QR Codes, Where Are They Now?

QR codes were once the coolest thing you could see on a poster; people would get excited to see a QR code and think, "Awesome, I get to use the cool app I downloaded for this!" (Or something like that). They once served a purpose, however, the problem was that the "purpose" they served was not uniform for all industries and those who had the most control over the success or failure of the QR code, retailers, did not make sure they were effective. Why did retailers have the most control? Well, they are some of the most dominating marketing forces in the world, they're everywhere, and they have the most merchandise.

However, the usage of the QR code by retailers was not one that consumers enjoyed very much and it has cost the QR code its power and its life. Retailers were lazy in their usage of the technology; what most of them did was use the codes to direct people to their website or something equally unexciting. The codes just became another vessel for information we already knew about and could get to, they weren't doing anything fun and new. They also did something that turned out to be fatal for the QR codes by putting them just about everywhere; you couldn't walk through a store without seeing at least a dozen of the codes for the same thing, even in the dressing rooms of clothing stores!

It got to the point where consumers were ignoring the codes because they knew it would not lead them to anything worthwhile and so why bother scanning it?

Now, QR code slamming aside, they do have a purpose and can still succeed; they won't disappear completely but they have been reduced. Look for the codes to connect you to things like product descriptions, ordering products, and linking you to more things; for example, some stores are using QR codes to link you to more products that are kept in back so they can keep fewer things on the sales floor (it's a spacial issue, not laziness). Some clothing stores have started using the codes as a way to try on clothes; you scan the code for a clothing item you'd like to try on and then make your way to the dressing room and find that item in a dressing room, ready for you.

If you have any questions about marketing or advertising, then contact Integraphix - a Los Angeles marketing firm.