Smartphone users asked where and why they scan QR Codes

QR Codes have caused quite a buzz among marketers, but what about the people they're targeted at? Market researchers Lab42 asked 500 American adults where they saw QR Codes, if they used them and what is was that motivated them to scan.

by Helen Leggatt

lab4 qr code.png First off, over half (58%) of the 500 Americans age 18 and over surveyed by Lab42 said they weren't familiar QR Codes. That's partly because some don't own a smartphone (26%) and those that do haven't yet stumbled across a code (17%).

Of those that are familiar with QR Codes (42%) over two-thirds (67%) have seen them in magazines or in retail stores (62%). Other places where QR Codes have caught smartphone owners' eyes are on billboards and posters (40%), in restaurants (36%) and museums (25%).

So what is it that drives a smartphone user to run up the barcode reader app, take aim and scan a QR Code? Unsurprisingly the biggest motivator is the promise of a discount (46%) although requesting product information isn't far behind (44%).

Curiosity was cited by almost as many again (43%) but few (28%) are driven by the quality of the ad associated with the code.

Over half (58%) of those familiar with QR Codes know that QR stands for Quick Response, and fast access to information is one of the benefits expressed of scanning the codes.

Tags: America, barcode, consumer insight, Lab42, mobile marketing, QR Code, smartphone use, survey