Location: Victoria, BC (from an ad found in EAT Magazine)
Function: Scan to Facebook “Like” Button
Scan Speed / Quality: 10/10
Positioning of Code: 10/10
Effective use of a QR Code: 5/10
Design / look of Code: 1/5
Delivered to mobile content? +3
Scan incentive? + 1
Clear purpose? +0
OVERALL RATING: 30/50
Observations:
Skimming through EAT Magazine, I came across an ad for LURE Restaurant with a blue and white QR code. Unsure of where the code would lead me – the copy gives no clue – I scanned it to find a screen indicating that I should “Like” LURE on Facebook. I found this a bit annoying because as you can see in the screenshot below, I was unable to see the actual Facebook page but instead was just presented with a basic screen.
Nevertheless, I hit “Like” and expected to be taken to the Facebook page, but nothing happened! I waited…and still nothing! My next step was to log-on to Facebook and search for LURE to see what I had signed up for. The Facebook timeline itself is up-to-date and seems to provide useful information about the restaurant but by the time I got there, I had almost lost interest!
Downfalls:
It seems as though the QR Code was inserted into the ad because LURE had one, not because it was necessarily relevant. The ad promotes “The ABC’s of Brunch” so it would be nice to see a code that led to a brunch menu, gave a reservation option and provided additional info about the restaurant. As it stands, the code is not connected to the ad’s messaging although it does drive traffic to their Facebook page and ensures “Likes” from the willing.
Improvement Suggestions:
Make it relevant! If the ad copy is about brunch there should be some connection to that idea. Also, the fewer steps it takes to get to the incentive, the better. There are a lot of QR Code dis-believers out there – don’t give them another reason to ignore the mighty code!
Code Spotted By: Meaghan
