Top Use Cases for QR Codes
2022 has been another successful year for QR codes. QR codes have come a long way from just appearing on restaurant menus and at vaccination spots. From Coinbase’s show-stopping advertisement at the Super Bowl to drones forming QR codes in the skies, we’ve seen the incredibly creative ways that companies have used QR codes to change the marketing game.
These examples demonstrate the continued power of QR codes as a bridge between the physical and digital worlds. All you need is an internet connection to access what’s waiting for you at the other end—this easy access is one of the qualities that make QR codes such an effective tool for brands to reach their customers.
In this article, we’ll explore how QR codes remove hurdles in the scanning and registration process, ultimately making it easier for customers to engage with their favorite brands.
Top Use Cases for QR Codes
1. Product Registration and Warranty Activation
For high maintenance products such as tech devices, mattresses, and kitchen appliances, brands encourage customers to register their products to gain access to a wide range of useful features, such as warranty activation. But when was the last time you registered a product?
The product registration process has traditionally involved a number of cumbersome steps, such as searching for a product number and texting a help number, that push the process further down a customer’s to-do list. When brands use QR codes instead, either on the packaging or product itself, customers can expect a simplified product registration process that only involves a one-touch scan. They receive benefits such as product protection that ultimately extend their relationship with the brand.
2. Marketing and Consumer Content
Brands can also pair QR codes with personalized calls-to-action (CTA) to direct consumers to relevant content, such as product usage and care. With kitchen appliances, for example, customers can scan to gain access to recipes, how-to videos, and instructions for care.These examples of consumer content are valuable for cultivating a brand’s community—just take a look at Instant Pot.
3. Subscriptions and Reorder
Another use case for QR codes is to encourage consumers to subscribe to a brand. The subscriptions model is popular for CPG and beauty products in particular because they are often used and restocked. Subscriptions not only enable easy product reorder, but also deliver a personalized experience for customers, who can choose tailored delivery schedules and product packages.
4. Discounts and Rewards Programs
One of the most effective ways to begin interactions with customers is by offering discounts via QR codes. This is especially true for the in-store experience, where discounts can’t be automatically applied to one’s shopping cart.
At the minimum, a QR code with a CTA to redeem a discount can lead to email capture. It is also an opportunity to introduce customers to a brand’s loyalty and rewards program, which plays a critical role in driving customer retention, cultivating a strong community, and turning one-time buyers into long-time customers.
5. Mobile Payments
Contactless payment became widely used during the pandemic, and it has become a preferred payment method. Apps like Venmo, Square, and PayPal generate a unique QR code for an individual user, which they can use to pay friends and for items in select stores. QR code payments can be processed in other ways, such as businesses scanning a store’s code and vice versa. According to Juniper Research, the total number of QR code payment users will exceed 2.2 billion by 2025.
6. Brand Story
One phrase that’s used frequently is brand identity, which is conveyed through tone, brand colors, messaging, and content. The website and social media pages store a wide range of information that tells a brand’s story. Brands that want to give more context to their product can leverage QR codes to encourage customers to scan and learn more about the product’s origins and the brand itself.
Today, brands are using QR codes to tell customers about their commitment to sustainability, fair treatment of workers, among other social justice issues. Given the era of the values-driven consumer, being able to communicate the brand story will become a key differentiator.
