QR Applications - Couponing

By Joe Barber, Chief QR Officer at the CodeZQR division of Computer Output Print & Internet (COPI)

As I am talking with people around the world about QR codes in one-to-one communications I am often asked, “What are the different applications for QR Codes?”  This is the third in a series of articles looking at the different ways QR codes are used in one-to-one communications to improve the recipient’s experience and ultimately increase business with them.

In the current economic times many consumers are looking for ways to save money. Marketers are looking for as many ways as possible to draw consumers into a purchase.  One of the tried and true methods of marketers that appeals to consumers during times like these is coupons.

QR Codes can dramatically improve the couponing paradigm consumer and deliver higher conversion rates to the marketer.  Traditional coupon campaigns involve distributing a coupon via some sort of mass marketing medium such as: magazine, newspaper, direct mail. 

The consumer has to clip out and save the printed coupon and bring the physical coupon into the store.

As a consumer you have to keep track of the coupon and you have to make sure you have it in your possession the next time you go shopping.  For many of us this is not always as simple as it sounds and not having the coupon in our possession will cause us to delay making the purchase.

Now imagine the coupon is stored in your mobile phone, and therefore is always with you just waiting to be used.  That is exactly what can happen with QR Codes.

In addition to encoding links to URL's in QR Codes, QR encoders such as CodeZ QR can also be used to encode text messages that can be automatically sent upon scanning of the QR Code.  These codes can be printed in the same advertisements or on the same coupons that are sent out today.  The recipient simply scans the QR Code and an SMS text message is automatically sent to the marketer.  The receipt of the SMS by the marketer triggers an automatic SMS message response back to the original recipient containing a description of the discount being offered and a QR Code that when scanned at check out gives the appropriate coupon discount.

Now the recipient has the coupon sitting in their phone.  They don’t have to cut out anything or remember to bring it with them.  It is in the device that is with them 24 hours a day by default.

The marketer also has several valuable pieces of information about their consumer.  They know what item the consumer was interested in and they have the cell phone number which if used properly can be a truly powerful tool for delivering additional targeted offers to that consumer in the future.

This is another example of the true win/win nature of QR Codes for both recipients and marketers.

If you have ideas for other ways to use SMS text messaging via QR Codes please email me at jb@CodeZQR.com.  I would love to hear them.

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