QR codes can be a creative and affordable solution, if used well. Here, some examples from around the world.
In February 2012, comScore released a report that shows that 42 percent of mobile phone users in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy are smartphone owners. And Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2014, mobile web usage will have overtaken conventional desktop usage.
Why does this matter? As a content marketer, you need to figure out how to connect with your audience using mobile. One easy way to get it done: the QR code.
QR Codes have to be useful, not just a modern ornament
The key to taking advantage of QR codes is simple: make sure the landing page of your QR code is relevant to your audience, opportunistic and traceable. Don’t use QR codes to direct users to a conventional web page.
The best way to explain how to use QR codes is to point to examples from all over the world. I turned to Matjaz Kofol, who is a creative and managing director of Esponce, who gave me these seven examples.
QR codes for shopping
Tesco management asked: “Can we become the number one grocery brand in Korea without increasing our number of stores?’ The answer is an amazingly innovative solution: a “virtual store” at subway stops that looks a lot like a photo of a typical grocery store shelf, but with a QR code placed at each product for phone-based grocery shopping.
World Park campaign, NYC
To attract younger visitors, Central Park turned the famous city park into an interactive board game during Arbor Day weekend. More than 1,800 visitors used the codes to find out about the history of the park, watch movie clips, and view the park through historical photos. Organizers called it an “outdoor, mobile museum.”
QR code on a cattle
A French dairy farm painted QR codes on cattle to fuel a popular virtual “scratch game.” Users can win discounts and gifts at the farm’s small store, and the novelty helped fuel a jump in visitors.
Competition for the world’s biggest QR code
Sometimes it’s less about the code’s interactivity and more about the hype surrounding the code.
QR code puzzle
Filmmaker Svanes Kolding retrofitted a crossword puzzle into a QR code to elevate the code’s look and meaning. Like the Tesco examples, eBay fuels a pop-up store in London by using QR codes to help customers shop a Christmas boutique. Imagine a store without any physical inventory!
Content-rich CV
This example of a QR-enriched resume must be seen to be appreciated. Rather than use a QR code to simply point to more information online, this French job-seeker took a completely creative approach to combining print and video.
QR CODE – Content-rich Resume from Victor petit on Vimeo.
What other examples of creative QR codes have you seen?
QR code image via Shutterstock
