Technology can drive changes in consumer behavior. Conversely, consumer behavior often drives changes in technology. At Registria, we’ve seen both sides of the coin. Our goal is to create value between brands and the people who own their products. That’s why we widely test multiple methods to see what consumers actually do in the real world and how they want to engage with the brands they own.
When you study what consumers value and want, it’s clear that there is a prime window of opportunity to connect after the consumer buys the product and is excited to begin using it the first time. Capitalizing on this opportunity requires the first connection method to be valuable, clear and easy for consumers –and most importantly-- to match existing consumer behavior.
As such, we are excited to announce a QR code extension to Photoregister™ called Photoregister+. QR codes aren’t a new concept, but combining them with our widely adopted mobile onboarding technology will help brands easily identify more owners in regions that highly leverage SMS and/or MMS technology.
The Mobile Onboarding Revolution
We launched Photoregister in 2015, beginning the mobile onboarding revolution! When Photoregister launched in 2015, it revolutionized how consumers connect with brands during the process of registering a new product. By providing valuable incentives, simple instructions, and easy mobile-first digital onboarding, Photoregister has helped hundreds of global brands identify millions of product owners.
A key factor in the consumer adoption of Photoregister is the fact that it uses SMS/MMS to engage the consumer in a text conversation, which, given how much we all use and depend on text messages these days, has become second nature. Equally important, by capturing the consumer’s phone number, brands can securely identify who they are and verify them, as well. This process of proactively verifying their identity and voluntarily receiving valuable first-party data means the brand has already overcome a huge barrier in how they can engage and interact with that person later on in a personal and secure way. It's a recipe for success for any brand seeking to increase the value of every person who owns their product.
Further Removing Barriers to Registration
Not that long ago, consumers had all the reasons in the world not to register a new product. Paper card registration was hard. Asking people to type in a long URL was an obstacle. Cameras didn't have built-in QR code scanners. Voice was not widely adopted. RFID wasn’t included much in packaging. Social networks were just starting to push chatbots.
Photoregister removed all the friction that typically prevents consumers from taking action. By simply snapping a photo of the Photoregister camera icon and texting it to a 5-digit number, consumers had a convenient and accessible registration method at their fingertips.
Now the scale has tipped in terms of phones that have QR code functionality built into the default operating system. In 2017, Apple’s iOS 11 update allowed QR codes to be scanned directly through the camera app, and the latest Android smartphones have made QR code reader a native feature. This means that the barrier for QR Code success has been reduced to a point we feel confident in offering it as a method to connect.
QR code technology provides a functional alternative for people who want to scan and go, especially in global regions with varying SMS/MMS attributes. While there is still somewhat of a cultural aversion to QR code technology, particularly in North America, a recent survey by Statista predicts an estimated 11 million households in the U.S. alone will scan a QR code in 2020. Around the world, the technology remains popular with consumers 24 to 54 years of age, which aligns nicely to the age groups which most frequently register products.
The best part about using QR codes in combination with Photoregister is our proven platform for delivery of great user experience, along with optimization and advanced analytics to continue to create results as we have for years with Photoregister. Photoregister is a well-known call-to-action featured on millions of products around the world. Photoregister+ will further increase a brand’s opportunity to engage product owners by recognizing preferred consumer behavior and providing another method they can use to connect.
