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• USPS – the Postal Service is now running its second campaign that uses a QR code. In this case, it is offering discounts of 2 percent to companies choosing to use their mailers with the barcodes printed on them. This benefits both the companies and shows that there is still a place for snail mail in this increasingly digital and mobile world.

• Coca-Cola – the soft drink giant placed a QR code on its containers throughout the 2012 Europe Cup soccer tournament, giving scanners exclusive videos from the tournament, as well as an easy way to obtain the free SmileWorld social app.

• Proctor & Gamble – PGMobile shopping trucks were launched last month by the beauty and home products corporation, distributing free samples as they patrolled New York City. Both the samples and the truck were emblazoned with quick response codes that could be scanned by smartphone users.

A recent Forrester report, which estimated adoption of QR codes among mobile users increased from 1% in 2010 to 5% this year, noted that the technology has encountered various obstacles to broader use.

These include basic unfamiliarity of what these codes even do, the required step of downloading a 2D barcode reader -- and most importantly for marketers -- disappointing content that turns off potential users. For example, codes that embed long URLs, making them harder to scan, or that lead to content that has not been mobile-optimized and offers little value to end users.

The Yankee Group study also pointed out that QR codes are vulnerable to misuse. What happens when fraudsters place their own codes as stickers on top of legitimate QR codes to obtain personal information by redirecting users to a fake Web site?

Here are some best practices for maximizing the return on your QR code direct mail initiative:

Ensure that QR codes link to Web pages that are optimized for mobile devices

Provide online content that adds value for the targeted consumer and makes it worth their while to scan the code.

Proximity based, action oriented marketing solutions saw an exponential growth to its demand last year, and a Smith’s Point Analytics report is now suggesting that it may bring this market to the $2.3 billion mark by the year 2016.

According to the report’s author, Peter Crocker, “QR codes and proprietary 2D barcodes are popping up everywhere and we estimate that outside of Japan, 164 million unique codes will be created in 2012.”

A demographic analysis of those who scanned a QR code with their mobile phone in June revealed an audience that was more likely to be male, young to middle-age and upper income. Men were 25 percent more likely (index of 125) than the average mobile user to scan QR codes, representing 60.5 percent of the scanning audience. More than half of all QR code scanners were between the ages of 18-34 (53.4 percent). Those between the age of 25-34, who accounted for 36.8 percent of QR code scanners, were twice as likely as the average mobile user to engage in this behavior, while 18-24 year olds were 36 percent more likely than average (index of 136) to scan. More than 1 of every 3 QR code scanners (36.1 percent) had a household income of at least $100,000, representing both the largest and most over-represented income segment among the scanning audience.

Age: 18-24 2,402 16.6% 136 Age: 25-34 5,317 36.8% 211

Grocery store 3,546 24.5%

99% of the top 100 U.S. magazines utilized QR codes in the first quarter of 2012. QR code use in this sector is up 288% over the same period in 2011, showing that publishers are beginning to take the codes more seriously. The report notes that these magazines used at least one QR code, which could be associated with advertising, service promotions, or exclusive digital content that is a companion to the magazine itself.

Though studies are showing that only a small percentage of Americans have actually used QR codes, many mobile marketing experts are warning companies not to give up on the technology just yet, and that they should seriously consider working them into their marketing strategies for this year.

The fact is that while the majority of Americans may not have used the barcodes yet, it doesn’t mean that they won’t do so in the future.

Data from Forrester has shown that 5 percent of the people in the country have scanned a QR code, which represents approximately 14 million consumers. These individuals are most likely to be male, young, and affluent. While some may believe that this means that the opportunity for the codes is too narrow, others disagree.

Youth marketing agency Archival Youth Marketing have conducted a survey of over 500 students on 24 college campuses across the US to find out what they think about QR Codes. Of the students surveyed 81% owned a smartphone and 80% had previously seen a QR code. 21% of the students successfully scanned a QR Code when shown an example and 75% of the students said they are “Not Likely” to scan a QR code in the future. (The infographic below is reproduced with the express permission of Archival)

QR code gift tags (image below) called Santa Tags by J. C. Penney will be available free from customer service at any of their 1,100 stores this holiday season. The QR code gift tags allow gift givers to scan a QR code, record a personal voice message and affix the tag to their gift. When their gift recipient scans the QR code on the gift they can hear the personal voice message from the gift give

Per ScanLife’s recent 2012 quarterly report consumers are scanning a lot more now, by about157% from this same time last year.

Today, more consumers are attached to smart phones and other such devices than they have ever been in the past. This has created an opportunity that businesses have been unable to ignore. QR codes have been identified as an effective way to reach out to these consumers, and many companies have begun using the black and white barcodes to promote goods and services. These companies have found that using QR codes can be tricky, however, with many failing to utilize them effectively.

URLs are out, and QR codes are in. With technology advancing daily, people want things instantly and effortlessly. QR codes do exactly that.

An article in USA Today laid out the process in three short steps. First, download a free QR code reader application to a smartphone. Many Android, Nokia and Blackberry phones come with QR code readers pre-installed.

QR codes on the labels of shipped products or invoices can help generate repeat orders and facilitate online payments.

QR codes on postcards can direct potential buyers instantly to an online catalog, optimized for mobile device viewing, to review available products and services.

If your product or service requires a demonstration, a QR code can direct your prospects to an online video.

Some simply do not understand how the codes work, but the majority does not see any gain in scanning them. Mobile marketers and companies using the codes have struggled to find a way to entice consumers into scanning the codes, but the reality seems to be that consumers will not do so if they will not get something in return.

The company has designed a QR code system and scanning application that, when used with a smart phone, will let consumers accumulate points for each scan.

Recouping even the typically modest investment needed to deploy a QR code often depends on a few key steps. One is offering those who read the code something they can use. "The codes are a bridge," Strack says. "When the user crosses the bridge, there needs to be something of value." That might be useful information, a coupon or another promotion.

Similarly, the site to which the code leads should be developed specifically for mobile phones. A website designed for computer monitors usually is difficult to view on a phone, Pinto notes.

Finally, in order to reap the full benefits of a QR code, you want to find some way to gather information from the user, such as an email address, so that you can contact them again. The QR codes and the scanning applications don't capture this information.

The majority of these people scanned a code to receive some kind of discount on a product or service. The study found that 18% of consumers scanned codes to purchase products

Those that did not scan a QR code noted that they were unaware of what the codes were or how to use them.

With many consumers still unfamiliar with the codes, marketing campaigns using them may not be as successful as they could be. Companies interested in using the codes for their campaigns may need to take steps to ensure that consumers know how to scan the codes.