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Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

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Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#71

Post by Kilimanjaro »

How about using an IPV6 binary code? You know, the internet of things ;-)

    levis.com/model-550/stone-washed

    2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

    | ..:. .... .... ...: 
    | .... ::.: :.:: :... 
    | :... .:.: :.:. ..:: 
    | .... .... .... .... 
    | .... .... .... .... 
    | :... :.:. ..:. :::. 
    | .... ..:: .::: .... 
    | .::: ..:: ..:: .:..

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#72

Post by ColinWright »

dredmorbius wrote: post #66
ColinWright wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's the error-pronedness - clicks are far easier. Can you always type a lengthy URL without any mistakes or having to make corrections? Plus, I can't read a poster and a phone without constantly changing whether I'm looking through glasses or not. I type pretty well, but the scan wins every time. Added in edit: I really, really don't understand the downvotes. I'm offering a point of view as to why QR codes are easie…

Two words: URL shorteners. That still introduces the problem of surprise, but with the space saved by not posting the QR code, you can provide context about what the URL does provide. And riddle me: why can't your phone to OCR on a legibly-presented URL any better than it can read a QR code (yes, I know, redundancy and all that, but still).

You've said it yourself - with a shortener I've got no idea where it's going, and now I also have to type a weird, meaning-free string of upper, lower and digits.

And I don't have a reliable OCR app, and OCR doesn't have redundancy.

So it doesn't work, it's hard to type, and I don't know where it takes me. How is that better?

And at least scanning the QR code shows me the URL before opening it.

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#73

Post by ColinWright »

taligent wrote: post #62
rprospero wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

19 seconds? I may have to give QR codes another shot.

So you saved 9 seconds. Think about how much time it takes to find the app, download the app, learn the app, remember the app and use the app. My guess is 100x longer than all of the times you will ever use QR codes put together. That right there is your problem.

It's on my phone in an obvious place, and I use it a lot. I couldn't type URLs in sub 30 seconds, so it's saving me much more tham a few seconds every time.

And it's error free.

So no, that's not my problem, and I'd take it kindly if people would stopp telling me I'm wrong for finding useful something they don't agree with. Do you bother to listen to your users? Or do you just tell them they're wrong?

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#74

Post by Angostura »

brk wrote: post #25
asolove wrote: post #2

I think this boils down to the basic rule: don't disrespect your audience. I keep going to meetings where people suggest using QR codes to advertise a product. And I ask the obvious question: when have you ever scanned a QR code and learned about/bought something? No one can ever answer. But there's a vague sense that somewhere, out there, "those people" are using QR codes. What's funny is no one seems to know who th…

when have you ever scanned a QR code and learned about/bought something? Shopping for dishwashers in-store, even after doing lots of online research. The in-store display tags have very minimal info. Best Buy has/had a QRCode on each product that took you to a webpage for that item with a lot more info, reviews, etc. It was one of the main reasons I actually bought a dishwasher AT Best Buy instead of elsewhere.

Wouldn't it have bee just as effective to have

http://bestbuy.com/12345 on the label.

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#75

Post by thesagan »

Many advertising agencies simply get caught up in trends and fads and don't take a hard look at the actual effects these trends have on their audience. Periodically I do work for these agencies on their print materials, and often clients ask for these QR codes without even understanding what they DO. All they know is that "it's happening" and they want in on it.

Now, sometimes it makes sense, and other times not so much. But the pattern is clear, at least with these clients: play the part, and the client is happy. Try to educate the client, and you might just find yourself looking for another one.

Too often clients don't look at the results of their decisions, at least in the larger organizations. Just my experience, and maybe I get shitty jobs which skews my view.

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#76

Post by jeffgreco »

Angostura wrote: post #74
brk wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

when have you ever scanned a QR code and learned about/bought something? Shopping for dishwashers in-store, even after doing lots of online research. The in-store display tags have very minimal info. Best Buy has/had a QRCode on each product that took you to a webpage for that item with a lot more info, reviews, etc. It was one of the main reasons I actually bought a dishwasher AT Best Buy instead of elsewhere.

Wouldn't it have bee just as effective to have http://bestbuy.com/12345 on the label.

They should do both. If you've got QR capabilities, it's quicker to scan a bunch of codes rather than enter each URL.

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#78

Post by user49598 »

Why don't any good 'URL Finder' apps exist.

  1) Open URL Finder app
  2) Take picture
  3) URL finder identifies all the urls in the picture.
  4) Your browser opens those urls
These QR codes aren't being used for robot orientation or shipment tracking, they don't need to be so fault tolerant. Why not just OCR plain text?

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#79

Post by a3_nm »

user49598 wrote: post #78

Why don't any good 'URL Finder' apps exist. 1) Open URL Finder app 2) Take picture 3) URL finder identifies all the urls in the picture. 4) Your browser opens those urls These QR codes aren't being used for robot orientation or shipment tracking, they don't need to be so fault tolerant. Why not just OCR plain text?

Because OCR is hard. Finding and decoding QR codes is way easier and more resilient.

Re: Dear Marketers: Enough with the QR codes

#80

Post by Lockyy »

urbanjunkie wrote: post #50
s_henry_paulson wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then consider me loathing the future in advance. To me, people talking out loud to their phones in public is akin to bluetooth headsets. The technology might provide an easier way to let you do something, but you look like an idiot.

If the price I have to pay is that people like you think I'm an idiot, I'm sure I'll manage. I am curious though, how do you distinguish between people "talking out loud to their phones", and people talking out loud to other people using their phones (ie making a phone call).

How is using a qr code to get a direct link to what you need even comparable to doing a search on that object and hoping you get relevant information?
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