We've got a new obsession that does not involve exceptional shoes, the rise of
mini pastries, or exceptional retail experiences... The QR code.
In the weeks since we posted
statistics on who is currently scanning these funny little codes, it has become more apparent how this trend has potential for greatness once executed flawlessly. And since we're far from experts in this digital space, we decided to turn to our go-to experts: Uzi Askenazi and Julie Askenazi of
Medium.
What is the future of QR codes?
Uzi: QR codes offer great potential for brands and retailers, but consumers, particularly female consumers, have been slow to embrace them. Unfortunately, a fair percentage of QR integration appears to be initiated for trend purposes more so than retail use, as evident by poor placement or linking to websites that are not mobile-optimized.
Uzi and Julie, how can a campaign appeal to a female demographic?
Uzi: Macy's "Backstage Pass" campaign is a great example of integrating QR codes into a retail promotional strategy.
Julie: I also really like the Macy’s campaign, because it’s not just making great use of current technology, it’s leveraging their celebrity partnerships and presenting new, unique content to consumers — while complementing the brand identity. By insetting the QR codes into the red stars they’ve made new technology friendlier and as a result, customers are more likely to engage in the campaign.
In our previous post we stressed the importance of creating brand cohesivity. What are some basic design tips you share with your clients?
Julie: QR codes can be a strong marketing tool, but they should augment messaging — not become the message. If used properly, QR codes allow for cleaner packaging and print design since supportive content can be contained on the website and accessed via the scan. Unitag allows users the flexibility to create codes using brand colors, which is especially important for prestige and luxury brands where aesthetics are critical.
Can you give us an example of a prestige brand that has created campaign that is clean and cohesive?
Julie: The current Supersmile print campaign is a great example of QR integration. A powerful headline reinforces the product benefit with a message that is so unexpected from a prestige brand you want to scan the code for more information. Unfortunately, when I scanned the code, I wasn’t served the Testimonials page I was expecting. Instead, I received an error message, apparently due to the link being miscoded when the QR code was generated. This is a sad, expensive example of the QR code learning curve that lies ahead for both brands and consumers.
It's so unfortunate that we don't know the content related to the Supersmile campaign! Are fail rates common?
Uzi: They should not be if you have a proper testing protocol. It's fairly easy to generate and customize QR codes. Apparently, if you set a high error level when creating a code, you can erase parts of it and replace it with an image. How cool is that?
Very cool indeed. But since this is newish to users, are there circumstances where design overpowers the concept?
Julie: As much as I love this Angry Birds print concept, I would be concerned that many people won’t realize they’re looking at a QR code, which would seemingly defeat the purpose of the ad.
Lastly, how might a brand use a QR code to simplify messaging?
Julie: Other brands are missing the opportunity to fully engage their market by not using QR codes. L'Oréal’s Youth Code print campaign includes a link to the brand’s microsite but only in very small type near the bottom. A QR code is likely to have achieved higher click-through and it would have aesthetically complemented the product name and visuals, while also adding a greater sense of technology to the brand.
We would love to see more campaigns integrate design and QR codes effectively. Unfortunately, 27% of the QR codes we scanned in the November 2011 issue of InStyle failed. If you see a great example that you would like to share, please
tweet it to us or post it our
our facebook page.
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Uzi Ashkenazi and Julie Ashkenazi are co-founders of
Medium— a strategic eCommerce and online marketing studio dedicated building unique, compelling and successful brands with cohesive design aesthetics and analytics.
