QR Codes Archives - Haulix Daily

Spotify has resurrected QR Codes, but will anyone care?

Spotify has a pretty strong record so far in the music business. Apple Music may be able to claim exclusive content, but Spotify is by and large the leader of the subscription streaming revolution. Nearly every single change and improvement the platform has made has been heralded as a smart decision, but their latest tool for sharing may fall short.

Spotify Codes, which the company has also called Spotify Scannables, are an updated take on QR Codes. The classic square appearance has been replaced by a soundwave-like bar code, but the functionality is the same. To use the code, go to your Spotify app, click the search button, and you’ll see a camera icon in the search bar. Hover the camera over the code and the linked music should appear automatically.

The question is not if this tool works, as it most certainly does, but whether or not consumers will embrace them. As we have written in the past, the only notable QR Code driven campaigns to date have come from major brands who were able to mass produce the codes and market their availability. Small campaigns, like those run by independent artists promoting music or gigs, have for more mixed results.

After all, this tool may be useful, but still involves switching to your camera app, which is what people didn’t like about QR codes in the first place. It adds an extra step to discovery that is just as long – if not longer – than typing something into a search box.

The good news here is that Spotify appears to be recognizing the value of the numerous independent artists around the globe who rely on their service to make money off their music. Tools like Spotify Codes show a desire to empower people to share music, which in turn helps artists.

Spotify Codes are now available to all users.

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know has found success in QR code marketing, please email james@haulix.com and share your story.

QR Codes are not dead, but they are far from thriving

This year marks the twenty-third anniversary of the QR CODE, a scannable matrix barcode that efficiently stores data and makes it easy to share. It also marks the twenty-third year various corners of the marketing industry have claimed the QR code would soon revolutionize the way we market, boost consumer engagement, and all-round make a major impact on the way brands approach promotion moving forward.

The thing is, in all of those twenty-three years there have been very few cases where QR Codes appeared to make any kind of notable impact whatsoever on a major marketing campaign. As recently as 2012 there were reports claiming that 97% of consumers had no idea what a QR Code even was, and in 2013 a separate report revealed that only 21% of American smartphone users ever scanned a barcode. Of that 21%, only 2% reported doing so on a regular basis.

In theory, QR Codes are great, but in application they rarely live up to their potential. The ability to scan QR Codes is not something that comes pre-installed on most smartphones. Users have to take it upon themselves to download an additional app, which they then need to keep around — and remember to use — until they come across a code. And even if they get that far there may be additional steps still to accessing the content the barcode contains, which can make for a frustrating user experience.

The best case scenario for QR Codes is that they allow for access to something so appealing that consumers will go out of their way to use them. Ideally, you only make a few, and the ‘hunt’ for access becomes part of your marketing campaign. Unfortunately, the fact most consumer are unfamiliar with the codes and how to use them makes the likelihood of this scenario playing out extremely unlikely.

All that said, there are a few success scenarios, though mostly for large (global) brands. Since consumers do not typically hunger for QR Codes, the best approach tends to be in making them impossible to avoid. A company like Taco Bell, for example, could easily generate a QR Code they then add to every cup of soda they sell. This gets the code in front of millions without making consumer change their routine. It’s likely only a few thousands will actually use the code, but still — at least people see it.

And that is the advantage bigger brands have over most artists and record labels: The numbers game. Bigger companies can afford to generate millions of QR Codes in hopes of getting several thousand people to use them. You, on the other hand, should be investing your time in effort in far less risk/chance intensive ventures.

You don’t need gimmicks to make people give a damn about your music, and no matter how you spin their abilities QR Codes are a gimmick. Be real, make yourself available, and people will engage.