The ‘Hidden’ iPhone Update that Changes the Rules for Marketers

Quick: pick up your iPhone. Open the camera. Point it at the code below.

If you’re running the latest iOS, you should have been automatically redirected to a pre-written Tweet on Twitter. Pretty nifty, right? 

Or not. Depending on your perspective, Apple’s decision to include a native “QR code” reader in iOS 11 was either a stroke of brilliance … or about a decade too late.

You may remember QR (or Quick Response) codes from the ‘00s, when they were supposed to be the next big thing. Trouble is, they never caught on, at least not in North America and Europe. (Asia, where they’re ubiquitous, is another story.) The big issue was that to unlock the QR codes you had to download and install a special reader app. Then you’d have to take out your phone and open that app every time you wanted to scan a code.

This clunky extra step seemed to doom QR codes to tech’s scrap heap—promising but too cumbersome to catch on.

Apple’s decision this September to release a native reader, however, changes things considerably. Now, the roughly 700 million iPhone users around the globe suddenly have a QR scanner integrated right into the camera app. In fact, you’d probably never even notice it’s there … until it comes in handy. Aim your camera at a code and you’re instantly prompted to open it—one-step, no hassle. 

The second-coming of QR

So will QR codes actually catch on this time around? Well, I won’t pretend it’s not an uphill battle. Millennial users, by and large, see QR codes as about as out-of-date as supermarket bar codes.

This is actually a shame because QR codes are kind of cool, and immensely useful. Even today, in the age of A.I. and V.R., they remain one of the few bridges we have between the real world and the virtual world on the Internet. And they’re huge timesavers. In a store and want specs on a product … or a promotion … or a blueberry muffin? Just scan the code.

But what makes QR codes even more compelling is that simply linking out to plain old web pages is the tip of the iceberg. In Asia, for instance, the codes are a cornerstone of the mobile payment system. It’s estimated that $1.65 trillion in transactions in Asia used QR codes in 2016—almost a third of all mobile payments. (Even beggars and buskers are using QR codes in China, according to CNN.) In fact, this same QR technology is part of what powers the cashless, staffless Amazon Go store in Seattle. 

Not to mention, all kinds of other functionality can be built into a QR code. A scanned code can automatically initiate a phone call, say with a sales rep or customer service team. QR codes can let users instantly send pre-populated text messages, emails or tweets. Customers can scan a QR code at a hotel room or cafe to automatically log on to the wifi network. Codes can trigger YouTube videos or or app store downloads or Skype calls or PayPal “buy now” links.

Retail and marketing applications

For multichannel retailers and marketers, of course, the sky’s the limit. In store, QR codes not only enable instant payment options but can also trigger rich, multimedia experiences and initiate augmented reality functions. Lifestyle retailer Cath Kidston is already using this technology to provide in-store customers with a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s story.

On the more eccentric end of the spectrum, a bridesmaid in China recently made waves for affixing QR codes to her dress, making it easier to collect gifts of money for the bride and groom.

Also neat: all of this data is trackable. Metrics (visits, views, scans, etc.) can all be logged, and you can even track where and when users are engaging with the codes. When it comes to gauging the effectiveness of real-world marketing assets like billboards, flyers and print ads, being able to close the loop like this is exceedingly rare, not to mention exceedingly valuable.

Still, one major obstacles remains, aesthetics. Most QR codes are, well, ugly. The black-and-white squares don’t integrate well into designs and look cold and alien. But there is hope. Case in point: Snapchat’s Snapcodes. Bright yellow, with a friendly ghost in the middle, the codes allow users to add friends, access websites and unlock filters when scanned with the app’s built-in reader. You might not even know they’re QR codes in disguise, and that’s exactly the point.

Same goes for Facebook’s newly introduced Messenger Codes, which, when scanned, bring up a handy Messenger bot or customer service agent on your phone. And, just this spring, Spotify unveiled Spotify Codes, which instantly play a song when read. For brands looking to take advantage of Apple’s new native reader functionality and the long untapped potential of the codes, there’s a lesson here. The most effective QR codes are the ones users don’t see coming. Give them a facelift—a splash of color or light rebrand—and they just might sell themselves. 

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