They’re intentional and they hide UTM parameters, and the generational divide in their use is easing. What more could you ask for?

After their use eroded to nearly nil, the pandemic gave QR codes something of a second lease on life, beginning with major upticks in the UK and EU and migrating back across the Atlantic to the good ol’ US of A.

The humble quick-response code can be a major asset in facilitating conversions or general awareness. Besides the obvious benefit of speed (think scanning a code versus surreptitiously typing a URL), here’s five quick reasons they may need to be in your next campaign.

They allow multiple tactics to drive to the same site. The goal is to get people onto the site. QR codes can be a universal constant to maintain a consistent site experience. There can be multiple entry points into the funnel (QR, search, banner/display), but there is value from collecting everyone from a basic starting point in certain situations.

In a past life, we segmented messaging on direct mail for a university, but drove all traffic to the annual giving site, where we raised money for scholarships. The content and creative changed, but the QR remained. For that campaign, we measured behavior on site and how people got there. It gave us a good base line for future changes.

They can differentiate reasons for site visits and test messaging. If your drug has multiple indications, you can deploy different QR codes to drive traffic to different sites specific to their indication. A Bill’s Pills (not FDA approved and also sarcasm) poster at a conference can keep similar creative but change the QR/landing strategy on the back end depending on the audience. These are as flexible or standardized as you want them to be.

They can be creative pieces. QR codes don’t have to be black and white, and that means they can be fully integrated in creative. You can incorporate logos, use branded colors, or even design the code to resemble a specific shape or image, making it more memorable for users. They’re far more flexible and less cumbersome than a URL, they hide UTM parameters so a tag doesn’t look like War and Peace, and the generational divide that used to make them less effective with older populations has eased. It’s a win/win/win for creative.

Tracking and engagement. It’s hard to tell how people found Bill’s Pills if you have mixed media running in a given real-world location, like a conference. Apple’s inbox privacy nixed accurate open rates. UA3 to GA4 has created a mess for attribution. But some integrated QR code generators offer analytics that allow you to track how many times the code has been scanned, when, and where. In an increasingly data aggregate/privacy centered world, more specific information becomes even more valuable than before. This can help you make informed decisions for future strategies.

The scan is a deliberate act. I consider this probably the biggest advantage to QR codes. Most adults don’t whip out a QR scanner by accident. They intentionally go into their pocket, pull out a phone, fend off their wife’s complaints that you’re scanning one “just to see what they’re doing” again, and scan a code to get to site. It takes a moment to capture and then you confirm you wish to visit the site. That’s a lot of opt out opportunities, and that means someone really wants to be there.

A takeaway example for this most important feature: The rise restaurant menu QRs. You really have a need (hunger) and so you take a deliberate step (QR scanning) to learn more about a product (food) to solve your problem.