What is QR code serialisation?

Instead of having one single QR code that is the same on every item (packaging, product, media asset or anything else) you instead have a serialised QR code on each item. Serialisation essentially means the item is uniquely identifiable when scanned, which opens a whole world of possibilities for business applications and consumer engagement. 

What can you do using QR code serialisation?

The first thing you need to know is that doing QR code serialisation is a bit more complicated than using one standard QR code across all your touchpoints (packaging, product, media asset or anything else).

You require a sophisticated ID management platform, like io.tt, to do this at scale. First you generate the serialised codes in the platform, then you need to print them onto your product, packaging or media – which could be as simple as providing to a printer to be integrated into the label or as complicated as a partner who can print direct onto product / label on the production line itself – without slowing the overall process. 

Finally, once you have got the serialised code on the item and your consumer is interacting with it, you must track and analyse everything using your ID management platform.

So, is the extra effort worth it? Absolutely. Using QR Code Serialisation you can solve business challenges, generate extra value for consumers and gain new insights than can be re-applied to your business. Here are just a few of the things you can do with QR code serialisation.

Ensuring product authenticity

If you are working in an industry that suffers from counterfeiting, then you can use serialised QR codes to provide consumers with a way to authenticate your product as genuine, building trust and confidence amongst your target audience.

Each serialised QR code contains a unique identifier, often tied to the product's manufacturing details, batch number, and origin which makes it easy to trace the product back to its source, ensuring it is genuine. If it's connected to a live database, the status of the product can be held at all times - i.e. whether it's been sold or not. Adding another layer of authentication.

Enhanced traceability and transparency

If you are facing challenges such as traceability through the supply chain, then you can use QR Codes serialisation to solve these, providing product level data on the journey of each item through your supply chain.

Many consumers buy products today based on how their values align with those of the company that own the product – this is one reason why we have seen so much focus on the sustainability credentials of products, or the focus on how they are made or how they treat their workers or their ingredient suppliers or if they are organic or locally sourced etc.

Using serialised QR codes you can provide granular data to consumers about the product in their hand, down to batch level or farm level etc. You can also show the path that a specific product has taken in order to reach its destination, all of which builds trust between the brand and the consumer.

Enhanced consumer experience

If you want to give your consumers a heightened experience – like attaching a personalised message to your product as a gift, then serialised QR codes can help you achieve this. 

You can also use serialised QR codes to run ‘Golden Ticket’ style competitions, where one specific item will be digitally attached to a prize that a consumer can win by scanning the correct serialised QR code. Indeed you can run many forms of competition using serialised QR codes because you have created an individual identifier for every single unit, allowing you to attach prizes to certain stock and give people ‘instant win’ experiences.

Recall, quality control and compliance

Beyond creating new experiences, serialised QR codes can also significantly help a business comply with existing and incoming regulations that impact their sector. Whether talking about the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) that will see DPP (Digital Product Passports) become a requirement across sectors; the digitisation of existing regulations surrounding the communication of ingredient and allergen information to consumers or the need to be able to quickly identify and recall batches of products quickly and simply, serialised QR codes can provide a solution.

Data collection and consumer insights

Whatever the application, the biggest benefit that serialised QR codes give you is the granular data that it generates. Serialised QR codes allow brands to track consumer interactions and gather valuable data that can be reapplied across their business. Much of this data is also post-purchase interaction data, a current data black hole for most marketers that can only be filled with post purchase feedback surveys (where we know that most people don’t actually say what they mean). This ‘Physical Data’ – data that is generated through interaction with a physical object – can connect many dots in a business for marketers, product development teams, and many others.

So what is the future for QR code serialisation?

The simple QR code has revolutionised the way in which we connect media – hands up if you have scanned a QR code on the TV to access additional content related to the advert or TV show we are watching. It has also created a simple and valuable way to ensure that people can access the information they need at the point they need it – whether its access a restaurant menu or instructions to better use a product or even how to donate. That QR codes are so ubiquitous is a testament to their simplicity and efficacy… but the future of QR codes is serialisation.

The applications that sit on top of the capability, create engaging and meaningful experiences that allow brands to gain better insights into consumer interactions with their products and marketing, and the valuable first party data has benefits across the business, make serialisation a must in the future.

And in a world more focused on transparency and sustainability than ever, using serialised QR codes to drive compliance with existing and future regulations using a centralised approach, is another reason why serialised QR codes are growing in importance.

Chat to our team or start a free trial of io.tt to see how it can generate serialised QR codes for your brand at scale today.