Glamour magazine uses QR codes in print ads to successfully achieve 512,339 scans

Glamour magazine, from Condé Nast, has achieved a striking success through the use of QR codes printed on several of its pages, which produced 512,339 scans.

This pilot program, which occurred within its September “social edition” achieved these scans among an estimated two million readers, meaning that it managed to obtain a scan from approximately 1 in every 4 readers.

The editorial and marketing departments at Glamour worked together to form content that pushed the download of a mobile app called “Friends & Fans”. The editorial piece told the magazine’s readers about how they can use the QR code-enabled logos on the ads to “like” them on Facebook. Those who followed up with this action were then redirected to obtain discounts for those products that were exclusive to participants.

As a result, the advertisers in the magazine were able to build 50,814 “likes” at Facebook, which was a response rate of 4 percent and involved brands ranging from retail to tech, fashion/beauty, and consumer goods. Participating brands included Skinny Cow, Lancome, Gap, and HTC, among others.

Jenny Bowman, the creative services director at Glamour, explained that there were so many questions received by the magazine regarding the ways in which the brands advertising within it could boost their Facebook “likes” that they were inspired to take on something “digital and cool”.

In addition to the Facebook elements, there were also a certain number available on Twitter that allowed users to have the chance to win prizes. Bowman said that “In the end, we were able to attract 25 advertisers into that issue that wanted to build likes on Facebook.”