The QR Code Social Tipping Point Approacheth - Repent & Believe!

What is this “social tipping point” I speak of?  Simply put, it’s when Average Joe Schmoe from Normalsville, Americatown recognizes one of these goofy little squares and immediately knows that he can scan it to get cool stuff.  And believe me or not, in the United States, I think it’s slated to happen this summer.  Let’s look at some indicators and factors in play:

Widely Available Mobile Hardware & Software That’s Capable

  • These are the prerequisites.  Just a few years ago when smartphones represented less than 10% of the market nothing else really mattered.  Now the penetration has eclipsed 50%, and with almost all new shipments being smartphones the adoption curve in the coming months is exponential.
  • Despite the general lack of native handset support for QR scanning, a groundswell of downloadable barcode scanning apps has amazingly managed to carry QR into the mainstream.  And that’s because YOUR MOM is doing it with apps like ShopSavvy (18M downloads).  Maybe more amazing is that adoption numbers have doubled in just the last 3-4 months.
  • Native handset support looms on the horizon.  BBM 5.0 actually already has it, but it’s not very obvious.  Here’s some big news (technically a rumor I guess) that only I can share because, well, it was privileged information (lol, don’t trust me with secrets).  The Android team is incorporating QR scanning directly into the Camera app in an upcoming release.  I can’t disclose my source (rhymes with Oduct Anager for Oogle Oggles) but you can imagine how this is going to blow the doors off the QR party.

Real World Engagement Grows Exponentially + Recall Bonus

A recent study by MGH spoke volumes about the growing prominence of QR code marketing to the mainstream consumer.  Here’s the highlights:

  • Whoa. Two-thirds of smartphone users can remember seeing a QR code.  This implies they know what it is.
  • Half the folks that have recently seen a QR code have scanned it.  I expect this to grow as the value behind the code continues to get better.  (As interesting point of reference, think about how many people have recently clicked a banner ad online.)
  • Wowzers, this is such a HUGE BONUS, and definitely something to take advantage of right now.  72% of smartphone users are likely to recall an ad with a QR code on it.  Even if the consumer doesn’t end up scanning it, the QR code helps your marketing stand out from the noise.
  • Not surprisingly, consumers want QR codes to give them something valuable, deliver rich content and connect on social media.  Everything we’ve been telling you here at ShareSquare for a while now (smiley face).

I also consider it a harbinger of things to come that gigantic retailers like Best Buy and The Home Depot are now extensively using QR codes in both their Out-Of-Home marketing and as a supplement to the in-store shopping experience.

While it’s hard to get a sense of just how much more scanning is taking place (because there are so many different apps) we can infer the % growth in overall volume from Scanlife’s quarterly Trend Report and this Mashable infographic courtesy of JumpScan:

  • The 12x increase in scanning activity over 6 months is pretty compelling, especially considering it’s certainly accelerated even more since December 2010.
  • An interesting note from ScanLife’s most recent trend report is that for the first time, among apps that Scanlife is tracking, QR code scans actually outnumbered 1D/UPC scans.

One last factor in play that’s so obvious it’s easily overlooked: in most of America it’s finally getting warm enough to spend lots of time milling about outside.  Since many QR code engagements are Out-Of-Home, a whole slew of no-longer-bemittened consumers will have more time and opportunity to interact with these campaigns.

The Takeaway

So what’s all this mean? In short, QR codes are no longer just for the niche & geeky audience, they’re now an effective tool in the mainstream marketing arsenal of artists, event promoters, agencies, studios, retailers, brands and more.

The approaching “social tipping point” is a train pulling into the station, and this summer you have the opportunity to hop on, right on time. Whether you’re a novice band promoter or a seasoned pro agency marketer, you can use the ShareSquare platform as your one-stop-shop for creating, deploying and managing your QR code campaigns.  We’ve taken out much of the guesswork by incorporating best practices and immediately optimizing the experience for all mobile devices, so you don’t have to worry about re-inventing the wheel.  Give it spin with a free account, you can be up and running in minutes.

  • Roger
    Matthias:

    Here's my take...

    Why do companies and/or individuals feel compelled to time the 2D/QR Code market and tipping point? There is no need to speak or think of the technology in this way. Instead of prompting brands and agencies to worry about whether or not now is the right time to act, my thought is that the technology is currently available, and works, for any and all to use, so they should do so as they see fit. Period. Either they want to use the technology as a tool to engage in a new and different way with their audience or they don't. Either they want to use the technology as a means to differentiate versus the competition or they don't. 2D is not the silver bullet, by a long shot, all it is is another tool, tactic, idea that a brand or agency can use and should use in an integrated approach.

    Of course it means a great deal that the majority of mobile devices are now smartphones (based on your quote) and that code reader app downloads and usage is on the rise, but this should not come as a surprise. It's market evolution, plain and simple. It was, and is, only a matter of time.

    In summary, my thought is that for as long as there are meaningless and valueless 2D campaigns being developed by brands and agencies alike, and launched into the marketplace, it makes little difference when the tipping point may or may not be.

    Yes, no, maybe?

    Roger Marquis
    2D Barcode Strategy
    www.2dbarcodestrategy.com
  • Matthias Galica
    Roger, thanks for the insightful comment, your points are well taken. From the marketer's perspective (or anyone considering enhancing their promotions with QR codes) the idea of a social tipping point has value in lessening or removing the need to consider the level of awareness in the target audience, and to what extent they might be bearing the burden of a learning curve. While folks like you and I are keenly aware of which early adopter demographics have been the savviest, I feel like the effort (or perceived effort) of making this assessment has stymied many a marketer deciding whether to deploy QR-enhanced campaigns.

    I believe that having the confidence that this technology can serve the full market, whether that's electro-pop fans in New York City or weekend moviegoers in Omaha, will embolden many to try it out. I think that, in addition to raising scanning conversion rates across the board, is the biggest benefit here.

    Now whether they'll know well enough how to properly craft a call-to-action tied to compelling content beyond the code is another question entirely :) It's certainly the next big education challenge, one your blog does well to champion, and one of the primary reasons we've sought to imbue the ShareSquare platform with as many best practices and guidelines as possible. Looking forward to leading the charge together :)
  • Roger
    I see your point and understand better what you're driving at. My question...are brands and/or agencies even asking the question regarding a tipping point and all things 2D? Do they really care? How does one tell? If they did care and they understand the dynamics of the marketplace, level of consumer acceptance, etc., then why do we end up seeing less than ideal campaigns? In other words, it seems as though they may be asking the question, do we jump in, but they don't ask the next logical question, with our head or our feet. Make sense? One should directly follow another.
  • Matthias Galica
    Another good point, yes. In my interactions the question is "will our consumers use this" is a frequent one, I think this makes for a confident answer. Whether they then give this new opportunity the attention to detail it deserves is another question entirely, which is why we look to remove as many failure points as we can.
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