Consumer awareness of QR codes seems to be lacking in the U.S. Recently, USA Today reporter Jefferson Graham visited the set of CBS’ Let’s Make A Deal where he surveyed the audience on what they knew about the blocky codes. Not surprisingly, Graham found that only 30% of the audience knew about the codes and had used them before. The other 70% did not know that the codes existed at all. Graham’s findings, though limited in scope, are backed by recent reports from comScore, a market research firm, regarding QR code awareness.
According to comScore, only 6% of mobile users in the U.S. have used a QR code. The codes are most often used to receive some kind of discount on groceries or other merchandise. The marketing industry itself is torn on the issue. Some advertisers adore QR codes, especially when used by small businesses as the codes allow such companies to compete with their larger counterparts. Other advertisers despise the codes, put off by the lackluster adoption of the barcodes amongst consumers thus far.
comScore suggests that awareness could be expedited by involving telecommunications companies, like AT&T and Nokia. These companies are constantly connected with mobile consumers and can expose them to new technologies and marketing trends with little effort.
While many consumers may not yet know what QR codes are, those that have never heard of the codes before have expressed interest in using them in the future if they can gain something in return, such as discounts at local stores.
