If you’ve ever seen one of our records, you’ve probably noticed a weird little cluster of black boxes on the cover sticker. This image is called a QR Code (quick response code). It’s a very sophisticated type of bar code that was invented by Toyota in 1994 for the purpose of tracking vehicle parts in the manufacturing process. You’ve probably seen them before on airplane tickets and FED EX labels. In recent years people have gotten very creative with the use of these codes. Today just about any smart phone can run a QR reader which allows the user to scan QR codes and deliver content immediately to their device. QR codes are being used to deliver coupons, contact information, and even text messages.
6 or 7 months ago we became very enamored with this technology and starting playing around with ways in which we could harness this technology. It seems like most people use this technology as way to push something on you. We wanted to use it as a way to enhance consumers’ experiences with our brand. That’s what lead to the “listening station sticker” concept. Now every one of our records are stickered with a QR code that delivers a free streaming sample of that record when scanned with a smart phone. The stream is delivered via youtube to avoid any compatibility issues (what smart phone doesn’t work with youtube, right?!).
So next time you are browsing the bins at your favorite record store and come across a Secret Stash release, pick it up, scan the QR and try before you buy. If you don’t like what you hear, don’t buy it! Check out the video below to learn more….