NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Covid 19 coronavirus: Can 'nudging' make more Kiwis scan?

Jamie Morton
By Jamie Morton
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
12 Jul, 2021 03:06 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Experts say a behaviour-influencing strategy used by marketers could boost QR scanning. Photo / Dean Purcell

Experts say a behaviour-influencing strategy used by marketers could boost QR scanning. Photo / Dean Purcell

Experts say a behaviour-influencing strategy used by marketers could boost QR scanning, as daily app data suggests Covid-19 complacency is setting back in after Wellington's near-miss.

In a think-piece published today, Otago University researchers Professor Janet Hoek, Dr Philip Gendall and Professor Nick Wilson discuss how a concept called "nudging" could encourage more people to reach for their phones when they see a QR code.

Currently, the Ministry of Health recommended businesses and other public spaces display A4-sized QR codes to the left near building entrances, at around 130cm off the ground, in spaces that were easy for people to reach.

A recent audit found all supermarkets and most churches examined had adopted this advice, although fewer restaurants, bars and cafes had.

The researchers suggested QR codes could be made more visible if they were coloured more brightly, and if more of them were distributed around stores – something the ministry encouraged business owners to do.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Locating additional QR codes at counters or checkouts, the places where people stop when making a purchase, could simplify scanning," they said.

"For example, people may already be using their phones to pay for an item or read messages and could easily scan a QR code located next to the Eftpos machine or alongside the aisles where they queue ahead of purchasing."

They said restaurants and cafes could also place QR codes at counters, tables and on menus, bus operators could place them on the backs of seats and on doors, and takeaway outlets could even copy them onto packaging.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"These very simple measures could reduce the physical and time cost of scanning, which will make it easier for scanning to become habitual."

Further, they said staff and drivers could helpfully point out the codes to people as they arrived.

"Everyday conversations such as these would remain casual and retail staff, drivers and hosts, would not become responsible for monitoring scanning," they said.

"Nonetheless, simply by incorporating a reminder to scan in the everyday conversations they have with customers, these staff could play a core role in reminding people to scan and promoting point-of-entry compliance."

Discover more

New Zealand

Kiwi stuck in NSW describes booking havoc

12 Jul 06:12 AM
New Zealand

Flooding, severe gales as wild weather hits Northland

12 Jul 06:58 AM
Kahu

Fight to abolish landfill gathers steam

12 Jul 03:13 AM
New Zealand

Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre to be lit in transgender flag colours

12 Jul 05:00 PM

The researchers said "nudging" could similarly help encourage mask use.

Dr Andrew Chen, a research fellow at University of Auckland-based Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, said many businesses had already come up with clever solutions like printing codes in menus.

"A simple prompt from staff members to sign-in is very powerful, because it helps trigger the part of the brain that knows that we should be signing-in and applies a bit of friendly social pressure," he said.

"As the researchers note, the staff members shouldn't become responsible for monitoring scanning, as we wouldn't want those staff members to bear the brunt of folks who really don't want to sign-in."

Experts say QR codes could be made more visible if they were coloured more brightly. Photo / Lewis Gardner
Experts say QR codes could be made more visible if they were coloured more brightly. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Yet, as powerful as nudge theory was, Chen questioned how we should "nudge the nudgers".

"In this case, changing the environment that users are entering isn't necessarily up to the Government, but up to the individual venues and businesses that people are entering."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Short of a mandate on all businesses, Chen wondered how it could be ensured that QR codes were printed in colour, given that business operators were just as susceptible to Covid fatigue and complacency as other Kiwis.

"We have seen lots of effort from business and industry groups to get their members on board, so if we think that there are still actions that businesses need to take to encourage usage of NZ Covid Tracer QR codes, then we probably need some different approaches there too."

Results from a just-published survey suggested nearly three quarters of Kiwis either strongly agreed or agreed that scanning should be compulsory on public transport.

Another 57 per cent were in favour of it being mandatory in workplaces – and two-thirds agreed that scanning should be required in public places like bars and restaurants, which was something the Government was now considering.

Yet data recorded daily by the Ministry of Health still suggested not nearly enough Kiwis were using the app.

Despite nearly 2.9 million people now being registered users, scan numbers had fallen back since Wellington's run-in with Covid-19 last month.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When Wellington moved to alert level 2 on June 23, scan numbers surged from 572,682 to 895,758, and then climbed higher to 961,807 the next day.

But since dropping back down to alert level 1, totals had hovered closer to 700,000 – and over the most recently-logged period, from midnight Saturday, just over 625,000 scans were recorded.

Regularly using the app was critical in being able to give contact tracing services a 14-day log of personal movement and, just as importantly, it allowed them to track down others who might have been exposed to the virus.

New modelling published last month suggested that contact tracing could cut the spread of a New Zealand Covid-19 outbreak by as much as 60 per cent.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

High-profile investigator re-examines ex-cop's sexual assault case

12 Jun 10:36 PM
New Zealand

Call for more rural psychologists to help farmers

12 Jun 10:24 PM
PoliticsUpdated

Inquiry to consider if judge should be removed after NZ First incident

12 Jun 10:24 PM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

High-profile investigator re-examines ex-cop's sexual assault case

High-profile investigator re-examines ex-cop's sexual assault case

12 Jun 10:36 PM

Tim McKinnel is investigating ex-cop Jamie Foster's conviction.

Call for more rural psychologists to help farmers

Call for more rural psychologists to help farmers

12 Jun 10:24 PM
Inquiry to consider if judge should be removed after NZ First incident

Inquiry to consider if judge should be removed after NZ First incident

12 Jun 10:24 PM
'We still have that risk': Thunderstorm chance remains in north, skifields to open in south

'We still have that risk': Thunderstorm chance remains in north, skifields to open in south

12 Jun 10:19 PM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP