Trust and security: Print vs digital marketing in 2025

Let’s explore some possible problems and their solutions. 

Quick Response or QR codes have been around for decades. However, during the pandemic they became essential tools for everything from food orders to vaccination information. Users can find your website by scanning them from a screen or printed material with a smartphone camera. They can even use them to order and pay for goods and services. You often see them at parking payment points and in on-street advertising. 

 

Unfortunately, criminals have quickly realised their potential for theft. One unlucky traveller had £13,000 stolen after criminals covered a legitimate code on a car park machine with their own. 

 

While many scams involving QR codes are in public places, criminals have also started to use them elsewhere. You need to take care when they appear in emails, advertisements and even on ‘missed delivery’ cards. 

 

Most of us are already suspicious of links in emails, no matter how authentic they seem. QR codes can disguise links to malicious websites. Some security software might not recognise an image as a potential threat and not all smartphones have strong protection. 

 

Options: To check the link embedded in a QR code you can right click or tap and hold to copy it. You can then paste it into your browser to take a good look at the link. You can check to see if there’s a legitimate website with the same domain name. If you’re unsure, don’t use the link. Although some search engines scan links for known risks this still doesn’t provide complete protection. 

 

Fake advertisements often hide amongst genuine ones you see online in marketplaces and social media sites, for example. They can often feature last-minute offers and large discounts. Sadly, many include links to fraudulent websites. 

 

You can generate shortened website addresses using tools like Tiny-URLs. You often see automatically generated ones in social media. You might consider using them in your marketing materials. However, as with QR codes, the same risks can apply. They can disguise false website addresses created by criminals so people might not want to use them. 

 

Options: It’s better to use a clear and simple address that features your domain name and takes customers straight to your website. In most cases it’s easy to create a dedicated page with a memorable name that’s simple to track. 

 

QR codes and memorable web page names are still a fast and easy ways to connect with your customers. You can use them with confidence when you include them as part of your printed advertisements in trusted publications. 

 

Printed content is engaging and memorable and many readers keep their favourite publications to re-read and share. They have high confidence in the quality of the content, increasing the likelihood they will connect with you.