E-Mart takes a new approach to mobile marketing using the sun and shadows

qr codes shadow used to bring in customers

QR codes could be a useful sales tool

In the world of marketing, QR codes have become a useful tool. Many advertisers have begun to utilize the codes in an effort to reach out to mobile consumers. These endeavors have been somewhat successful, though consumers have shown only mild interest in scanning QR codes. Despite the apparent wariness amongst many consumers, some retailers believe that the codes could be used to drive sales. In South Korea, this notion seems to be correct.

E-Mart creates shadow QR code

E-Mart, South Korea’s largest retailer and often called the “Walmart of Korea,” has launched a new sales campaign powered by QR codes. The retailer has chosen to use QR codes because of high number of consumers with smart phones and other mobile devices. E-Mart believes that the codes are ideal tools to reach out to consumers during the lunchtime hours. As such, the retailer has constructed a code that is only scannable between 12pm and 1om, when the sun is in the right position to make the QR code appear.

Shadow QR code links to Sunny Sale website

The code itself is not traditional. It adheres to the basic design that has made QR codes familiar for many, but is made of shadows. E-Mart has constructed a blocky platform that can paint a QR code on the ground when the sun is overhead. The platform is designed to block sunlight in order to create the black patterns that are necessary for QR codes to function. The concept is certainly innovative, but its most impressive aspect may be that it actually works. The shadowy QR code can be scanned to access the Sunny Sale mobile website, which contains a wide variety of coupons and special offers for consumers.

Sales jump 25% thanks to new code

E-Mart claims that the campaign has increased sales by 25% during the lunchtime period. The retailer notes that consumers responded well to the campaign because it was something they had not experienced before. It may have also won favor with consumers due to the time of day in which the code was available: Lunch – a time when many people emerge from office buildings and pour out into the streets of South Korea.

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