ONE SIZE FITS ALL

ONE SIZE FITS ALL represents that range called “the majority” and is therefore the desirable zone which retailers of all kinds pursue. The common belief is that if you appeal to the average guy and you will sell more stuff. Image source.

Let us consider for a moment that the average guy isn’t all that tech savvy and you have a tech product to promote because you are, well, a tech nerd.  Do you make a product that appeals to the technologically dim, but massive in terms of the population demographic or do you design a more fun tech oriented product that would have great success if only consumers “got it”?  Pretend you are a passionate, forward thinking QR code nerd and you can not bring yourself to dull down your creativity.  Then you must raise the level of QR code awareness for that average guy. Apply what thinking Henry Ford (Image source) shared about his automobile,  

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

I suggest that those using QR code generation rethink the notion of aiming for ONE SIZE FITS ALL QR code leveraging and put our money on the awesome sauce of fun products that a tech savvy consumer would enjoy.  When I design a QR code product and discuss it among my QR code enthusiast peers, I immediately hear the response “but most people don’t know how to use a QR code”.  And your point is?!!

QR codes do not require quantum physic knowledge and getting people on board with their crazy, fun potential doesn’t mean we have to be super mindful of the audience that isn’t in the know.  Not directly anyway.  Techies have smart phones.  Lots of non-techies have smart phones.  QR codes are launched by tech phones (and tablets).  If you want to increase the QR code product’s potential, design a common interest product and include a QR code.  The techie will “get it” and want it if the product is pretty cool.  His friend, Average Joe will see the cool product and want to keep up with the Joneses and he will figure out the QR code thing.  Which again, is not an advanced rocket science brain application and we can do better than simply using QR codes to go to an URL.  Especially a non mobile friendly URL which is even worse than going to an URL that lacks value for the scanner.

So can we stop treating QR codes like the public can’t figure them out?  The average guy may not get them right away, but this doesn’t mean he can not understand them.  Attach a QR code to something wonderful and let the games begin!

By the way, here is my “something wonderful” product with a QR code on it.  If you are an average Joe and haven’t figured out a QR code yet, download any scan app, they are FREE, and watch The New Holiday Card.  It is not a ONE SIZE FITS ALL product but it does come in a size that I believe a mind can stretch to fit. 

Follow our RSS or connect social media-ly, we welcome new friends.  We also have other products coming soon which feature QR codes and memories.

Written by: Rhonda Smolarek; QR code designer, social media coach, strategist, technology nerd.  Find her online at QRCodesOfNote.com or Facebook.com/QRCodesOfNote or LinkedIn.com/in/RhondaSmolarek or AlphaSutraPress.com or at Etsy.com where you can purchase a holiday card like this featuring your own memories: Epifanies

Eat Your Damn Oatmeal

You don't have to take that tone with me...not about oatmeal.  Way back when I wore my hair in two 
braids and donned that catholic school plaid, I had a thing for oatmeal.  I recall mornings in the kitchen spent pretending my oatmeal was porridge and that my two brothers and I were the 3 bears.  I hear you laughing.   We didn't have a Goldilocks but my "porridge" was always just right.  I don't fashion my hair in two braids much anymore but my thing for old fashioned oatmeal still exists.  

Now I no longer rely on little brown packets for my oatmeal fix.  Did you know that Starbucks serves Perfect Oatmeal and Jamba juice dishes it up as well? If these leaders can do oatmeal - you know I will!

Become a Follower of this blog - we'll both enjoy it. Comments are always welcome, just leave one where this article ends. Thanks.

Before Oats became the love interest of the healthy heart industry, I knew it to be one of those things I loved that was not bad for me.  There aren't enough of those so we should enjoy this at every opportunity.  Opportunity #1: veggie burgers.  I used to buy these premade and frozen and they really don't taste all that exciting so we had to fix this pronto!  This is a superb recipe I found at vegweb.com for  Garlic Potato & Oat Black Bean Burgers  that I would make and serve any man who gets all "meat and potatoes only" with me.  I'd wear a low cut dress, too and stiletto's but that is just so he'd give it a try and then I'm sure he'd love it after that and I could wear any old thing... Opportunity #2: traditionally pie crust is made with a large amount of white flour  which I find a little 

disturbing and it should be noted that there is another way that is clever and tasty and makes sense for fruit pies: Oatmeal Pie Crust recipe found here at Cooks recipes.com. made with quick cooking oats.  Feeling your oats? Bake an oatmeal pie, see picture and then make the Hey, that tastes good!: Oatmeal Pie featured in the photo.  Nectarine Raspberry fruit Crisp with Spiced-Oatmeal crumb  topping at Bon Apettite is crunchy and homey.  Give it a try.

Once when my little one developed a nuclear rash on his unmentionables, research lead me to the colloidal oatmeal bath as treatment.  Yep, it was pricey but it was magical and should be noted that it looked disgusting.  Research time: grinding store bought oatmeal in blender, food processor or coffee mill repeatedly until it's a very fine powder creates colloidal oatmeal for pennies.  As a powder it mixes with the water in such a way as to float throughout.  Careful, this will be slippery on the tub.  1/3 C. will do. Helps soothe skin irritations like eczema, pox and rashes.  My itchy boy would not go for this now and we'd maybe make some oatmeal bath bombs if he was itchy.  For me, I would add 1 c. dry milk and baking soda for something silky during the winter when the heater dries the skin.  Oatmeal facial - I recommend you grind the oats in a coffee mill but certainly not necessary - Combine 3/4 cup oatmeal with half a cup of water and cook for a few minutes, the way you'd prepare it for meals. Allow to cool. After a few minutes, add 1/4 quarter cup of honey and mix well. It is that simple. You now have an oatmeal mask great for evening moisture in skin and soothing/shrinking pores.

Warm and fuzzy:  This little nest for newborn cargo is used as a photo prop and available for sale by Crickets Creations.  This one is called Oatmeal fringe and Cricket shows a variety of colors which can be purchased from her Etsy site.