Closing the D2C Gap: NZ's Largest Apple Grower Drives 50% Web Traffic With QR Codes
"Managing Mr Apple's digital presence is an exciting challenge," says Sarah Thompson, the Digital Marketing Manager at Mr Apple, New Zealand's largest integrated apple grower, and exporter. The organization commands over 25% of the country's apple crop. Mr Apple exports its produce to many countries worldwide, particularly emphasizing Asian markets. Sarah's dedication to exploring digital touchpoints to enhance Mr Apple's market presence has been instrumental in the company's success.
In this study, see how QR Codes worked for Mr Apple to forge the direct-to-consumer (D2C) connection despite being a business-to-business (B2B) company.
- QR Code scans drive over 50% of website traffic
A bite into transparency: Mr Apple uses QR Codes to connect with consumers
"QR Codes have revolutionized how we connect with consumers," says Sarah.
Mr Apple, like other global retailers, is compliant with PLU (or price look-up: the little stickers you see on fruits sold in stores). Sarah realized that these stickers are the company's most visible and consistent form of marketing.
QR Codes also drive traffic to Mr Apple's social platforms during offline events like in-store tastings or in-market events and provide additional information at store point-of-sale. By including QR Codes on PLU stickers, Mr Apple can maintain a direct line to consumers, no matter who.
Beyond the sticker: Overcoming key challenges
Here’s a breakdown of the challenges Mr Apple faced and how they solved them with Uniqode:
The challenge: Maintaining end-consumer relationships in a wholesaler-retailer model
Since Mr Apple functions on a B2B model, it was challenging to maintain a direct relationship with end-users as an apple producer.
“Because we are not a direct-to-consumer company, we need to sell our apples to wholesalers or retailers in-market, who then on-sell our apples to the end consumer,” Sarah tells Uniqode.
“This makes it harder for them to maintain a relationship with the end consumer as they have limited control over that relationship.”
The challenge: Language and localization
With a global market and non-English speaking consumers, Mr Apple faced difficulties directing consumers to language-specific and localized content from their PLU stickers. This was impacting the consumer journey and engagement.
The challenge: Low participation in offline events
Traditionally, engaging consumers at offline events such as in-store tastings or in-market events can be difficult. Mr Apple struggled to “give the consumer access to more information about a specific selling point, or about Mr Apple as a company,” Sarah recalled.
The combined effect of these successes is evident in the impressive outcome: over 50% of Mr Apple's website traffic now comes from QR Code scans from PLU stickers.
This indicates a significant shift in consumer engagement and brand awareness, directly attributable to the effective implementation of QR Codes as a core marketing strategy.
Sarah says, "Integrating QR Codes into our marketing channels has exceeded expectations."
“QR Codes opened the door to customized, global marketing”
The recent shift in Mr Apple's marketing strategy, involving the integration of QR codes, has yielded impressive results. This new approach, as revealed our interview with Sarah, has unlocked a new avenue for delivering personalized and localized marketing experiences.
The familiar nature of QR codes, readily accessible through most smartphones, has also proven to be a game-changer, effectively bridging the gap between the brand and its target audience. This has led to increased engagement, potentially resulting in greater brand awareness, customer loyalty, and ultimately, a boost in sales and brand advocacy.
