From pandemic monitoring to smart marketing: QR Code in Corona

The ability to scan a code quickly and from a distance is not new, but it seems to have been born for the days of avoiding contact. Now it is changing the worlds of retail, hospitality and marketing and making it possible to open borders, return to restaurants and mediate efficiently and with maximum targeting between the physical and digital worlds  

It preceded the first smartphone by more than ten years and was popular in the worlds of advertising and marketing as early as the beginning of the previous decade. But only now, in the days of Corona, is the QR Code gaining a global renaissance, with use on a scale it never had before. In the delicate balance between confinement and routine, between health and the economy, more and more governments, public bodies and private companies are using this not-so-new technology to renew commerce, culture, art, competitive sports and nightlife.

The QR Code (Quick Response Code or קודר, as the Academy of the Hebrew Language decided to call it) came to us from Japan. The first to use it was the Toyota Group, which was looking for an efficient way to encode spare parts and decode them using robots on assembly lines. The great advantage of the method is that the scanning is done quickly and regardless of the device’s position or angle – the small squares at the corners of the code focus the scanner and provide it with reference points and direction.

Over the years, scanning has become more sophisticated: the scanner has been integrated into iPhone cameras, scans are easily performed via computer, and the codes themselves can be sent as text messages or via social networks. In this way, the method has covered more and more applications: from payment apps, to sending digital business cards, to connecting to WhatsApp Web.

In the field of marketing, scanning serves as a perfect mediator between the physical and virtual worlds. Zara, for example, has made extensive use of it in one of its largest centers in London. The chain allowed shoppers to select products and save themselves the hassle of queuing and carrying them by scanning, after which a robotic arm locates the items in precise quantities and they are shipped to the consumer’s home the same day or at the latest the next day. Nike and Diesel brands have embedded a code in clothing and footwear products for customer service purposes, and mainly as a tool to verify authenticity and prevent counterfeiting. Starbucks has implemented the code for immediate payment upon scanning the order or product.

Then came the coronavirus

In an era where people are trying as much as possible to avoid touching others and even surfaces, the ability to scan a code in one second from a distance of 25 cm has become the ultimate solution. Its widespread implementation has redefined the way countries deal with the pandemic, allowed borders, seaports and aviation to open, and changed the worlds of retail, hospitality and leisure.

China, the birthplace of the coronavirus, has returned to normal with its own traffic light system that relies on filling out and scanning forms. The code that each resident receives shows them, and if necessary, the authorities, their status: green means that the risk is low, yellow – that they have been in close proximity, and red indicates that patients or those suspected of having the virus are highly likely to be infected. Depending on the result, those at risk are required to check online how many days they must isolate themselves until they receive the clearance.

The code and scan method has also allowed China to be a global pioneer in opening Disney parks In Corona. The signal was given in Shanghai in May, with the use of QR Code to receive reminders about the rules of precaution and to locate visitors and employees in the event of need. Similarly, in mid-June, New Zealand held its breath, this time under happy circumstances – the world’s first rugby match with a full audience took place in a stadium in the city of Dunedin. Fans were asked to pull out their smartphones and scan the code posted in the stands. A similar move was also taken in nightclubs in South Korea.

Restaurants, from New York to Tel Aviv, have taken it a step further: customers scan a code to receive the menu on their mobile, select and order dishes and finally pay the bill. In Chicago, a bar decided to reward delivery customers by watching a show on streaming while eating. The use of scanning as a way to leave details at the entrance became especially common when it was made mandatory at all McDonald’s branches, in order to save the time and hassle of downloading a dedicated app or browsing the website. The method was also implemented at the Vancouver Art Gallery, at the BMW exhibition in Hong Kong, and more.

The QR Code, in its incarnations and applications, has been with us for more than a quarter of a century. In an era of a global pandemic, it is proving to be a real asset – health, cultural, commercial and marketing. There is no doubt that this technology has not yet had its last word.