Lessons Learned From Bad QR Codes

Mobile Marketer highlights the good, the bad, and the unscannable of QR codes published in 2011.  Among the common mistakes seen were:

• QR code campaigns that do not include a call-to-action
• Codes with no instructions
• Lengthy URLs
• Codes placed in areas with no signal
• Codes resolving to pages that are poorly displayed on mobile devices

Two of the specific mistakes include a Red Bull ad placed in a subway station, and Continental/United Airlines putting QR codes in their in-flight magazines.  It wasn’t all bad however, as Starbucks was highlighted for a successful QR campaign that featured a digital scavenger hunt.