Chapter 4
Your Time Is Better Spent Elsewhere
When I speak to audiences around the world about QR codes, I almost always find their defenders. I am told about amazing marketing campaigns, creative possibilities, and practical applications (usually from QR code designers . . . )
The best examples are usually in retail applications. And I must admit, some of them are pretty amazing.
The grocery chain Tesco has virtual shopping stores where codes are used to scan items, which are then delivered to you. I love the idea of shopping this way. How great to be able to scan some milk and bread on your way to work in the morning and have it show up on your way home.
The codes worked, and the shoppers used them. QR codes at their best.
The thing is, like with all new technologies and applications, if your business is already in trouble, adding them will not make it better. If your product or service sucks, using social media or focusing valuable energy on new technology like QR codes will not fix your issues. They will simply amplify them.
In January 2013, while in the middle of a horsemeat scandal, the Twitter account for Tesco tweeted the following:
If you're in the middle of a huge meat ...
