Study Shows 14 Million QR Codes Scanned in June
RESTON, VA—A study compiled by comScore Inc. on mobile QR (Quick Response) code scanning found that in June, 14 million mobile users in the United States (6.2 percent of the total mobile audience) scanned a QR code on their mobile device.
The study, based on data from comScore's MobiLens service, found that a mobile user who scanned a QR code during the month was more likely to be male (60.5 percent of code scanning audience), skew toward ages 18-34 (53.4 percent) and have a household income of $100,000 or above (36.1 percent). The study analyzed the source and location of QR code scanning, as well, finding that users are most likely to scan codes found in newspapers/magazines and on product packaging, doing so while at home or in a store.
“QR codes demonstrate just one of the ways in which mobile marketing can effectively be integrated into existing media and marketing campaigns to help reach desired consumer segments,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. “For marketers, understanding which consumer segments scan QR codes, the source and location of these scans, and the resulting information delivered, is crucial in developing and deploying campaigns that successfully utilize QR codes to further brand engagement.”
Analysis of the source and location of QR code scanning revealed further insights into how consumers are interacting with this marketing tool. The most popular source of a scanned QR code was a printed magazine or newspaper, with nearly half (49.4 percent) scanning QR codes from this source. Product packaging was the source of QR code scanning for 35.3 percent of the audience, while 27.4 percent scanned a code from a Website on a PC and 23.5 percent scanned codes from a poster/flyer/kiosk.
Among mobile users who scanned a QR code on their mobile devices in June, 58.0 percent did so from their home, while 39.4 percent did so from a retail store and 24.5 percent did so from a grocery store. Nearly 20 percent scanned a QR code while at work, while 12.6 percent did so outside or on public transit and 7.6 percent did so while in a restaurant.