Don't know what a QR code is? Don't fret, around two thirds of punters don't have a scooby what they are either. This is a QR code:
They're really visually attractive, eh? I bet art directors just loooove putting these on top of a beautiful photo that took a whole day to capture.
In order to use a QR code, you need to have a smartphone with a QR reader application installed. (Never mind that over 60% of the population don't have smartphones, and of the remaining lot that do have one, most don't even know what the jumble of black and white even means. Let's just ignore the fact that most people can't even access a code to begin with, therefore removing the vast majority of an average advertiser's customer base. It's fine to ignore your customers' behaviours when novelty call to actions make an appearance. Honest.)
So. The idea is to open the smartphone application and then scan it over a code in order for it to take you to a website address. That's what a QR code does. It's an alternative for a web address.
In case you haven't guessed already, I am not an advocate of these squares. However, I felt it was only fair to do a test to see whether these things have any merit. If my test was fruitful, I'd have to concede that QR codes are indeed useful and there is a genuine reason for having a monochrome square of 8-bit vomit at the corner of an ad.
I did try to be impartial when I was doing this. Seriously. I've done two experiments in total so far. Number 2 is for another post.
QR Code Experiment Number 1
Picture this. I'm on a packed ScotRail train on its way through to Glasgow. I spy an ad across the way from where I'm sitting with a QR code. This is ideal for a real-life test. The scene looks a little like this:
Okay, this photo is not ideal. But I was sitting opposite a woman (you can just see her head) and I spotted the QR code at the bottom left of the ad. This is a typical situation where a code has been used on a piece of print advertising.
So, now I need to either type in the web address that's on the ad with my smartphone (quick and painless), or take a photo of the QR code at the bottom of the ad. As this is a code experiment, I am clearly going to brandish my phone and attempt to take a scan of it. There's just a slight problem. There's a woman in the way, and she's looking at me like I'm a creepy nutter attempting to photograph her. Which, in a lot of ways, is kind of true. So I decide to wait in order to avoid being arrested.
Ah-hah! Now she's left (you can still see her looking at me like I'm mental) and the seat is vacant so I can take a scan of the code. As we can all see, the code is not going to be picked up by the smartphone from where I'm sitting. I MUST GET CLOSER.
This is a bit better. Now I'm standing up and leaning a wee bit over the table, waving my smartphone about in an attempt to get reception and sort my reader app out. Nearly there... Let the scanning commence!
Despite the space-age reader, it's not working. I'm still too far away. So I need to get closer. I need to get so close that I have to practically snog the David Mach spikey screaming face. I'm wearing low-slung jeans on the day of the QR Code Experiment Number 1, but this is definitely a bad idea as I end up mooning my fellow passengers with ass-crack because I'm leaning over the table so much in a desperate attempt to capture this code.
I get so excited when the code finally works that I forget to screen shot it. You'll need to forgive me. Suffice to say, it eventually works, but the code needs to get to the full size of the phone screen. Still, at least a relevant and informative webpage will soon be presented to me. (Let's just forget that all the information I actually needed was already on the ad.)
Ah, lovely. Despite QR codes being formatted for smartphones, I have not landed on a mobile friendly page. It's formatted for normal web browsers. Never mind, let's negotiate this anyway. There are TWO different links to a David Mach exhibition; I don't know which one is the advertised show. Upon click through to both events, there is no extra info that was not already contained on the ad.
Great. I've just spent five minutes staring out a stranger, waving my phone about like an idiot and displaying my arse to the train. And I didn't even get any more information!
Out of interest, here's the page I'd have landed on if I'd just typed in the web address on the phone browser:
Okay, it's still not formatted for mobile web, but the David Mach exhibition is on the front page, there's only one link (less confusing) and in order to get here I did not have to faff about one bit.
What have I gained from this QR code experience? A cold arse.
I have had a nose at the bit.ly link that the code is aligned to and there have been 209 referrals to the website so far; however I don't have a breakdown of the QR code percentage (and no idea of bounce rate etc). So still no clear idea of whether this is working... Do you think this is this proving a successful referral mechanism? Maybe my experience isn't the norm?
What do you think of these codes? I'm always interested in hearing the pros and cons of ad stuff...
Evening Claire!
ReplyDeleteNice 'in the field' experiment!
A lot of talk about QR codes at the minute, mostly criticism.
It's not the technology that's the issue (although until readers are standard on phones that will be a barrier), it's how they're being used. In situations like this, the actual URL is probably pretty short anyway so the QR code doesn't really add anything. Whereas if it was a unique voucher which had a long session id it wouldn't be viable to type into your phone.
So to summarise, I think people need to consider what a QR code actually adds before using it. Most are currently getting it wrong!
Geoff
It doesn't add anything. It's a longer, more complex, more convoluted way to put over a very simple piece of information. As a designer I was always taught the golden rule was to keep things simple. QR does the opposite. And as the article says, it's damn ugly too.
ReplyDeleteWhile I can't stand them they can be useful to determine just at what point you accessed the content. Each QR code can be tagged discreetly so that it can be determined if a poster is on a train or on a bus or whatever and you can then measure which media space is given a stronger return.
ReplyDeleteThere are other ways to do this of course but QR codes are cheap and cheeky. I'm not a major fan but I can see why marketing managers looking to understand how effective their media spend and placement is would go all funny in their heads about them.
Stewart, Geoff, you make some good points. I will address them in the QR Code Experiment Number 2; to be written later this week.
ReplyDeleteMark, your designer's mantra is something I wholeheartedly agree with. That particular code was brining nothing to the party. So why bring it along at all?!
Great article. Just goes to show that a QR code is often just a shortcut to get to content.
ReplyDeleteWe're trying to improve this one mobile web site at a time - then advise clients on how best to place their QR codes where it's going to make some sense for users - not just for them.
Now all you need are some warm trousers.
Good read. I think you have to balance out design sensibilities (QR codes are ugly) with practicalities (ie, it's not the poster's fault you were so far away from it) but not taking you to a mobile optimised site is a bit of a fail.
ReplyDeleteAs Dan says it's a shortcut and I think that's where they win - instead of typing in a URL you scan and go.
You also need to be able to make sure people can access the content (ie, have a signal) which was a problem with a QR stunt I did earlier in the year.
I really like QR Codes because they make adverts interactive and you can get really creative with them, we listed them on our blog http://www.thebiggerexperience.com/blog/?p=389.
ReplyDeleteBut you do make a great point - the scanning technology is not where it needs to be. Sometimes you can't even scan the codes when you are really close as your phone's camera is really bad.
I wish that you could just use your normal phone camera, instead of an app and it would take you directly to the site...
It really entertains me seeing marketing firms trying to harness new tech. The shenanigans that goes on in the SEO world is the only thing funnier. So I'm firmly in the cynical camp. However, I did recently see QR codes being used for a much more satisfying reason than advertising. It was at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Many of the information boards for artefacts now have QR codes where you can find out tons more information. Meant much less clutter in the museum and fully showcases the museum's research.
ReplyDelete