Not too long ago I wrote a blog post on Quick Response (QR) codes, “Are QR Codes the New Social Media?”. Since then I have been waiting to see more and more QR codes on print materials, whether it be in advertisements, catalogues, signs, or anything of that nature where you may want the reader to visit a website either to seek more information, make a purchase, or take some other course of action like signing up for a promotion. However, I’ve been very disappointed with the slow moving pace of this tactic.

I mostly find myself looking for QR codes when I want to visit a website immediately for more information on whatever it is I am looking at, most recently it was an advertisement for clothing. I actually found it amusing that I (yes, a Gen Y’er but still never one to go crazy over the latest technology) found it archaic that I had to manually punch in the website address on my iPhone. I surprised myself with how quickly my behavior as a consumer is changing. That got me thinking as to how many other people would find it really convenient and easy to just have to scan their smartphones over a code to be automatically routed to the information they were looking for…and how many don’t realize it yet just because they haven’t had that option.

Although I do see them from time to time I do think QR codes are still a grossly underrated tool. So back to the title of this blog entry, when will QR codes become the norm already??