Just how easy is it to make a total mess of your QR Code campaigns?
And just how tempted would you be to grab your trusty Smartphone from your pocket and quickly scan a promotional barcode that had been thoughtfully pasted onto a toilet or the side of a cow?
If you haven’t got a clue what I’m waffling on about, then don’t worry too much, I haven’t just lost the plot completely. Not yet.
The QR (Quick Response) Code may be an incredibly popular marketing device in China and Japan, but so far it hasn’t taken off in quite the same way over here.
Some people just don’t seem to like them at all.
However, here at Martin Print H.Q, I’ve been noticing a small but steady increase in the number of clients who are keen to plant their unique QR Code on everything from Business Cards to Leaflets to Postcards.
So maybe this is one promotional tool that’s only just beginning to gather real marketing steam…
For a newcomer’s guide to the interactive pulling power of QR Codes, plus details of how to get started on creating your very own, then you may be interesting in perusing this earlier article from the Blog Cracking the QR Codes.
As many of you will already know, it’s actually very simple to create your own QR Code in just seconds. But is it equally simple to get the whole thing completely wrong? And should you really be putting your special promotional barcode on the back of a moving bus?
Let’s take a quick look at some of the very common QR Code mistakes that seem to crop up in business marketing far too often, as well as a priceless peek in pictures at some of the most bizarre QR Code promotions you’re ever likely to see…
Get the Design Right
Most of the biggest blunders in QR Code marketing relate to the very silly and completely impractical locations that some businesses decide to place them.
We’ll be seeing some classic pictorial evidence of some of the worst offenders in just a moment.
But it’s not all about the futility of trying to plaster your code onto the side of an aeroplane.
Firstly, we need to concentrate on the design and functionality of the barcode itself.
Whenever we think of QR Codes, we tend to conjure up an image of those simple black-and-white patterns that most businesses are happy to display on their packaging or promotional material.
But you can actually design a QR Code in pretty much any colours that you fancy – so why not break the mould and go for colours that actually reflect your own business branding or the specific location of the code?
Consider the Content
This is perhaps one of the most fundamentally important points of the whole concept.
If you’re asking your audience to go to the trouble of scanning your barcode, then at least make it worthwhile for them.
It’s perfectly acceptable in some cases to link the code directly to the home page of your website – but if your site is not particularly mobile-friendly, then this could spell trouble.
I’ve seen plenty of examples of QR Codes transporting the user to a website that barely functioned at all on a Smartphone – and this kind of oversight can only leave a seriously damaging impression of your business.
It might be useful to create some deliciously unique content which can be exclusively unlocked by the QR Code enthusiast.
But at the very least, you should ensure that your content will actually be seen on the Smartphone screen, even if that means creating a special new mobile-friendly landing page for your website.
Where Are You Going To Park It?
Ideally, your QR Code should be perfectly positioned in a handy and highly visible location which will prompt your potential new customer to whip out their Smartphone and instantly connect with your business.
There are hundreds of suitable parking spots for your unique QR Code.
Business Cards, Brochures, Drink Coasters, Stickers, Banners…the list of cracking opportunities stretches out for miles and miles.
So why do some people manage to get it so hopelessly wrong?
I’ll leave you with just a few of my favourite examples of QR Codes gone bad.
Wherever you park your special interactive barcode, it’s probably for the best if you take a slightly more sensible and practical route than this comical collection…
I suppose you’re always going to have at least one hand free in this situation…but do you really want to use it right now?
Hmm.
This may have worked better on the outside of the bottle.
Still, you probably wouldn’t have to bother too much about the actual online content linked to your QR Code, as the user could well be blind drunk by the time they see it…
I’d score this one 5/10 for effort.
Is it highly visible and attention-grabbing?
Yes, Definitely.
Can you scan it with ease and confidence?
Not unless you have a big ladder.
A similar story here, but I don’t think a ladder is going to cut it with this one.
Some people may think of this one as a particularly creative new idea.
What do you make of it?
It just doesn’t seem quite right to me…
No, no, this isn’t going to work at all…
Fancy learning how to scan a QR Code with your Smartphone?
All the answers are right here!
Simply scan this QR Code with your Smartphone and….
Ah.
It’s always nice to start and finish with a bit of toilet-based promotion.
But I’m not exactly sure just how big an audience this particular QR Code is going to attract…
Like these? Click right here to see some further examples from the Martin Print Blog of some of the most bizarre QR Code promotions of all time….
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