Using QR Codes on Book Covers and Dustjackets
Last July, I had asked a question on several LinkedIn groups I belong to in relation to the use of QR Codes. I did not get any wide spread response or answers at the time. Since then of course, you have all probably heard about, read about or used QR Codes, If you are a print producer of marketing materials you have more than likely used QR Codes in multi-channel campaigns as I have in my private life where I create multi-channel fund raising and awareness campaigns for a few non profit, charitable organizations.
Shortly after my question went out, I read John Foley Jr’s Business Transformation, A New Path To Profit for the Printing Industry, which had just come out in June 2011. Foley’s book has QR Codes laced throughout the book, making it an interactive and useful book which I refer to weekly. I highly recommend John’s book.
What I had yet to see was the use of QR CODES being cleverly used on the outsides of books, which I had envisioned, will be an excellent way for books to be evaluated at the point of purchase. That is until today, as I was helping place jackets on a short run hardcover edition of books for Golden Belt Printing, Inc. and their hard cover Collector’s Edition of QR Code on dust jacket of Collector's Edition
Obviously this book may not be the first one to use this technique on a book cover or dust jacket, but I do congratulate Mike Niles of Golden Belt Printing, Inc. for the expertise in guiding his client to this solution. In fact when I called Mike to ask him about it, he explained that we would be shipping books to the authors so they could autograph these special editions, then the books would be shrinkwrapped to go into bookstores. The QR Code would be used at the point of sale, so they could obtain more information before spending money on the book. Great idea!
