Challenge: Connect In-Store Consumers to Inform and Inspire
Canada Beef needed to get the information they’ve collected on their website into the hands of consumers. They had posters and food service charts placed in retailers and in the kitchens of restaurants that gave people the opportunity to get more information on the website. While they’d used QR Codes in the past, they had never used them consistently because they hadn’t found a solution that completely fit their needs, which were:
- QR Codes that could contain design elements
- Dynamic QR Codes that allow them to change or adjust the links and landing pages later
- Analytics to empower them to measure and optimize their strategies
Solution: Scan-worthy QR Codes, analytics and agility
Canada Beef began putting QR Codes on beef packages in stores, in print ads and recipe booklets they send to consumers, and on posters they place in retailers, restaurant kitchens, and trade shows. The posters explain cuts of meat, share a recipe, or invite people to scan them to get nutritional information or inspiration.
With the help of the easy-to-use dynamic QR Code design, Michele said they felt confident that the QR Codes would represent their brand well and catch people’s eye to increase scans over their previous solution. They’re now able to add partner logos or differentiate between various print ads. In addition to how the QR Codes look on the package, Michele learned that the Uniqode platform made it easy to manage her codes, including allowing her to change links easily and see an update history to track her changes.
The team also liked the analytics included in the platform. Michele adds that she looks at overall scans and location scans frequently to see how people are interacting with their campaigns and adjust her strategy as necessary.
Michele chose to adopt the Uniqode solution because she says it not only fits her needs but also that the team has been fantastic. She says, “Our account representative has been so helpful – filling us in on new features as they come out, helping us to implement new strategies, and generally just making sure we get the most out of the platform.”
Results: Deeper customer understanding for better engagement
Using QR Codes in their marketing not only helped Canada Beef reach customers, retailers, and restaurants with educational material but also helped them understand their audience in greater detail.
Based on the information they found, Michele and her team have been able to gear their messaging toward what resonates with their audience. They found that men accessed the information more than women and that it was accessed at home more than inside stores.
Michele says, “We noticed that people were actually taking the packages home and scanning the codes there. We originally thought they’d scan them in the store. Instead, people sometimes scanned it days later when they went to use the meat they’d purchased.”
Based on their findings, Michele continues to evolve her approach to ensure that Canada Beef can connect with customers and share educational and inspirational content.
Tips for increasing QR Code scans
Some marketing teams are worried that their customers won’t know what to do with QR Codes or that the technology will be too complex. Michele McAdoo, the Executive Director of Marketing at Canada Beef, told us that she worried about the same thing, but with the right best practices, they’ve navigated this issue seamlessly.
Here’s how:
- Run contests to encourage more scans. Michele notes that this is one of the most effective ways to support a campaign.
- Don’t assume it’s intuitive. While QR Codes aren’t new, many customers still don’t know exactly what they are or how to use them.
- Help customers understand how to scan QR Codes. They’ll often include a quick video at trade shows that shows people how to use their phone camera to scan the code.
- Make sure your materials are in an environment where codes are easily accessible. For instance, they find that phones won’t navigate to the link in some stores if the service isn’t strong enough or the poster is too far away.
Learn more about how Uniqode can help you reach and inspire your audience with the power of QR Codes.
