Barcodes for a Better Reading Experience

While most are hoping the iPad is the next big thing in publishing, 2D-barcode technology is bringing clients back to Bonnier's action-sports titles. WakeBoarding was the first to debut 2D-barcode technology on its April cover that just hit newsstands, and immediately some advertisers reversed course and made a buy, all due to the 2D experience. Bonnier's TransWorld SURF and Sport Diver also have pushed the barcode technology.

This cutting-edge technology works to amplify the printed page and provide deeper reader engagement in a way that hasn't been done before in the action-sports arena. Now readers can be instantly connected to their favorite content - athletes, products, locations and more - when and where they want it. All they need to do is scan the high capacity color barcode (HCCB) with their smartphone's internal camera to be instantly directed to dynamic video.

"In one step, one scan ... the printed page just got much, much 'bigger' and more capable of entertaining, instructing, sharing and branding," says Jason Bingham, WakeBoarding's associate publisher.

While the 2D barcode experience brings the magazine alive for its readers, Bingham says advertisers too are wanting in. "I had a major client who just was not going to do a print buy this year. I showed him the 2D concept and he immediately signed on. It was all due to the engagement aspect of it and how relevant it is in today's digital world."

The barcodes - commonly referred to as "Tags" - can be linked to video, the web and, even more important, to advertisers' custom-designed pages, where advertising clients can talk about their product or brand, resort or destination, or feature a professional athlete participating in an activity related to their brand's product.

"They [Tags] are already moving the needle on the revenue side, and continue to enhance what we can offer in terms of total package and added value," says Matt Hickman, a digital content director for Bonnier.

Bingham, the driving force behind the digital initiative, stumbled across Microsoft's HCCB after the technology went into beta in January. WakeBoarding's speedy adoption of the Tag has put it in a prime position, paving the way for other Bonnier titles.