Since QR codes were created in 1994, they've shown up just about everywhere. Marketers used them on drink labels, business cards, and even billboards.

But no matter how trendy they were, many consumers saw QR codes as a gimmick rather than a useful tool. What was in it for them? Why should they visit a company's website to get information, and why would they want to download a separate app to scan a code just to do so? It was a clunky user experience that didn't demonstrate a...