QR codes, or quick response codes, are the dominant form of two dimensional codes that allow anyone with an appropriately equipped cameraphone to scan or “read” data and media available in or through the code. They initially made their big spash in Japan in the mid-1990s and have since been embraced there as a key means for marketers to inform and engage the throngs of mobile consumers in the market.
The codes do bring benefits. For instance, instead of having to input the 20-character URL of a mobile website on a super small, not-too-convenient cell phone keypad, a consumer who sees a QR code in an ad can quickly “scan” it and be taken to websites, videos or even a digital coupon in an instant. Despite QR codes’ value proposition, the success that Japan enjoyed with these codes hasn’t necessarily transferred to other markets, including the United States, for a variety of reasons.
However, America is now undeniably on the cusp of a new mobile age, which is the result of a confluence of smartphone innovation, advanced mobile infrastructure and consumer-centered application development . This raises the prospects for the uptake of QR and 2D codes in the near future in the American market. Marketers have already begun to take notice and experiment with the technology in earnest to capture the attention (and wallets) of the increasingly mobile American consumer.
In the Digital Lab white paper below, we take a look at the origins, mechanics, applications and prospects for QR/2D code technology and share our take on whether it will have a place in the American marketing landscape for years to come.
This is the BEST report I’ve seen on mobile codes – ever. THANK YOU. This is unbiased, smart and helpful!!!
Excellent report – good to see one with some depth and details on future prep. It’s just a shame you missed one of the fastest and most reliable scanners/creators, Optiscan. As used by SCAN Japan themselves!
Hi there, nice job, thanks. Please notice that you forgot to include one of the most popular, multi-platform and performant 2D/1D reader ” Lynkee” : http://www.lynkee.com – BR, Max
Your paper states that there are a number of companies currently experimenting with QR Codes, but I ask, are they really? Are companies really “experimenting” with QR Codes, or 2D technology in general, when all they do is place a code in a print advertisement as a mere after thought, or for only one occurrence at a time, or in only one advertising channel at a time, or when the code resolve does not function properly, or when the code resolve does not change from one advertisement to another, etc? Yes, the number of QR/2D-based advertising campaigns are increasing from one month to the next, which is terrific for the industry, but are these campaigns being experimented with to the same level of vigor and sophistication as other marketing mediums (e.g., web home pages, landing pages, banner ads, emails, direct mail packages, telemarketing scripts, etc.)? From my vantage point the answer is no, and I wonder if this might lead to a slower adoption of the technology by advertisers.
Without proper and thorough experimentation of QR/2D codes, I believe it becomes too easy for a marketing or creative executive/team to blame the code itself, or the technology as a whole, for low scan rates or for a campaign’s overall poor performance when, in reality, it could be any other creative or tactical element found in the campaign (e.g., headline, body copy, offer, call to action, image, layout, placement, etc.). And, if that’s the case, advertisers might be too quick to nix the thought of using QR/2D codes in the future.
Even though the paper’s author recommends to companies “a limited ‘test and learn’ approach” towards QR/2D codes, which I am in total agreement with, I believe companies need to go one step further and take action as mentioned above (i.e., experiment with just as much sophistication and level of detail that other advertising mediums and tactical/creative elements receive).
Great Report. Thanks
I think these big companies are doing what they always do: riding a trend to see if it nets some interest and profit. I think its a great way to consolidate brand information, but i think we are a bit of a ways off from some real widespread adoption. For example, my wife has no idea what the hell a QR code is.