Chinese social media site RenRen is giving users the ability to create a personal, animated QR code for their profile page, which they can use to let contacts add them quickly to their friends list.

RenRen, which has more than 200million active users, has partnered with Israel-based QR code specialist Visualead to add the animated barcodes to its mobile app. Users can choose from a gallery of 25 animations that are then combined with their profile data to create their individual code.

“RenRen users can scan the QR code to add that person as a friend,” the company explained to NFC World+. “Also, they can be shared as a news feed on RenRen. People can read the codes with a scanner on a smartphone.”

RenRen started using QR codes in 2012, using a regular black and white format. With Visualead technology, RenRen says it wants to provide “better visual experience to our end users, as the new QR code has motional effects and users can change the background image”.

“QR codes are very effective in their functionality, but their traditional monochrome layout is not meaningful or appealing to people,” adds Nevo Alva, CEO of Visualead.

“Visual QR codes are far more engaging and effective; when consumers see them, and especially the animated ones, they are intrigued to engage with the code and explore the mobile experience that awaits them.

“We’ve found that consumers are up to four times more likely to scan our visual QR codes than a regular black and white format.”

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