Why Isn’t There a QR Code on My Starbucks Cup?

4 Apr 2010

QR codes — those cute little graphics made up of a bunch of random squares — are starting to pop up all over the place, but I must admit I’m surprised I’m not seeing them a lot more often. The idea for this post came to me yesterday while I was sitting at Starbucks looking at my cup with the distinctive logo but what? no QR code? Considering how Starbucks has embraced social marketing — using Twitter and Facebook — I’m surprised they haven’t jumped all over this idea.

If you’re unfamiliar with QR codes or the limitless uses they can be put to, you might want to check out this post that I wrote a couple of months ago. Maybe you’ve noticed the QR code up their next to the name of my blog. Scan that and it loads the mobile version of my blog on your mobile phone’s browser (assuming you have Internet access) where you’ll hopefully bookmark it.

Back to Starbucks. Just how could they use QR codes? Well, here are a couple ideas.

Link to their Twitter page to add more followers. Imagine you’re sitting there drinking your cup of coffee and out of curiosity you scan the code on the cup with the QR code scanner on your mobile phone and it takes you to Starbuck’s Twitter page. If you’re not already a follower, do you think you’d click the follow button? Or maybe it sends you to the landing page on their Facebook page where you can become a fan.

Link to a page that changes periodically, offering specials to anyone who has scanned the code. A perfect place for this code would be on the cardboard cup holders. Printing a new batch of cups every time you wanted to change the link the QR code pointed to wouldn’t be practical but swapping out cup holders would be a cinch.

If Starbucks ran periodic specials only available to people who found out about them by scanning the QR code on their cup holder, it wouldn’t be long until it would be common to see people pointing their mobile phone at their Starbucks cup.

Obviously I’m using Starbucks as an example here, but there are many ways companies can use QR codes as part of their marketing program. Here are just a few more examples.

http://www.qrarts.com/ Patrick Donnelly

Just don't tip your cup to scan it with a full cup ! That could be a fun lawsuit. lol
http://www.socialidentities.com Hugh Briss

Disclaimer: Cup contains hot liquid. Do not tip or wait to scan until the cup is empty.
http://www.bonovoxpr.com/ Beth Siverstein

Both the comments are exactly right. I am a publicist with Warbasse Media (Warbasse Design is my actual client). This link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUYVBvJkzxI shows how 2D barcodes can be used on coffee cups. The problem is with the hot liquid in the cup potentially burning someone who is trying to read the code. A better place to put the code might be on the lid.

http://www.hughbriss.com Hugh Briss

Starbucks currently prints sayings on the side of their cups and I don't recall hearing about any lawsuits by people who'd been burned because they tipped their full cup of coffee to read them. It is possible to read the cup or scan the QR code while holding the cup vertically or even while it's sitting on the table.

I wonder how many people have tipped their monitors to scan my QR code.

nelsonwee

Hey Hugh, liked your post. Agreed on your take that occasion-based tagging, in this case getting a call to action via QR code at Starbucks would be a wonderful opportunity to take the consumer beyond his or her current cuppa. And the beauty of it, this call to action promo could be tagged uniquely and made measurable on the various deals you could put out.
http://twitter.com/WikdGoodCookies Wicked Good Cookies

very interesting. wheels are spinning…