[Survey of 800 people in their 20s-50s] Outdoor advertising with QR codes: What's the optimal placement? Less than 20% lead to purchase/registration from QR codes

Asmark Inc., a marketing research company, conducted an 'Questionnaire Survey on QR Codes in Outdoor Advertising' targeting 800 men and women in their 20s to 50s nationwide. The results revealed that the most common action after scanning a QR code was 'browsed the site a little and finished' (34.5%), and the percentage leading to 'product/service purchase' or 'membership/service registration' was less than 20% to less than 10%. *Survey dates: March 25 (Wed) - March 27 (Fri), 2026. Topics Top outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned in the past year: 1st 'Billboards on building walls/facilities' (35.3%), 2nd 'Bus/taxi body advertisements' (23.5%), 3rd 'Electronic advertisements at bus stops' (22.3%) Actions after scanning a QR code: 'browsed the site a little and finished' (34.5%) was the most common, with less than 20% leading to product purchase or membership registration. Reasons for not scanning QR codes: 'bothersome to surroundings' (25.5%) and 'concerned about public gaze' (24.0%) were common. Situations where outdoor advertisements are consciously noticed: often 'while waiting' for buses, trains, or people. Download survey results here Background and Purpose of the Survey Outdoor advertisements, displayed in various locations such as building walls in urban areas and roadside spaces, serve as important touchpoints for companies to promote product and service awareness and stimulate interest among consumers. In recent years, the use of QR codes in such outdoor advertisements has increased, and initiatives to connect offline to online are expanding, such as accessing company websites or being directed to app download screens simply by scanning with a smartphone. According to a 'QR Code Awareness Survey' published by Toyo Bijutsu Printing Co., Ltd. in January 2022, accessing the web was the most common purpose for using QR codes, accounting for over 70% of the total. Reference: Toyo Bijutsu Printing Co., Ltd. 'To guide to web and videos! QR Code Awareness Survey of 100 people' Therefore, this time, we conducted a survey on QR codes in outdoor advertising targeting 800 men and women aged 20-59 nationwide. This survey aims to clarify 'outdoor advertisements from which QR codes were scanned,' 'actions taken after scanning QR codes,' and 'situations in which outdoor advertisements are consciously noticed.' Top outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned in the past year: 1st 'Billboards on building walls/facilities' (35.3%) ■Outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned Among the 29.8% of respondents who had scanned a QR code in the past year, when asked where the scanned QR code was placed (n=238), the 1st place was 'Billboards on building walls or facilities' (35.3%), 2nd place was 'Bus or taxi body advertisements' (23.5%), and 3rd place was 'Electronic advertisements at bus stops' (22.3%). Outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned (n=238) Q2. In the previous question, where were the QR codes you 'just scanned' placed? Please select all that apply. (Multiple selections allowed) Billboards on building walls or facilities: 35.3% Bus or taxi body advertisements: 23.5% Electronic advertisements at bus stops: 22.3% Street banners installed outdoors: 19.7% Outdoor vision displays: 18.9% Billboards on building rooftops or facilities: 17.2% Roadside billboards: 15.1% Utility pole advertisements: 8.0% Others: 0.8% ■QR code scan rate for each outdoor advertisement: 'Billboards on building walls/facilities' exceeds 40% in Kanto and Kinki regions Looking at the outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned by region, 'Outdoor vision displays' (24.1%) in the Kanto region were more than 5 percentage points higher than the overall average, while in other regional areas, it remained at 11.9%. Also, in the Kinki region, 'Billboards on building walls or facilities' (40.5%) were more than 5 percentage points higher than the overall average, while in other regional areas, it was more than 5 percentage points lower at 26.2%. Furthermore, in the Kinki region, 'Roadside billboards' (26.2%) showed a remarkably high result compared to other regions. Outdoor advertisements with QR codes scanned (n=238) After scanning a QR code, 'browsed the site a little and finished' (34.5%) was the most common, with less than 20% leading to product purchase or membership registration. ■Actions taken after scanning a QR code Regarding actions taken after scanning a QR code placed on outdoor advertising (n=238), 'browsed the site or page a little and finished' (34.5%) was the most common, followed by 'used coupons or campaigns' (33.6%), and 'obtained detailed information about products or services'.