14 million people scanned QR codes in July 2011
A recent study revealed millions of people took advantage of quick response codes on printed materials via their smartphones last month.
The report conducted by comScore's MobiLens service found14 million mobile phone users scanned QR codes in July, totaling 6.2 percent of the entire smartphone-using population. The report also found that the majority of people scanning the bar codes barcodes were male, at 60.5 percent, and 53.4 percent of scanners were between the ages of 18- and 34.
“QR codes demonstrate just one of the ways in which mobile marketing can effectively be integrated into existing media and marketing campaigns to help reach desired consumer segments,” said Mark Donovan, comScore senior vice president of mobile. “For marketers, understanding which consumer segments scan QR codes, the source and location of these scans and the resulting information delivered, is crucial in developing and deploying campaigns that successfully utilize QR codes to further brand engagement.”
Many marketing experts have touted the growing use of QR codes. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Colin Gibbs, an analyst at research group GigaOm Pro, said many business professionals regard the scannable codes as the "hottest new tool of mobile advertising," and can generate them using web-to-print technology.