QR Codes: 3 Questions to Ask Any QR Code Marketing Provider
In the United States, we are currently in the infancy stage of adopting QR Codes as a marketing channel. QR codes have been huge in Japan and Europe, and they were deemed the marketing trend of the year in the U.K. in 2009. Many have predicted QR Codes will be the marketing trend in the U.S. in 2011. Many, still, have been pleasantly surprised how they have taken off in the U.S. in the first part of 2010. So, the momentum is undeniable, and marketers should take note of the growing popularity.
QR Codes are not just becoming popular because of the novelty and mystery of the first-time views of those funny-looking graphics that look more like a Rorshark test than any barcode you’d see on a package of Corn Flakes. At least people are asking questions about what QR Codes can do, and more importantly, how can they help us market better than we are with our existing tools.
This question popped up my office this week as I was developing a direct mail piece to promote our QR Code expertise. “Expertise?” How can one be an expert in something like a QR Code? Isn’t it just like a graphical representation of a hyperlink? Scan the code with your smartphone, and be taken to the QR Code owner’s pre-determined website or message? What more is there to it?
You need to ask any provider of QR Code marketing strategies 3 questions, in order to understand if they can provide more than just a mobile link.
3 Questions to Know if Your Marketing Provider has QR Code Expertise:
1. How have you used QR Codes to help businesses reach their consumers? Can you demonstrate real examples?
2. Can you measure the activity that comes from a QR Code scan? What data points can you collect?
3. How have you linked and integrated QR Code marketing to other marketing mediums, i.e. QR Codes to direct mail, marketing collateral, event material, etc.”
As we move closer to 2011, you’ll see QR Codes really take off, so it’s far better for you to discover how your business can benefit from this tool now. Good luck!
There are probably a dozen additional questions that come to mind immediately.
First, to the 3 above:
1. As you say, we’re in the infancy stage — so, having real world examples (particularly, that demonstrate something amazing) is nearly impossible to “show.” Being honest with Clients about this is key. Also, letting Clients know that doing anything for “early adopters” is speculative and is designed to aim for a niche User, with the value rippling down later (unfortunately, it’s the top-down model).
2. Nearly any QR Tag comes with pretty good analytics if they are paid and from one of the professional companies. So, I’d just worry about using the “free” ones. That said, the reality is that you get supporting or better analytics from what the Tag triggers…either mobile web traffic, SMS analytics, etc. So, for many (particularly, regional/local campaigns) the Tag analytics are inconsequential.
3. This is a common question and obvious — but, how much meaning does it have?
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If a Client is considering Tags, the real issue is about what mobile experience are they triggering? Is it best served on mobile? Is it intuitive for the User? Basically, what is the campaign, not “what is the trigger?”
As this is a niche market at this time (but, growing daily), the other question is: Is there a better way to achieve the campaign goals? If you’re doing a print or email campaign, is that visual real estate better used for something else (like getting your message across when you have someone’s attention?). Why make a User go through the Tag process?
Time and again I’ve had to remind people that a Tag to mobile-experience means we are demanding an exclusive window into a User’s 1-3 minutes of time and attention. That’s a huge commitment and the campaign better “pay off” for taking such a price from the User. Most campaigns don’t deliver on that, leaving the public with the sense that Tags may be a gimmick and waste of time.
So, don’t use Tags unless you have something valuable to offer the User.
Finally, many of the other questions get into reach and audience. Is it better to go with a JagTag type of solution, try to piggy-back off a recent Microsoft Tag campaign/demographic, go with a straight up QR Tag; hybrid Tags? Let’s presume that nearly anyone who engages with a Tag has a smart phone, so having the 98% reach of a JagTag is window dressing, since only 30% of the market will respond, no matter what — Still, is it better to allow options to trigger the Tag? If you’re targeting Teens, people forget that Blackberries have taken over a good segment of that market (because of cost)…how do you reach them (do they know they have a Reader on board)?
So, I think the discussion should be about the mobile content experience first. Then, the Tag discussion follows.
Just my thoughts.
Good post. While it might be window dressing that JAGTAG has a lot of window dressing, we believe it takes a lot of obstacles out of the way that you pointed out like downloading the app or even launching the app.
JC
Thanks, Sam. You raise a lot of the issues that the “me too” agencies are simply not dealing with. With only a short window of opportunity — and a small but growing demographic of users who are willing/able to scan tags — the mobile Web experience must be a compelling one, with a straightforward, measurable action request that can be expressed concisely. The recent Calvin Klein and Nordsrom campaigns prove how badly this can be done, but there are companies who get it. Check out Warbasse Design (http://www.warbassedesign.com) for example.