Nov 30 - Douglas pioneer in using QR codes in advertising

November 30, 2010

In an effort to explore new methods for interacting with students, Douglas College today launched an advertising campaign that features QR codes.

 A QR - or "Quick Response" - code is a type of barcode that can be read by smart phones or some mobile feature phones with cameras. The information encoded can be text, a URL or other data.

 "Smart phones are changing the face of marketing," says Dave Taylor, Director of Marketing and Communications at Douglas College. "Today, potential students don't have to wait until they get home to find out more about the college. With smart phones they can get more information instantly."

The current Douglas College ads contain QR codes that, when scanned, take users instantly to the college's Facebook page or to a television commercial showing what the college is like.

 "QR codes give potential students instant access to additional information," Taylor says. "They don't even have to remember a URL or type in a search request. They can just scan the code with their cameras and get what they want."