*Video demonstrates how Blippar and augmented reality works.
New service enables m-commerce through augmented reality technology – Follows successful trials with major brands including Tesco, Aer Lingus, Clinique and IPC Media
27th February 2012: Blippar is announcing the launch of a major new service, called Blipp to Buy, for brands and media owners that want to use its image recognition platform.
Blipp to Buy is a whole new way for brands to diversify their revenue streams and capitalize on the potential of mobile commerce via image recognition and augmented reality technology. It means that customers can use the free Blippar app to instantly buy products that are featured in press ads, outdoor ads or editorial in print publications.
For consumer brands, this adds another sales channel to their marketing strategies and increases their ability to reach customers when they have just seen or are thinking about the product. For media owners it lets them monetise reader purchases of products featured in their pages, either in editorial or advertising.
Blipp to Buy has been trial tested in the UK with major brands including Tesco, Clinique, ASOS, Domino’s Pizza, IPC Media, Aer Lingus and Future Publishing’s Total Film. The trials have seen a higher click-through rates than is typical for paid search and internet banner advertising, and the service is now being rolled out formally to other brands.
Blippar is currently in conversations with a number of companies about using the service, and expects to announce further Blipp to Buy partnerships over the next few months.
One of the first media owners to test the Blipp to Buy service was IPC Media through its lad magazine Nuts, which has a circulation of around 110,000 each week. By using Blippar, Nuts readers could buy trainers, DVDs and CDs featured and reviewed in the magazine.
IPC reported getting over 200,000 blipps via Blippar from 15,000 readers of the special “interactive issue” of Nuts in January – an engagement level of almost 15% from the magazine’s audience, with an average of 13 blipps per reader.
Meanwhile Tesco used the Blipp to Buy service with its Halloween press ad campaign, which let customers buy DVDs from the ad. Domino’s Pizza let customers order pizza from its outdoor posters, while Aer Lingus customers could book flights through its press ad.
Ambarish Mitra, CEO of Blippar, said: “Brands and media owners have begun to appreciate the potential of our technology to bring their products to life and get immediate engagement from consumers. This is a major step forward in m-commerce and we believe it’s got the potential to become a significant new sales channel for brands across the spectrum, while also creating a new revenue stream for publishers.
“We expect Blipp to Buy to become one of the key services we offer to brands as the benefit to them and their customers is so clear. The results we’ve had in the trials so far have been very encouraging and we think the response rate can only improve as this consumer behavior spreads.”
Blippar at Mobile World Congress
Ambarish Mitra and Jess Butcher, Blippar’s CMO, will be speaking at the following events at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona:
* “Monetizing Mobile” – Monday 27th February, 4pm-5.30pm, Hall 8;
* “Mobile Innovation: A View of 2020” – Wednesday 29th February,
1.45pm-3.15pm, Hall 5, Auditorium 2;
* “Mobile Digirati – Mobile Community: Europe vs Global” –
Wednesday 29th February, 8.30am-11.45am, invite only.
Blippar will also be pitching for the honor of being the UKTI’s smartest UK start-up on Wednesday 29th February, in the seminar room of Hall 8, at 11am. The result will be announced that day at 12.30pm at the UKTI stand at AV35. Blippar also has a stand at AV35.
About Blippar(tm)
Blippar(tm) is the first image-recognition app for smart devices targeted at brand-customer interaction. A free-to-download app, Blippar(tm) opens up in camera mode and becomes a single, magic ‘lens’ through which your favorite products, newspapers, magazines and advertising in the real world are instantaneously recognized and converted into fun, informative digital experiences. Blippar(tm) app is available for free in the Apple App Store and Android Market (beta mode: selected handsets only).
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