Boost your brand with QR codes

We launched a nifty little QR code generator last year that helps streamline the creation of QR codes in your branded templates.

With it, your content creators can create a QR code from inside the template. They simply choose the type of QR code they want to generate, for example a web link, add the relevant information and the code is generated and placed in the correct place in their design.

The QR codes can be output in your brand colours to integrate perfectly with your brand or in the standard black and white.

As with all other designed content it's important to make sure the QR code is accessible for people with disabilities. There are some good pointers in this article and we are always on hand to advise you too.

A brief history of the QR code

Did you know that QR is short for 'Quick Response'? The technology was invented in 1994 by Masahiro Hara at Japanese company, Denso Wave, for labelling automobile parts.

The rise in smartphones meant that QR apps became popular. From 2010 they were integrated into smartphone cameras making QR codes much more widespread as people had an easy way to scan the information.

They continued to rise in popularity but it was the pandemic in 2020 that saw the massive increase in usage as due to their 'contactless' nature. Menus in restaurants could be viewed without touching a physical object and payments could be made without touching a card reader. To give some context, some sources quote an increase of 283% of usage from 2021 to 2022!

QR codes today

The ability to give quick and easy access to more information means QR codes are still proving popular with adoption across all businesses and sectors.

Our clients are using QR codes mainly for website links and contact details which mirrors trends worldwide, 49% of QR codes generated last year were for website links.

Boost marketing efforts with QR codes

When you are working with printed material with it's finite physical space adding a QR code to your call to action can reduce the effort an interested person needs to get more information.

The destination itself can be tracked to measure engagement with your QR code. To maximise effectiveness ensure that the destination is optimised for mobile as this is the device people will be using.

Incorporating QR codes into your content is an easy and effective way to increase engagement and awareness. If you aren't using them already we'd suggest adding them into your marketing strategy.