Lara.Burhenn@digimarc.com | +1 503-469-4704
Beaverton, Ore. — January 20, 2011 — Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) announced today that newly released Winter edition of Beer West magazine is using the Digimarc Discover™ platform to deliver a range of rich media experiences to its readers on their smartphones. Beer West (formerly Beer Northwest), published by Flynn Media, LLC, has re-launched its magazine with a new name, new design and new interactive content from the printed page. By downloading the Digimarc Discover mobile application from iTunes or Android Market, Beer West readers can instantly access enhanced content including video related to stories, beer trivia games, an app to create your own beer coaster, walking tours of neighborhood pubs, and much more from printed articles and advertisements. Content can also be shared with friends or saved for later, and Beer West can provide ongoing updates to key features such as the events calendar, keeping the magazine fresh and relevant between issues.
Unique to the Digimarc Discover platform is its ability to use various content identification technologies as needed, including the company's patented digital watermarking technology. Digital watermarks are easily embedded into all forms of media and are imperceptible to human senses, but quickly detected by computers, networks or other digital devices like smartphones. Unlike barcodes and tags, a watermarking solution does not require publishers to give up valuable space in magazines and newspapers; nor does it impact the overall layout or aesthetics of the publication.
"When I planned the launch of Beer West, I wanted to establish a new level of engagement with our loyal readers, but also to attract new readers within our target demographic. We selected Digimarc Discover because it not only provides a superior user experience, but also because it does not impact our page layouts or design in the way that 2D barcodes or QR codes would have," stated Megan Flynn, owner and publisher of Beer West. "With Digimarc Discover, we are providing a fun, multi-sensory experience from articles, while also offering our advertisers a powerful way to interact and engage with consumers."
Beer West is among the first U.S. magazines to use the Digimarc Discover platform, following the success of publishers in Europe. Beer West is distributed quarterly and is available by subscription, or from newsstand locations in California, Oregon and Washington, including Powell's Books, QFC, New Seasons and Whole Foods. It is also distributed at select festivals and at various advertiser locations.
"We are excited to work with Beer West to introduce the Digimarc Discover platform to the US publishing market. Digimarc Discover effectively transforms newspapers, magazines, and other printed materials into web browsers, providing instant access to the information, assistance and entertainment readers want," commented Jeri Owen, Vice President, Marketing, Digimarc. "Like Beer West, publishers can now create reader loyalty and attract younger audiences with the ability to interact with the content on the device they carry 24/7 — their smartphone. There is a significant benefit to advertisers, too, as they now have the opportunity to complete an entire sales cycle in one user session — from seeing the advertisement in print, to checking product reviews, to receiving discounts and promos — all the way to purchasing the product on the phone."
Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ:DMRC), based in Beaverton, Oregon, is a leading innovator and provider of enabling technologies that create digital identities for all forms of media and many everyday objects. The embedded digital IDs are imperceptible to humans, but not to computers, networks and devices like mobile phones, which can now use cameras and microphones as sensory inputs to "see, hear and understand" the world around them within the context of their environment. Digimarc has built an extensive intellectual property portfolio with patents in digital watermarking, content identification and management, media and object discovery to enable ubiquitous computing, and related technologies. Digimarc develops solutions, licenses its intellectual property, and provides development services to business partners across a range of industries. For more information, please visit www.digimarc.com.
Flynn Media, LLC is owned by Megan Flynn, a 27-year-old entrepreneur who's making waves not only in the publishing world but also in the craft beer industry. For the past three years, she has successfully published Beer Northwest, covering the craft beer lifestyle in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and British Columbia. With the continued growth of the craft beer industry throughout the West Coast and entire United States, California was ready for a similar publication. She changed the name to Beer West, expanded the content and distribution into California, and brought in a talented team of new writers, editors, graphic designers, and photographers. Along with the new name Beer West is also sporting a new comprehensive West Coast beer web site, beerwestmag.com, which includes a West Coast beer places directory, and updated events calendar, and is the central place for a West Coast related beer news.
Gina Giachetti
About Communications
+1 510 858 8111
pr@digimarc.com
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