I recently came across an Calvin Klein Campaign with a QR code and my first reaction is what’s the deal with the barcode? Today you find QR codes on billboards, newspapers, magazines and online it seems something as strange as a piece of modern art or a puzzle but what does the symbol represent?
Quick Response Codes, better known as QR codes, are both easy and instant for smartphone users. QR codes are basically 2-D barcodes. A smartphone user just has to download a free barcode app, hold the viewer up to the QR code and in seconds the user is directed to instant text, a website, a promotion, a map or whatever the code creator intended. QR codes have recently exploded in the marketing world because of the rapid increase in smartphone users. Nielsen
predicts that 50 percent of mobile phone users will have smartphones in 2011, a huge increase from 21 percent in March 2010. QR codes might be new and even the most technologically savvy people may not be familiar with them, but within the next few years I bet these codes will be recognizable to just about everyone. Why am I so confident about this?
As a Millenial, I only have time for technology that is appealing to me and fits my lifestyle. I’m a big fan of QR codes because they yield instant results and are easy to use.
They’re instant.
Millennials don’t want to wait for information. We want instant gratification. I rely on the fact that I can get my Facebook notifications, e-mail messages, Twitter updates, map navigation, personalized Pandora music and news headlines anytime and anywhere at the touch of a button.
They’re easy. I don’t have time to read directions or walk my way through a complicated process, but I do know how to download an app. If QR code scanners become a default on smartphones, you can bet I’ll use them even more.
They give me the marketing power. Millennials like having the ability to choose their brand exposure. I’m going to avoid messages I don’t want to hear. I close pop-ups and delete e-mails without a second thought. But I will actively seek out the messages I do want. I follow brands and companies on Twitter and I join Facebook groups that spark my interest.
They’ve reinvented the coupon. I like deals. I like to feel like I’m “one-upping” the company and getting something for a lower price. 20% discount on the next Loren Jewels purchase from People Style Watch why not scan and it will automatically take you the site . And do you know what the best part is? I don’t even have to print it. Quick and environmentally friendly.
The numbers already point to an incredible increase in QR code use. Scanbuy’s data indicates that the number of QR code scans has increased from about 1,000 to 35,000 since January 2010. These codes blur the lines of communication and innovative technology, and for Millenials that means they’re sure to be the next big thing.
