emailrocks

Google Goggles vs QR codes

So the latest issue of @FastCompany arrives and I notice a Buick ad that invites me to “unlock this ad’s interactive features” by using Google Goggles for Android or iPhone.

OK - kind of clever.

While this probably worked well for Droid devices (someone please try and tell), Google doesn’t have an app in the App store called “google goggles.” it’s a feature built into the Google Search app.

So I get the app and then instead of scanning a discreet, easy-to-aim-at code, the next instructions say to “photograph this ENTIRE ad” - for reals? Oh wait - this is in a magazine - and it’s a 2-page spread.

Seriously? Where the @)&$?! is my QR code?

Granted, the use of Google Goggles in a print ad is fairly new and maybe the app is a mite buggy because the result was a blank, actionless page.

If I were to guess, this is a brand manager winning over the technology person who opened their big mouth about how cool Google Goggles is. This was a usability joke.

The destination was a mobile-optimized landing page with links to 3 video clips. However I spent more time interacting with my phone than with the ad.

The imaginary battle between brand and technology is not-so-fictional when it comes to email, either. There’s a happy balance somewhere out there between how emails look and how they work. But striking that balance doesn’t come without some honest prioritization and a little mutual trust that there’s enough branding and enough technology to get the desired action.

In this case, Buick, I’d have gladly interacted with your ad through a simple QR code.

QR code: 1; Google Goggles: 0