Golf Digest is using Microsoft Tags within its editorial products to bring exclusive content to readers.

The quick-response 2D bar codes have been placed in 11 spots throughout the November issue of the publication. After downloading an application, readers can snap a picture of the bar codes with their smartphones to receive tips from senior editors at the magazine and professional golfers.

?Through our research, we know that 43 percent of Golf Digest subscribers have a smartphone, and 92 percent of that group use their phone to access the Internet,? said Bob Carney, creative director at Golf Digest, New York. ?We want to show our readers that we?re committed to giving them the most thorough instruction in the format they desire, whenever they want it.?

Golf Digest is a Condé Nast publication.

Microsoft Tags are 2D bar codes that bring content to a consumer?s mobile phone after they download the application from http://gettag.mobi and send in a photo of a QR code.

Mr. Carney said that the bar codes help Golf Digest face one of its biggest challenges: giving readers tips on their golf swing while they are on the go.

?The biggest challenge for a magazine that addresses motion?the golf swing?is not being able to show a tip or swing in motion,? Mr. Carney said. ?Our Web site helps, but for our readers who crave instruction tips and have a smartphone, this provides immediate feedback.

?Using the Microsoft Tag technology is a way to extend the magazine?s goal of helping our readers enjoy the game more,? he said.

Golf Digest claims it is the first magazine using the Microsoft Tags for editorial purposes and not advertising.

The golf publication?s new content includes tips from Tiger Woods and Butch Harmon.

The bar code is placed on the same page as the instruction tip. Golf Digest said it hopes readers will watch the tips on their smartphone to get more insight.

However, the tags are not limited to video instruction tips. The November issue also features video demonstrations of the newest equipment and a behind-the-scenes featurette of a Michael Jordan photo shoot.

Mr. Carney said that the magazine is targeting avid golfers with a desire to improve their craft.

?Regardless of age, our audience has the income and the education to be early adopters,? Mr. Carney said. ?We also want to convey our understanding of how media is being consumed these days.

?It?s no longer just about what?s in the pages of the magazine,? he said. ?It?s about taking the ideas that are initially presented in print and finding ways to make them more digestible and interactive for our readers.?

Through the Microsoft Tag platform, Golf Digest is able to measure exactly how many scans each bar code in the magazine receives per day. Eventually, Mr. Carney said the magazine will be able to determine geographic data, as well as the type of smartphone that is being used to scan a bar code.

Bridging the gap
Mr. Carney said that both the editorial and advertising sides of the magazine are hard at work thinking of new ways to leverage the technology, including expanding beyond video tips.

This is not the first time a publication has used Microsoft Tags to engage readers.

Get Married magazine used the tags in their inaugural issue to let advertisers reach readers in a new way (see story).

Mr. Carney said he would recommend that other magazines implement Microsoft Tag technology to engage consumers.

?It serves readers, it bridges the print/Web gap and it brings the magazine to life,? Mr. Carney said.

?Magazines have to go where their readers are,? he said. ?Our readers use mobile phones to check tournament scores, follow blogs and get the latest golf news, so why not instruction, too?

?Golf Digest is not simply ?print? ? we?re golf, in whatever form that works [for our readers].?