QR codes offer an easy way for a consumer to transfer from a brand’s printed communication to a brand’s digital message.  Instead of asking the consumer to take the time later to view your digital message a marketer can ask the consumer to take actionnow by scanning the QR code with their mobile phone.  The moment a consumer chooses to scan the QR code, they become more engaged with the brand and its message and one in five scanners will ultimately make a purchase.

Who are the people behind the scans —  which customers are more likely to scan your code?  A ComScore QR code survey found the following QR code user demographics:

– Sixty percent of scanners are male.
– Over one third are 18 to 34 years old, followed by one fifth of the audience falling into the 35 to 44 age bracket.
– Finally, over one third of QR code scanners have an annual household income of more than $100,000.

Additionally, over half of smartphone owners have a QR code scanner app downloaded onto their cell phone and throughout the past two years QR code scans have grown exponentially.

More and more QR codes are becoming mainstream, with there being less and less people who do not know what a 2D bar code is capable of doing for them.  Consumer studies show that most people report the reason for scanning a QR code was because the printed message promised some sort of special offer or deal — this was followed closely by people simply wanting more in-depth product information.

Print that includes QR codes enable your brand to realized a higher engagement rate and, also, allows your message to receive a higher reach and frequency among your target audience.

How do you use QR codes to enhance your marketing campaign?

Timothy Freeman
President
Print & Graphic Communications Association