Google’s Mark of the Beast

No, it’s not a screen shot from an old Atari video game.

Google has sent out stickers to hundreds of thousands of businesses, with Google’s QR code encoded with the URL to Google’s Place page, along with a healthy dose of Google branding. The way it works is that a person with a cell phone can scan the image, whether it’s placed on a website or printed material, and be taken to a Google Place page featuring information on that particular business.

Why is this a big deal? It’s something that’s simple for people to implement, both businesses and customers will find immediate value in it, and Google benefits by increasing the worth of their “Place Page” service, which Google Maps has already been reinforcing. But aside from being good for Google, it’s actually kind of good for us too. It’s a step up on the actually useful ladder of technological coolness.

The QR code itself was actually created by Denso-Wave (a Japanese corporation) in 1994, and is very commonly used in Japan. While not having caught on in a huge way yet on our side of the pond, my guess is that due to the explosion social marketing and online involvement, this may very quickly change.

Never slow on the uptake, conspiracy theory folks have already started in… a Google search for “google qr code mark of the beast” at the time of this post indicated 3,270 results. The main commentary right now seems to be here. (Most of the rest of the results seem to be either derivative comments or not-quite-related hits. But you know someone had to put forth the idea.)

If there is a conspiracy at Google, however, it’s only in that they’ve not set up a way for any business with a Google Place page to have their code. Google has chosen “favorite” places and mailed them the stickers, featuring the Google branding very prominently. If you’d like to take matters into your own hands, rather than waiting for Google to think of you as a best friend, you can go to http://qrcode.kaywa.com and generate your own code. I don’t see any reason you couldn’t create a code for your Google Place URL, but you could also create it for your main business website, your Facebook page, or your cat’s website.

Some interesting related links:

• Facebook Kicks Off Implementation of QR Codes
• Google QR codes to appear in a store window near you