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Ohio Wineries Embrace QR Codes G Smart phones will connect consumers wineries in the buckeye state eneva, Ohio—Even if you don't own a smart phone, you probably have noticed the little black and white squares that look like a scrambled Rorschach test on packaging, including wine bottles. Known as QR (quick response) codes, these two-dimensional barcodes provide fast readability and a large storage capacity. The traditional use of a QR code is to direct the user to a website or to add contact information into a phone so it doesn't have to be typed in manually. Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association, has a broader vision for the potential of QR codes. "QR codes are hot," Winchell told Wine East, "but we think we can take the use of the QR technology far beyond just being a link to a single website." She is launching a QR code project to educate consumers and Grand River Cel- lars' QR code was designed to attract new wine consum- ers, said Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association. Waterloo_Nov10.qxp 8/26/10 11:36 AM Page 1 build their awareness of Ohio wines, grapes and grape products, with the goal of build- ing sales for all grape products at grocery stores, retail outlets and in restaurants through increased winery visitation. During the next year, the OWPA will create at least 65 short winery/vineyard videos. (According to WinesVinesDATA, Ohio currently has 132 bonded and virtual wineries.) "We want to develop a series of 1- to 2-minute stories that will take the consumer inside the winery to meet the winemaker and hear winesandvines.com Learn more: Search keywords "QR codes." about the growers or wineries, told in their own words," Winchell explained. While a general script format will be established for each winery to use to cre- ate continuity within the videos, wineries and growers will be encouraged to pick an "informational" topic from more than 100 suggested themes. Each video will then be assigned a QR code, and the videos will be posted on the OWPA YouTube channel and on the association website. Appropriate codes from the association's collection will also be inserted in paid advertising to make those ads more educational and interactive. The six Trail Brochures produced by the as- sociation will include QR codes as well. —Linda Jones McKee WineEastNews Wines & Vines DeCeMBeR 2011 57