• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 6, 2011

Starting next year, Meredith said it plans to make Microsoft Tag the standard 2D barcode across its portfolio of magazines reach nearly 80 million readers a month. The publisher has already used Microsoft Tag in titles including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, and Ladies’ Homes Journal to give smartphone-wielding readers access to how-to recipe videos, link to holiday gift ideas and connect with leading designers and decorators.

The presence of 2D codes in magazines has grown dramatically this year. According to a recent survey of the top 100 magazines in the U.S. by circulation from Nellymoser the number of “mobile action codes” rose from 88 in January issues to 507 in September issues. 

Some key campaigns in the third quarter involving sweepstakes included an August issue of Allure that generated 576,000 scans to code provider Microsoft Tag and an issue of This Old House that generated 234,000 scans, according to reports.