Originally created in 1994 with a short resurgence in the early 2010’s, QR codes once felt like a useless ex who kept coming back time after time with nothing to offer. After technological advancements, most consumers adopting a smartphone, and a raging pandemic in 2020 that changed the way we live, it looks like QR codes have made an official comeback and that they’re here to stay. 

What can marketers learn from the rise of QR codes?

Prioritize Convenience

QR codes are quick and simple, making an easy integration into our everyday lives. Since consumers are always on the go and want the option that is easiest to understand, scanning an image that links to exactly what one needs to know is extremely consumer friendly. 

The convenience has trickled into day-to-day proceedings like ordering food at a restaurant or scheduling a doctor’s office appointment. QR codes are more convenient for the consumer and for the brand because they’re touchless and require less work to update (imagine printing out a new menu every time there is a new dish…). 

Marketing Lesson: How are you prioritizing your consumer’s convenience in your offerings? Is your product or service easy to understand? 

Invest in the Right Technology at the Right Time

By evaluating where your audience is, you can invest in the right technology. When QR codes first came around, not as many consumers had smartphones. QR codes required the use of a separate QR code reader app vs. smartphone cameras automatically recognizing and taking action. The process was new and clunky, and not appealing to users. Now that QR codes are more mainstream, and technology has advanced quite a bit, it makes sense for companies to utilize QR codes in processes and campaigns.  

Marketing Lesson: High tech can seem enticing, but if your audience isn’t there yet, meet them where they are. Investing in new technology will certainly keep you ahead of the game, but make sure your audience is ready…otherwise your strategy may flop. 

Optimize Special Features for Creative Campaigns 

There is a reason why Coinbase used a QR code for their Super Bowl ad in 2022. Not only was this move innovative, but the data tracking aspect of the campaign was brilliant. To have a gauge on the performance analytics of a campaign is a game changer. With traditional media like printed ads or billboards, or even a TV spot, there isn’t a certified method to know if your campaign is actually successful. QR codes make campaigns more accessible for consumers, and offer insights for marketers into what actually performs well. 

Setup is actually launching our first direct mail campaign in 6 years. By mailing a QR code with an intriguing design and message, we hope to increase engagement and interest. 

Marketing Lesson: With the growing popularity of QR codes, users will need to become more technologically savvy and less trusting. A move towards more digital campaigns means a potential increase of phishing attacks and malicious websites posing as something they are not. How is your brand building trust with and educating consumers?

Now that it’s 2023 and the days of 2020 feel quite distant, talk of QR codes is not much of a shock…here are the top 10 tech trends to look out for according to Forbes. 

Three big trends getting bigger by the minute are:

• ChatGPT - ChatGPT is AI trained to interact in a conversational way. This could change how websites and blogs run, and the AI is becoming advanced enough to take MBA exams and Medical licensing exams.

• Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) - NFTs are more than just digitized, rare paintings for the super wealthy. Sure, right now they may seem laughable…but just like QR codes needed time to find their stride, NFTs could change how we use digital to interact with our day to day.

• Web3 - This is the new iteration of the World Wide Web that includes crypto and blockchain (and even those fancy NFTs from above). Read more about it here.