Are QR Codes Right for Your Show?

QR codes should certainly be part of a marketer’s toolbox today. As with any tool, knowing when to use it is key so watch out for the “shiny object syndrome” here.

Mobile barcodes can provide an incremental call-to-action. They can activate a print media campaign, and help exhibitors engage attendees at trade and consumer shows. Audi did a great job integrating QR codes into their exhibit at the last LA Auto Show.  (See the post on my visit to the show.)

Tasked correctly, barcodes can add real value to marketing campaigns. However, as you think about using QR codes for your show, think about your audience’s mobile media habits first. Overall QR code penetration in the US is growing but remains low.

In a July 17, 2012 article, eMarketer indicates that 10.1 percent of US adult mobile phone users scanned a barcode in 2011; a number they project will rise to 12.4 percent this year.

Yes, this represents millions of people but when looking at penetration numbers such as these, it is important to note not just the number of people engaging in the activity, but also how much they are engaging in the activity.

In this case, the above penetration numbers simply indicate someone made a minimum of one scan.  eMarketer points out that “vast numbers of users are not making regular use of barcodes,” and goes on to reference a data point from mobile solutions provider Mobio, which “found 60 percent of North American consumers who scanned QR codes in Q3 2011 did so just once.”

Unless your audience significantly over indexes on QR code use, or you are looking to run a niche program, there may be better choices for your show, especially when choosing the wrong tactic may be much more costly than you think in terms of “opportunity cost”—the benefits that you would have received had you chosen a tool which better matched your audience’s media habits.

Keep in mind the issue here is not QR codes. They are a proven tactic that delivers results to plenty of marketers. The issue is…are they right for your show?!

Posted on July 26, 2012