For a piece of technology titled Quick Response, its adoption has been anything but. Pre-pandemic, QR codes were a flailing technology that didn't catch the fancy of most. Post-pandemic, they've become the new darling child of the world with everyone and their grandmothers now hip to the (QR) code.
In a survey conducted by Statista in June 2021, it was found that 45 percent of responding shoppers from the United States stated they had used a marketing-related QR code in the three months leading up to the survey. Given the increased prevalence of QR Codes since then, it’s safe to assume that the percentage is going to continue to grow. From restaurants to vaccine passports, we’re seeing that QR codes are an easy way to engage customers in a contactless world. This presents a great opportunity for sports and music brands to engage their fans and drive traffic to their assets. Here are some great examples of how QR has been utilized by sports and entertainment properties in recent years.
Out of House
QR codes enable you to give your out-of-house marketing campaigns extra life. The codes can help you add a layer of engagement to an otherwise static banner, and also collect a ton of data such as who engaged, where did they engage and have we seen them previously.
A great example of this was deployed by Lil Nas X. For his last album, “Montero”, he decided to roll out billboards that represented his unique communicative style.
Other than being a progressive communicator, Lil Nas X understands the importance of the digital world. In addition to being incredibly quirky, each billboard included a QR code redirecting to a URL with a pre-save and the artist’s notorious videos. As the campaign gained traction, it helped drive chart positions on release day rounding out a great campaign that bridged the physical and digital world seamlessly.
In-Venue
As fans all over the world come back to stadiums and venues, QR codes can be instrumental in running sponsored campaigns and collecting valuable data. Having an integrated system that collects said data and provides actionable insights is going to be crucial to driving net new revenue in the year from digital sponsorship.
A great example of leveraging this technology in-venue is Lollapalooza, which utilized QR to drive engagement and data collection for their sponsor, Toyota. Fans were provided with the opportunity to feature in a music video by scanning a code, choosing a character, snapping a selfie and leaving their contact information. A great creative and practical use of QR codes for an on-site engagement.
Live Shows
While QR Codes might have become more commonplace of late, there are still ways to have a wow-factor associated with them. No one showcased this better than Travis Scott at Rolling Loud 2021. The rapper used drones to operate as a flying QR Code during his set and fans were encouraged to snap the same to get access to a pre-save link for his new single. How fire is that!
In-Store
Engaging fans is not only about the event day but is also about the regular day-to-day activities. Our partners at the South Carolina Gamecocks impressed us with this Scavenger Hunt Activation, executed in collaboration with Coca-Cola, to send fans on a hunt for exclusive digital cards.
By placing unique QR codes across locations, they were able to drive traffic to multiple locations. Each time a user scanned a code, they were rewarded with a digital card, which could help unlock a bigger prize. Day-to-day engagement is key and reaching our fans in the locations that are part of their daily life is a great way to engage easily.
Merchandise
In a digital-first world, it’s easy to forget that physical goods offer the potential to surprise and delight fans. USL team, Forward Madison, is well known for its unique kits and designs. This year, they took it a step further by including a QR code on their new kits. Each shirt has a QR code that enables fans to buy a beer for another fan in the stadium. This was an incredibly innovative way to increase engagement and build a sense of community.
Loyalty
LaLiga identified India as a fanbase that they wanted to engage further, and in February 2021, they decide to expand their fan engagement strategy by creating the #LaLigaQRChallenge. Users were prompted with different QR codes, both online and at physical locations, to access exclusive content and engagements like trivia, statistics, news, and more. This was a season-long challenge that allowed users to opt-in for a bigger prize at the end of the year, a trip for two to Spain, and tickets for a LaLiga game.
Each of these examples and the recent proliferation of QR codes prove that they’re here to stay. They provide fantastic opportunities for increased engagement and data capture, and we’re here for it! Have you thought about creative ways to include QR codes into your engagement strategy for the new year?
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