PRINT 13 – locr reveals innovative communication ideas

PRINT 13 – locr reveals innovative communication ideas

Two exciting new products and outstanding service are the main features of locr GmbH’s PRINT 13 program.

The world of communication is cross-media. As a communications specialist, locr GmbH will be shining a spotlight at PRINT 13 in Chicago on the wide range of print and online possibilities, without losing sight of individuality. “QR codes and PURLs facilitate customization, the most personal of all forms of communication, by combining print and digital communications. We therefore regard the animation of customized travel maps in the form of a short film as the logical next step. VIDEOmaps allow us to offer “a very innovative added-value communication option”, explains Rolf Richter, CEO of locr.

Another new feature for Europe is the opportunity to use aerial photographs as well as maps in geo-customization. Bird’s-eye views of every region in Germany can be comprehensively reproduced in direct mailshots. The top-quality data resources for this are provided by official, high-resolution aerial photographs from the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy.

“What is really exciting is when aerial photography captures not only roofs but also facades”, adds Rolf Richter. “For this purpose we use additional images by Blom. In every European town with a population of more than 50,000, they have taken shots at a tilt of 45° from all four points of the compass and they continuously update this image data. That’s bound to be an attractive eye-catcher for direct marketing”.

In the future, locr also intends to use the OpenStreetMap community project as an alternative to NAVTEQ’s high-quality geodata. This has the important advantage for locr’s customers that OSM data covers regions and countries that are not cost-effective for commercial providers to cover.

Of course, locr also shows which services with regard to geocodes might be useful or valuable for corporate communications if there is no requirement for maps to be printed or animated. This will allow customers to be given valuable information – such as the address of the nearest branch, travel time or mileage indications – i.e. real added value. As a geodata specialist, locr not only calculates straight line distances, but also specific journey times based on actual routes.

“We want to use our services to provide corporate communicators with fresh, new opportunities”, says Rolf Richter. But the best thing to do is to let marketing decision-makers and creatives judge the benefits and effects for themselves.

The best opportunity to do this will be at Stand 4673 at PRINT 13 in Chicago between September 8 and September 12.

New perspectives for locr customers

With new data from OpenStreetMap (OSM) and aerial photographs from Blom Group, locr GmbH is expanding the range of creative opportunities for geo-customization.

Wiki projects generally have a very good informational value, which is constantly being expanded and updated. This also applies to the free OpenStreetMap project. Since 2004, untold numbers of users around the world have been gathering and completing all the data relevant to making a map of the world. This starts with roads and rivers and is still far from complete when forests and individual buildings are added.

As an alternative to NAVTEQ’s extremely high-quality maps, locr GmbH is now making use of this OSM data. “This is of very practical use to us and our customers. Since information is gathered by project participants throughout the world, OSM data extends the boundaries of locr’s customized maps in the truest sense of the word. This information can also help bring visibility to more remote areas and unusual locations, which are usually not lucrative enough for commercial geodata providers. By using OSM data we can provide added value for the communications sector”, explains Rolf Richter, CEO of locr.

Aerial photography also opens up new horizons for one-to-one communications. In addition to customized maps that can be used via direct mail or invitations to show individual customers the quickest route to the nearest branch, the relevant agency or event location, aerial photography attracts greater attention. “Existing and prospective customers see the company from a very unusual, new perspective. Photos taken at a tilt of 45° are an absolute eye-catcher. They also bring life to individual facades in a very skillful manner”, Rolf Richter adds. Using the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy’s official, high-resolution aerial photographs, locr can provide a comprehensive bird’s-eye view of every region in Germany. Our geo-customization experts use additional images from the Blom Group to provide the oblique views. These are available for every European town with a population of over 50,000.

locr will be demonstrating the numerous opportunities provided by this extended data pool at PRINT 13 in Chicago. locr’s customization experts will be making themselves available at Stand 4673 not just for questions and answers, but will also be helping, via networking and creative ideas, to discover new, innovative solutions for the demanding communications sector.

Geo-customization goes video

VIDEOmaps’ animated route maps point the way to the future with their eye-catching videos and movies.

Geo-customization is bearing fruit. When communicating with existing and prospective customers, the visualization of customized travel directions provides real added value. At the same time, customized directions and local maps overcome the barrier of physical distance because not only do they show the way to the nearest branch or an interesting event, they also provide proximity to the company and to personal advice. The effect of this is that geo-customization is becoming more and more interesting, especially as a means of one-to-one communication.

In order to provide even greater added value to customers, locr GmbH uses the potential of media diversity. VIDEOmaps’ brand new technology allows the animation of customized travel directions and route maps in the form of short films. “With VIDEOmaps, locr is able to provide the corporate communications sector with an exciting geo-customization element that can be integrated, for example, into customized videos. In this way, each and every visitor has both a personalized website and an individual video available to him that perhaps might visualize his route to the next major event”, explains Rolf Richter, CEO of locr GmbH. “This is a very attractive added-value option. A personal video is a sign of appreciation that also has the effect of arousing curiosity and interest.”

locr’s new product combines print, mobile, email and video as a means of securing highly customized and attention-grabbing communication. The communications specialist will be demonstrating the resulting cross-media opportunities at PRINT 13 in Chicago. Interested parties visiting Stand 4673 between September 8 and September 12 will not only be able to obtain information on VIDEOmaps but also gain a direct insight into the interesting potential of successful, highly customized communications.