Episode 4 - QR Code Marketing Campaign Fails: How These Stunts Could've Been Done Better

You are tuning in to this take here's podcast. Presented by QRTiger, the most advanced QR code generator. In this episode, Kristel aims QR code burning questions at expert Benjamin Clies. Learn all about QR codes and how it is scrapped in our day-to-day life, from how it was created for logistics to how it developed into a tool for growing businesses. Only here on Stake Curious, your Live will guide in all things QR code. Welcome to Stake Curious, where we learn about the latest in QR code trends. We're here with QR code expert Benjamin Clies and we're going to talk about QR code fails. And you know how it is with QR codes. They're always very effective when you use them for your marketing campaigns. We're going to go through these images and Ben will have a say on what they could have done better. So our marketers out here won't have to do the same mistakes. So let's go Ben and get started. All right. All right, QR code on a website. Yeah. Does that look good to you? So the QR code looks definitely very visible. It's there, that's good. I think there is of course the thing that is next to it, which probably makes it is related to the QR code. I think the QR code here could have a better call for action. So people actually would understand if they scan it like no more. For example, right, the people scan it and they can actually see understand more. But for me, the size is big enough. People would actually understand that there is probably a relation between the item that is shown and the QR code. I think that if they have a social media event, it would also help that they post the same QR code if it's really relevant. So more people could access it and really get to know what the details are on that QR code. All right, next image. QR codes as a font. Yeah. What is the campaign? QR code as a font, I think it's very creative. That's the first thing, right? It's actually doing something different with the QR code, trying to make it, you know, that it becomes a font or letter. But in the same time, of course, to scan it with your camera, it's going to be quite a hassle to try to scan all the different QR codes in the font to figure out which QR code does what. So that might be not 100% clear. But I still think it's, you know, the message is clear. Scan the QR codes, there will be more, right? That's, I think, the creative message that I want to give here. So that I think is a good one, yeah. All right, would you recommend that, like, some people would do that or? Yeah, I think it's fun. I mean, at least they try to do something different with the QR code and use it as something more. And that I think is always good when the QR code is used as more than just the QR code. All right, that's good then. Remember that, marketers? And let's go to the next one. QR codes on a moving bus. I see four QR codes. They all have a clear call for action. So that's good. On the other hand, of course, you know, it's a moving bus. You're there with your camera. Your camera might just snatch one QR code and not all of them. So maybe if there was one QR code, it would be better because it's a moving vehicle. On the other hand, people might send them a bus stop. The bus will stop on the bus stop. People can still choose which QR code they scan. But if the QR codes are close to each other, the camera will still identify one QR code and not the other. So that's sometimes a problem that some QR code scanners have. That they will not know which QR code they need to scan first, right? So that's something that's that's why I would say, keep a bit distance between your different QR codes so that they actually can be scanned separately. Right. And all I can think of it, it would have been better if they just put those QR codes at the back of the bus seats. So then people are going to have like some extra time to like access it when they're free, while they're in transit. Another image. Then QR code at an underground subway where there's no signal, most of the time then. So what happened? Well, I do think most stop-ways have good signal these days. So that's not an issue. I think the QR code is big. There is a good call for action on the QR code. So that's also good. So this kind of things, I think it's a good one. It's a clear one. I would say not that it's extremely good designed, but for the rest, it's actually pretty clear, right? And it does what it's going to need to do. So it's also have a good call fraction for straight away to the target audience, which is also good and people need a job. So this kind of thing, I think, is not bad. It could be, of course, been done more creative, but at least it's clear. Wrong spelling of a QR code called to action. Yeah, of course. If you make a wrong mistake in your call fraction, of course, it looks a bit amateuristic. On the other hand, it takes attention. People will look at it, will maybe see the mistake. When people see a mistake, their attention is on the mistake, right? Because people cannot look away from a mistake. But at least it's a clear QR code. It's a big QR code. There is a call for action. Yes, the spelling mistake is an unfortunate thing. But I think if the rest, it looks clear to me, at least it's there, right? I know what to do. And this is also an opportunity if you're a government leader or a CEO, you could use a v-card QR code and put all your details there. Write that detail, social media, and all that. Next image. Too many QR codes in one campaign. Yeah, that's another one again. So people put many different QR codes. And then, of course, a question is which one I need to scan, right? It's better to keep that clear for people to have one, maybe two QR code. But if you put more QR codes, then it'd be a good reason for that. If there's no good reason and that's not very clear, then people are confused, right? They don't know where to go first. So that's, again, a thing where it needs to have a good call for action. And people really quickly understand what to do. I see there is some signage around it that tries to make people clear what it's about. But still, you just need to guess, right? And if guessing is not the goal of it, then I think it would be better to put some words on the written QR codes if people actually really know what it's about. Yes, for sure. And for the next image, this looks really interesting. A high and spinning QR code. What do you think then? Well, of course, a spinning QR code on a banner like that that hangs on the ceiling comes with a bit of challenge because it's spinning, so it's also moving again. On the other hand, maybe that's also the goal that it moves that it takes your attention. On the, I think the QR code is clear. It's in the middle. There's a little call for action or what it's about. Till you need to look up at the thing. The good thing is about QR codes that you can actually scan them from a distance. So that's the good thing. It can be even a few meters away from you. You can still access them and scan them. Maybe they could have done something a little bit more colorful, maybe some more from with the QR code. But to me, it looks clear, yeah. Maybe they were going after the attention because it's like up there, but I think it doesn't work when it's spinning. Right, right, right. Just to get attention. All right, QR code on a highway. I don't know what this QR code would be about. It's like a huge QR code. There's no call for action. There is nothing contextual around it. It's just a big QR code. Or this is a mystery thing. And it wants to attract those few people that would scan it. I have no clue what this is about. Also, this is a very traditional QR code. It would be a marketing way that they could have maybe customized to the QR code a little bit more. So it would get some more marketing attention. So yeah, no clue what what is the goal of this. I think that somebody just wanted to spend some money or lose some money on the billboard. Yeah. Exactly. And marketers for the marketers out there. If you want people to trust the QR code that you're posting, you can add a logo in there and add a compelling call to action. And of course, all the details to your website will be there. So just don't do this one. All right, another image. Movie poster with an image. This one I like because I try to do something creative for the QR code where they actually overlay the image within the QR code. So that actually gives an effect. The only thing that I think that they and I hope they tested it is that the QR code, of course, has some lighter parts. Definitely in the eyes that some cameras might have difficulties to detect it. So that's something you need to test. When you make a QR code, you need to owners 100% make sure that people can actually still scan it right. And when you do an image, you need to see where you're in the position that image you have the right effect. But I like it. It might have a bigger call for action. But it's related to a movie person. Some people can actually scan it and have a little preview of the movie, which I think is cool as well. Or see something like, you know, something pleasing to actually go to see the movie. Why not? I think that's also the thing that most people have when they see a movie poster. What's the movie about? Scan, you see a little preview of the movie. And you might be tempted to see that movie, might. Right. So are you intriguing onto the next one? There's just no billboard fail. Yeah, that's, of course, not the smartest thing. QR codes need to be in one image. They cannot be spread over to image. So, yeah, in that way, this QR code will be never be able to scan it. So it actually loses the purpose. So that's, again, something when you bring QR codes on screen, that's in it many times. Make sure that that screen doesn't stretch your image. Because if a QR code gets stretched, might also not be able to scan it anymore. So these are things that you always need to check. Where will that QR code be displayed? Will it be on a bus screen? Will it be in a big screen? Will that screen give the proportions or not? Such kind of things, or like in this screen, will it break my QR code into pieces over three different angles? Yes, that will not work either, right? So it's kind of things really important to make that work. All right, make sure the QR code is in one piece. Okay, this one is a railway QR code. And it's pretty far from the platform itself then. What do you think? I think it will still work. It doesn't matter that the QR code has some distance from where you scan. This distance looks to me good enough. People can scan it. The QR code might be maybe a little bit bigger, maybe clear call for action. But, you know, it's billboard, you know what it's about. You're interested you can scan this. One QR code is very clear as well. There's only one, there's no five QR codes of three or two, but just one. and the distance will probably work. Most cameras are really good to detect your cut. Some of them may even have a zoom function. When they see there is a cut, it will zoom suddenly. To the cut cut, I've seen it as well already. So it all depends a little bit of the camera technology behind it. But shortcuts can be scanned from quite a far distance. This is not so far. Yeah, I've seen them being scanned in big presentations and all these kind of things. Of course, the bigger the cut cut, the better it can be scanned, right? That's clear. - Yes, but also to me, it takes a lot of efforts so they could have put it on the poster by the pillar or the train platform. - Sure, but that might not always be the option they have. So mostly people look in their direction, so that's why they put his advertisements there, right? - All right, thanks Ben. And all right, this is tourism QR code, Beno. - Right, so this is to discover the University of Bristol, right? I think it's fun that they try to integrate the QR code in within that bridge. On the other hand, they need to make it sure who's the target audience will like, yeah, these are students, probably for a university where they still see there is a QR code, it doesn't need to be more clear in some way. So that's also something I see. Many times people try to integrate QR codes in designs, but then suddenly you don't see it anymore that it's a QR code. And this is all about what it's all about. When there's a QR code, people see to recognize it's a QR code, when they recognize it's a QR code, that's when they scan a QR code, right? If you don't recognize it, you will just pass by and think it's part of the graphic, right? So that's really important, don't overdo it, yeah? That's my message here. - That's right, it looks like it's overdone. And also people with astigmatism are in your sightedness and we're able to see the QR code embedded in it. All right, so next one. QR code that's on the wrong side of the highway or just basically on the freeway. So what do you think about that then? - Well, sure, QR codes on highways can work, but of course it can only be scanned not by the driver, but by the people, if it's on a highway that's sitting in the car, so that's the first thing. But you know, they made that QR code at least big enough, so it's actually clear there is a QR code. And if that billboard might repeat a few times on the highway then people probably might, you know, if they're interested scan and get to more. Highways are still places of high traffic, where a lot of people pass by. So they made a clear thing of, you know, this is the advertising, is the branding we want to do, but hey, look, there is a QR code, you can enter these ads and get to the next thing. And that I think is also important. I always believe when there is an advertisement, when there's a QR code, you give a digital dimension to your ad, you actually know how many people scan it. Those rates might be low, but that doesn't matter, at least you are capturing some people's attention. Because if you don't have a QR code, you don't even know if people actually watching it at all, right? A QR code gives you a way to track your ads in somehow, right? - Right, as long as it's a dynamic QR code and your account is active, you can totally track the scan data behind all your QR code campaigns. - Right. - Right, and so Ben, thank you so much for giving us your insights with all these failed QR codes, but to you, they're not all of them are failed. All right, so marketers, you know what to do so you don't commit these mistakes anymore. And if you have any questions, let us know in the comments down below and we'll get to it on the next episode. This has been Crystal and Ben, and this is Take Curious. We'll see you again soon, bye. - Bye. - The Take Curious podcast is brought to you by QR Tiger, the most advanced QR code generator. If you find this episode insightful, go ahead and click the follow button to stay updated. If you know a marketer in need of QR code ideas, help them out by sharing the link to this podcast. Till next time.