Faced with increased competition from online portals, especially in motor and real estate, Pakistan's Jang Media Group is innovating with QR codes.

Managing director Sarmad Ali says Jang has been the most trusted classified source for decades: "With this major new innovation and development, Jang has clearly shown it is the classified leader and is going to stay there for a long time to come," he says.

In an INMA post, he describes how sellers can now add information-rich QR codes to their print ads.

"Jang Classified ads enjoy unrivalled reach in Pakistan, reaching millions of readers every day," he says. "To enrich the experience and add value for readers, Jang Media Group has taken this bold new initiative in the world of classified ads."

The QR code can be scanned to access photos and videos about classified ads in the automobile and property sector. Classified advertisers simply ask for the QR feature when booking, and are given a unique code on the mobile number they used to register the ad.

They can then log in to the Jang QR classified website and upload photos and videos related to their advertisement.

"The QR code gives sellers the ability to stand out from other advertisements by giving more information to potential buyers," says Sarmad Ali.

Readers see the QR codes embedded with advertisements in the Sunday edition of Jang Classifieds. They can use any QR reader app on their smartphones to scan the code and see pictures and videos of the automobile or property advertised.

"Readers love this feature because they can quickly see more information about what is offered and easily narrow down their options, which saves time."