Nearly 40% of the action codes used in advertising (1619) came from companies in three industries: beauty, home and fashion. We also found in our Retail Study that companies in these industries led the action code use in stores.

In the Retail Study, we found that stores targeting shoppers aged from 14 to 30 with moderately priced merchandise were more likely to use QR codes. Retailers using codes included aerie, American Eagle, BCBG Max Azria, Express, Forever 21, Gap, Madewell, PacSun, Pottery Barn Teen and Sephora. These retailers like to be seen as being on trend.

Similarly, fashionable brands like John Frieda, L’Oreal, Cuisinart, Garnier and Revlon use QR codes. They are a way to demonstrate trendiness and an edgy way for the consumer to connect with the brand, while receiving some benefits.

In Q4, several brands made the Top 10 list that had not made it in previous quarters. This indicates that the market for action codes is broadening. New to the Top 10 list are the following:

• Electronics companies Bose and Intel
• Retailers J.C. Penny and Zappos

Top 10 Brands Using QR Codes – 2011

Top 10 Brands Using QR Codes – Q4 2011

Ninety-six percent of the Top 100 magazine titles contained at least one action code in 2011. Therefore, a broad range of readers spanning demographic categories were exposed to action codes in 2011.

The Top 10 magazine titles included 28% of all codes (1255), which emphasizes the broad reach of codes.

Most of the codes within the Top 10 magazines were in women’s magazine titles, which focus on fashion, family, and homemaking. This is probably because, as mentioned earlier, 40% of the action codes used in advertising (1619) come from companies in three industries: beauty, home and fashion.
They tend to advertise more often in these titles.

Half of the magazine titles on the Q4 Top 10 list were not on the Top 10 list in Q3. These titles were ESPN, People, Self, Sports Illustrated, and Time.

Top 10 Magazine Titles With QR Codes – 2011

Top 10 Magazine Titles With QR Codes – Q4 2011