Are QR Codes Experiencing A North American Renaissance? (2024)

“Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.” Bill Gates

In 1994, an odd-looking barcode emerged from the automotive industry in Japan. This barcode, like the traditional lined barcodes, contained valuable information. However, they were much faster to read (hence quick response) and could hold more information than their standard (or UPC) barcode brethren.

Yes, this was the birth of the QR code.

Fast forward a decade, and the QR code has left its native Japan and is in many European nations, as well as North America. The opportunity was apparent, especially for businesses (primarily SMBs) looking for a way to appear cutting edge while being cost-effective.

QR code generation was free, and the ability to add them to printed items (i.e. a business card) was pretty simple. Further, the ability to encode specific information, like a website or contact information, made them highly appealing for any business owner. Yes, QR codes took North America by storm, with billboards, print ads (i.e. in Newspapers and Magazines) and car decals all showcasing the odd-looking box of lines and dots.

But the trend didn’t last.

In 2004 and through to 2011, QR codes were the ‘next great medium. However, as smartphones became more intelligent and the primary player in the market (i.e. Apple’s iPhone) didn’t natively support reading (unlike the OG BlackBerry), QR codes began to fade away. Why go through the trouble of generating a code when simply putting a website address would work effectively?

For me, their rise and fall closely aligns with the early days of my digital marketing career. Young in my career (and age), I consulted with several companies, encouraging them to generate QR codes as a way to extend their printed materials online, as well as to look “cool.” They listened, and for a short while, I was right. People would scan their codes, go to a website (the most common use for SMBs back in the day), and the value was instantaneous. The scanner would go, “oh, that is cool,” and the business owner would say, “oh, that was cool,” and everyone would walk home happy. Yes, this was the QR code gold rush, and like many other gold rushes, the appeal didn’t last.

Soon, people began to see these codes as just “another gimmick.” People would download an app to read the code to discover that they were going wasn’t good. Poorly designed websites, contact information that was identical to what was on the business card and ads — so many ads. Yes, as soon as people printed those codes, they became useless.

But that isn’t the end of the story.

In 2017, Apple did something shocking to the industry. During the release of iOS 11, they announced that the iPhone’s camera app would read QR codes — no extra app required. As the leader in smartphones for innovation (at least in 2017), this choice was confusing — but quick realignment from other major phone makers. Most Android devices doubled down on their ability to read QR codes natively, and suddenly, the antiquated, odd-looking barcode was BACK and in an exciting way.

Suddenly everyone had a scanner, even if they didn’t want one. More importantly, with the deeper integration with the primary operating system (i.e. the camera app is NOT a third-party app), QR codes had greater access to the power under the hood of modern-day smartphones.

2018 and 2019 didn’t seem much movement. Yes, some people started to put them back on business cards — but the adoption was still relatively low. However, heading into 2020, a few global forces began to consider the QR code for something MORE than simply a link to a website.

Side note: back in 2016, RBI launched a QR code as a form of payment. In the EU and India (where RBI is located), QR codes hadn’t seen their demise like North America, with many governments opting to use them as a form of travel and tourism information. It took North American a few more years, i.e. until 2020.

Suddenly, the opportunity for using QR codes for payments, video games, loyalty programs and augmented reality started to take hold. Businesses had established product tracing a few years prior, but now the ability to rapidly register products became ‘commonplace.”

And now, in 2021, you have major tech players like Facebook looking to QR codes for their next innovation. Facebook recently announced that they were exploring the use of QR as a form of peer-to-peer payments.

But why?

• First, it comes down to the ease of use (making a code takes a few seconds) combined with the power that you now literally hold in your hands. People’s lives are on their phones, and a QR code acts as a bridge between our digital existence and our physical one.
• Another reason is that QR codes are a universal medium. For a hot second, Microsoft introduced their own version of a code (which died quickly). But aside from that, everything else is standard.
• Finally, and this goes back to our digital existence, with everything being mobile-first, QR codes make sense. No more bad experiences. No more limited information. No more “this would have been better on my laptop.” And it is this one that drives home the rapid growth.

Back when QR codes were taking hold in North America, the mobile experience was poor. Yes, in 2004, 2005 and 2006, people overlooked the crappy experience. They were the early adopters of mobile. However, as the masses took hold, crappy experiences were no longer “ok,” and everyone placed QR codes on a shelf.

Now, with the significant improvements in all things mobile, we’re welcoming back an old technology. Maybe it was just ahead of its time.