A recent online poll of consumers suggests that only a third knows what a QR code is, and have actually used one.
When a Quick Response (QR) code is scanned by mobile phone, it directs information and messages to the device. The use of QR codes is increasingly popular among marketers as a low cost method of communicating brand information, and according to one study, code scanning has increased by a huge 4549% between 2010 and 2011. For the consumers who are using them, they are a quick way of engaging with brands and receiving vouchers and other brand related rewards through their mobile phone.
Despite the clear benefits to brands and consumers, it remains that only a small proportion of consumers uses or understands them. Barriers to use include the consumers lack of knowledge, not owning a device which is capable of scanning the code, and the apathetic – those who feel there are little benefits to their use, and they can use a website more easily and quickly. Marketers, though using them, are generally not making them integral to campaigns, tucking them away in the corner of advertising and packaging, leaving them easily missed and remaining outside of the mainstream.
How can these barriers be overcome? I think most important is to define a clear USP for the code, and do this creatively, inspiring consumers to engage with the technology and the brand.
Some cool examples of QR code positioning:
In Korea, a leading supermarket has created a virtual store in a subway. When commuters scan the QR code on the image of an item, the item is added to their shopping list and delivered to their home, resulting in greater brand awareness customer loyalty.
In Tokyo, it is popular to project huge QR codes onto the sides of buildings. When scanned, consumers are taken to a website which offers discounts for local shops and restaurants. Away from the cityscapes I seem to associate them with, this one was mown into a field in Germany. The message decodes to “Hello World!” and could be seen from Google Earth.
It’s not only for shopping; BBC3 has integrated the first QR code into on air animation to advertise new drama The Fades, as a way of engaging with the digitally minded target audience, and the NHS is also tapping into this audience by using QR codes to connect clubbers to drug advice.
Which QR codes you would recommend?
