What Can Marketers Do...
Only 37% of marketers said their BFCM marketing was very effective, but they also suggested many areas for improvement.
Despite the gaps, marketers and shoppers agree on one thing: QR Codes work when there's clear value. That’s not to say there aren’t gaps between what shoppers expect and what brands actually deliver.
There’s room to get a higher share of wallet. Here’s how.
Plan
When to plan: One-third of marketers start 1–2 weeks before BFCM, but many consumers begin noticing and expecting deals much earlier.
Start promotions early: Especially for high-value or early-bird shoppers, campaigns launched over 3 weeks in advance can increase exposure and intent. 1 month before the actual sale day is a safe buffer zone.
Rapid iteration matters: Only 41% of marketers analyze results within 2 days, but rapid iteration matters during BFCM.
Set up real-time analytics: Set up real-time analytics for QR Codes and campaign performance. Fast insights mean smarter pivots.
Strategize and execute
Discounts & checkouts: 61% of marketers use percentage discounts, which work, but shoppers also prefer faster checkouts and other matters related to user experience.
Personalize: Expand your offer types based on cohorts. Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach.The future of marketing is personalized. Pair discounts with QR Codes that support instant checkout, loyalty opt-ins, early access or exclusive content. Study the cohort-level breakdown from the earlier chapter to make informed decisions.
Channels used: Marketers mostly use social media ads and emails. Shoppers want more in-store signage, printed flyers, and packaging touchpoints.
Go omnichannel: Add QR Codes to physical assets like receipts, flyers, and product tags to meet shoppers where they are.
Measure performance
What is success?: Marketers measure success by revenue, but shoppers care about speed, ease, and relevance post-scan.
Metrics: Revenue is a by-product of excellent user journeys. Additional tracking of engagement KPIs, such as scans per placement, bounce rate, and checkout completion rate, makes your campaign tracking more exhaustive. The value isn’t just in revenue tracking, but knowing which supporting metrics helped you get there or held you back.
Marketer sentiments: Only 37% of marketers said their BFCM marketing was very effective.
Test aggressively: Test messaging and placements. A/B test incentives, design for clarity, deploy compelling CTAs, target and retarget. Agility is non-negotiable in today’s marketing ecosystem.
Capitalize on QR Codes
Post scan experience: 59% of marketers use QR Codes, but many fail to deliver on what users expect post-scan.
Drive outcome: Don’t stop at "link in bio" type flows. Match each QR Code to a clearly-defined outcome: discount applied, payment page, product video, or instant checkout.
Where to place QR Codes: Top placements are printed ads and flyers, but shoppers also want them on packaging, in-store signage, and social media ads.
Diversify QR Code placement: Think in-store displays, product boxes, influencer merch, social reels, and even AR try-ons.
Points of frustration: Broken links, irrelevant pages, and expired offers frustrate shoppers the most.
Use dynamic QR Codes: Run pre-launch QA checks on all QR Code destinations. Use dynamic QR Codes to update content in real time and never send a user to a dead end. You would be surprised how something as basic as this leads to drop-offs.
Shopper sentiments: Many shoppers, especially women and older adults, still don’t feel entirely safe scanning QR Codes.
Trust is key: Build trust through branded QR Code design, HTTPS landing pages, clear value statements, and preview text near the code. Make the scan feel intentional, not risky.
State of BFCM Marketing 2025
How do marketers feel?
72% of marketers rated their 2024 BFCM campaigns as effective.
What it means: Despite economic uncertainties, most marketers feel bullish about the performance of their BFCM campaigns heading into 2025.
Social media rules BFCM marketing
76% used social media ads; only 31% used QR Codes on other channel ads.
What it means: Social media remains the front-runner in BFCM strategy, but it’s being increasingly paired with offline QR Code activations, in-store signage, and on packaging.
How are QR Codes doing?
59% used QR Codes; over 40% of non-users are considering it.
Top use cases: Flyers, signage, social ads, packaging, websites
What it means: QR Codes are no longer a novelty but a retail staple. However, marketers are still experimenting with where and how to use them for maximum impact.
Revenue is king, but impressions still matter
57% used revenue as KPI; 35% tracked impressions; 21% tracked QR scans.
What it means: Marketers are chasing dollars over data. Revenue remains the primary KPI, even as engagement metrics like QR Code scans rise in importance.
Data gaps still persist
Many marketers still lacked access to key KPIs like customer lifetime value (CLTV) and time tracking.
What it means: Despite increased sophistication in retail tech, marketers still cite gaps in accessing critical campaign performance data.
Ship well to shop well
61% used percentage discounts, but only 44% offered free shipping.
What it means: Free shipping is a proven motivator, but marketers are underusing it. There’s a strategic blind spot in offer optimization.
Marketers using QR Codes yield better results
45% of QR Code users rated campaigns as very effective vs. the 26% of non-QR Code users.
What does it mean:
● Marketers who embrace QR Codes are more likely to feel their campaigns delivered.
● QR Codes are separating marketing leaders from laggards in BFCM strategy.
1 in 4 marketers missed the window
24% didn’t analyze performance data until after Cyber Monday.
What it means: Even during the most measurable weekend of the year, 1 in 4 marketers missed the chance to optimize in real time. Free shipping is a proven motivator, but marketers are underusing it. There’s a strategic blind spot in offer optimization.
All in all, here's what you need to know.