QR codes are becoming more popular all over the world. Once thought to be a tool for businesses, they are now being used by several non-profit and governmental organizations as a means of promoting their message. They have been used successfully in a number of initiatives to raise awareness on environmental and health issues as well as well as a means of offering public transit information. While they have been something of a phenomenon, the codes are only as good as the content they are linked to. Something that the Communist Party of France is about to learn the hard way.
The Communist Party has taken to blanketing major French cities with more than 10,000 posters emblazoned with large QR codes. In Europe, the codes are most used by young people. The Party hopes to take advantage of this fact by using the codes in an attempt to connect with young voters. When scanned, the code resolves to the Party’s website.
There is a problem with the execution of the campaign, however, that seems to have gone unnoticed by the Party. The posters on which the codes are featured are plastered on walls, often so closely together that the codes themselves cannot be scanned properly. The website that is linked to the QR codes is also not a mobile website, making it nearly impossible to navigate with a smart phone or mobile device.
The Party has faced criticism for the faulty execution of their campaign, with some opponents arguing that it has done more harm than good.
This should be an important reminder to all that using QR codes effectively is not as simple as printing the code and handing it out to the masses. The codes are only as good as the content they are linked to.
