By Ryan Shenefelt / By Guest Column
Remember the QR code? It’s that little black and white box that looks like a cross between a bar code and a Sudoku puzzle. QR codes were initially released in Japan back in 1994 and periodically make a comeback, but they have never able to achieve “sticking power.” Why? One reason could be that the process was never seamless or easy for consumers: It required you to download a QR code scanner app on your phone and open it in order to scan something.
Why does this matter? Because QR codes are, at their core, data. They could be a website URL, a Vcard that allows you to add someone to your contacts or a map location. The goal of a QR code is to make things easier on the customer. Why type when you can scan?
Apple earlier this summer announced that iOS 11 (the operating system for iPads and iPhones) will have a QR scanner built into its native camera app. Now that this technology will come standard on devices that millions already own, we expect to see a resurgence in QR codes in marketing and advertising.
What’s interesting is that it actually took a Chinese messaging app for Apple to add the feature to its native camera app. WeChat, much like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, started using QR codes for a range of things, like adding users, making payments and authenticating user IDs. Apple has been trying to capitalize on the booming Chinese marketplace for years, even introducing its first “plastic” iPhone at a discounted price, with little to no success. Sure, they may want to add this technology, but they also want to capture the pockets and purses of the 1.35 billion cellphone owners in China.
QR codes in marketing
Technology may be making things easier for the modern consumer, but why does that matter to marketers? Because the modern consumer is your customer. Think about it: Do your marketing communications still encourage people to fax you? Or fill out an order form on a piece of paper, mail it in and “allow 6-8 weeks for shipping and handling?”
This technology, if it is able to gain traction, is meant to make it easier for users to access data. Here are some examples:
Website URLs
While most of us have URLs that are easy to remember and type, it’s important to drop people on your website homepage cautiously. At de Novo, we recommend sending people directly to a landing page for an intended purpose, as those URLs are usually longer with dashes and slashes. A QR code can do just that.
Additional information
Do you have a project that needs a little explaining? Or are you promoting a museum, gallery or tourist destination? Gone are the days of “plug-in ports” for your exhibits. With QR code scanning technology, it will be easier for patrons and customers to learn more about what they are seeing by using their camera. You’ll be able to have a QR code mounted alongside your work that can play an audio clip, give deeper information, play a video and more. In one notable example, Guinness used an etched glass to encourage people to learn more about their beer, check in on Yelp and tweet.
Packaging
Unless you are Dr. Bronner’s, you cannot get away with including paragraphs of copy on your packaging. Instead of trying to cram excessive text into a small space, you could include a code for additional information that doesn’t fit on your packaging.
Integrated campaigns
Tie together your integrated marketing campaigns with the use of a QR code. If you have a printed piece or flier that is circulating, tie it to a YouTube video or your Facebook/LinkedIn page.
Business or event addresses
Are you sending out a printed invitation or save-the-date? If this were an email, the address would be clickable and easily accessed by your phone’s map app. With printed pieces and QR codes, you have a similar way to quickly get people to your business or event.
Just remember to give QR codes a little time. We expect Android will follow, but even though this technology is standard in iOS 11, that doesn’t mean that every iPhone user will have it or know how to use it.
QR codes, like any new technology, should not be forced. Ask yourself, “Does this help my customer?” If your answer is anything but “obviously,” try another avenue to get the information to them.
Oh, and we think that this goes without saying, but never use QR codes on billboards or other places where people might “drive and scan.”
Ryan Shenefelt is a digital strategist at de Novo Marketing in Cedar Rapids
