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FedEx drives app downloads via in-store QR

FedEx is trying to promote its mobile application and increase downloads with in-store signage that integrates QR codes.

The company displayed posters on tables and walls that direct consumers to ?Turn your phone into a printer? by downloading the app. FedEx?s app is available in Apple?s App Store and lets users print documents directly from their phone as well as track shipments and job orders.

?App downloads are important to a company like FedEx as they allow the company to engage with their users on mobile in real-time,? said Bobby Marhamat, founder of Hipscan, Menlo Park, CA.

?More than 65 percent of the searches are done on mobile, and by FedEx creating an easy-to-use, intuitive app experience it will allow users to interact with FedEx no matter what time of day or place they are at,? he said.

?As the mobile apps allow users to track shipments, manage their shipments or find a nearby FedEx location, it will give them the interaction they need thereby creating better customer experiences at a fraction of the cost it would take to call in to their 1-800 lines.?

Mr. Marhamat is not affiliated with FedEx. He commented based on his expertise on the subject.

FedEx declined to comment.

Driving downloads
The posters that FedEx stores are displaying describe the company?s app as a printer, using the tagline, ?Print anywhere, anytime.?

The posters that display QR codes also include copy below the codes that reads, ?Snap it and get the app.?

By including these signs in-store, FedEx appeals to an audience that might be waiting in a long line to get something printed or shipped. This is the perfect opportunity to promote an app that will save consumers time and energy.

FedEx is adding an additional push for consumers to download the app by offering an offer of $10 off a $50 print order when they use the mobile app. This promotion goes until August 31.

The only downside to this campaign is that the QR landing site is not mobile-optimized.

Mobile printing
The FedEx app lets consumers save documents in My Online Docs. They can then access those documents and have them printed at a nearby FedEx store.

They can track the print job order to avoid having to wait in-store.

The app lets consumers access files from Box, Dropbox and Google Drive as well.

Additionally, the app lets consumers track a shipment and get additional benefits.

FedEx is constantly adding to its mobile repertoire.

This past April, the company launched a new delivery manager service that is available on mobile (see story).

FedEx also used a rich-media ad to promote its golf club shipping services in 2011 (see story).

?Users are commanding a mobile presence to make their lives more productive and easy,? said Mr. Marhamat.

?Companies' like FedEx will be able to become pioneers in their industry by creating a mobile solution that allows user to be flexible to their lifestyles and be able to get information or track/ship a package at their convenience,? he said.

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York