Companies Transition To 2D Barcodes

By the end of this year, consumers may notice a new type of barcode printed on popular product packaging. In addition to the traditional one-dimensional UPC codes found on everything, two-dimensional Data Matrix codes are now beginning to emerge.

Colgate Palmolive, an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, and Unilever, a multinational corporation owning many of the world's leading consumer product brands, are two such companies that are making the transition to two-dimensional Data Matrix codes.

Speed Stick and Soft Soap are two brands owned by Colgate Palmolive that have begun printing Data Matrix codes on their product packaging.

As seen in the picture to the left, the barcode contains a unique identifier, 9838450, which is used for tracking the product, collecting data, improving production capabilities and anti-counterfeiting measures.

The second picture displays the bottle of Soft Soap with a two-dimensional Data Matrix code printed on the back. It also contains a unique identifier, 9841645, which is used for product tracking and informational purposes.

In addition to product tracking, data collection, production improvements and anti-counterfeiting measures, Data Matrix codes can open up an entirely new revenue stream for brands and advertisers by utilizing the two-dimensional barcode and the ever popular mobile channel.

One such company, NeoMedia Technologies, has a patented technology that enables print and static media to become interactive with target audiences using two-dimensional barcodes and mobile networks by delivering real-time content that can be carried away with the consumer on their mobile device.

In order to link two-dimensional Data Matrix codes to the mobile Web, Colgate Palmolive and Unilever can deploy NeoMedia's NeoSphere Code Management Platform. This suite of tools has been designed to easily develop, launch and manage mobile marketing campaigns based upon two-dimensional barcodes and camera phones. NeoSphere provides a simple way to interact with consumers and offers an enriched mobile experience for brands. Moreover, it allows advertisers, marketing agencies and publishers to better monetize their traditional ad placements, and boost their marketing return-on-investment by providing detailed response metrics for traditional media as well as rich reporting and analytical information.

The barcode's unique identifier, can now be linked to a mobile website using the NeoSphere Code Management Platform.

Consumers can then use their mobile phones to scan printed Data Matrix codes to access specialized mobile content and rich multimedia, such as product information, special offers, coupons, ring tones, and videos. In order to scan Data matrix codes, consumers can download the NeoReader, which is a free mobile code reading application developed by NeoMedia Technologies and Gavitec AG - mobile digit.