Personalised promotions and dynamic marketing drive global QR code usage

QR codes celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2024. These instantly recognisable black-and-white square patterns have become a hallmark of consumer goods packaging, restaurant menus and all kinds of marketing materials.

If you have a smartphone in your pocket, it’s highly likely that you have a QR code scanner, either built into your phone’s camera software, or installed as a standalone app.

So it’s no surprise that as of July 2025, over a third (34.2%) of UK internet users over the age of 16 scan QR codes using their smartphone at least once a month.[1] Globally, that figure is even higher, at nearly half (48.4%).

QR codes and COVID-19

A full five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re seeing trends that are shaped by new market dynamics, and no longer by the impact of lockdown and social distancing.

However, it’s worth taking a moment to note the overnight increase in QR code usage during lockdown, especially in settings like hospitality establishments to enable customers to place orders from their tables.

In September 2021, YouGov reported that the pandemic had closed the gap on QR code usage between older and younger demographics.[2]

“Before the pandemic, more than half of consumers aged 65+ hadn’t used a QR code, compared to just 15% of 18 to 24 and 25 to 39-year-olds,” the analyst said.

“That left a lot of older people with catching up to do when it came to this reborn technology. But our research shows that they have done just that.”

Attitudes towards QR codes post-pandemic

The YouGov survey revealed that only about one in eight (13%) UK adults find QR codes difficult to use. Interestingly, this figure was slightly smaller (12%) among the over-65s.

Nearly two thirds of British adults familiar with the concept of QR codes had scanned one in the previous three months at an entertainment venue, retail store, bar or restaurant.

And 79% of UK adults said they were willing to use QR codes more in the future (again including a slightly higher 80% of over-65s).

So the sentiment was there even as we emerged from lockdown. But how has that translated into uptake of QR codes for marketing purposes in the years since?

Rapid growth in QR codes for marketing purposes

A succession of reports have shown double-digit growth in the use of QR codes for promotional purposes in the past few years.

Some of the major findings include:

These figures are based on the value of each market globally, and include innovations like dynamic QR codes, QR-based payment platforms and other QR-enabling technologies.

QR codes for mobile marketing

Mobile marketing is a major driver of QR code usage, benefiting from multiple overlapping trends: the wider availability of smartphones, increased use of apps, improved internet access and a greater volume of mobile-based offers.[3]

The Business Research Company said: “QR codes provide a convenient and versatile tool for mobile marketing, allowing marketers to deliver targeted content, promotions and transactions directly to consumers’ smartphones, enhancing user engagement and driving conversions.

Marketing a ‘key growth factor’ for QR code labels

Technavio echoed the same sentiment in a July 2025 report.[4] The analyst cited marketing campaigns alongside contactless transactions as “key growth factors” in the QR code labels segment.

Retail, manufacturing, logistics and healthcare (where QR codes are used to track medications and patients’ medical records) were listed as the four main market segments for both static and dynamic QR code labels.

Dynamic QR codes for marketing campaigns

By updating the information linked from a QR code, manufacturers and retailers can keep their marketing campaigns relevant without making direct changes to the print. Archive Market Research identified this as one of the “major segments driving growth” in QR code solutions in March 2025.[5]

From a global market value of $8 billion in 2025, the QR code solutions sector is predicted to reach $25 billion by 2033. Alongside QR-based secure payment solutions and efficient supply chain management, dynamic marketing QR codes are singled out as a core element in this rise.

“The dynamic nature of QR codes, enabling versatile applications beyond simple linking, contributes significantly to this market growth,” the report stated, while adding that around 70% of the global QR code solutions market is now focused on dynamic codes.

“Major segments driving growth include dynamic QR codes used for marketing campaigns and interactive experiences, and widespread adoption across various applications like department stores, convenience stores and e-commerce platforms.”

Where are QR codes used in marketing?

QR codes have versatile applications across many different marketing channels, including a wide range of retail settings. Archive Market Research listed just some of these:

This versatility is highlighted by the fact that the broad-ranging ‘other’ category for QR code applications accounts for 60% of the total global market.

How QR codes increase marketing reach

All of the above goes to show how QR codes can unlock access to a larger and more diverse audience for your marketing materials, special offers and promotions.

Age is just a number

While some people might expect over-65s to struggle with smartphones and QR codes, YouGov’s survey proves this is not the case. In fact, the oldest demographic has the edge when it comes to understanding how to use QR codes, and intent to use them in the future.

This is perhaps a sign of how QR codes can enable the use of accessibility features, including high-contrast colour schemes, magnifiers and screen readers on the user’s smartphone, whereas older consumers might struggle to read small-print on packaging.

No language barriers

Monthly QR code usage is already high in English-speaking countries, at 32-36% of over-16s in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, according to DataReportal.[1] But it’s closer to half (48.4%) globally and over 60% in China and Malaysia.

Among other reasons, this could be thanks to smartphones’ ability to translate labelling and marketing information into other languages, enabling packaging and promotions printed in English to be understood by non-English speakers – who will instantly recognise a QR code when they see one.

Dynamically updated

Dynamic QR codes are a consistent theme throughout the data, due to their ability to link to regularly updated information without needing to change the QR code or scrap already-printed packaging.

With clever design, this can maximise the reach of marketing campaigns, even linking to ‘evergreen’ product information once the initial promotional period or prize draw has ended, to capture any lingering scans later down the line.

QR code your campaigns with MRM

The blistering growth of QR code usage and technologies, including innovations like dynamic QR codes and secure QR-enabled payments, all points to the huge potential to maximise the reach and impact of marketing campaigns using these pixellated squares.

For more information about on-pack promotions, or to speak to the MRM team about your own ideas for a QR-code-enabled marketing campaign, contact us today.

[1] https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-july-global-statshot

[2] https://yougov.co.uk/technology/articles/38313-are-older-brits-being-excluded-qr-code-use

[3] https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/qr-code-channel-for-mobile-marketing-global-market-report

[4] https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/quick-response-qr-code-labels-global-market-report

[5] https://www.archivemarketresearch.com/reports/qr-code-solution-60087#summary