Update 2016-01-14: See the end for responses I got from SmartLabel regarding the content aspect.
SmartLabel is an initiative by Grocery Manufacturers Association to provide extra information for over-the-counter/grocery products, accessed via QR codes. Content is of course adapted to reading on mobile phones. This is the kind of long term use that QR codes need to become an everyday phenomenon.
CliqTags is a great alternative and complement if you need to provide information beyond what SmartLabel can. CliqTags can link to SmartLabel for that specific information, while detailed product information is available via CliqTags, or the other way around: SmartLabel links to CliqTags. CliqTags also provides other means to access the information than QR codes, e.g. via beacons.
Here’s the response from SmartLabel:
Is it USA only? Right now, SmartLabel™ is only in the US. However, there have already been conversations about expanding this project globally and many of the companies adopting this initiative are global organizations.
Do you have plans for outside of USA? Answered above.
Is it easy to link from SmartLabel to other mobile-adapted content, e.g. for product videos etc? The brand owns, hosts, and manages the SmartLabel™ landing pages. If they choose to take the consumer off the SmartLabel™ landing page to a product video, this would be their choice. However, the video could not be branded under the SmartLabel™ name and a pop-up box would appear telling the consumer they are leaving the SmartLabel™ landing page.
To some extent it seems the format of the information is fixed. How do you handle groceries vs e.g. toys? There are no calories in a rubber duck (or maybe there is). The initiative is for food, beverage, personal care products and pet care and would not cover toys. For non-food products there are different tabs for the landing page. The food the tabs are: Nutrition, Ingredients, Allergens, Other Information, Company / Brand. For non-food: Ingredients, Usage instructions, Advisories & Handling, Other Information, Company / Brand. Required and voluntary attributes have been mapped to each tab by the SmartLabel™ working groups.