There’s a revolution that has finally started to gain some traction on North American shores. The Quick Response code (QR code for short) has been around for years in Asia and Europe (amongst other locales), but North American are finally starting to become aware of these funny little bar codes. And, according to comScore, more Americans are actually taking the time to scan the barcodes.

In a study that was recently released, comScore said that in June 2011, 14 million Americans scanned a QR code on their smartphone, representing roughly 6% of all those who carry a mobile phone. While this isn’t an astounding statistic, it does show that the user base for QR codes has grown to a respectable number and that awareness of QR codes is ramping up.

Who’s scanning the codes? The study states that most users are aged 18-34 and have a household income of $100,000 or more, meaning that young affluent smartphone owners are utilizing QR codes, generally speaking. Also, most QR code use involves scanning barcodes embedded into magazine and paper advertisements. Product packages are also being scanned by customers seeking further information about a product they are considering.

Obviously, marketers have caught on to QR codes as a way to extend the reach of their message by disseminating information and discount codes to smartphone users. However, a huge opportunity exists for all types of businesses with QR codes.  By scanning a QR code, it’s possible to send a user to a link, add contact information to their phone, place a call and a variety of different actions.

Businesses large and small should be looking to QR codes as an easy way engage their users and rewarding them for taking time to scan a QR code. How about offering a special deal or discount to customers based off a scan of a code that elicits a ‘Like” on Facebook or otherwise telling a friend?

The possibilities are endless. What’s needed to get started? A vision of what’s possible whether your a business, marketer, deal provider or web content creator.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 5:00 am and is filed under Research. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.