Further analysis of where people scan.

Todays blog looks further into the findings that were graphed in the previous blog (also seen below).

Looking again at the comparison table between Ireland and the EU (5), there is an interesting comparison with people scanning ‘At Home’ being similar in percentages.

Interesting to note, is Irelands higher public transport scan but much lower scans in stores, shops and restaurant.

At work is 14% lower than the EU 5 but that survey encompassed persons of the age thirteen plus whilst the Irish survey was geared at over 18’s.


Outside or public transport holds a reasonable 28% as favoured among participants.
"Free wifi services will be available on a larger number of Bus Éireann routes, after the operator began rolling out free internet services on 88 new buses. 23 commuter coaches operating in the Greater Dublin area are being given Wi-Fi shortly, with five new city single and double-decker buses going into service in Cork, and seven new buses in Galway."This explosion of internet access on Irish public transport has meant more travellers are joining the online world on their mobile phones.

‘Other’ lies at 10% while at work just behind at 9%. The relevant factor here is that the 'Other' category was made up of Restaurants, Supermarkets, retail store and college but not one of these categories reaching anything higher than 2.5% scan. Therefore, in store marketing spend on QR Codes is not seen as advantageous. Further dissection might reveal that retail stores and some restaurants have little or no internet connectivity yet alone phone coverage.

Elsewhere in Korea, when Tesco used posters of supermarket shelves complete with QR codes , the result was that more than 10,000 people scanned the QR codes, new customer registrations rose by 76%, and online sales were up by 130%.

There are regional factors here which aided the success of the campaign. For one, the underground has Wi-Fi so no connection issues. Also, many mobiles in Korea have built in QR readers, which remove one huge barrier from the whole process.

Where have you found the QR Codes that you have scanned?

A staggering 65% have seen a QR Code in a Newspaper/Magazine. We do not know the origin of these Newspaper or magazines but it could be suggested that the newspapers are mainly of Irish production and the magazines a mixture of Irish, U.K and U.S. This high result may be the influence of foreign marketing in Ireland but this can’t be said as truth.

Earlier in the blog, it was noted that Newspapers and Magazine are a good draw for QR Code scanning behaviour.

When one is reading a magazine or newspaper it is thought that they are relaxing and not rushed. Therefore the likelihood and ability to notice a QR Code is greater. More importantly however, is from our survey findings and other studies we learn that QR Code scanning behaviour happens mostly in the home. Hence, the use of a further graph below to explain our Newspaper/Magazine results.

It is indicated that over half of respondents scanned a QR Code while at home and the most popular medium was Newspapers and Magazines. This is a key finding for future QR Code logistical implementation. This insight gives a clear view of where we like to be when we scan a QR Code and compliments other survey findings.

For comparison purposes, please see below.

*The EU 5 is made up of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (ComScore, 2011)

Further analysis in next post  : )

Motivations for Scanning a QR Code

What is it that the marketing manager has to do to grab our attention to scan a QR Code?

It seems the answer is inherent within us, our overwhelming desire or Curiosity is the point of persuasion. It is evident that QR Codes still contain a significant level of curiosity among respondents (74%).

Respondents from my survey were given an opportunity to select more than one motivational factor so percentages will add up greater than a total of 100.

 ‘To find out further information’ was the second most incentive with 29% selecting this option. This can only be good news for business. This is proving that QR Codes are working and can increase financial spend. The offline material that was used to bring the consumer to the online world has worked.  Additionally, It is well rehearsed  that consumers like to research online before they make a purchase in store. Hence, QR Codes are facilitating customer research in the purchasing scenario.

More importantly, companies using 'managed' codes can find out information on these consumers that they would never have been able to access before.

QR Codes management can provide:
- Number of scans
- Number of unique users
- Time & date
- Location of scans
- Type of phone (operating system)
- Representative demographics


The next factor sees ‘Quick access to a website’ at 25% being another motivational selection. The reasons for this could be similar to those that wanted further information but also include what is truly great about QR Codes-the idea of not having to type in a long website address on your mobile phone is gracious. It is generally accepted that users even on their desktop computer do not enjoy typing in website address and prefer the arguable quicker option of using the Google search bar. The QR Code also omits any spelling errors you may have while typing in your web address. Finally, your mobile phone screen is unlike other display screens and typing a website address can be cumbersome at the best of times.

Consumers enjoy Giveaways and Competitions; this sees 15% of the scanning ratio among Irish respondents. This is somewhat below a similar type survey in the U.K which quantifies that 42% would scan a QR code in order to access a discount voucher, 23% out of curiosity, and 21% to find out more about the product advertised.  Perhaps, the reason for the low scanning rate in Ireland of Giveaways and Competitions is because QR Codes are still quite new and companies have not actually used the Codes as a Competiton/Giveaway method option but rather the more basic use such as a web address.  Implementing a Competiton for example via QR Codes may be more difficult for business to get right  and the choice for an easier QR code conversion is preferred. It may also be assumed that implementing a Competition/Giveaway via QR code is not within the capability (knowledge) of business.

The ‘Other’ responses were insignificant in that there was no further insight gained.

Some reasons why people don't scan!

Do not have QR Code App on Phone:
One third of people do not scan a QR Code because they do not possess a QR Code Application (App) on their phone. Responses from another question in my survey suggests that a QR Code Reader has only been installed on 13% of respondents phones. (This means that when a person buys a new phone the QR Code Reader application is already pre-installed on their phone). Therefore, 87% of respondents had to go and download this application. There are many applications pre-installed on smartphones in Ireland though the QR Code Reader is not among these high rankings.

It doesn’t interest me:
28% of respondents have confessed that it does not interest them. Lack of creative scanning results or outcomes could be the reason for this. On many occasions a QR Code will translate to boring content or useless information for the user. QR Codes can appear novel for the marketing manager and they may be excited to use them on marketing material. However, not making the outcome creative, unique and interesting may infer respondent’s negativity towards them. A study by Onmobile demonstrated that out of the 1,200 consumers surveyed, over half were not as impressed with the information they got from scanning a code, with only 41% reporting the information they got to be useful.

I don’t know how to scan it:
Almost one quarter of respondents said they did not know how to scan a QR Code. Whose fault is this? It could be argued that it is up to oneself to learn how to scan a QR Code. However, there is evidence that in fact this is the role of the QR Code developer (marketing).
Education by companies displaying their QR Codes needs to be implemented. Many QR Codes present themselves without any indication of what it actually is or/and what you can benefit from scanning it.

I did not know it could be scanned:
The final reason by 20% of respondents for not scanning a QR Code was that they did not know a QR Code could actually be scanned. Again, lack of information next to the QR Code could be a reason for this. Alternatively, the impact of other codes in the product packaging arena could offer further suggestions. It has been observed that Data Matrix Codes for logistical reasons are appearing on everyday goods which are not intended to be scanned by the consumer. They are smaller in appearance yet similar in design. People may feel that the QR Code belongs to this family and therefore are not intended to be scanned. One respondent in my survey replied
“Didn't find info from codes scanned of products in supermarkets useful at all. Often just a number comes up”. This is indicative of a Data Matrix Code scan result which is most cases leads to a product code number. Here, the user has confused the Data Matrix code as a QR Code.

Additionally, there is plenty of evidence of scan fails (A QR Code that does not have the intended outcome such as an out of date link) - A scan fail could be a lost customer. Imagine, this is the first a user has scanned a QR Code and the result was either a poor outcome of a total scan fail. This perturbs the user and may distract them from scanning ever again.

Below, results that show 40% of respondents scanned a QR Code that did not work!!!

45% of respondents have scanned a QR Code

There is little point revelling in the high recognition of QR Codes among respondents if the actually scanning result is low. According to statistics from Scanbuy an American owned scanning company, worldwide scanning behaviour is increasing every quarter year on year. It is learned that Irish companies have invested 32%  into QR Codes as a mobile marketing channel. (earlier post)

It is an interesting finding that although there is a high awareness of QR Codes the scanning rate is not in contention with this. However, 45% of consumers have scanned a QR code which remains a significant proportion for marketers to target.

Next Post: Reasons why respondents have not scanned a QR Code.

Do you know what a QR Code is? - RESULTS

Initially, it was necessary to offer a further opportunity to those that answered ‘No’. Due to extensive research of QR Code questionnaires it was critiqued that an image of a QR Code be included in a survey rather than just asking by name. As you can see from above image, this tactic proved successful.


Therefore, we can say that 206 people out of 220 people recognised a QR Code. That is almost a staggering 94% of respondents recognising a QR Code.
Though research methods and sampling size are different, the results are almost parallel to those of Japan in 2005 where there was a 96.5% had knowledge of a QR Code.

It is interesting to point out that respondents are somewhat familiar with a QR Code by name but the visual image of a QR Code is what triggered overall recognition.
To conclude, a staggering 94% of smartphone owners surveyed in Ireland know what a QR Code is either by name or/and image. This demonstrates the visual proliferation of QR Codes in Ireland.


Next Post:  - How many respondents are actually scanning QR Codes?

Smartphone ownership -RESULTS

Over the next few weeks, i will include results from an online survey conducted in Summer 2012 about QR Codes in Ireland.

Question: Do you own a smartphone?

Of the 332 people surveyed 252 people (76%) own a smartphone while 80 people (24%) do not own a smartphone. This is in line with the prediction by AMAS where smartphone ownership was due to increase from 49% in 2011 to 71% by the end of 2012.

For businesses, the main takeaway is that mobile needs to at the core of marketing strategy.

As the survey was online and only Irish respondents were required, the following question was asked.

Question: Do you live in Ireland?

Of the 250 people that qualified from Question 1 to answer this question, 222 (89%) of respondents were Irish residents while 28 (11%) were not.

After these filtration questions, the exciting results about QR Codes awareness followed.

Results in next post : )

NFC - a threat to QR Codes?

As technology improves, new developments that engage the offline to online world will emerge. The NFC technology may father the QR Code ubiquitous domination or perhaps offer an alternative approach.
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a new, short-range wireless connectivity technology that evolved from a combination of existing contactless identification and interconnection technologies. Products with built-in NFC will dramatically simplify the way devices interact with one another, helping people speed connections, receive and share information and even make fast and secure payments. Operating at 13.56 MHz and transferring data at up to 424 Kbits/second, NFC provides intuitive, simple, and safe communication between electronic devices. NFC is both a “read” and “write” technology. Communication between two NFC-compatible devices occurs when they are brought within four centimetres of one another: A simple wave or touch can establish an NFC connection, which is then compatible with other known wireless technologies such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. NFC can be used with a variety of devices, from mobile phones that enable payment or transfer information to digital cameras that send photos to a monitor with just a touch.

NFC is an evolved form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). The difference is that RFID is a one-way street: But, crucially, NFC is two-way, allowing your NFC-enabled gadget to both send and receive information. The integration of NFC into mobiles allows consumers to easily opt-in to receive information from brands - for example by passing their phone over an NFC touch point to provide their email address and instantly receive more details on the product or service advertised. For brands, this new technology can also provide numerous benefits.
The technology, that can help boost social networking, like sharing contacts, photos, videos or entering multiplayer mobile games, will enable phones to double up as credit or debit cards, thanks to an embedded chip. Handset makers Nokia, Samsung and Research In Motion (RIM) have phone models that are NFC-enabled.

However, Apple’s decision to exclude a near field communications (NFC) chip from its new iPhone 5 handset may threaten or prolong NFC adoption as a contactless payment method at least.

The Future of Mobile Marketing (QR Codes)

QR Codes are gaining in popularity and the numbers of people scanning worldwide has increased (5.3 million scans recorded by ScanLife in June 2012 alone). In Ireland there is a notable proliferation of QR Codes on products, posters, flyers and print media.

“It also took time for people to realise why advertisements contained mutant crosswords” (The Economist 2012).

With the augmentation of smartphone ownership and the government plans of improved broadband there is potential for QR Code scanning to rise significantly.

According to the latest EConsultancy report (based on a survey of more than 650 US companies and agencies carried out in April and May 2012) “1 in 2 marketers are using QR codes to encourage their customers to interact with their brand“, up from just 8% a year ago.
This positions QR Codes as the most used mobile channel for engaging customers, surpassing other mobile channels such as mobile applications (35%), mobile commerce (29%), mobile optimized emails (29%), short message service (SMS) marketing (26%), location-based marketing (17%), multi-media messaging service (MMS) (7%) and Near Field Communication (NFC) (2%).

What is intriguing about this statistic is that much of the other methods (such as mobile optimised emails, SMS and MMS) content is pushed first by the company, where you have no control when you receive the message or even if you want it. With QR Codes you are in control, you are only scanning it because you want to and in the time and situation that is appropriate for you to do so.

Overall, there is huge growth potential for mobile marketing. The figures below shows consumers (U.S) are spending 10% of their media attention on their mobile devices while the medium only commands a mere 1% of total ad-spend. Comparatively, the quickly "dying" print medium attracts only about 7% of media-time, but still captures an astonishing 25% of the total U.S. ad-spend, with print receiving 25-times more ad money than mobile.  The disparity between the two mediums gives a strong indication as to how much room mobile still has to grow.

Limitations of QR Codes

Though the marketing world is steadily embracing QR Codes the actual amount of people adopting (scanning) QR codes in Ireland is undetermined.

The requirement that a QR Code be accessed via smartphones instantly eliminates 63% of today’s mobile market (Nielsen, 2011).

Forrester's research points to four obstacles to broader adoption:
• Many consumers do not know what QR codes are or how to use them;
• QR codes require users to download an application to their phones;
• There are no standards for codes and readers; and
• Content is often disappointing. Most codes only took consumers to company websites.

Lack of uniformity among QR Code scanning applications means that there is no one known QR Reader, there are in fact a plethora of readers which creates ambiguity among users. All QR Code readers are not created equal and it may be necessary to have at least two readers on your mobile device or the necessity to trial a few. This is because some readers need a good quality QR Code image for the scan to be effective, while other readers have a better ability to scan an image.

There is a fear that QR Codes may become another vector for on-line crime to weed its way into people’s devices by linking to malicious websites, and providing new way of luring people into phishing scams. These concerns are legitimate but much alike other communication portals –there is always going to be scams e.g. junk mail, phishing sites, premium text messages. The user should only trust QR Codes that come from a reputable site, brand, source, company and person.

Finally, the impact of new technology such as NFC  is seen to be the biggest limitation or competitor for QR Codes. However, this technology is expensive to implement unlike the free ability to make QR Codes. Additionally, it requires the users phone to have a special component (chip) inside.

Contextualised QR Code

Public and private parts of a contextualised QR Code.
 With thanks to Rouillard (2008)