Quick Response (QR) codes are everywhere: phoneboxes, magazines, signs, tickets, even gravestones (you have Japan to thank for that one).
The theory is simple, people take a photo of the ‘barcode’ using their smartphone and data is then sent to their handset.
With teens living so much of their lives through their phones it wouldn’t be going too far to suggest that they would love this techno contact. Unfortunately the truth is that many aren’t even aware of it.
Most teens don’t know if their phones can read QR codes
Using Dubit’s ‘direct to youth digital omnibus’, we quizzed 1,000 11-18 year olds, divided equally between age and gender, on their awareness and thoughts regarding QR codes.
Almost three quarters (74%) believed their phones couldn’t read the codes, indicating that marketers deploying them are missing a significant proportion of the youth market.
In fact, when shown an image of a QR code some teenagers thought the blocky barcode was just a piece of digital art (9%), a magic eye picture (6%), or even ‘something used by cinemas to tell them when to change the film’ (2%).
What are they called?
However, when told the function of QR codes, most teens struggled to identify what they were called.
Although the majority (31%) correctly called them QR codes, 22% thought they were an RFID tag and 12% labelled them as an infograph.
We wouldn’t want to suggest that knowing the name of technology is integral to its success - we’re sure the majority of Oyster card users don’t know they use RFID technology - but it does highlight the difference between trade and consumer awareness.
Most teens with the software have used it
Of those teens who are aware that their phones can read QR codes, an impressive 68% have used the application, indicating that when they are aware of them, young people are more than happy to engage with them.
More good news comes with the statistic that 74% who have used the codes found them worthwhile.
With such a positive response it’s a shame that low awareness is preventing QR codes from being a marketing success.
We’re not suggesting adding lengthy copy to all QR code accompanied marketing material.
A simple note would suffice, saying: "use your phone’s QR code reader to scan this image and unlock your special offer. Don’t have a QR code reader? Download one for free from the app store".
What teens want from QR codes
When presented with a list of possible uses for QR codes in marketing an overriding message was that teens wanted value and exclusivity.
All 1,000 teens were asked to score possible applications out of five (five - really want, one - don’t care).
The mean score from each option then allowed us to organise them in order of preference.
If you saw a QR code on a poster what would you want to get from them? (5 really want - 1 don't care)
Source: Dubit
Despite the media obsession with Facebook, the lowest mean score (1.9) went to ‘automatically like a brand on Facebook’, with 54% scoring it 1 for ‘don’t care’.
This was followed by ‘take you to a website or Facebook page for the brand’ which scored a mean of 2.5, being scored 1 by 31% and 5 by only 7%.
A surprising result was the popularity of relatively mundane option to receive directions to the shop or company.
In scoring a mean of 2.6 it was placed on equal merit with ‘get a free ringtone or wallpaper’ and ‘view a video/advert or make the advert interactive’.
Dispensing the myth that boys don’t ask for directions, this option was more desired by boys than girls, with 30% of boys scoring it 4 or 5 and only 24% of girls giving it the same scoring.
Being offered information that is not included in the advert was an option that the respondents didn’t feel strongly about one way or the other, as it scored a mean of 2.7, increasing in popularity with the older demographic.
Exclusive content was the second most popular option, with a mean of 3.1, and favoured more by boys than girls, with 10% more male respondents giving it a score of 5.
The greatest value in QR codes, according to teens, was in receiving vouchers.
Although the survey didn’t stipulate what the return would be on the hypothetical discount, it was still awarded a mean score of 3.7 and polled a 5 from 39% of the sample and 4 from 25%.The desire for discounts gradually increased with age.
Means to push coupons
Compared to consumers in America, our desire for coupons has been minimal, but with the likes of Groupon, Living Social and Foursquare gaining momentum, this trend appears to be changing.
The good news for marketers is that our research indicates that young consumers are willing to receive such discounts direct to their phone - offering among other benefits, a means of tracking interactions with display marketing material.
What is clear is that marketers need to consider what the consumer wants from the codes before asking what they want themselves.
As the most popular option only received a mean of 3.7 it shows that there isn’t an overwhelming desire for any one application for QR codes and marketers need to be creative in their offering.
At the very least they must offer young consumers exclusivity or value.
The codes are an extremely creative tool that have been utilised in ways that constantly surprise, entertain and inform.
Unfortunately not enough effort has been put into informing young consumers of their application.
With youth often being responsible for setting trends and informing the older markets it’s integral that brands get them onboard, and the codes are applied in ways that offer them value - teens won’t engage with your concept for the sake of it.
Peter Robinson, head of research at