Mobio reports QR code use has exploded by 1200 percent

Vancouver-based Mobio Identity Systems Inc., the folks behind the Mobio app for Android and iPhone, have just released a report that highlights the QR code use in North America over the last six months of 2010. And it’s huge.

We’ve been talking about this innovative new-ish space for a while now, and how marketers, retailers and companies big and small are using QR codes to advertise, engage and sell products. But we didn’t know its use had exploded by 1200 percent.

The report titled “The Naked Facts” reveals a handful of interesting raw data pertaining to the increasing adoption of QR codes, and it takes a look at which demographics are making this technology a success including the growth of mobile payments.

We should note that the information found within the report uses no third-party data, it’s really just the results taken directly from the Mobio servers sans commentary or in-depth written analysis.

In case you weren’t watching, QR barcode use has suddenly gone ballistic.

Scans by Age

This data shows that the majority of QR nuts are between are 35-44 years of age (Generation X), and Mobio claims it has seen steady adoption across the board with people between the ages of 18 and 54. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see the 18-25 age group take the lead here.

Scans by Gender

We can see that the ladies are taking the lead in QR scans, grabbing 64 percent of the pie. The report states that women have showed more interest in collecting information on products and making mobile purchases.

Types of Scans

The graph breaks down the scanning by type, displaying that QR scanning to receive information is the most popular (based on the data Mobio has gleaned). It also shows that only 5% of the scans Mobio is seeing are payment scans.

From July to December of last year, QR scanning grew a whopping 1200 percent. Mobio contributes this traffic spike to the Christmas season and a series of advertiser marketing campaigns that integrated QR technology in print, web and TV ads.

Mobio Identity Systems Inc’s full report can be downloaded here.

The QR barcode has become the gateway to information, data exchange and mobile commerce with the Smartphone acting as the primary device for every consumer interaction. Browsing and buying merchandise through QR barcodes is happening like never before, and social media has
further accelerated this phenomenon.