Plants with QR codes are popping up in garden centers for spring.

When we scanned the tag for the MiniFamous™ Compact Orange Calibrachoa (aka Mini Petunia), we were directed to BloomIQ — a generic online tool for gardening — instead of planting or care information for the specific plant we scanned. It was a little bit of a let down considering the potential to educate, sell, and cross-sell products.

Unfortunately, the most unsettling part of the marketing flop occurred when we returned to the office to write this post. The name of the plant above, "MiniFamous™ Compact Orange Calibrachoa", is not searchable within BloomIQ database. To find the correct plant info, the user must search "Petunia" or "MiniFamous".

Just because you can add a QR code to your promotional materials, does not mean you should.