With a background in Computer Engineering Technology from Red River Community College, Gordon has been active on the digital scene since the mid-1990s. He currently works with all Lanoie clients to determine their needs and to develop affordable, effective online strategies for their businesses and organizations. With a background in teaching internet technology in the late 1990s at Winnipeg Technical College (formerly South Winnipeg Technical Center) and soon after at UWinnipeg PACE (formerly the Division of Continuing Education), Gordon has a broad background with the needs of students as well as administration in the education industry.
Please give us a hand by testing our new Layar augmented reality ad for UWinnipeg PACE on your iPhone/iPad or Android phone.
Using the free AR Layar app, scan the ad image and try out the augmented reality data.
You can visit their websites, facebook, twitter, load and scan for Winnipeg Transit bus stops near you (only available to people in the Winnipeg area), and a few other things.
We are looking for feedback: questions, comments, technical support… put it all in the facebook comments!
We want to get as many people testing this as possible. This will be use in Winnipeg Transit buses starting this month.
We do a lot of work with small and medium-sized businesses. Questions often come up from our clients on how to be effective on social media, especially facebook, when they are so busy trying to run their business.
Facebook and social media is about communication
They are very fair concerns. I was reading something this morning, and one thing that it mentioned directly addresses a potential client I was speaking with last week: “Understand that Social Media is not Direct Marketing “.
They are using their facebook page like some companies use a mailing list: push, push, push (which, by the way, isn’t the most effective use of a mailing list, anyway).
Social media, especially something like facebook, allows for a conversation. It allows for interaction like polls, quizzed, feedback, and yes, a complaint forum.
Use social media as a ‘soft sell’. Use it to give interesting facts, chat with people, listen (and respond) to complaints, and slip in the occasional product or service announcement. Mix it up. Engage!
Here are the points that were mentioned:
Even if you don’t use the networks, remember to claim your name
Know Your Brand (& Your Goals)
Listen As Much As You Speak
Spreading Your Brand Thin Will Do More Harm Than Good
Be Prepared If Things Go Wrong
Bonus. Understand that Social Media is not Direct Marketing
Layar, the augmented reality (AR) app that’s available on common platforms such as iOS and Android, now handles Quick Response (QR) codes directly within the app.
I can almost hear you say: “Wait… that’s not Earth shattering, is it?” (or maybe “Yawn” and click the Back button).
But to people like me it’s a big deal. I’m a geek, and I use Layar regularly. I also use QR codes all the time. Now, I can use one app on my phone to do both tasks.
However, it’s not the geek in me that’s REALLY excited. It’s the marketing voice inside my head that’s giggling with joy.
It’s not uncommon to put a QR code in something that’s also using AR technology. If someone is aware of AR, they will probably use that technology. If they are aware of QR, then they scan that code. If they are not aware of either, then, hopefully, they still read the printed material in front of them.
But now those same people who would use the AR technology won’t be ignoring the QR codes. If they are using the latest updates, those same QR codes that didn’t do anything when they were viewing the page in Layar now come to life.
To a geek, er, marketing guy like me, it’s like a birthday gift that I’ve been wanting for a long time.
I have a client that I’m doing an AR campaign for right now which already has QR codes in it. I can’t wait to see how this plays out. If you want to give it a try, download layar and please let me know in the comments how it works for you.
Now, to start unwrapping my present… I’ll catch up with you later!
When we launched the Layar Creator and interactive print, some said we were sticking the knife in QR codes, or even providing the final nail in the QR code’s coffin. We’re not killing the QR code. We’re making the QR code better than ever by pairing it with interactive print and bringing the two technologies together in a single app, providing a better user experience. No more switching from one app to another; now the Layar App does it all.
With QR codes, Layar first analyzes the content and determines what it is. Then, instead of suddenly whisking users away or abruptly performing an action on their device, Layar displays the content in AR just as it does with interactive print. It’s QR with an AR twist.
