Are QR Codes Dying? I Don’t Think So.

Dan Frommer from Business Editor recently blogged that QR Codes are a dying technology.  I respectfully and whole heartedly disagree.

Frommer’s arguments against QR codes center around three main points.  First, they are confusing, second they waste time, and third they will be replaced by newer technology in the future.

Let’s address the idea that they are confusing first. According to Frommer, the general public does not understand what a QR code is or how to use it. While this was true at first (as it is with every new technology), QR codes have quickly gone mainstream, and I would be willing to bet that if you randomly showed people on the street a QR code and asked them what it was, you would find that more people know than not.  Go ahead and give it a try… I did.  The people of Fargo, ND seemed to have a pretty good grasp on it, and I don’t think we are that much more technically savvy than Chicago and New York.  I do agree that the introduction of proprietary codes like Microsoft’s Tag clouded the waters a bit. But QR codes are quickly becoming the standard.  They have become the “Kleenex” of mobile 2D barcodes. Even Mr Frommer makes the mistake of using QR as a general term instead of a specific type.

Now, do they waste time? Frommer lamants about the “inevitable delays in finding the barcode app in your phone, waiting for the camera to prepare itself to shoot photos, getting the right distance and focus on the barcode, and hoping the mobile data network responds to your query quickly enough to be worthwhile.”  Well, those inevitable delays will apply to any app on your phone, whether it is Facebook, a browser, YouTube, etc. At least with a QR scanner, I only have to go to one app, instead of searching for the right one to use each time.  In fact, I keep it on my home screen, making it even more convient. And then I don’t have to worry about typing in anything - it is just point and shoot.

Frommer’s comment about hoping that the network responds quick enough has nothing to do with QR codes.  In fact, QR codes don’t require a network connection to function.  The QR code is decoded on the mobile device itself without the use of a network connection. Obviously if the QR code points to a URL, the browser isn’t going to be able to resolve the mobile site without some kind of connection. But that would be the case regardless of whether a QR code is used or not. Plus, there are many functions that can be triggered without an immediate signal. A QR code can resolve into an SMS message, a phone dialer, Maps and Navigation, add a contact to your device, etc.

Mr Frommer’s last point was perhaps his most relevant. Eventually, all technology is replaced by newer technology. However, a technology that can effectively take the place of QR codes is not as close as he might think.  The two specifically mentioned were Google Goggles and NFC. Goggles has been out for a few years, and while cool, there is no public API for it yet.  And ironically, Goggles suffers from the exact issues that Frommer incorrectly claims affect QR codes - namely lack of market recognition, requiring a high speed mobile data connection, and needing a specialized app for it. NFC, or Near Field Communication is a very exciting prospect, but it is still in its infant stages. Currently there is a grand total of ONE phone that supports NFC available in the United States, and that is the Google Nexus S.  Apple recently announced that the iPhone 5 will not have it, reasoning that NFC standards are still undefined and the technology is still too new.  Plus, NFC has another disadvantage.  It is near field communication, which means that you need to be touching, or almost touching the advertisement. This makes public areas like malls and subways less attractive from a marketing point of view because crowds can make physically touching the ad impossible.  Not to mention that it simply doesn’t work on other mediums like billboards, television, etc. And putting a NFC chip on a mass printing option would be cost prohibitive.

Now don’t get me wrong - QR codes are not a marketing golden hammer.  I see them used inappropriately way too often.  My guess is that because they are still novel, brands are trying to incorporate them as fast as they can in order to ride this initial wave of consumer interest.  Putting a QR code that resolves to a mobile web site in a subway tunnel is misguided at best. As with any mobile campaign, doing it wrong can be damaging to your brand.

However, despite Mr Frommer’s opinion, QR codes are not dead.  In fact their use is growing, and I expect it to continue to grow over the next five years. We will see their use become more appropriate, as the marketing community settles on best practices of using them, and we will eventually see some (but not all) of their marketing uses replaced with newer technologies.  But the bottom line is QR codes are going to be a part of a brand’s successful mobile marketing strategy for many years to come.