Ok So Do QR Codes Make Sense?
Forget about the question do they make sense – I think the more common question might be what is a QR code and should I care?
So here’s my quick QR 101 on what it is, where you might see one, what it can do and some best practices and some examples in use. Hopefully it helps you figure out if it makes sense for you to consider them in your marketing mix.
What is it?
QR (Quick Response) codes are those funny looking boxes that have started popping up all over the place that look like something that belongs in a PacMan game. Yes I’m dating myself with noting PacMan, but I digress. They are similar to barcodes used by retailers to track inventory and price products – the big difference though is the amount of data they can store or share. Bar codes are one dimensional and can hold up to 20 digits and QR codes are multi-dimensional matrix barcodes that can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information.
So what does that mean? When you scan a QR code with your camera enabled smart phone (you need to download an app to do this like Scan Life or Red Laser) you can link to content on the web, activate a phone number, email, IM, SMS etc. immediately.
So where might you see a QR code:
- T-shirt
- On a shelf
- Products
- Print
- Online
- TV
- On a Building
- Receipts
- Business Cards
- On a Rock – really? Yes.
Ok I see the code and I scan it my phone... will it do my laundry? No.
What will it do?
- Drive to a Coupon
- Send a Text Message
- Drive to a Personalized Website URL
- Drive to a YouTube Video
- Call a Telephone Number
- Email Message
- Send a Vcard
- Drive to a Google Map
- Drive to a PayPal Buy Now Link
- Enable WiFi Login
- Drive to Itunes
- Drive to Social Media
and many many other things you might be able to come up with!
Ok so now you’re thinking perhaps you should investigate QR codes a little more and integrate into your marketing plan - What should you keep in mind?
- Make sure the code is in a visible location – not buried in a brochure – billboards, posters, covers of brochures, walls are great places
- Have QR content strategy in place – ie make sure the code links to a CTA or compelling content experience (liking a page, signing up for promotions, etc)
- Make it clear near the QR code what the customer can expect if they scan it – if its not clear, folks won’t scan and those who do won’t know what exactly it is they are looking for and you will lose them
- Make certain your site or landing page is optimized for mobile sites. Most of the folks scanning QR codes are coming through their smart phones – if your site is not optimized for mobile... Not cool!
- Test away – this is one of those apps you want to test the hell out of to make sure it works on all smartphones and make sure you test on a number of different scanning programs (ie RedLaser, Scan Life)
- Track the analytics so that you know which CTA’s are resonating the with your target – remember QR codes are relatively new so don’t get bummed if you see low numbers initially.
Need some examples to understand this concept better?
See how Polo, Brooks Brothers and TomTom used QR codes here!
So that's my skinny on QR codes - now you go ahead and figure out if it is right for you!
What do you mean a company can get in trouble by listening to their customers? That doesn't make sense!!
Actually it depends on the question that was asked. So when does it make sense to ask your customers & when does it make sense to watch them?
Phil Terry & Mark Hurst recently wrote about Walmart & I thought I would join in on this discussion because it’s quite relevant in our marketing world of constant testing & surveying customers to see what they like & dislike.
It’s great these days, we never seem to really go to market with a hunch – we test the hell out of everything before we put it in front of the mass media. This way we know whether or not something jives with the general public or may fall flat.
But what are we testing? Who are we testing it with? Do they truly represent the mass population? And lastly, is what they are telling us truly what they want? I thought this cartoon conveyed this the best:
The answer is a tough one. I would venture to say perhaps some early testing just to gage direction would be nice but I would also say that more importantly, many times it’s how you position the concept to the user & how you ask the question in the survey.
So let’s take a look at what Walmart did back in 2009. In a world where everyone loves the simplicity behind the Apple branding, many brands are trying to follow suit and simplify their brand & product. Walmart takes notice and decides that perhaps their customers need a more simplified shopping experience in their stores that is less cluttered & easier to navigate. Makes sense right? Maybe.... Err... Maybe not....
They do what most smart brands do... Survey their customers first to make sure this is what they are looking for & they ask the question “would you like Walmart aisles to be less cluttered?”
They say YES.
Great, customers have made it clear that this is what they want. Of course they do. Who wouldn’t?
So Walmart moves forward, they clean house, cut down the amount of brands they carry.... Sales start dropping, people start complaining.... But what happened? Isn't this what they wanted? Our customers lied!!
No.
See, the question that was asked was very leading. As Mark points out, Walmart made a common mistake. They asked a question they already felt they had the answer to. The question they should have asked was: What do you like about Walmart? What might improve your shopping experience?
They focused on what the customer said vs. what they actually did.
Walmart customers thrive on low prices. What drives low prices? Variety & brand competition. When they cut down on the variety, the price fluctuation disappeared. So when you lose the variety, you lose competitive pricing & Walmart customers are suddenly no longer happy campers.
So bottom line – remember that while it is important to hear what your customers are looking for, there is a fine balance between surveying customers & watching what they are actually doing. And if you should ask them a question – make sure you are asking the right question or it could cost you millions. Literally.
THANK YOU...
Maya Angelou wrote “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Forget about creating a powerful brand for a moment and think about the last time someone gave you a heartfelt thank you. It felt great didn’t it?
Where did it come from? Your boss? Family member? Friend? A brand?
I experienced this at the simplest, most surprising moment the other day. It came from a 20 month old, my daughter. I gave her a sippy cup and she exclaimed “thank you mumma” with a huge grin on her face. It was the first time I had heard those words come out of her mouth (and hopefully not the last!) but what it brought to light was that it made me feel good.
Two small words invoking such a powerful feeling.
I know what you are thinking. Big deal, she said thanks. Well, it is a big deal and people should pay more attention to this dying art of saying a genuine thank you and the power within those two words. In a world where you can get everything at the touch of a finger, you cannot buy feeling good.
Saying thank you to someone at the right time is worth millions and will go a lot further than you think.
So now, bringing it back to the brand.... The brands that are the most successful out there are the ones that pull at your emotional strings... They strike a chord in you that was unexpected. They elicit a reaction you weren’t expecting. This sweet spot is what every marketing campaign strives for.
So what are some good examples of thank you goodness?
Heineken thanking their Facebook fans offline.
Ikea thanking their staff by giving each and every one of them a bike.
Now you may not have the money or manpower to do what these brands did but there are simple things you can do on your site on your thank you page. Don’t miss out on that opportunity.
Lastly, you don’t have to be Oprah or a big brand to make someone feel good as evidenced by my little girl. So go thank your friend, colleague, family member or even your pet.... I guarantee you, that thanks will come back to you at some point, just as unexpected.
Ok So Do QR Codes Make Sense?
