QR Codes: the square-shaped, black-and-white code most people are familiar with by this point. In your day-to-day life, you are likely to stumble across multiple QR codes, whether in restaurants, museums, in your favourite clothes retailer, or even on a headstone. While QR codes have been around for a long time, since 1994, they have become steadily more popular in recent years – for several reasons.
Why are QR Codes so Popular?
QR codes rose in popularity during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as they allowed the sharing of information without the need for physical touch. At that point, it was primarily about safety, but many companies have seen the positive impact of QR codes extend beyond that.
For businesses, QR codes are a way to market their business and share information efficiently and conveniently. When used correctly, they improve the customer experience and help bolster a company’s reputation. Plus, QR codes make it easy to monitor the performance of a campaign, as you can see how often a customer has scanned the code. There’s a reason so many businesses choose these small but effective pieces of coding to deliver information!
On top of all that, QR codes are cheap to use and don’t require much technical knowledge. As such, companies worldwide are using them long after the pandemic’s peak, and, more than likely, they are here to stay for the long haul. Interested in learning some of the most clever ways QR codes get used by businesses? Read on.
1: Leaflets
Leaflets are great for advertising a business and delivering a good amount of information, and a QR code can make a leaflet even more useful. Take, for example, a booklet for an art gallery. While the leaflet can reel visitors in with some pictures and text, the QR code can take the potential visitor to a web page that gives even more information, such as directions and even a deal for money off the trip.
2: Medical Cards
One of the most interesting ways QR codes get used is on medical cards – particularly medical cannabis cards. In the UK, it is illegal to possess cannabis without a prescription. That means those with a prescription may feel uncomfortable carrying or consuming cannabis. With a medical card holding a QR code that contains all information on their prescription, they don’t have to. A medical clinic will offer people the entire process of getting a prescription, as well as a Medical Cannabis Card with a QR code on it, to ensure they never feel like they need to hide their medical cannabis. That’s how helpful the piece of code can be!
3: Bar Fronts
After the COVID lockdowns, when bars started reopening, it was common to find QR codes to scan as soon as you stepped in. While you no longer need to do this to log in to where you have visited, bars will still use QR codes for their customers to use if they would like. These QR codes may lead to various places, allowing customers to discover the upcoming events at the bar, answer a survey, or learn more about the intricate cocktail menu. All of this can help promote a bar.
4: Tour Guides
A cool way companies use QR codes is to deliver a tour guide. Instead of gathering a group together and having one tour guide showing everyone around the museum, art gallery, or historical landmark, a virtual tour guide allows visitors to peruse in their own time, minimising big crowds and appealing to those who might be a little more introverted. These tours can provide access to video, audio, and more reading to enhance the visitor’s overall experience.
5: Inside Books
Publishers have started using QR codes in some books. Imagine a children’s book, for example. Between the pages, the parent/child may discover a QR code to scan next to the text and pictures. By scanning this QR code on their phone, they can learn more about the book and subject! Maybe they’ll find a video showing what’s described on the page or even a game for the kid to play. The opportunities are endless.
6: On Food and Drink Packaging
Many food and drink companies like to offer their customers advice on the best recipe to use with their products. The problem is most food packaging doesn’t provide enough room for that – especially when packaging is becoming smaller for the sake of the planet.
To share the best recipes, companies have begun to place QR codes on their food and drink packaging. So, for example, when a customer picks up their next bottle of white rum, they can use that QR code to discover the most delicious ways to drink it through the QR code’s recipes, from mouth-watering coconut mojitos to tropical pina coladas.
*Photo by Kampus Production via Pexels
