Long a feature of Japanese consumer culture, QR codes have suddenly appeared in the U.S. market this year like mushrooms after a spring rain. Cropping up everywhere from buses to body art, QR codes can transmit a wealth of information from an image the size of a postage stamp, are easy and cheap to generate, and can be rendered and used in surprisingly creative ways.
But to have the QR code make the leap from Latest Marketing Craze to Useful Marketing Tool, savvy marketers will need to bear in mind the following when incorporating QR codes into their marketing materials:
QR Codes are read by smartphones — so the information they convey is only useful to smartphone users with a barcode scanner app.
Duh, right?
The implications of this simple fact, however, have been evading some early riders of the QR code wave. Smart marketers can avoid unnecessary pitfalls if they consider the following points when devising QR code strategies:
• Fewer than half of people in the U.S. own a smartphone, and not everyone with a smartphone has — or uses — a barcode scanner. As smartphones continue to grab market share, QR code use will become a natural part of how we communicate. But for now, if your campaign DEPENDS on information delivered via QR code, it is imperative that your target market is comprised of habitual users of this technology. If this is not the case, then a QR code should be used to enhance, rather than to deliver, your campaign essentials.
• QR codes won’t work in places where a cell phone user can’t access the Internet. Using a QR code inside a hospital? Be sure you’ve checked your intended location for a decent cellular signal. Planning on featuring a QR code in your subway signage? Unless you can have it placed at an above-ground entrance, you might want to reconsider. Using the QR code in an in-flight magazine? If the airline doesn’t offer in-flight wi-fi, your results are apt to be disappointing.
• QR codes that lead to a website not optimized for cell phone use are just plain irritating. If your landing page can’t be easily read or navigated by a handheld device, you’re actually delivering negative brand equity to the person scanning your code. Optimize your landing page — or skip the QR code. Oh, and if you’re using Flash on your website, you’ll lose the roughly 25% of mobile users with iPhones… something else to consider.
Finally… the ultimate “epic fail” of a QR in a marketing effort is a code that doesn’t work. Like phone and fax numbers, it’s smart to check these by using them before putting the project to bed — so before you send the email or approve the printer’s proof, try the code yourself on as many devices as you can first.
For more information on the technology of QR codes, check out our post on our News You Can Use blog. In our next post, we’ll look at creative ways to render and use QR codes. If you’ve done a treatment or campaign you’d like to share with others, please tell us your story here in the Comment section!
