Technology Beyond the Mind - Essay Example

One of the latest technological applications that revolutionize consumer shopping, from a host of other applications, is through quick response (QR) code. The Tesco QR Code Subway Store, for instance, applied this technology by creating virtual stores that presented images of grocery items in places frequently visited by consumers, like subway areas and where customers shop using their smartphones to shop (YouTube 2011). Its origin was traced 18 years ago from a Japanese company, Denso Wave, as a means of “tracking parts by vehicle manufacturers” (Mobile-Barcodes: Overview, n.d., par. 1). With the proliferation of smartphones, code applications were seen to be applicable in other service areas including business cards, billboards, direct mail, repair orders, and even in bus stop stations where convenience stores, manufacturers, and service organizations could post virtual shops and encourage shoppers to select their grocery items, products, and services, to be delivered and consumed in comforts of their homes (Think Tank Tuesday 2011). What could be the next faster and extensively applicable paced codes than QR? Consumers just have to wait and see. 

How Can Smartphone Apps Help Marketing?

Smartphones are the latest global technological craze where applications continue to evolve. Not only do smartphones serve the distinct and varied personal needs of discerning consumers; but more so, smartphones have capabilities that help organizations in their marketing strategies. As people become immersed with the coming holiday season, for instance, smart smartphones be the lifesaver. In convenience stores and shopping centers which could just be a conundrum of chaotic proportions, locating for much sought of products amidst voluminous array of inventories could be addressed with radio frequency identification (RFID). This technological application, defined as “any method of identifying unique items using radio waves” (RFID Journal, 2012, p. 3) was reportedly applied by large convenience stores and shopping centers such as Wal-Mart, Macy’s, among others. As emphasized, “consisting of three parts, a chip, a reader, and a database, RFID can automatically identify people and objects by a 100-digit tag and track them through the supply chain. As they move through the process, RFID readers collect information on the products and match their tag numbers to a central database, which provides access to all information regarding the product” (The Pennsylvania State University, 2012, par. 2).

From the statistics provided by the Plunkett Research, Ltd. (2012), the world-wide figures revealed the increasing trend in both smart phone sales and the global RFID market for the years 2011 and 2012. These indicate an optimistic growth pattern as applications significantly assist marketing efforts of global organizations for the coming years ahead.

Wireless, Wi-Fi, RFID & Cellular Industry Overview: World-Wide

    Worldwide Smart Phone Sales, 2011

472.0

Mil. Units

2011

Gartner

Worldwide Smart Phone Sales, 2012

630.0

Mil. Units

2012

Gartner

Global RFID Market, 2011

6.0

Bil. US$

2011

ABI Research

Global RFID Market, 2012

7.2

Bil. US$

2012

ABI Research

Source: Plunkett Research, Ltd., 2012