QR codes have been in use since the mid 90’s but their popularity

QR codes have been in use since the mid 90’s but their popularity and use has increased only recently. This is due to the fact that a large number of people have started using smartphones with high resolution cameras, larger screens, faster Internet connections and lower data rates that allow effective QR code scanning from anywhere. Studies have shown that between July and December 2010 there has been a tremendous increase of 1,200% in the use of QR codes throughout North America. Also, it has been observed that 57% of Facebook and Twitter users have scanned a mobile barcode a minimum of once in a year while around 40% users done so 5 or more times in a year. Seeing how there are more than 900 million users on Facebook there will be a lot more people scanning QR codes, now that they have become mainstream. The idea is to use QR codes effectively by using them in marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness and engage customers.