One Day One Idea: How to get QR codes right?

An interesting and recent discussion led me to think about the way QR codes are used to enhance customer experience with physical products.

Going through the aisles of my supermarket I scanned a dozen QR codes or so. All of them led me either

–          on the web page of the product itself (which was giving basically the same information as on the label but in a less comprehensive and more cumbersome way)

–          on the website of the manufacturer

My point is the following. What is the incentive for a consumer to scan a QR code? People want to get helped in their purchase decision. They want comprehensive and unbiased information. What do they get with QR codes? A copy/paste of heavily packed, too  detailistic information. Most of the time, as stated above, the QR code is only a link to the manufacturer’s website which makes the QR code a useless tool.

Advice for you marketing strategy

Before putting a QR code somewhere think twice. What is the incentive for the consumer to scan your QR code? What is actually his/her need at the time he/she scans? And does your QR code answer this need?

In my humble opinion most marketers are unable to answer those questions.