RESPONSEIMMEDIATEBest practices for QR and a sneak peek into what’s next

ABOUT THIS PRESENTATIONThis is our “201 course” on QR and immediate response techniques. Looking for more of a primer? Check out our 101 at http://slidesha.re/QRpres

THE BIG QUESTION:ARE QR TAGS EFFECTIVE?The short answer: It depends on what you’re trying to achieve

WE’VE ALL HEARD THE OBJECTION:

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

• What was the brand trying to achieve?

• What did the QR tag offer?

• What experience did it take people to?

• What was the ROI (or the opportunity cost)?

Brand X tried a QR tag and it didn’t work

THE QR OPPORTUNITY

1 ACTIVATE MEDIA

Print to web response rates are notoriously low (unless there’s a sweepstakes involved, of course).

QR tags are a low- or no-cost way to make that media more active and more actionable.

THE QR OPPORTUNITY

Few consumers have higher expectations for brand experiences than those wielding smartphones. Today, the potential audience is:

2 BE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO SMARTPHONE USERS

1 3 1 3OF

Of American adults own smartphones

(Among physicians, it’s 80%)

Of smartphone owners scan QR tags

(70% are interested in the tags)

MGH, 2011

SO WHAT LIMITS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF QR FOR BRANDS?

Three things.

OUR EXPECTATIONS

QR codes represent an incremental opportunity to activate more (otherwise passive) readers.

QR tag users tend to be exactly the people brands want to engage.• They’re more educated and affluent• And they’ve self-qualified (they want more information about

your brand)

SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

OUR EXECUTIONS

A QR code alone is rarely enough. It’s what we use it to build that really matters. Today, many QR tags fail on two fronts:

THE POSITIONING THE DESTINATION

Websites not optimized for mobile

Challenging registration processes

No clear value proposition or offer

Small size, difficult to capture or use

OUR MEASUREMENT

The impact of immediate response tactics will be different by brand and by audience. Start with a baseline expectation for engagement: Interactions with tags should be ~1/3 of our typical banner ad click-through rate.

Then try:

CHAMPION/CHALLENGER TESTINGwith multiple low- and no-cost immediate response tactics.

Which will earn the most hand raisers for your brand?• Short URLs• Memorable URLs or key phrases• QR tags• Short codes/SMS

BEST PRACTICES FOR QR TAGSCreating value for the brand and the people

THE MOST EFFECTIVE USES OF QR TAGS SHARE TWO THINGS IN COMMON:

Demonstrating compelling

value

Purposeful in their promotion

WHAT IS COMPELLING VALUE?It’s a great answer to this fundamental question:

Why should I scan the QR tag?

QR TAG USERS ARE LOOKING FOR THAT COMPELLING VALUE

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Get a coupon, discount, or deal

Access additional information

Enter a sweepstakes

Sign up for more info

Access a video

Make a purchase

Interact in social media

Other

Why smartphone users have scanned QR tags:

MGH/eMarketer, 2011

HOW DO WE CREATE MORE PURPOSEFUL PROMOTION?Two key creative questions:

How is it positioned - is it prominent?

Is the value position shown clearly?

ONE GREAT EXAMPLE

Clear value proposition

Great, actionable tips for first timers

Big, easy-to-scan code

All the basics are covered in the:

PLUS IT UP

Three extra things to try on your next code:

1 Customize it: A custom QR Code offers product branding and generates 2.4x greater response than an ordinary QR tag.

Advanced Telecom Services, 2011

2 Add a short code: Build in a little redundancy; if your customers are having trouble scanning the code (bad light, angle, etc.), give them an easy work around with a short URL or text code.

PLUS IT UP

Three extra things to try on your next code

3 Go ahead, think big: To scan, your QR tag has to show a pattern, but it doesn’t have to be a little black and white square.

iQ created this fully scannable 3-foot x 3-foot QR tag out of 625 syringes.

See it in action: http://bit.ly/iQvideo

OTHER IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TOOLSWhat else belongs in your next champion-challenger test

MOBILE OPT-IN

It’s how we connect with each other224 million of us text message. The 65+ set averages just five texts per day, but the 18- to 24-year-olds tap out ~110 every day!

And how brands communicate to–and even with–their customers and fans. To subscribe, people text a key word (text: weight) to a short code (53016). The brand automatically replies with a set of ongoing marketing messages. Consumers can interact with short Y/N replies and opt out anytime, usually by typing STOP.

Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2011

Want to try it?Text “baby” or “weight” to 53016 to join an opt-in program.Or text “med” to 53016 to see how double opt-in works.

SIMPLE SHORT URLS

Why? They’re as free as QR tags and even easier to track.

What’s a short URL? It’s a forwarding service that lets users take any existing URL and shorten it. They were popularized by Twitter (where character limits are short)!

Want to try it? Go to https://bitly.com/ and enter any URL to see the short version.

Free URL services (like bit.ly) have tracking and reporting built in:

IMAGE RECOGNITION

One of the core limitations of QR tags is that they work only with smartphones.

Using a technology that works with camera phones can double –sometimes triple – your audience. Image recognition makes that possible – although, it does take an extra step.

Users take a picture of an ad or package and email or text it to the brand to get an offer or information back.

Want to try it? Take a picture of the got milk? ad on the right, and and send it to milk@agm.tw

WHAT’S NEXT?What new technology will change immediate response?

THE GAME CHANGER ON THE HORIZON:

NFC stands for near-field communication.

• Like RFID and Bluetooth, it creates wireless connections between two devices in close proximity to each other.

• But for simple transactions, NFC is more instant, spontaneous, and actionable for people to connect with brands.

THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF ENGAGEMENT ISN’T TYPING OR EVEN SCANNING, IT’S TAPPING

This is the kind of “ah ha” ease of use that inspires rapid adoption and bridges the technology divide.

THAT IS, AS SOON AS THE HARDWARE CATCHES UP… Today, most of the new Android smartphones have NFC.

But Apple and RIM have been slower to adopt.

See the full list: http://bit.ly/nfclist

WE’RE ALREADY SEEING TEST CAMPAIGNS

WHAT ELSE COULD MARKETERS DO?Prompt immediate joining or opt-ins:

Initiate a phone call, text or email:

INNOVATION LAB 2010

Seth Quillinsvp, innovationsquillin@iq-w.com614.543.6565iQ-W.com@squillin

Leigh Householderstrategist, iQleigh.householder@iq-w.com614.543.6496IQ-W.com@leighhouse