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We use QR codes extensively where I work. We use them in print ads and on TV commercials and I have a re-occurring nightmare that we'll use the 'wrong' QR code

We use QR codes extensively where I work. We use them in print ads and on TV commercials and I have a re-occurring nightmare that we'll use the 'wrong' QR code somewhere disastrous... like printing a link to our competitors on 10,000 brochures or something like that. I insist that I check all QR codes before they're sent out, and I scan them with 2-3 different QR scanning apps. As another commentor mentioned, I often send our QR codes to a redirector URL - either a branded redirector service I built, or to a WordPress site with the redirection plugin, or even to it's very own domain name which is configured for forwarding.

karterk 15y ago
Very curious - are they actually effective? Do people use them? What's the "click-through" rate like?
- dholowiski 15y ago
  They are not very effective... yet. At this point the 'click through' rate is a fraction of a percent. The reason we're doing it is so that we will be prepared - the day that Android or IOS includes a QR code reader built into the OS (it will happen) usage will go through the roof.
  - magic_haze 15y ago
    WP7 has them built in, and I agree, it _is_ rather convenient. But as other commentators mentioned, it is a phishing disaster waiting to happen because the UI doesn't display the full URL if it gets too long.
- corin_ 15y ago
  An interesting data point - Storm On Demand (http://www.stormondemand.com/ http://www.stormondemand.com/) use AdWords a lot, and I'm always seeing their ads (clearly Google has designated me their target market - correctly). Some of their MPU adverts had QR codes in them, and I called this out on Twitter telling them it was moronic to think that anyone would want to scan the QR code off an advert rather than just click it. Their response was that in their testing of many different adverts, the ones with QR codes were getting the best CTRs. They didn't know the reason for this, and neither do I - but it's interesting none-the-less.
  - joelrunyon 15y ago
    It'd be interesting to compare the CTR to the scan-through-rate(% of people that scan the actual QR code). I'd imagine that quirkiness of a QR code to the average user would pop-out of the page quicker and catch their attention faster than a normal image would.
    - corin_ 15y ago
      I did ask that and, while they obviously didn't give figures for either, did say that by CTR they were judging actual clicks - i.e. yes, it was a case of having a QR code making people click it, not that it was making people scan it. (They were also tracking QR scans seperately, but didn't say how well that was going.)
  - dholowiski 15y ago
    As an aside- you're seeing lots of storm on demand ads because you've been put on a remarketing 'list' See http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html
dangrossman 15y ago
In TV commercials? Is the expectation that people will grab their phone, turn it on, launch a scanner app and run to their TV before the commercial ends?

karterk 15y ago

Very curious - are they actually effective? Do people use them? What's the "click-through" rate like?

dholowiski 15y ago
They are not very effective... yet. At this point the 'click through' rate is a fraction of a percent. The reason we're doing it is so that we will be prepared - the day that Android or IOS includes a QR code reader built into the OS (it will happen) usage will go through the roof.
- magic_haze 15y ago
  WP7 has them built in, and I agree, it _is_ rather convenient. But as other commentators mentioned, it is a phishing disaster waiting to happen because the UI doesn't display the full URL if it gets too long.
corin_ 15y ago
An interesting data point - Storm On Demand (http://www.stormondemand.com/ http://www.stormondemand.com/) use AdWords a lot, and I'm always seeing their ads (clearly Google has designated me their target market - correctly). Some of their MPU adverts had QR codes in them, and I called this out on Twitter telling them it was moronic to think that anyone would want to scan the QR code off an advert rather than just click it. Their response was that in their testing of many different adverts, the ones with QR codes were getting the best CTRs. They didn't know the reason for this, and neither do I - but it's interesting none-the-less.
- joelrunyon 15y ago
  It'd be interesting to compare the CTR to the scan-through-rate(% of people that scan the actual QR code). I'd imagine that quirkiness of a QR code to the average user would pop-out of the page quicker and catch their attention faster than a normal image would.
  - corin_ 15y ago
    I did ask that and, while they obviously didn't give figures for either, did say that by CTR they were judging actual clicks - i.e. yes, it was a case of having a QR code making people click it, not that it was making people scan it. (They were also tracking QR scans seperately, but didn't say how well that was going.)
- dholowiski 15y ago
  As an aside- you're seeing lots of storm on demand ads because you've been put on a remarketing 'list' See http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html http://www.google.com/ads/innovations/remarketing.html

dangrossman 15y ago

In TV commercials? Is the expectation that people will grab their phone, turn it on, launch a scanner app and run to their TV before the commercial ends?