The codes are a great idea in theory. They let marketers make all sorts of media — print, billboards, even packaging — clickable and interactive. When scanned with a special app downloaded to a smartphone, QR codes can call up links, text messages or videos. They can spark e-commerce or generate a lead.

But in practice, while QR codes are affixed to everything from rental cars to Bratz dolls, only 5% of Americans who own mobile phones actually used the 2-D barcodes in the three months ending July 2011, according to Forrester Research. And those 14 million early adopters tended to be young, affluent and male.

mobsicle:

Mobile Marketer recently reported CBS was opting to use SMS to promote their fall lineup instead of QR codes. A smart move? You bet. Significant? That too.

Said a CBS executive, “Everyone has phones that support SMS. QR codes have an added barrier with a download and although we are interested…

(Source: mobsicle)