QR codes have floated on the fringes of digital marketing for years.
They were common, but seldom used. But over the last few years (fueled in part by a global trend toward touchless tech) QRs have made a roaring comeback. Today, companies across nearly every industry are using QR codes to close the gap between their offline and online channels. For marketers, the easiest way to jump into the action is to use a QR code generator to create a direct line between their customers and the brand — all in seconds.
From Convenience to Necessity
QR codes have long since shed their reputation as quirky ideas to offer convenience in the customer experience. Decoding a restaurant menu or easy sign-ins at a conference or event has become an innate part of everyday life. Being forced into living life in a contactless fashion has set a new precedent, and customers are quickly adapting and demanding it across their splurge and spend moments.
As a result of this seismic shift, QR codes have evolved from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have,” allowing businesses to cater to the digitally engaged customer through the deployment of seamless experiences. For savvy marketers, it’s the green light they need to gather data, provide immediacy of content and experience, and track consumer behavior all in one. One simple scan can transport someone to a location page, download an app, take them to a video, or guide them through a seamless transaction via an app, essentially a collection of measurable touchpoints that feed nicely into a company’s digital marketing strategy.
QR Codes in Marketing Campaigns
QR codes eliminate physical barriers to digital interactions. Because QR codes can be printed almost anywhere, they can turn any offline channel into a pixel that quickly shuttles customers to your digital destinations. A home developer can slap QR codes on their yard signs to encourage prospective buyers to take virtual tours before deciding to visit in real life. A consumer brand can put QR codes on product packaging to encourage buyers to share tutorials or unboxing processes. A conference or concert ticketing company can make printing tickets a thing of the past and deliver tickets instantly to attendees’ phones.
Measurable Marketing in Real Time
Analog marketing frequently struggles to offer direct feedback. Printed brochures, radio, or billboards all build brand awareness, but assessing “click-throughs” or ROIs is difficult at best. QR codes change this dynamic completely. Each scan of a QR code provides solid data — time and place of the scan, use of the device, and conversion following the action. As a result, marketers can change and adapt their messaging almost in real time. If one QR code on one poster in one location is “hit” much more frequently than another, brands can adjust interim messages to account for the popularity of the marketing assets. With QR codes, the “circle” of feedback is much tighter and almost in real time.
Security and Trust in the Digital Era
So while we get the convenience of QR codes, we’re also conscious of the fact that security is an important consideration. After all, today companies can simply switch a dynamic QR code behind a printed marketing material that can’t be easily updated. And while that guards against obsolescence (codes can be put to a new use without reprinting collateral), it’s also a useful mechanism for affording marketing departments greater privacy control on the back end. In a time where user trust is everything, that can only be a good thing. That’s why it’s pretty standard practice for brands to cover their backs pragmatically, bolstering the communication flow around their QR codes to provide a value-added protection message around securely using or accessing the link.
The Future of QR-Driven Marketing
Looking ahead, QR codes will become an even more critical asset in the marketing technology toolkit. Linkages with augmented reality, loyalty programs, and mobile wallets are already in development. As smartphone cameras themselves continue to evolve, scanning QR codes will become more instantaneous and instinctive, making them an ingrained part of human action. Given all of this and the significant upside potential for businesses to deepen engagement, derive insights, and be more cost-effective, the question is no longer if , but when and how brands and retailers will move into taking this next phase of consumer engagement.
