QR Codes vs. Microsoft Tag

Since my last blog post about QR Codes, I have been noticing many companies in North America use QR Codes in marketing, while some others are using Microsoft Tag which is also a 2D bar code and requires a different scanner to scan and read.

In the latest issue of a fashion magazine that I subscribe, I found 5 QR Codes, and 2 Microsoft Tags:

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As you can see, the ads use Tags included instruction and URL where people can get the scanner, yet some of the ads with QR Codes do not have instruction. Having instruction is because Microsoft Tag is a new kind of bar code.
Why companies use Tags instead of QR Codes? Maybe because it's customizable - you can replace the background image with your image such as a brand logo using PowerPoint or Adobe Illustrator. I just made a Tag for this blog.

Other than that, Microsoft Tag also provide companies free tag manage services include creating Tags, and tracking the result.

Here's some comparison between QR Codes and Microsoft Tag:
(taken from http://blogs.msdn.com/b/tag/archive/2010/03/10/differences-between-microsoft-tag-and-qr-code.aspx)

• For use in printed materials, Tag allows a much smaller size than other formats like QR codes—when you’re designing marketing collateral or ads and every last bit of space has to count, this can be a big deal.  And the size of Tags is the same regardless of the length of your URL or message.
• With a traditional 2D code, you’re locked into one look, unable to add much individual ‘flavor’ or brand identity.  With Tag, the option to make Custom Tags lets you fully integrate your brand’s personality into the Tag itself, creating colorful, visually exciting codes that don’t distract from your message.
• QR codes carry with them a very wide and potentially confusing range and number of different code scanners, which don’t necessarily all work consistently with all major phone operating systems.  Tag gives you a single reliable solution for mobile tagging across Windows Mobile, J2ME, iPhone, Blackberry and Symbian S60 phones (and just as of last week, Android phones too!).
• Many Smartphone cameras aren’t always the most reliable or highest in quality, which can lead to frustration trying to get an accurate capture of a standard QR code that won’t read right on your low-megapixel camera.   The sophisticated technology powering Tag (called High Capacity Color Barcodes, or HCCBs) was designed specifically to deal with the limitations of cameras on mobile phones, delivering an accurate scan even with a blurred shot, low-quality lens, or lack of camera auto-focus.
• Finally, with most 2D barcodes, once you create and use them, accessing details like how many times they’re scanned and who is scanning them can be difficult or impossible.  Much like how you can manage online ad campaigns, Tag’s advanced analytics let you know exactly how, when, and where your Tags are being used, and let you change the content behind them with the click of a button—giving you complete oversight and control.

Seems like Tag is a better solution for those of you who have trouble with scanning QR Codes. As a marketer, which would you choose?