QR codes just got a massive jumpstart
Apple might have just kickstarted QR codes. The mobile phone giant has revealed that their iOS 11 will finally provide a QR code scanner, without you having to go through all the hassle of downloading a 3rd party app! Even better, the new feature will be built right into the most commonly used app, the camera – making it super easy to access.
It’s about time too. Up until now, QR codes have failed to capitalise on their potential and hit the mass market. If you were to ask consumers the relevance of that mysterious symbol found in the corner of direct mail postcards, business cards and vehicle wraps you’d be met with a blank face by most. As a result, even the small task of downloading a free app is enough to filter out people from using them.
Considering that time-saving is the main reason for using QR codes, the inconvenience of downloading a scanning app has been a major problem. QR codes were only ever going to be a success if there were no barriers to scanning them. Apple have just made that happen. Their small but important change has made QR scanning easy to stumble across, access and dead simple to use.
There’s no doubt that Apple has the power to transform how we communicate and connect in our everyday life and we expect this change to have massive implications in how we tie together print with digital communication.
A bridge from offline to online
QR codes act as an instant portal from your offline media to your online media, allowing you to direct consumers to your more advanced and interactive content. As Apples change rolls out and causes other brands to follow suit, including a QR code on your business cards, brochures, posters, event displays and pretty much everything else will become a crucial way to connect consumers to your brand and stay competitive.
The possibilities are endless. QR codes are so versatile that they can be used for pretty much any purpose. They can take users to your mobile website, social media profiles, a video, even a google map location. This opens a whole new world of exciting ways to market your company and improve user convenience.
QR codes are also incredibly cost effective and environmentally friendly – they cost nothing to produce and mean you can make more efficient use of printed materials. Finally, they’re measurable. All actions completed via QR codes can be traced and analysed, giving you more insight into the minds of consumers.
If you want to stay ahead of the game and capitalise on this huge opportunity, it might be time to consider using them in your marketing strategy. If would like to discuss any aspect of your marketing strategy with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch.