QR Codes in the U.S.: Wave of the Future, or "The Next Metric System”?

Submitted by Dan Bot on January 4, 2012 - 16:28

This is part of an ongoing series of blog posts on Mobile Market Research technologies from the MarketTools Market Research team.

Back in September I blogged about 5 things that every researcher must know about QR (Quick-Response) codes – those digital barcodes that allow users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application to scan the code and launch a web page, a survey, or otherwise connect to information. Since then, the hype around the technology has continued, countered by a lot of nay-sayers pointing out the limitations of QR codes.

Let’s look at some of these arguments against the technology and reevaluate if QR codes can still be an effective market research tool.

1. QR code adoption in the US continues to lag Europe and Asia. Some even say that the QR code “fad” has already come and gone. Maybe it’s true that the technology will never catch on in the US as much as it has in other markets. There is plenty of evidence out there that Americans are less likely to adopt technology that doesn’t benefit us immediately (see: metric system). However, that’s not to say QR codes can’t still be a useful tool. Thankfully, the cost to implement QR codes as a facet of your research plan can be done with absolutely minimal cost. And the key word is facet. Obviously you wouldn’t make it the focus of your research plan. We’re not going to dissolve online survey panels or eliminate phone or mail research and only use QR codes. Printing a QR code on a product or displaying one in a captive area where you’re looking for specific feedback is a low cost way to collect on-demand, in the moment customer data. At the very least, for many of us, it certainly trumps typing in a long url on a mobile device.

2. College students (a group that by all accounts should embrace QR codes) are still confounded by them. A recent study reported that the majority of college students with smartphones have no idea how to scan a QR code. This is a troubling statistic, but has been completely corroborated by MarketTools’ experience with this demographic. The key is to leverage QR technology in the right way so you can use the numbers to your advantage. Let’s assume that QR code access rate is only 3% among college students. If you’re trying to use QR codes to survey a particular college classroom, this obviously spells disaster! But what if you’re using a QR code to launch a survey of the readership of a nationwide publication targeting college students, or for a CPG product targeted toward college students – with an attractive incentive? All of a sudden, that 3% access rate yields you more completes than you know what to do with.

3. Newer technologies will surpass QR code technology. In fact, Google has recently started phasing out QR codes to focus on a developing technology called Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC works much like a QR code, but is activated by proximity to a touch point rather than by scanning. In other words, you only have to hold your phone up to something rather than sift through your apps to open up a reader, hold your hand steady, and scan a code. What’s not to love?

First and foremost, it will be several years before NFC technology is included in US phones. Second, as I rub my research crystal ball, I predict NFC will suffer from at least several of these issues as adoption builds:

Some mobile device manufacturers will drag their feet on including the technology while initial consumer demand is low
Many consumers with the technology will struggle to understand how to use it, such as how to toggle it on/off
The technology will come under heavy scrutiny by Congress as consumer privacy continues to come to the fore
Some industry experts (like QR code “traditionalists”) will mock NFC for its low adoption rate and argue the technology will never work as a research tool

Did you notice that some of these barriers are the same faced by QR code technology? The point is that no new research medium is perfect – it’s a matter of carefully selecting the right mix of media that best meets your needs.

As fun as it is to make blanket statements about how a new technology is either the best thing since sliced bread or completely useless, the best approach is to acknowledge its strengths and weaknesses and think carefully about how to benefit from them. QR codes are not going to completely revolutionize the market research industry, but they will be around for a while. They will be used successfully by those who understand how to take best advantage of the strengths of the technology, and make it worthwhile for the consumer to engage with them.

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