Valentine's Day Card with a QR Code

Good idea, adding a more visual depth to you average Valentine's Day card.

After scanning this QR Code your are brought into a cute short animated video with hearts and a puppy.

If i had to say something a little critical and guess that's why i created a blog, is the QR Code is a little busy.
Marks & Spencer's in this case should maybe have used a link shortener and hence opens that little bit faster.

However, there has been some opinion that shortened URL's affect SEO?

"There are mixed opinions from SEO experts as to whether shortened URLs can actually harm an SEO campaign so here is what Google had to say about the issue.  Matt Cutts from Google has made a video post about the subject in which he states that shortened URLs are no different to any other form of 301 redirect and ask such no harm should be done to your site by using them.  In fact, he even goes as far to say that they receive the same amount of page rank value as normal URLs". Phew!!!

Last of my 2012 QR Codes- Hello 2013!!!

Dee’s Real Meals

Country of Origin: Ireland

This QR Code is a little small but it is still very effective with the necessary white space around the code which helps create scanning definition. This code scans well and has a really good outcome. There is a short registration form to fill in your details where special offers will be sent to you and you are part of a V.I.P Club. This could be looked at as a QR Code best practice.

Bavaria Beer
Country of Origin: Netherlands

This QR Code (Bavaria) even looks jaded in appearance. It is positioned on plastic packaging that envelopes beer cans. Due to this, the plastic covering stretches easily. This makes the QR Code distorted and almost impossible to scan. Additionally, this is a very dense code which also adds to the complexity of scanning it. In this case, it is a QR Code fail. It has also been observed however; that Bavaria has actually printed the QR Code on each individual cans inside this pack which now scans effectively. However, the scan result is not mobile optimised.


Overall in 2012, the scanning results from the Product Packagaing findings were very poor.

It is clear, that these problems can be easily overcome but there are lessons needed by the QR Code provider to ensure their QR Codes are effective and benefical. Otherwise, QR Codes may only result in poor user experiences and in turn lack of trust in the codes.

QR Codes : 2013

Ok, it's been a few months since i've reviewed QR Codes so i've so much to write about.

Over the next while, i'll review some more QR Codes on products and then let you know about exciting developments in QR Codes and what the future is looking like in 2013.



FIREMAGIC - QR CODE BY BORD NA Mona

This ‘Fire Magic’ QR Code by Bord Na Mona is a managed code by ScanBuy. However, when this code is scanned it says that “This code is currently inactive. Please try scanning other codes. ScanBuy give the opportunity to reinvent old QR Codes and change their outcomes, (even with the same code) so it is unusual and frustrating that this code does not scan. This is a QR Code fail.

Vit-Hit Drink - Country of Origin: IRELAND

This QR Code from Vit-Hit is a little small and at times slow to scan. The user is brought to a Facebook connection page where the ‘Like’ button is suggested.  This QR Code is encouraging the user to connect with them via social media. This outcome is common yet brings no real benefit to the consumer. In addition, the Facebook page (not in all cases) strays away from totally marketing their product with information not associated with the drink. 

Chef’s Cuisine

Country of Origin: Ireland

Though a little small in size, this QR Code from Chefs Cuisine scans well and fast as it is a short and direct link. However, the link just refers the user to their web address which is not mobile optimised. In short, this QR Code does not provide any great benefits to the user; in short this is a QR Code scan fail.

Next Post - One of my favourite QR Codes from last year. 

QR Codes for downloading Product Applications

Absolut Vodka
Country of Origin: Sweden

This QR Code on the Absolut Vodka Bottle scans. However, the user gets a blank page with the following written in small writing on the top: “you do not have permission to open this page”. This is a QR Code scan fail. The reason this Code did not scan effectively is because the QR Code only led to the App Store dedicated solely to an iPhone user. In this case, the company should have used two QR Codes to suit the two main smartphones that is Android  (Play Store) and iOS (Apple). See example below:

Sligo Jazz Trail
A QR Code for each App Store
Here, Sligo Jazz Trail has embraced both of the major phones operating systems.

Interesting to note, is that in Ireland the Android market is slightly greater than the iphone.

49% of respondents think QR Codes are useful : )

Proportionally, this signifies firstly that those that are engaging in QR Codes think that they are useful. Secondly, the fact that 37% of respondents are undecided means that there is potential for QR Codes to have a greater impact. Finally, with only a small number of respondents at 14% thinking QR Codes are not useful then perhaps QR Codes are here to stay.

Next Post: The next post i am going to look at QR Codes i come across in everyday life and check their scanning effectiveness and direction to the consumer.

Survey: Low scanning frequencies in Ireland

In a typical week, QR Code scanning was very low and well below what would have been assumed in relation to other results of the survey. It must be remembered than more than half of the respondents that qualified for survey never scanned a QR Code hence this question would not apply to them.
As scanning is scheduled to increase worldwide, Ireland might be left behind. It may suggest that the barriers  such as no application pre-installed on phone, lack of internet connectivity and users not being educated about the technology are bearing in this result.

Efforts to grow the frequency are a role that needs pan-industry consideration and drive. As no one company actually owns a QR code it may be questioned, who is actually promoting QR Codes themselves. In Ireland there are no QR Codes management companies that offer the full tracking service which is probably why there is not enough 'noise' about them.

It is without doubt, that QR Codes are used far too often for novelty by businesses rather than really concentrating on the potentials it could achieve within the right target market. In some cases, QR Codes are not the proper marketing medium. For example Sligo Hearing Aid Centre sent out flyers about their hearing aids and on the flyer used a QR Code to direct people to their website www.sligohearingaidcentre.ie .
It is assumed in most cases that people availing of a hearing aid are elderly. According to valuehearcare.com the average age of a hearing aid client is seventy years old. If the company firstly did research on Smartphone ownership, they would understand that the elderly are not big purchases in this category. Their technological ability and understanding would not be as great as say a younger person who has been brought up with the mobile phones. Mobile phones really only captured the Irish market in the year 2000. Not being ageist but expecting an elderly person to whip out a smartphone, download an app and scan a QR Code might just be asking a bit much!

Newspapers/Magazines are top scan locations!

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 Ireland but this can’t be said as fact.

Studies highlighted demonstrate Newspapers and Magazine as a good draw for QR Code scanning behaviour. So as QR Codes appear generously in magazines, is this why people are noticing them there more? 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. 

Packaging is no surprise with a high 55%. QR Codes on products in Ireland is on the rise and again it does not mean that the product was produced in Ireland.
Leaflets/Flyer scored 40% and posters just below at 28%. This is a good scanning rate and confirms advertising spent well on these areas. It is assumed when we receive flyers for example that we glance at them and shortly dispose of them. But having a flyer with a QR Code on it might entice people to hang onto it for a bit longer at least until they scan it, increasing the probability of it be seen by more persons. Marketers can also measure the effectiveness of their offline campaign by gaining crucial additional information on their customers who scan the flyers. Posters too see a good scanning rate which in turn demonstrates the proliferation of QR Codes on such media.

Finally, the research shows an Internet site (20%), Billboard (12%), Business Card (11%), Television (5%) and Other (3.5%) with insignificant responses. These rates are not very high but it is suspected that for instance a television QR Code would be a poor medium due to the fact that it would not give ample opportunity for the user to set up so spontaneously. Unless of course they have a pause feature on their remote!!!