Using a VMM to compliment the QR boom

Throughout 2012 the use of QR codes soared. A year on, we ask if the boom had any lasting legacies…

Let’s start with the obvious – QR codes aren’t sexy. They’re the dodgy tattoos of the creative industries, offering little more than hype and “newness” to products and posters. They aren’t easy on the eye and they’re a nightmare to work with. So why did they become so popular so quickly? And how can QR codes be used well?

The answer may lie in the Valid Metrics Matrix – the new big deal in PR. Replacing old forms of measurement, the VMM allows communicators to pin-point which resources and exercises have which effects upon their target audience. This same metric can be applied to QR codes.

The VMM moves through five phases, outlined below:

AWARENESS of a brand, service or product
KNOWLEDGE about the brand in question
INTEREST in what the brand can offer customers
PREFERENCE – do users like the brand or product?
ACTION – in this case it will often be a transaction

Having already established that QR codes aren’t visually stimulating, it’s safe to say that they’d be pretty poor in establishing an initial awareness in a brand. We might also assume that QR codes shouldn’t direct users to piles of information – which in many cases would prove to be a massive turn-off.

Where QR codes are effective though, is in reducing the gap between stages three and four – Interest and Preference. This is done though two creative actions -  placing a QR code in such an environment that its presence there generates interest or curiosity, and also directing users to unique and engaging content that they’re otherwise unlikely to return to when they get home. QR codes should turn a fleeting moment of interest into a lasting support towards a brand or service.

So, is there a “golden point”, past which QR codes actually live up to their hype? Based on the VMM metrics we can argue that the role of the codes is to, well, reduce the lag between a potential customer becoming simply interested in a service, and actually deciding to use it. As obvious as it sounds, the beauty of the QR codes is that they allow for a quick transition between various phases of the VMM. As long as the advert or product they’re on has completed steps one and two first…