Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that

you have never seen before.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL

IMDM why Zappar?

ZAPPAR IS UNIQUE IN THE WORLD OF AUGMENTED REALITY

Right now the AR industry has five International providers that can be used to supplement an offering with augmented reality: Layar, Blippar, Aurasma, Metaio and Zappar. There are others, but these are the main players in International markets.

Zappar is unquestionably the Number 1 choice. Here’s why…

All the companies mentioned have robust AR solutions for mobile. They all have good tracking solutions, they provide a plethora of features that can be delivered in the camera view (such as video, photos, links and animations), but Zappar provides a unique approach because of their patented Zapcode solution.

A Zapcode is a brand identifier that tells the viewer that a page has AR content attached to it. A page has to tell the consumer that additional content is available through an AR App. Although all the systems mentioned can track from the image alone, there is no getting around the fact that it has to have some call-to-action.

Zappar’s brand device does so much more than act as a brand identifier: hidden in the code symbol is a code scheme that allows for 4 billion different combinations of the marque. That provides benefits that none of the others can offer….

A ZAPCODE ALLOWS FOR MULTIPLE TAILORMADE INTERACTIONS THROUGH ONE ADVERTISEMENT TYPE

1.

The problem with other AR solutions is that different ads cannot be housed in different publications – online, print, in-store and broadcast – and still scan. But Zappar can link different interactions with the same object found within different media, according to the Target Audience.

A unique code is the only way to apply the needed actions to the advertised page. It is only when the unique code is scanned on the page that it unlocks the relevant experience.

A ZAPCODE MEANS BETTER ANALYTICS AND ENGAGEMENT

2.

If the same ad appears across a number of publications (as it inevitably will do) it’s not possible for us to discern which publication is getting the most scans and therefore the greatest response.

With a unique Zapcode placed on each ad, we can get data analytics specific to each insertion and understand which publication or medium is working best for you.

Specific campaigns can be tailored for each individual department or purpose by using the Zapcode to differentiate between campaigns and reporting.

SAME AD, DIFFERENT AR EXPERIENCE

3.

It may be that a brand/agency wants to put the same ad across a number of titles in a publishers’ portfolio of magazines; to reach different target audiences for instance. With any of the other AR solutions they’d have to show the same experience on each ad as the cloud look-up solution wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the pages.

With a unique zapcode on the same ad copy in different magazines we can tailor the AR experience accordingly to engage the right audience with the relevant content and call-to-action. This also allows for better A/B testing.

There’s a related issue for systems based on cloud image lookup (such as Layar and Blippar). All images with AR content in their systems have to look sufficiently different from one and other. If two images are too similar then there’s a risk that the incorrect content will be shown. This makes it troublesome to use stock photography or iconic imagery in ads.

With a zapcode solution there are no such issues with common or popular imagery – it’s the zapcode that uniquely identifies the content or promotion to show.

1.

13 REASONS WHY ZAPCODES ARE A BETTER SOLUTION THAN MARKER-LESS AUGMENTED REALITY

2.A zapcode acts as a branded call to action and symbol to alert users to AR content on a target image/object. (How else can you tell something has AR without a logo or lock up?

A zapcode can be small in the camera view and still scan (as small as 8mm in diameter).

3. 4.Zapcodes work off small sparse targets without much detail (e.g. chewing gum packet).

Zapcodes work off targets where the image isn’t predetermined (e.g. a receipt).

5. 6.With zapcodes you can detect seamlessly between multiple versions of a campaign - overcoming issues of scaling, crops, localised text etc. - off a single image/logo (e.g. print campaign).

Zapcodes allow for a single target image AND multiple AR experiences (e.g. for different locations, in-store environments, media titles running the same copy).

7. 8.Zapcodes provide analytics for the same target image in different media for better performance data capture (e.g. different magazine titles).

Zapcodes enable the creation of personal-ized experiences on a massive scale off a single target image (e.g. loyalty cards, greet-ing cards, Direct Marketing).

9. 10.Zapcodes can be used for broadcast using on-screen graphics for second screen texperiences (think Shazam with image recognition).

Zapcodes offer a scalable self-serve solution without the issue of ‘image squatting’ (i.e. two people can put dif-ferent content on the same image with zapcodes)

11. With Zapcodes you can scan multiple targets in a single camera view (e.g. on a page with multiple small space ads or store shelf).

12. Zapcodes allow targets to be scanned without a network connection for viewing later.

13. The zapcode system offers a massively scalable and efficient look up service at any one time so all zaps can remain available as long as you like.

THERE IS NO ‘BEST BEFORE’ DATE

4.

Other AR systems use cloud look-up solutions to decide which piece of content to place on which image. Such solutions are expensive and require complex server-side infrastructure. This means that the AR experience can only remain live for a set period of time (for Blippar it’s c. 6 weeks and for Layar it’s up to a year), and limits the scalability for products and services.

This drastically impacts the longevity of a campaign. The other suppliers of AR technology charge exorbitant fees for long campaigns, but Zappar individualizes each code-set and the relevant information is displayed through the same mechanism for as long as needed, without any additional long-term costs.

The underlying server infrastructure behind every zapcode is super simple. This means that Zappar can offer their services at a fraction of the cost of competing solutions and with no constraint on how long the AR experience can remain active. So it’s live in the app forever with no ‘best before’ date. Their service comes fully hosted at no additional cost.

Another advantage of the scalability of the Zappar platform is reliability under load. The systems can serve content flawlessly to hundreds of thousands of simultaneous users, making it perfect for national campaigns and promotions.

Zappar provides a mobile technology (Zapcode) that acts as a centralised mobile mechanism, enabling companies and brands to tie together all their above- and below-the-line initiatives through a single call-to-action. 

The solution even caters for the inclusion of AR related functionality and Gamification. The focus of IMDM will always be to provide cutting edge solutions that can seamlessly add benefit to our clients’ current and future marketing and communication strategies.

ZAPPAR DOES NOT HAVE A COMPETITOR IN SA

1. Technology is proprietary, so we can be more flexible and reactive to certain use cases. We can also embed the Zappar magic into your own app with very little effort and ongoing support, which other suppliers can’t gaurantee.

2. We provide all creative and animation through our local studio and not internationally, which means local offices and representation.

3. Zappar solutions are tailored to enable specific calls-to-action, allowing voucher redemption, database building and other mobile communications like SMS, MMS and USSD to be incorporated.

4. Zappar provides dedicated online support and account managers for each of our departments - locally. 

5. Zapcodes can be utilised on an ongoing basis and never need to be substituted or re-worked. The allocated code remains usable and new campaigns are updated without being reliant on a target image adaptation.

6. IMDM have created partnerships with major media houses and to ensure that individuals and corporates alike are educated and engaged with Zappar technology and campaigns on an ongoing basis. This means that each brand will get the benefit of all the other national initiatives already launched and active. We have spent a lot on our own marketing to ensure that Zappar is top-of-mind in the marketplace, where other AR providers are largely unknown.

7. We were first to market in S.A and have the most localized experience in the AR environment.

8. We can update a Zapcode and/or promotion in real-time 9. Shareholders of IMDM include major and credible investors - www.convergencepartners.

com and www.4digroup.com. These are some of most established players in the Mobile and Digital fields of business, with an exceptionally well established footprint in S.A and Africa.

CONCLUSION

Zappar and Zapcodes have been designed based on 4 years of experience working with the top international brands and 9 years of R&D.

It’s been designed to offer the best value: It is the easiest to use, infinitely scalable and the most robust system on the market.

Zappar has been designed to overcome real world issues faced by AR technology when it comes to the use of AR and the move to digital. It’s there to bring each brand to life, to be used as a commercial tool to drive increased revenue and better analytics while delivering more relevant experiences and engagement.