While preparing our tech of the week project, I have been wondering whether this QR-code technology is actually still useful for marketing purposes. I have myself scanned a QR-code maybe once to retrieve information about a brand but definitely not more. And I certainly do not have a special app on my smartphone to scan such codes. However, when searching the world wide web, people still seem to find the QR-code a useful tool to serve as a bridge between offline and online marketing. Unsuccessful QR-codes are blamed on wrong location, invaluable information or ineffective links (DeMers, 2014). It is most certainly true that a QR-code is not effective when shown in the wrong location (e.g. online or on moving objects). And the same goes for scanning a code that does not provide any valuable information or worse leads you to a non-existing page. But what if the codes are published on the right location and offer valuable content, are they then a highly effective marketing tool at a relatively low cost? There are two main reasons to explain why QR-codes are not thriving. First of all, the way QR-codes need to be scanned has not been widely adopted by consumers. Many mobile users actually still do not know how this technology works and how they could more or less benefit from it (Morris, 2015). To be able to scan a QR-code the consumer needs to be aware of the technology and to install an adequate application with the ability to read the codes, and then he or she needs to feel appealed to actually pull out their phone, scan the code and discover the information behind it. It is quite a complex and time-consuming process.
The second argument, which might be as well the cause of the first is that mobile operating systems have not widely incorporated QR-code scanning technologies in their devices (Williams, 2011). Yes, with Apple’s passbook it is possible to scan the QR-codes of your boarding passes or customer cards. But these operating systems do not facilitate any marketing QR-code scanning to their end-users.
Although creating a QR-code is very cost effective and can be done by anyone, the effectiveness for marketing purposes will lie in a more widely incorporation of the technology within our mobile devices, or the creation of a complete new innovation to tie offline and online together.
References
Davis P 2011, How to reach your mobile customer using QR codes [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-reach-your-mobile-customer-using-qr-codes [Accessed 26 September 2016]
DeMers J 2014, How to use QR codes in your marketing campaign [ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/use-qr-codes-marketing-campaign/103049/ [Accessed 26 September 2016]
Goodin A 2016, Are QR codes making a comeback in 2016? [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/mobile-marketing-2/are-qr-codes-making-a-comeback-in-2016/ [Accessed 27 September 2016]
Griffith E 2016, Messaging apps are making QR codes a thing again [ONLINE] Available at: http://fortune.com/2016/05/19/kik-snapchat-qr-code/ [Accessed 27 September 2016]
Kolowich L 2014, Are QR codes dead? [ONLINE] Available at:
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/qr-codes-dead#sm.0001j9t3ifwxfecv108enwkqgqhyd [Accessed 26 September 2016]
Meunier B 2013, QR codes work (when done well) [ONLINE] Available at: http://marketingland.com/qr-codes-work-when-done-well-56243 [Accessed 27 September 2016]
Morris B 2015, Are QR codes thriving or dying? [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.business2community.com/marketing/qr-codes-thriving-dying-01228016#WLpq0YB2y17vjEWS.97 [Accessed 27 September 2016].
Williams O 2011, Why isn’t everyone using QR codes? [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.imediaconnection.com/articles/ported-articles/red-dot-articles/2011/mar/why-isnt-everyone-using-qr-codes/ [Accessed 27 September 2016]
