A QR campaign that works!

QR codes are popping up everywhere. Not that long ago, these mysterious patterned squares could be found in an occasional magazine or on a mailer. Now you can find them in the supermarkets, bus shelters, products and yes even Estate Agents and Housebuilders are them using them on For Sale Boards and advertising!

More QR codes must mean more people are using them! Right? Well..sort of! There is evidence to support people are scanning, but the problem is most codes just lead you to a website that you could have arrived at more easily by typing in the URL or via a propertyportal. Nothing thrilling, nothing exclusive and certainly nothing worth sharing.

If you want to make best use of these little patterned squares then they have to lead to something which is exclusive. A QR code is the perfect path to an online deal. If I’m going to go through the trouble to pull out my phone, line up the code and scan, then I want something for my efforts. Something tangible, something of value. QR codes are codes. That implies they hold the secret or a treasure. But why bother if what you access via the code is available to anyone who visits your site online, code or not? No secret treasure means no value to the user!

Here is a very smart use of QR codes from Korea, a region known for it’s high levels of traction with this technology. This campaign from Emart, one of the largest retailers in Korea, needed to increase sales during lunchtime.

Emart introduced “The Sunny Sale” which involved a three-dimensional QR code that was placed across the city and could only be scanned during the hours of 12 and 1 each day, due to the sunlight casting a shadow to complete the QR code. Anybody who did scan the code was given a special discount code with 25% off that could be redeemed in store or through their mobile e commerce site. Emart have seen a great increase in sales during the lunchtime period and have doubled the number of locations for this promotion.

By putting something truly unique and cool inside the QR codes, Emart demonstrates an effective way of using technology to drive sales. Pretty cool thinking dont ya think? Watch the video here!