Record company Kontor used analogue and digital experience to achieve 71% activation with smart use of QR codes.
Case study summary
• Kontor Records wanted to stand out from crowd with “office turntable” to reach influencers
• Paper Turntable had QR code printed on it activated with a smartphone to play music
• 71% of mailings were activated with 42% visiting site.
The challenge
As the music industry becomes more and more competitive, recording labels are looking for new ways to promote themselves, including by reaching out to brands through their ad agencies. Unfortunately, creative directors receive so many promotional items daily that it can be challenging to cut through the clutter. Kontor Records GmbH decided to combat this by sending out vinyl discs, along with the world’s first “office turntable” to play them on.
The solution
The turntable was made out of an envelope that had a QR code printed on it. The creative directors simply had to flip the envelope over, activate the QR code with a smartphone, put the vinyl disc on the turntable, and then place the phone over the disc to play it.
Each disc could play multiple songs and linked back to the Kontor site. As a result, the mailing offered the recipients a simultaneous analogue and digital experience.
Challenges in developing this mailing included:
• Finding a mailer large enough to hold the vinyl disc that would also immediately capture the interest of the audience.
• Ensuring the QR code would work on all smartphones and play multiple tracks.
The results
Out of 900 mailings, 71 percent of them were activated. Forty-two percent of the recipients have also visited the Kontor site.
