is 200 meters on the left'."