Is Your QR Code Stupid?

Sometimes they are and sometimes their not

A few days ago, I was in the office with the owner of a large service company. We were discussing how his company could use QR Codes for the business. He had some great ideas. They sprang up organically from his understanding of how the QR Code is used by consumers. At one point he asked, we will call her Carol, the receptionist to bring in some additional paperwork for us to review. Carol saw the QR Code information on the table and commented “Oh cool, QR Codes.” Without prompting Carol, she immediately said she had been scanning QR Codes on her smart phone (she uses a Droid by the way) for about 3 months already!

So here we both are with the perfect consumer marketing information opportunity. We asked Carol what she thought of these QR Codes. She told us that she thought some were interesting, helpful in getting discounts and coupons, and fun to use; when they work. “And when they do not work” we asked. Well there “stupid” she quickly replied. She told us that she has already scanned about 300 QR Codes in the last few months. So here is Carol who after only a few months has opinions about what “is cool and what is stupid” when it comes to a QR Code.

Carol’s honest and direct comments are so revealing. First, she already has strong opinions about her experiences. Secondly, she has an idea about how many times she has used this new tool. Third, she intends to keep using it, even though not all of her experiences were satisfactory. Carol is doing exactly what NY Times Blogger Nick Bilton discussed in his book, I Live in the Future & This is How it Works, she is “self filtering.” While Carol could not tell us how many TV commercials she has seen in the last 3 months, or how many magazines or newspapers, she could tell us how many times she self-empowered herself to get more information by using QR Codes.

Is your QR Code stupid, or does your QR Code respect Carol and her moment of choice?