Paris, October 7, 2010,JCDecaux announces the launch of U snap, an exclusive application based on tried-and-tested image recognition technology that members of the public can download onto their iPhones. Thanks to this highly innovative app, brands and local authorities can now provide digital content simply from the photo of a poster taken with an iPhone.
As the populations becomes increasingly urbanised and travelling times and commuting distances grow longer, Outdoor is ideally placed to reach audiences on the move. Cities are at the heart of this social change.
For several years JCDecaux has been working alongside researchers and social scientists to identify the expectations of consumers, to keep them updated, to provide innovative services and to enhance the role media can play. The result of this research can now be seen in the launch, on the basis of an exclusive partnership with the Telequid company, of a particularly innovative application: U snap by JCDecaux.
U snap by JCDecaux: how does it work?
The procedure is easy for users to follow and has been designed to be highly intuitive and unobtrusive. Users simply take a photo of the poster with their iPhones and are immediately re-directed to the content offered by the advertiser.
Users will also receive updated news about all current interactive advertising campaigns on the home page as soon as the app is launched.
… and for the general public
An official launch on October 13, backed up by a communications plan.
Available on October 13 but, initially, for the iPhone only, U snap by JCDecaux will subsequently be compatible with other mobile operating systems such as Android or Windows Mobile both in France and in the international market to ensure that this service is gradually available to the largest possible number of users.
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board of JCDecaux, said: “U snap is an innovation that makes a major contribution to the world of Outdoor Advertising, pushing the boundaries of the medium and opening up infinite possible applications of this new technology for the benefit of retail brands, local authorities, consumers and the general public.”
Frédéric Bruel, Chairman of Telequid, said: “JCDecaux and Telequid share a joint vision for the mobile image recognition market. We believe the ability to use a smart phone to take a photo of an object or image to access relevant content on the web has a bright future. By combining the strength of JCDecaux’s network with our technological expertise, we are entering this market under ideal conditions.”
ContactsCorporate Communications: Agathe Albertini
33-1 30 79 34 99 – agathe.albertini@jcdecaux.fr
Investor Relations: Martin Sabbagh