This is an election year and that means that campaign signs are beginning to show up in the yards of voters. One of the most common mistakes made by presidential candidates when they work to create these small, yet eye-catching signs is adding too much information. Given the fact that candidates represent a great many ideologies, it can be difficult to get an appropriate message across to voters in this way. Most candidates simply show off their name – NEWT2012 –, but this does not even begin to scratch the surface of what a campaign is all about.
Presidential candidates are quickly becoming more aware of QR codes. They have seen the success of the codes in the field of marketing and are starting to realize how the barcodes can be used as a means of information distribution. For QR codes to be effective there must be a significant voting population with access to smart phones. Fortunately, the popularity of smart phone in the U.S. has skyrocketed since 2008, meaning that the codes could play a pivotal role as campaigns become more serious, if they are used correctly.
Candidates using QR codes will have to test the codes appropriately before incorporating them into campaigns. Consumers are not keen to respond well to codes that are lackluster or do not offer incentives to scanning. As such, a poorly executed QR code could actually push someone away from a campaign. Nonetheless, the codes could be used for a variety of purposes, such as voter registration, donations to a specific campaign, and information distribution.
