Remember when we all thought QR Codes were a fad and would soon be a thing of the past? How things have changed. They are everywhere! Direct mail, walls, signs, flyers, packaging and more. A recent survey by Statistafound that 32% of respondents had scanned a QR code in one week! The same survey found that an estimated 11 Million households were forecast to have scanned a QR Code in 2020. This would have meant an increase from an estimated 9.76 Million scans in 2018, and that was pre-pandemic.
The pandemic has only increased their relevancy and popularity with most consumers seeking contactless options. Most restaurants did away with paper menus during the pandemic asking customers to scan a QR code to see the menu. QR Codes offer consumers a way to click and explore, to navigate from print to digital with a simple click. Most smartphones no longer require an app to interact with a QR code.
QR codes offer brands the opportunity to take consumers from a printed advertising piece to exactly where they want them to go online. Whether it’s a page specific to an event, a special offer, or an online form, QR codes offer consumers a much easier way to get online.
How some brands are getting creative with QR Codes
Brands are getting more sophisticated and creative with how they integrate QR codes into their marketing because they’ve recognized their effectiveness. Dimensional mail has proven to be more effective than traditional direct mail and brands have taken it a step further by combining creative direct mail design with a QR code.
Take this example for BMW. The inside of this self-mailer featured a letter to customers which was personalized with the recipient’s first name and a QR code they could scan to book an appointment.
Canada Post used this sales kit brochure to deliver the features and benefits of direct mail marketing and to encourage recipients to participate in a special contest. The inside of the unique square-shaped brochure featured different tabs of information that pull out and lock with each tab communicating a different phase of the communication lifecycle. The middle of the brochure also featured a well with a web key that could be easily pulled out with a lift tab. The call to action was to insert the web key, scan the QR code or mail in the attached BRC to register for a free webinar and the opportunity to win a trip to the CMA Direct Marketing Conference.
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