Mobile marketing – Square deal

Quick Response Codes (QR Codes) are rising as a new marketing tool. For example, 33% and 20% of smartphone users in Japan and the United States have at least once scanned a QR code in April of 2012. Due to advancement in smartphone technology, especially cameras, many marketers are now trying to utilize QR Codes into their strategic plans. However, Mellissa Parrish of Forrester said, “simply sending [customers who have scanned the QR Codes to] company website is not enough.” There are many other ways to utilize the QR Codes, such as in-store promotions or coupons. QR Codes are inexpensive to produce, convenient to conduct marketing campaigns due to easy tracking system, and perfect tools to connect offline and online marketing channels.

Link: http://www.economist.com/node/21556993

I am certain that number of smartphone users will grow in nearby future due to increase in number of smartphone manufacturers and in mobile-service packages. This means that mobile marketing is an excellent channel to attract potential customers. Specifically, I would like to emphasize the importance of utilizing the QR Codes as a marketing tool for attracting customers with uncertain purchase-intentions.

According to a study (from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code) 14 million smartphone users in the United States have scanned QR Codes via their smartphones in June of 2011, and 58% of the users have scanned the QR Codes at home, whereas the 39% have scanned at retail stores. From these results, it is apparent that even if a customer has a slight amount of interest in a product, he or she has high probability of scanning a QR Code associated with the product to “check out” its features. If the company selling the product can grab attention of the potential customer, then there will be very high chance of selling the product.

Moreover, some marketers are pilot-testing “virtual stores” using the QR Codes in South Korea and Argentina. The study results and pilot-testing confirm the potential growth and importance of marketing via QR Codes. I wonder how marketers will utilize QR Codes in the nearby future.