Crazy QR Code Egg Hunt At Old Navy
The digital world is starting to bond with the tangible world. If you haven’t seen these funky looking squares in public, known as Quick Response or QR codes, get ready for an invasion. The technology originated in Japan in 1994, but QR code adoption is in its infancy here in the U.S.
The rise of the smart phone directly correlates to why people are now getting familiar with QR codes. Typically, mobile users need to install an application, like Google Goggles or a barcode scanning app to read QR Codes and access the embedded information.
Jumpscan, a QR code company, released an info-graphic illustrating how QR code scanning has increased by 1,200 percent from July to December 2010. In a recent study exploring U.S. smart phone owners, 32 percent of respondents said they’ve scanned a QR code, as reported by eMarketer. Of those who scanned a QR codes, 53 percent said they used the code to get a coupon or discount and 52 percent said they used the code to access additional information.
More and more companies are leveraging QR codes to make the physical world more interactive. Smart phones are making QR Codes more ubiquitous because consumers can now access the web from anywhere. The ability to link a code to anything digital, put the code on anything tangible like posters, magazines, T-shirts, signs and coffee mugs, and measure responsiveness is attractive to brands.
The flexibility of QR codes allows companies to experiment with how to best use them. Best Buy has incorporated QR codes on product tags in stores, linking to reviews and product information. Old Navy used QR codes (image above) as part of an in-store sweepstakes scavenger hunt, which I experienced firsthand. I was given a preview copy of The Radical Leap Re-Energized by Steve Farber, which incorporates QR codes as a way to connect readers to additional sources and make reading more interactive. And this is a just a short list of examples; Business Insider includes several more.
Successfully incorporating QR codes into marketing initiatives should be part of an integrated digital strategy. The simplicity and affordability of this technology allows businesses to connect digital shoppers with branded digital content and augment the shopping experience.
For more information about QR Codes, visit QRstuff.com.
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