Consumers “apathetic” about QR codes
Just one third (36%) of consumers know what QR codes are for and how to scan them, despite the growing number of brands using the tool in their advertising campaigns.
Only 11% of consumers have used a QR code in the past, according to the online study carried out by Simpson Carpenter.
Of those that have used QR codes, just under half (47%) said they found them useful and would like to see them more widely available, although one in five respondents said they did not offer any advantages and would not be likely to use them again.
The biggest barrier to QR codes’ wider adoption is technology, with 52% of respondents saying they did not own a device to be able to scan a code. However, almost a quarter (23%) of respondents said that apathy was their main reason for non-use.
Kevin Connolly, director of major studies at Simpson Carpenter, says “technology and familiarity” are the main reasons people are not yet adopting QR codes.
He adds: “Marketers would do well to focus on educating and informing consumers about their purpose rather than simply adding QR codes to their products and their advertising campaigns.”
A number of brands have used QR codes in recent campaigns, including Betfair which has signed a deal to place the codes on the Great British beach volleyball team’s bikini bottoms.
