5 Ways to Use QR Codes in Public Relations Campaigns

Strong and positive publicity is everything. You won’t have to say your business is good because someone else will say it for you—that’s if you can create an effective PR campaign.

And guess what? QR codes in public relations campaigns are just the best tool to tap on. These tech tools can help you build your business image on digital and printed media.

Audiences can access your PR campaign materials in one scan. And although everything depends on how great your content is, at least one thing’s for sure: You have a wider reach with these codes.

Here’s more: You can easily create high-quality codes using the best QR code generator. It’s easy to use, and even beginners won’t struggle. Read this article for more ideas on QR codes and how to make and use them.

QR code-powered public relations campaigns: examples from today’s big brands

Many businesses worldwide have taken advantage of QR codes on product packaging, services, and even PR campaigns. Check out these examples from well-known brands:

Nestlé QR code

Nestlé launched a global initiative to provide consumers instant access to various information about their products. 

They added QR codes on their product packaging, bringing consumers to the nutritional profile of the product and its environmental and social impacts, which captured the heart of the public and brought in more sales. 

So instead of promoting their price or taste differences, Nestlé changed their game by educating the public through their QR code campaign, placing them atop the competition.

Diesel QR code

Diesel also started a campaign using QR codes on their product tags to check authenticity. Buyers who scanned the code get to verify whether they are buying legit items, especially those sold outside Diesel’s store.

The ‘Scan for Authenticity’ campaign aimed to combat the growing number of counterfeiting of Diesel jeans—a corporate social responsibility move that benefited both the company and the public.

Cocokind’s QR code sustainability  campaign

This indie skin-care brand stepped-up its call for sustainability using QR codes on its secondary packaging.

Consumers will get access to each product’s sustainability data, such as carbon footprint and curbside recycling methods, so that these products won’t contribute to the growing environmental problems.

2 Kinds of PR Campaigns

Over the years, public relations campaigns have evolved into two different categories. Which do you think best suits your business?

Traditional

Traditional PR campaigns typically refer to conventional forms of public communications, such as print press releases, media kits, magazines, newspapers, posters, and TV news.

Why do traditional PR campaigns continue to foster despite technological advances? Well, mainly because many still patronize and trust television shows and well-known newspapers today—a feature on those platforms would mean credibility for people.

Digital

The digital PR campaign, on the other hand, refers to using online platforms to connect with the audience. These include social media, blogs, podcasts, websites, online news resources, and video-sharing sites.

60% of the world’s total population today uses social media, meaning posting PR materials online allows businesses and companies to reach billions of internet users in just a snap.

These digital platforms provide people with a convenient way to access news and information with just a scroll away. But these have also provided an easy platform for scams, and fake news, so it’s important to go only to trusted and reputable websites.

How QR codes bridge traditional and digital platforms

But why choose one when you can have both traditional and digital? This is possible with  QR codes.

Sharing a QR code online is unsurprising since many have done this already. But did you know that printing a QR code on any traditional media will still redirect users to the digital version of the information?

Take videos, for example. Obviously, you can’t print a video on a newspaper page. But you can embed it in a QR code and print it to allow others to access the video in a scan.

This way, QR codes close the gap between traditional and digital users.

How to use QR codes for different PR campaigns

Can’t figure out how to make your PR campaign work for your brand yet? Check the list below for some public relations campaign examples:

Information and content distribution

You can use a PR campaign QR code to relay important facts about your products or brand, such as ingredient sources, manufacturing methods, and sustainability efforts.

Take note: PR is different from marketing. This information must not be about selling the product but the benefit it can contribute to the buyer and the community.

You can pre-edit this information in a file and then use the file QR code to share it on whatever medium. The advantage of this solution is you can update your file anytime.

Product launch

Brands launching a new product use PR campaigns to broadcast the news on various websites or social media platforms to reach a broader audience.

But you don’t have to promote each of your social sites for the public to view your materials. You can use a social media QR code or a Link in Bio QR code instead.

This dynamic QR code leads to a personalized landing page containing all your social media and other websites. Each link comes with a designated button that will take the scanner to the corresponding platform where they can view your PR material.

But it’s important to note that a PR social media QR code differs from a marketing QR code, so its content must only introduce the product: what it is, what it does, and how it works—nothing more.

Crisis communication and updates

Brands must assure the public of their current position to maintain strong credibility when local or global issues arise, like inflation, disasters, or recession.

They can use a URL QR code that redirects to their website, where the public can view more information, such as prices and outreach initiatives.

You can also use the multi URL QR code and its number of scan redirection features for a more comprehensive solution.

If you post most of your outreach and donation programs on your website, you can set this up as the first link. After a certain number of scans of this QR code, it will open up a donation page that the brand supports, inviting users to make donations as well.

The destination will change depending as more people scan the code, allowing you to use it for various purposes.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals

When consumers see you care about them more than earning, you’re more likely to gain their trust.

If you want your brand to capture the hearts of many, you must set CSR goals that would benefit them, and you can relay them to the public by using a personalized landing page.

The H5 QR code lets you create a custom landing page thru a QR code generator—no need for coding or web hosting. Here, you can design it however you like or use the available templates.

Advocacies

Share your advocacies on both printed and digital platforms. You can add a QR code on magazines to target conventional readers and share your brand’s advocacy with them.

You can also post your QR code online so readers can keep in touch with your brand’s advocacies. You can also take this chance to call for volunteers who might want to join.

Use a vCard QR code with the contact details of your brand’s representative to whom they can enlist themselves. This will entice them to connect more with you.

How to create QR codes using a free QR code generator

1. Go to QR TIGER online and sign in to your account. You can sign up for the freemium version if you don’t have one yet.
2. Click any of the QR code solutions you wish to use.
3. Provide the necessary data
4. Click the Generate QR code button to proceed.
5. Customize your QR code. You can add colors, change frames, and eyes, and even add a logo and CTA.
6. Test if your QR code works fine. Here's a tip: Scan it using different devices and under various lighting conditions.
7. Download, print, and share your QR code

Static vs. Dynamic QR codes: Which should you use?

Today’s online QR code generator platforms offer two types: static and dynamic. Let’s get to know these QR codes better:

Static

Static QR codes are also known as the basic QR code. Most QR software offer these for free; you don’t have to have a subscription to create one.

But here’s the thing: Whatever data you embed in your QR codes in public relations campaigns stays there permanently. If you want to apply edits, you must create a new one.

Dynamic

You’ll need an account or a subscription to use dynamic QR codes, but they come with advanced features that can help you.

Dynamic QR codes are editable; you can edit the embedded data anytime so you don’t have to regenerate a code each time you need to update the content.

Here’s why: A dynamic QR code stores a short URL that leads to your embedded data. Since your data isn’t hard-coded, you can change or update it anytime.

You can also track your QR code’s scan analytics: the scanning devices used, the number of scans, the date and time, and the location.

QR TIGER’s dynamic URL, File, Landing page, and Google Form QR code solutions also come with a GPS feature that lets you identify the precise location of each scanner.

These solutions also come with geofencing, an advanced feature lets you set the boundaries of your QR code’s availability: Only those within the location’s radius will access the code.

The goals of public relations campaigns 

PR strategies are flexible enough to target different issues mainly because you can use them to achieve various goals. Some of these goals are as follows:

Increase brand credibility

Credibility builds trust among your customers, which is fundamental to market expansion. PR professionals connect this trust gap to open the public’s mind to what the brand can offer. 

They capitalize on the best features of the brand and reviews from past clients who’ve benefitted from doing business with the brand.

Drives sales

Brands and businesses also get to drive sales from PR campaigns—it’s like marketing, but not really. 

For instance, in marketing, there are materials like a QR code in advertising that aims to sell out your product or service by openly selling it.

In PR campaigns, you plainly communicate your brand’s social values, significance, and purpose so listeners may find your brand relevant and will market the product for you.

Educate the public

If your brand is marketing your product to solve specific problems and issues, you must begin with a PR campaign that educates the public.

Educate them about the issue’s existence and feed them with information that will pique their interest. That way, you don’t have to hard-sell your brand because people themselves will look for you.

Benefits of using QR codes in public relations campaigns

Provides easy access for audiences

QR codes allow all sorts of potential customers to access your printed or digital campaign material easily just by using their smartphones.

What’s great is most smartphone models have built-in scanners already. If yours has none, third-party scanners are also readily available for download from the Play Store or the App Store.

Holds more information

Most campaign materials —especially printed ones—have limited spaces, and this may not be enough to share the entirety of your campaign script or all the important details of your PR.

But embedding it in your QR codes in public relations campaigns and printing them instead saves you so much space. This way, you won’t have to hold back on the amount of information you wish to speak about.

Integrates seamlessly into all platforms

QR codes make you cater to both printed and digital platforms, closing the gap between online and offline communication. 

Whether you have your QR code printed on a magazine or shared on social media, it still gets to share the purpose of your campaign, allowing you to maximize your reach and provide a better user experience.

QR codes for stronger PR campaigns

In public relations campaigns, it’s not enough to have substance; you must also connect with a greater audience. That’s why having QR codes in public relations campaigns can give you an edge.

Head out to QR TIGER today and generate QR codes for your PR campaigns. QR TIGER offers a wide choice of QR code solutions with advanced features.

Plus, this QR code generator is ISO-27001 certified and GDPR compliant, which guarantees the safety of your data. Sign up for the freemium version now or contact customer service for assistance.