Lara.Burhenn@digimarc.com | +1 503-469-4704
Beaverton, Ore – July 2, 2013 – Digimarc Corporation (NASDAQ: DMRC) today announced Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is the first auto manufacturer to engage smartphone and tablet users with immersive multimedia experiences triggered directly from printed auto brochures using Digimarc® Discover. Starting with the 2014 Ford Mustang catalog, full-service design agency Latcha+Associates is helping Ford develop these highly engaging additional experiences to better communicate features and benefits to prospective customers. Using the Digimarc Discover application on their mobile device, customers can jump from a printed page straight into customizing a car, viewing interior and exterior details up close, watching racing videos and more.
"New vehicle buyers are also heavy mobile device users," said David Latcha, owner/founder of Latcha+Associates. "Our team found a way to leverage the Ford print investment and strengthen their brand stories by taking advantage of what customers already have in their hands constantly. We used the brochures and Digimarc to engage the customer on the spot with well targeted and fully integrated content. And we did it at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated app. Early response from customers and dealers is extremely encouraging. In fact, the demand for our brochures is growing, nationwide."
With their mobile device in hand, customers use their smartphone's camera to scan digitally watermarked images to access additional information about the car. Readers are able to view colors and trim, compare models and check inventory in their area. From a video of a Mustang making a tight turn around a race track to the 360° interior tour, readers are engaged with every page turn.
"Taking one of the new Ford Mustangs for a test drive is exhilarating," added Latcha. "The digital watermarks in the brochures bring drivers closer to this live action experience. With a quick scan, readers can 'walk around' the various models, 'test drive' the car and have other first-person experiences just like they would have at a Ford dealership."
Ford worked closely with the Latcha+Associates team on every element of the brochure, from layout and photography to integration of digital watermarks and their corresponding online experience. The Latcha+Associates team is known for pushing the envelope on cutting-edge marketing techniques, and the agency's use of digital watermarking is helping to maintain this reputation.
"We put ourselves in the shoes of the customer," said Lisa Chapman, President of Latcha+Associates. "Everyone loves to soak in a great photo of a Mustang, but watching a 2-dimensional photo come alive? That's a whole new level of emotional connection. The brochures immerse customers in a personal and interactive experience that differentiates Ford and raises the bar on what shoppers expect."
Ford is working with Latcha+Associates to Digimarc-enable future brochures, including eight additional auto catalogs for 2014 vehicles. To see highlights from the inaugural Mustang edition, view this recent blog post.
"Ford's print-to-mobile strategy is an innovative example of how brands can use printed materials to drive deeper consumer engagement," added Ed Knudson, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Digimarc. "Ford and Latcha are demonstrating that digital watermarking is a powerful and important enabler for engaging shoppers at every touch point on their journey to making a purchase."
The Mustang brochure experience was just selected as one of two official 2013 DMA Innovation Awards Finalists. It was showcased at Integrated Marketing Week in New York City this month. The final winner will be announced in October.
Digimarc Discover enables smartphones and other sensor-equipped devices to "see and hear" media content using built-in cameras and microphones. Consumers simply direct their phone at content they are interested in and are presented with a range of services, such as purchase a product, view a video, save for later, download a coupon, or share with a friend, for example. The listen mode of the Digimarc app has recently been updated to recognize audio watermarks, cueing an online experience on a consumer’s mobile device.
Digital agencies, publishers and others can embed digital watermarks into print or audio using the Digimarc Discover Online Services Portal (OSP).
Companies interested in learning more about digital watermarking technology and licensing opportunities for the Digimarc Discover platform can call +1 800 344 4627 or email info@digimarc.com
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 and the latest news, please visit www.digimarc.com and follow us on Twitter @DigimarcCorp.
Lindsay Stril, VOXUS PR
lstril@voxuspr.com
+1 253 444 5443
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