IN A modern twist to advertising, forward-thinking Dusit International has introduced a smart phone app that will give readers instant access to more information about the hotel offers they see in the group’s latest advertising campaign and the company’s collateral.
The application enables customers to scan quick response (QR) codes assigned to advertisements in magazines and newspapers. This will allow Dusit International to track interaction with its advertising, to determine the effectiveness of each medium.
“Today’s travellers want their information faster and are increasingly relying on mobile technologies, especially smart phones, to bring it to them” said Sam-Erik Ruttmann, Dusit International regional vice president Middle East. “Hotels cannot ignore the power of mobile technology, as people will use mobiles more and more to communicate with hotels in the area they need”.
QR codes are so called as they offer a ‘quick response’ for readers with mobile phones and membrane-enabled smart phones. All that is needed is for the user to download the QR app on the smart phone and take a scan of the QR-code. Code software decoder then transforms the data held within the QR-code to a meaningful action for the mobile phone, such as connecting to a website or bringing up an email address for immediate response.
“QR codes are becoming increasingly attractive to the hospitality industry because they function as a powerful form of information exchange. Ads are used more actively by users both online and offline, allowing us to track the interaction and effectiveness of each ad campaign,” said Ruttmann.