Qrcodemarketing

360 LuckieDigital INSIGHTS QR CODE MARKETING Four Rules of QR Marketing: Knowing the Basics Corporate Activation: Home Depot Deploys QR Codes Nationally Stats Powerpoint Fodder: 4 Charts Every Marketer Should HaveLuckie & Co. 600 Luckie Drive Birmingham, AL 35223 P 205.879.2121 www.luckie.com

MARKETING WITH QR CODES QR CODE MARKETINGMobile barcodes hold promise for marketers as a mechanism for acGvaGng other media and providing a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. But they CORPORATE ACTIVATIONalso present challenges, including fragmentaGon between open and proprietary HOME DEPOT TEAMS WITHbarcode formats and the requirement that consumers download a dedicated applicaGon to read the codes. SCANBUY FOR NATIONAL QR PUSHWith deployment at an early stage in most markets outside of Asia, consumer adopGon of barcode scanning remains uneven, both in general and across the leading smartphone plaLorms. However, awareness is growing, thanks in part to high-‐profile apps such as RedLaser (now owned by eBay) and the inclusion of scanning capabiliGes within popular ecommerce apps, such as the Amazon app. Given the hurdles to be overcome, the burden lies with marketers to provide value-‐added experiences that encourage greater adopGon and repeat usage.(source: eMarketer, March 2011) Home improvement retail giant Home Depot is going mobile. This week, Home Depot launched a new QR code campaign across the company’s 2,200 US-‐based stores. Scanbuy, a respected leader in mobile barcode soluGons, is behind the Home Depot iniGaGve, which is being called an extensive “naGonal communicaGons strategy” uGlizing mobile barcodes enabled by the ScanLife system. The effort, says Home Depot, “incorporates 2D barcodes (QR codes) to give customers more immediate access to relevant informaGon such as product raGng and reviews, How-‐To guides and videos on specific products.” Customers will have no shortage of access (source: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 2011 opportuniGes to the codes, which will be placed in direct mail pieces linking to product More and more, QR codes are showing up in mainstream media although the informaGon and video demos. Unique codes will ongoing conversaGon has been whether or not QR codes will take hold and be a also be found on store shelves, signage and other staple in the digital community. The fact is that the U.S. is in the lead with regard tradiGonal markeGng material. to the adopGon of QR/barcode scanning with approximately 181% change within the past quarter. Codes outside the store will also enable mobile users to make purchases online through their With the increase in smart- mobile device, converGng any media into a virtual phone sales in 2011, “buy bu_on.” consumers will have the “The Home Depot’s decision to bring this service ability to use QR codes. to their millions of customers unquesGonably Nielsen predicted that 50% shows how this technology can be extremely of mobile subscribers will powerful for both the consumer and the retailer,” be smartphone users this said Mike Wehrs, CEO and President of Scanbuy. year which translates tomore than 142 million (source: Mobile Marke:ng Watch, March 23, 2009) users by the end of 2011. QR Code Marketing, May 2011

FOUR RULES OF QR CODESUSE A SHORTENED URLSomeGmes, simple is be_er. With QR codes, simple can make all the difference. Since QR codes are generated based on the amount of LONG = COMPLEX/BUSY informaGon they contain, the simpler the info, the more readable the This code is an example of code can be. Some codes can carry contact informaGon and will be more an extremely long product complex. Others may be a URL. Whichever they may be, remember that code from Amazon.com for this code will be printed and you want to ensure that the code is able to an iPhone 4. NoGce how it be scanned on the first try. Simplicity is the key. may be difficult to resize this code due to its In addiGon to simple codes, the size of the code is important as well. complexity. Couple size with complexity and you have a recipe for an ineffecGve code. Make the code large enough so the user doesn’t have to press their mobile camera against the code to scan it. A bigger code will SHORT = SIMPLE eliminate codes blurring and not scanning correctly. This code sends you to the same product page on As with all markeGng, code size is enGrely dependant on the execuGon. Amazon.com but uses a Billboards vs. direct mail will have obvious size differences. Also, try not shortened (bit.ly) URL. to mess around with the color of the codes. CreaGng creaGve gradient Since it is less complex, it codes may interfere with the way in which the codes are scanned. would be easier to resize and implement creaGvely. In short…Keep It Simple & Scannable. PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS AND EXPECTATIONSMuch of the conversaGon around QR codes is that US QR usage is low. It’s true, we’re not at the forefront of QR usage, however, the U.S. boasted a 181% increase in usage since earlier this year. So what’s the problem? With any new technology, the masses need to be led a bit and convinced. Since these codes are sGll in their infancy in the US, we’ll need to handhold a bit to start. Once again, we’re living in a society of “What’s in it for me?” which means transparency is key. You’ll need to give the 140 million prospecGve users a bit of a QR 101 iniGally and this can be accomplished by including instrucGonal text with your codes to start. InstrucGons should start by telling users to scan the code with their smartphone. Next, and most importantly, let them know what they’ll get aier scanning it (Rule 4 will explain why this is so important). It is a good pracGce to give the user an addiGonal opGon if they don’t want to scan the code. A URL or a text-‐to code may be most effecGve. Lastly, there is a good possibility that the users may not have a 2D barcode reader. Readers are available for smartphones for free and they are universal, so there should be an abundance of readers to choose from. Let them know how to get a reader. UnGl these codes are fully adopted, instrucGons like this will make penetraGon progress much faster. Once the hype is over and QR is mainstream, the codes will be able to stand on their own. QR Code Marketing, May 2011

FOUR RULES OF QR CODES …CONTINUED DIRECT USERS TO A MOBILIZED DESTINATIONQR codes are made specifically to be scanned by a mobile handset, so the desGnaGon that you are developing for users needs to be mobile opGmized. This means that once a code is scanned, the content should be forma_ed specifically for various mulGple handsets (Apple iOS, Android, BlackBerry). The easiest way to lose a prospecGve customer is to not have your messaging in a format that is naGve to the device it is being viewed on. When developing for mobile handsets, keep in mind the way in which users browse content. When developing for smartphones with touch screens, you need to accommodate users navigaGng with their fingers, hence easy-‐to-‐use, touch navigaGon needs to be incorporated. For BlackBerrys and other feature-‐based phones, the experience may be a bit different and more standard “cursor” navigaGon may need to be uGlized. BAD EXPERIENCE GOOD EXPERIENCE A bad mobile experience is one in which the user is presented with Once you have the user on your mobile site, it is important to keep the standard website that may not have all the funcGonality. Flash enGre experience mobile (unless its part of a larger ‘off-‐mobile’ strategy). components may not show up and standard code can malfuncGon. A good experience is a concise experience where select informaGon Keep your content short, concise and to the point. Don’t try to recreate is produce and presented in a way that is easy to navigate and view. your enGre site on mobile. SGck to the facts. Stay focused. PROVIDE USERS WITH VALUABLE CONTENTNo ma_er where you place your QR code, it is mandatory that you make sure that whatever the desGnaGon may be, you had be_er be offering the users something of worth to them. In many cases, marketers are using the codes to extend the markeGng message will li_le regard for what the consumer wants. The truth is that most of the people scanning QR codes are doing so to get coupons, discounts or some sort of deal. Others are looking for addiGonal informaGon about products. This is the case for many apparel and fashion companies uGlizing codes on tags. When developing mobile strategies, understanding the price of entry for mobile consumers is vital to the success of the campaign. Knowing what it would take to get a user to scan your code and lepng them know what they’re gepng before they scan is the key. Also, there is no “one strategy fits all” methodology here. What works for Calvin Klein may not work for Apple. What works for Apple might not work for Macy’s. As consumers differ, so is the method of entry for them. The playing field is evenly split guys to gals. It is important to match the QR “scanners” demographics to your products’ target market and develop your content based on where these intersect. Make them want to scan it. QR Code Marketing, May 2011

STATS POWERPOINT FODDER QR, or quick response, codes are being adopted by many marketers as a way to entice people into using their mobile phoneto get more information about products and services or otherwise interact more deeply with advertising. Outdoor ads inviteconsumers waiting for the bus to scan a poster to reach a relevant website, catalogs integrate QR codes to hook directlyinto ecommerce sites and stores place codes next to products that direct shoppers to how-to videos online. But how muchhave consumers caught on to what mobile barcodes can do?According to February 2011 research from agency MGH, awareness is high among smartphone owners. Nearly two-thirdshave seen a QR code, and about half that number, or one-third overall, had used one. The demographic breakdown of userswho had seen vs. used a QR code was virtually identical. Smartphone users were almost evenly split by gender, and whileusers under age 55 were relatively few, the field was not dominated by 18- to 34-year-olds. Users who had seen or used QRcodes tended to be more affluent and educated.Most respondents reported seeing QR codes on a product, followed by in a magazine or on a coupon. And they were typically used to get coupons or discounts, or to access informaGon. (source: eMarketer, March 2011) DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE WHERE TO USE THEM WHERE ARE THEY BEING USED US BARCODE GROWTH QR Code Marketing, May 2011

CONTACT USAdding QR codes to the marketing mix is quickly moving from an experimentto an essential ingredient. More studies and credible bodies of research areemerging from venerable institutions like Cornell and Harvard, and industryassociations like eMarketer and Nielson pointing to the increases in positiveconsumer behavior from website visits to increases in sales and increases invalue per order.Let us help you integrate QR codes into your marketing mix in a way thatmakes the most sense for your business Chris Zobel Director of Digital Strategy With over 15 years experience in the digital space, Chris heads up our digital strategy and planning group. Chris is tasked with developing customized digital markeGng strategies for clients, as well as idenGfying opportuniGes and providing digital soluGons to help support the full integraGon of digital media throughout everything we do. From online ads to online gaming, he ﬁnds the right place for the right message. chris.zobel@luckie.com For further insight you can follow Chris on Twi_er twi_er.com/chriszobel

Qrcodemarketing

by Timothy Bosworth on Jul 13, 2011

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Qrcodemarketing — Document Transcript