We live in visual times. We also live in an age of showoffery, where the experiences we now seem to crave over material goods are enhanced through sharing (and social validation). Brands and agencies have figured out a few clever ways of getting in on the rise of user-generated content, whether it’s Instagram printers at events or social media-enabled photobooths, but Hamilton-based app developer Kapja has launched a new app called Biz Brand Cam, which it says is the first fully customisable app of its type available to download directly from the Apple App Store.
Kapja spokesperson Ro Edge says the only options on the New Zealand market for brands hoping to amplify their experiential efforts are currently Smile Dealers and Interlike and as a brand or agency you have to hire contractors to offer those engagement tools. But with this she says you can take full brand ownership of the user experience.
“With this cam you can choose whether you take photos or animated gifs, there’s also entry forms and the opportunity to put fan gates on there.”
There is also the option to include a database collection tool, as well as a link to the user’s own database URL. It also provides analytics so its customers can quantify the ROI for each event. And branded photos can also be printed with the appropriate technology.
“It’s free to download but to unlock the functionality you can get a one month activation for $199, three months is $499 and one year is $1249 but you can share that between five iPads.”
At the 2014 Cannes Lions there were over 3,000 entries into the activation category alone. And, anecdotally, at least, brands in the New Zealand market are spending more of their budget on real-life experiences that can then be amplified with digital and social tools.
She says MediaWorks is the only brand so far that has taken advantage of the app, but NZME has just put in a request.
“The great thing about MediaWorks and NZME is it’s a great tool for their advertisers too. MediaWorks is selling it as an extra its advertisers can use. So when you buy a promotional campaign, the brand cam is included as part of those extras.”
She says the app will be continually updated and she’s been contacted by a lot of companies overseas.