Ouroboros

I thought this was a very interesting article about QR codes...

Study: Nearly 80 percent of college students can't figure out QR codes - Yahoo! News

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Big Gee

Ouch, just read all the comments on that article. I agree but not the same way. I think there are a bunch of people who jumped on the bandwagon and never fully used them correctly. The businesses know they are a good thing but added no value to them. For example I scanned a QR code on a banana. All I got was nutritional info which for some could be useful, but I would rather have had some recipes also. Or when you scan it and it goes to a full website and not a mobile version.

I've seen QR codes with absolutely no guidance on what to do with it. A little direction would be nice, especially since a lot of people are not aware of the exact procedure on using them. If the QR code was to fail it would be the ignorant marketing behind it that killed it, not the concept of QR code itself.

I still believe it's just growing and this article and the study itself may only drive curiosity.

ASUService

First ... 500 students surveyed across 24 campuses ... oh come on, does anyone really feel that's a good representation? Even including the 40 comments IMHO doesn't cut it. Get a few thousand and you'll get my attention.

One thing I do feel would make things much better is have the camera detect a QRCode, MSTag or Barcode and call a reader automatically. I have thought that for a long time because getting folks to install and use a reader is a huge hurdle. many smartphones do come with a reader these days, but no guidance.

With all due respect doesn't that defeat the purpose? Might as well attach a small book to everything .... oh, wait .... that wont work cuz' you can't get many folks to READ!

QRCode usage within the USA is, for the most part, in it's infancy. Asian countries have been using them for years and I'd be interested in the same stats from users overseas. I'll admit I'm clueless with regard to usage in Europe.

I recently spoke to a contractor who had a QRCode on the back window of his truck. I asked him if it was making a difference to which he responded with a quick and emphasized yes.

Just my $.02

Best Regards,
Mike Allton
ASU Service, Inc.
The LAST SMS Platform You'll Ever Need! Easy Money!

Big Gee

almost what you want tagstand - Buy NFC tags and stickers here. no affiliation

MoneyMagnetMagnate

I read this or something similar the other day - and like an above post says, I think it it a question of utilizing the code more effectively - or getting more value from it to attract more return usage...

There are also the standard QR code, and MS tags...incompatibility / confuses them.

I took a survey asking about code usage the other day, and it mentioned "snaptags" and "jagtags" - I have not really seen those...is anyone familiar with those or have used them on merchandise?

But student use their phones for everything...they don't even wear watches anymore.

A while back, a student asked me "do you know what time it is"? I said "it's a quarter to 4"
he looked at me curiously and said "ok - so, what time is that? :confused:

ClaraBeara

good article...I guess QR codes can be confusing..

Sign Up

80 percent... wow! Weird. After 2-3 years there will be everywhere QR codes and everyone will know how to scan this code.

midasman09

Wrong "Group" for QR Codes!

College kids are into "TEXTING"!

Place an ad in ANY College Newspaper that says;
"Text Free Pizza to 12347" and you will get EVERY college kid that sees that CLASSIFIED AD....Text It!

And....their "Address" is captured by the Pizza Shop!...for additional texts to "entice college kids" to COME ON IN AND SPEND SOME MONEY....TODAY!

"QR Codes" are for "Older" people...especially....Travelers/Tourists!

When these "older folks" check into a Hotel/Motel and see a Sign IN their room that says; "Scan This Code for a Directory of Where to Eat"!

I garantee ya....these "older folks" ....KNOW....HOW to Scan The QR Code!

Don Alm....Marketing Guy

iAmNameLess

I really don't think so. I did a lot of mobile marketing before it became popular and I never truly believed QR codes would be valuable for any of my clients.

Most use is in the age range of 35-44 with the majority of being females. I don't think QR codes will ever live up to the hype. Google moving away from it was the first step, but that may have been control issues. I don't believe QR codes is the most beneficial way of marketing. Possibly a nice, and convenient add on but not really a difference maker in my opinion.

John Durham

No we are just trying to promote ideas that nobody is that interested in.

midasman09

Excuse-em-wha!

Japan started this "QR Code" thingee a few years ago and .....they are PREVALENT....in the Japanese Culture. WHY? Because "humans are lazy"! They want IT....and they want IT....NOW!

More so...with the American Culture!

Example: When Travelers/Tourists check into one of "my" Hotels/Motels... and.... they are Hungry and would like to either have FOOD delivered to their room or find a "Directory" or local Places To EAT....and....the Clerk checking them in....tells them, "To find places to eat or have Food Delvered to your room...just Scan the Code on this Sign or enter the URL address!"

If YOU were the Traveler/Tourist checking in....would YOU...wait until you got to your room....where you could HUNT for the In-Room Directory or local Phone Book...or...dial 9 for the Front desk and ask the Front Desk Clerk WHAT restaurants do they suggest....then, after decide what restaurant you'd like to eat at....you give them a call to reserve a table?

C'mon folks...if all they have to do is Scan A Code or Type in some digits on the device that's IN THEIR HAND.....to;
1) See what Choices there are to Eat
and
2) Let their "Fingers do the Walking" with a simple "Click"

ALL "Marketing and Sales" is about....EDUCATING YOUR TARGET MARKET!

So....WalMart, CostCo, KMart and some of the Other BIGGIES are getting more and more into QR Codes and the "Mobile Device" area.

So....you don't think QR Codes and Mobile Stuff will be around in the coming years? I got NEWS fer ya; It's just Started!

Don Alm...."Marketing Educator"

MoneyMagnetMagnate

I think a lot of Japanese consumers are more techno-savvy than Americans may be...

Akihabara is like Disneyland to them... they LOVE gadgets!

YellowGreenMedia

QR codes are overhyped marketing tools on boards like this... there is a small percentage that really use QR codes... i don't bother with them at all, i am not offering this to my clients either because nobody knows what they are...

I have done my own investigation here in my home town... i went to the beach this summer with a friend of mine and we asked about roughly 150 people if they knew what this was, and we where showing them a QR code and only three people could tell us what it was...

Three out of roughly 150 people... i don't know about you guys.. but i am not going to sell that to my clients, there is no way you can justify the investment your clients has to make. Sure there always will be business owners that love new technology... but 99% just wanna see the bottom-line

And you can say that you have to educate people... but people are not going to download a app, install a app just to see your QR code, when they are on the night out in a bar or restaurant, that is just not going to happen.

We made ​​the decision to not promote QR codes to our clients... because their investments will be a loss and you will have to answer for that.

reigovilbiks

i handed out 600 flyers here in Australia(Perth) with qr codes and explanation how to scan them, got 20 scans..yay! and btw. at least 70% of people in here have a smartphone

WillR

Unless you also handed out 600 flyers WITHOUT QR codes and tracked how many people took action on that flyer then this test really means nothing. You can't draw ANY conclusions from that unless you were testing two different variations of something.

I agree with this. This is why you should always have a text version of whatever it is you are offering in the QR code so both types of users can get the information. If you have a QR code that leads to a website then also have a text version of the url below the QR code. You'd be silly not to.

Japan is a totally different market where technology is concerned and cannot be compared to the US. I don't think QR codes will ever be as popular as they are in Japan. If they were going to be as popular then they would have already taken off by now because it didn't take very long for them to become popularized in Japan. They have already been around in the US for a year or two now and haven't made much ground.

I don't know about you but when I've checked into a hotel and want to find something to eat, I will walk out the front of the hotel and find something close or I will ask the staff on the front desk for a recommendation. I used to work in hotels myself and I know that tourists love to get recommendations, not just a list of restaurants which means nothing to them.

More importantly, if traveling the LAST thing I would be doing is using Internet access on my mobile phone - we all know how much that can cost if you are out of town so I don't believe in this idea AT ALL.

Sure, sounds great in theory... but so do a lot of things.

I don't know where you are getting these stats from? I would be interested to see the official numbers because I don't believe the majority of the older generation would even know of or know how to scan a QR code. I think this is a little bit of wishful thinking.

AND

Once again you have the problem of travelers and high mobile Internet costs.

.

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MoneyMagnetMagnate

People didn't "google" all the time, or shop on eBay when they first came out - initially things may be over-hyped as the "new thing" (3D TV) - that's the age we live in. There will be early-adopters...there always are...

The main-stream will get there with proper understanding. I still chuckle to myself when I hear a little old lady say "just send it to my facebook dear" - or getting a tweet about bingo night...

She probably was not what we would call "early-adopter" - she was shown it's practical value to her, and it grew on her...like most new technology.

Once in the mainstream psyche, it weeds itself out...wheat from chaff -

To paraphrase that Daniel Day Lewis movie - There will be blood - we just have to wait and see who gets to drink the milkshake...

ASUService

Hi Will,
As per usual I agree with your comments. Just wanted to point out that my plan for unlimited everything via Sprint includes unlimited no matter where I am ... free roaming for phone and data. I travel a lot and use it extensively on both my phone and wi-fi hotspot for my laptop.

Not all, but most of my friends, family and associates have the same.

Of course your in Australia and what your saying could be the case ... just wanted to point out that in the USA that doesn't always hold true and is gradually become the norm here.

Best Regards,
Mike Allton
ASU Service, Inc.
The LAST SMS Platform You'll Ever Need! Easy Money!

denial12

It was really an interesting article. Anyone with a smartphone can scan and read QR codes with the click of a camera, and anyone with access to a computer can generate QR codes themselves.

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YellowGreenMedia

Yeah that is all great and all, and you're right people need to learn about it, but business owners don't wanna teach their clients about new technology that you sell to them as a service.

That is just not going to happen and seeing that almost nobody knows or understands QR codes, there isn't a way to justify a monthly check for a view 100 bucks, there just isn't...

The services i sell to my clients need to make them money, QR doesn't make them a dime if nobody knows about them, and frankly, nobody does...

I am going to sell QR codes as a service to my clients when it is a widely known technology and at least 60% of people with a smartphone knows and understand and uses QR codes on a regular basis... because like is sad before i only sell services to my clients that makes them money, so i make money... That is smart business to me.

MoneyMagnetMagnate

Initially, the QR is there as a re-inforcement or in addition to the ad info - (if you will excuse the analogy) much like a dog is given a treat, and you use a clicker at the same time...soon the dog associates the "clicker" with the "treat" -
Pavlov's dog, so to speak...classical conditioning -

Now, if we could just get dogs to respond to the ads...:rolleyes:

(and no, I'm not saying people are dogs. Dogs are much more loyal )

ASUService

And Trustworthy!!!! :p

Best Regards,
Mike Allton
ASU Service, Inc.
The LAST SMS Platform You'll Ever Need! Easy Money!

cernair

definitely agree

ErikNilsson

In 2-3 Years QR Codes Play a Major Role in Marketing. By the Way Nice Article..

Mary Wilhite

As a general rule the information overload has become overwhelming and people tend to focus on only things they consider important or interesting.

limecellular

This. So many new technologies get thrown at us, much of the time we either look to the ones associated with recognizable brands and/or getting a lot of press. Everything else, for the most part, needs to stand the test of time and endure trial and error before its perfection and assimilation into technological culture.

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