Barcode Scanning Up 157% In First Quarter

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Mobile barcode scanning continued to climb at a brisk pace in the first quarter, according to the latest data from Scanbuy. Total scans through its ScanLife barcode app and third-party apps in the first three months of 2012 reached 13 million, up 157% from less than 5 million a year ago.

The app also processed traffic from more than 5 million unique users, up 200% from the year-earlier period. Virtually all of those users (93%) are coming from Android devices and iPhones, with the latter pulling almost even to Android in the first quarter (48% versus 45%) for the first time on strong international growth.

Men 25-34 are most likely to scan a barcode, with men overall outpacing women by a 2-to-1 ratio. The U.S. remained the top country when it came to scanning, followed by Spain, Canada, Denmark and France.

Looking at QR code campaigns in the quarter, Scanbuy found those delivering video, app downloads and product details were the most popular. Packaging was the most likely place to find QR codes, followed by the Web, direct mail, magazines and in-store. The last of these replaced outdoor among the top five code placements.

Among industry categories, CPG again led the way in rung QR code campaigns. The quick-serve restaurant industry was second, breaking into the top five for the first time as national chains distributed millions of codes. Entertainment, retail and wireless were among other top industry categories. The study findings reflect traffic from both QR codes and traditional UPC codes.

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2 comments on "Barcode Scanning Up 157% In First Quarter".

1. John Grono from GAP Research
   

   commented on: May 16, 2012 at 6:31 p.m.
   Just checking I read the data correctly. In the first three months of 2012 there were 13 million uses from 5 million users. So the average user used the app 2.6 times over a 91 day period indicating the app is used on average every 35 days or less than once a month. That's not ringing my marketing chimes too loudly. Please correct me if I have misunderstood the data.
2. Dan Auito from Next Century Studios
   

   commented on: May 18, 2012 at 6:52 p.m.
   You're pretty much on the mark John, it's still in early adoption here in the states, but it is on the rise and will become more prevalent as analog phones are phased out. The bottom line is that if you are doing any type of print advertising it makes total sense to add it to create that bridge from print to all your destinations online. We create a video and have 10 calls to action once a scan is complete: http://ncs.tv/mobile-marketing Dan at www.ncs.tv

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