QR codes – all hype, or the next mobile game changer?
Rob Thurner, mobile consultant and trainer (ex Incentivated and Clear Channel), says on the surface, QR codes are a no brainer BUT to achieve mass audience reach (and secure significant client budgets) five obstacles must be overcome…
I hear that Team GB’s female beach volleyball champions are renting out their rears in an advertising deal that encourages spectators, and the world’s media, to photograph their behinds during the 2012 Olympics.
Our girls will be wearing bikini briefs with a Quick Response (QR) code printed on the back to catch the eye of spectators. When photographed on a smartphone, the code takes the user to a mobile website – in this case, for bookmakers Betfair.
Today’s pioneering marketers are experimenting with new technologies in a quest to trump their competitors and maximise the myriad of possibilities to engage consumers through their mobile phones. So are ‘QR’ codes PR hype, or the next mobile game changer?
The ‘QR’ or ‘quick response’ code is a type of 2D datamatrix bar code, which carries up to 4,096 characters of data and can be decoded using a mobile phone with a QR code reader. Once a mere tracking mechanism for car parts and canned products on our supermarket shelves, the humble barcode is seeing a renaissance in its larger, data rich QR code incarnation. The 2D codes are highly versatile, and can be linked to content ranging from a static electronic business card or restaurant menu to a Facebook profile, an interactive feedback survey, movie download or rich media mobile internet site.
To be activated, the user needs a steady hand, a mobile phone with a camera and internet connectivity and a QR code reader on their phone, which can be downloaded for free from iTunes, Android Marketplace, BlackBerry World and other App stores, or via the mobile internet.
If you’re reading this in Japan or South Korea, this will all sound very familiar, and you’ll have seen numerous QR and other datamatrix codes on-pack, in newspapers, on posters, T shirts or body tattoos. If you’re in Europe, the US or other markets, QR codes will still have novelty value, but they’re becoming ever more ubiquitous, springing up on beer mats, juice bottles, mailshots, press and TV ads. So what’s the true consumer benefit which will drive mass adoption? QR codes provide users with a quick and easy route to connect with a brand on their handsets, without the need to use the tried and tested SMS route, which has achieved global dominance. The SMS route requires users to text a keyword to a shortcode to trigger a response SMS with an embedded clickable link to the destination site.
On the surface, QR codes are a no brainer. They’re free for brands to add to their marketing collateral and product packaging, thanks to widely available open source software, which anyone can download from the web. It’s quick and easy to create the codes. And they’re free to the user, excepting any data charges, which may be incurred to access or download the data following the initial QR code interaction.
QR codes also deliver instant global audience reach, appealing to international brands like Betfair. As mobile operators play no role in the QR code interaction, all consumers can use them without needing to rely on country-specific SMS shortcodes required for text based campaigns. The photos of our beach volleyball players will reach international audiences thanks to TV, press and internet distribution of their images, and can be snapped by smartphones in multiple markets.
However, to achieve mass audience reach, and secure significant client budgets, five obstacles must be overcome.
1. Consumer awareness
Brands have a responsibility for helping customers to understand what QR codes are, and how to use them. It’s worth including a simple explanation of QR code technology when and where you and using them, and on your site. I must commend certain media, such as Metro newspaper, for devoting editorial space to educating readers on QR codes.
2. Audience targeting
Common sense tells us that those with smartphones (now 40% of UK mobile users) are most likely to respond to QR codes as they tend to be comfortable using various mobile technologies, and willing to use more features of their handsets. If your target audience is characterised by non-smartphone users, they are unlikely to use QR codes.
3. Handset compatibility
To date, there are numerous barcode readers available, working with various different handset operating platforms. It would be smart to carry an SMS call to action next to the QR code for customers to text in case they are unclear about whether their phone has a QR code reader installed, and how to use it. This way you can detect their phone type automatically, and send a return SMS with a link to the appropriate to download a compatible barcode reader.
4. Integrated planning and delivery
As with all digital campaign planning, it’s vital that all agencies involved in the marcoms process understand the purpose and benefits of adopting new technology. I have seen excellent examples of barcode planning, for example, Ray Ban’s augmented reality treasure hunt game in the USA, prompted via QR codes on posters http://vimeo.com/20875343. I’ve also seen appalling examples, featuring tiny QR codes printed at the foot of bus shelter posters, which are bound to deliver disappointing results.
5. Stakeholder buy-in
Here’s a final recommendation to win over the risk-averse brands and sceptical stakeholders: launch the QR codes on a pilot basis, and test uptake. This can be conducted as a control and test campaign measuring responses to different, unique QR codes carried on a range on materials (eg press ads, TV ads, posters, mailers, on-pack, experiential), or comparing response levels to QR campaigns versus SMS response campaigns.