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Are QR codes about to become the new standard in OOH advertising? | #TechMonth

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Just a few short years ago, QR codes were still seen as a novelty. We now live, however, in a society where over 90% of us own and use a smartphone and have access to the technology. 

With those sobering numbers, any advertiser would surely be insane not to utilise the technology, right? Well, according to research from AI advertising platform Alfi, more than two out of three senior advertising executives expect the use of QR codes in DOOH to grow by 20% or more in the next 12 months. And that’s only the beginning.

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The genius of QR codes is that they not only allow OOH marketers to track who is engaging with their content and when they are engaging with it but create something so much more than just a piece of billboard advertising. A QR code can be hundreds of things - a virtual gateway to an augmented reality world, a unique link to a specially tailored offer or even a part of a virtual game.

But, while the initial flurry of QR code adoption a few years ago saw some pretty exciting innovations, in 2020, with so many of us forced to stay home, the tech appeared to fizzle out. Now, however, on  the other side of the pandemic, QR codes appear to have found their second moment in the sun.

A large part of this resurgence could be the use of digital menus, which are obvious fits for QR technology. Indeed, in the early days of social distancing, as the world was slowly starting to open up again, it was quite common to see QR codes adorning tabletops in place of paper menus.

The future of OOH advertising

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The global Alfi study among senior executives including CEOs found that more than two out of three (68%) expect the use of QR codes in DOOH to increase by 20% or more in the next 12 months with nearly one in five (20%) expecting growth of 50% or more.

Nearly half (48%) of executives questioned in the UK, US, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the UAE agree strongly with the view that QR codes dramatically improve the measurement of ad campaign performance while 54% agree they help with measurement.

Around 45% agree strongly that QR codes help to facilitate sales and not just boost brand awareness, while 54% agree they have a role to play in supporting sales.

Around two out of five (41%) of senior advertising executives agree strongly that the proximity of DOOH to retail purchase points is ideal for influencing customers at the right place and time while 57% agree. 

Senior advertising executives believe the growing use of QR codes is also good for interactivity and creativity in DOOH with more than a third (34%) agreeing strongly that the use of QR codes can help with creativity and 63% agreeing.

What makes QR codes so useful?

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In the case of OOH advertising, QR code adoption might have a great deal of potential but that doesn’t mean advertisers are taking advantage of the technology quite as strongly as they should be. But, if the people in the know are to be believed, their widespread adoption is essentially inevitable. 

The benefits might not be immediately obvious but, as I see it, in the right hands they offer the potential to:-

Create engaging experiences in real-time - We know that OOH ads are potentially powerful tools for driving offline-to-online conversions. But when you slap a QR code on an OOH ad—especially in high ‘dwell time’ OOH ad formats, including bus shelters, street furniture, wild postings, and the like—that conversion moment can essentially happen instantly. And this is a huge ‘win’ for marketers. 

Generate goal-driven campaigns - Traditionally, OOH ads only had a second to capture a consumer’s attention, meaning the call-to-action needed to be incredibly simple. But QR codes in out-of-home advertising change that dynamic entirely. Now, brands can build unique campaigns—and their related landing pages—to drive specific consumer actions. 

Measure audience engagement - Every click on a QR code is a preliminary conversion that can then be tracked all the way to making a purchase, downloading an app, accessing a coupon or special offer, following a social media account, or whatever else it is you’re asking consumers to do. Even more, you can track these codes at the ad level to give you insights into what ad placements, formats, campaign messages, offers, and beyond drove the greatest engagement and conversion.

Honestly, I see few drawbacks (if any) to at least choosing to experiment with QR codes in your advertising. Digital activation is, after all, relatively quick and cheap to put together and the level of agency and tactility they offer when combined with QR is hard to deny. 

Have any innovative or exciting QR campaigns caught your eye in recent months? Let me know in the comments below.

Header image by Beatrix Hatcher

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