U.S. Marketers Embrace QR Codes

by david

Two weeks ago, we released the results from a study that illustrate a high awareness and adoption of QR Codes among U.S. marketers. The survey gave us some tremendous insight into what marketers want out of 2D barcodes. Conducted through uSamp’s SurveyBuilder, the sample included over 100 marketers from both large and small businesses in industries such as retail, healthcare and entertainment. 2D Barcode Awareness & Adoption The study showed that 50% of key decision makers are already using 2D barcodes as a part of their overall marketing strategy and 86% plan to use the technology in the future.  The level of awareness of 2D barcodes was similar among large and small businesses, with 95% and 89% respectively. When asked what the format of choice was, it emerged that marketers favoured open source formats, such as QR codes. The chart below shows the level of adoption of the different formats.   One of the main concerns from the respondents was having a code format compatible with most scanning apps. As a result, it's no surprise that QR codes make up the majority here. Other factors for a successful campaign include:

• Access to analytics including basic usage.
• Demographics of users and
• Ability to edit or access codes at anytime from a web-based platform

Usage Scenarios

When asked if they were happy with their experience, those that used a paid service were 50% more satisfied than those using a freeware generator. As to how campaigns were being implemented, the table below shows the top code content of choice and the top three media placements.

 

Top three content of choice	Top three media placement of choice
1. Product details	1. Magazines and newspapers
2. Promotions	2. Direct mail
3. Coupon offers	3. Product packaging

To a large extent these results confirm our observations gathered through anecdotal evidence. They also indicate that 2D barcodes are set to become a standard in future marketing efforts. In 2011 we saw some truly remarkable campaigns. This was only the end of the beginning.