Why people snap : an exploratory study of QR code marketing in Singapore.

• Main Authors: Tay, Xiang Yi., Sim, Melvin Joo Kiat., Goh, Debbie Hui Yi.
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51568
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

QR code has emerged as a refreshing tool in the digital marketing landscape in Singapore over the past year. Its arrival came at an optimal time given Singapore’s high smartphone penetration rate and progressive Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. Despite its novelty as an attraction point and its unique ability to bridge offline and online media, there is a seemingly lack of enthusiasm amongst consumers in adopting the technology. With no precedent in the academic study of QR codes in Singapore, an exploratory study is conducted to examine the effectiveness of QR code marketing among youths in Singapore. To gain a comprehensive view of the QR code marketing landscape locally, this study addresses perspectives of both businesses and consumers. In-depth interviews were conducted with six businesses in order to unearth the motivations and challenges that companies face in executing QR code campaigns. Four consumer focus group interviews were also carried out to discover consumer sentiments that can affect uptake rate. From the interviews, it was found that the success of QR code marketing relies heavily on marketers’ ability to offer an appealing value proposition and a holistic snapping process. The findings from both businesses and consumers were analyzed to provide recommendations for marketers to improve current QR code campaigns. This is followed by the construction of a revised framework for a quantitative study on the effectiveness of QR code marketing. This paper concluded with a discussion on areas for further research on how QR code marketing can be refined to become a game-changer of mobile marketing.