QR Codes For Dummies, Portable Edition

Looking at Who’s Using QR Codes Today, Tomorrow

Research shows that men, ages 18 to 34, scan most QR Codes. They tend to be educated, and one-third make more than $100,000 a year. Men have been the primary audience downloading QR Codes since their inception in the early 1990s.

It shouldn’t surprise you that men were the early adopters of QR Codes, nor should you assume they will always be the primary audience. If the history of other new technologies is a good teacher, the audience of QR Codes will shift to other key audiences over time.

Take the automobile, for instance. In 1900, more than 4,000 were built in the United States. At the time, the U. S. had a population of 76 million. Early car buyers and drivers were prosperous, educated men. Of course, that changed as the car became more commonplace in American culture. Today, both men and women buy cars.

More recently, young, educated men adopted technology such as Foursquare that allows them to share their location with friends and for nearby businesses to deliver location-based news, discounts, and specials. But that audience is shifting, too, and understanding why isn’t difficult. Men might sometimes adopt products first, but women take it over because they do most of the shopping. According to The Boston Consulting Group, women control two-thirds, or 12 trillion dollars, of household spending.

Women are scanning QR Codes to unlock discounts, promotions, and giveaways. In a recent survey, 46 percent of respondents said they ...