Orleans EDA adds mobile-friendly technology to promote economic development

Press Release, Orleans EDA

ALBION – The Orleans County Economic Development Agency has become a local government front-runner in marketing technology by enhancing their already multilingual, all-mobile friendly marketing platforms with Augmented Reality.

A new breed of user-friendly and visually stimulating technology, AR makes two-dimensional “2D” objects appear 3D onscreen. Viewers can instantly watch short informational videos and access one-touch buttons to immediately call or email specific agency staffers, simply by scanning the agency’s business cards or local business park maps.

By downloading the free LAYAR app to any compatible Android or iPhone, mobile users are able to scan the agency’s materials from their computer screen or use AR to scan a hard copy business card or map from a mobile phone. Video and one-touch contact buttons then appear on the mobile device’s screen.

One side of the agency’s business cards features a corporate testimonial video from an international client (in Mandarin with English subtitles); video highlighting local business assistance programs and the benefits of doing business in Orleans County are also available on the agency’s dual-sided cards.

Colorized site maps used for marketing two business parks in Orleans County are now enhanced with video and AR to provide a heightened visual experience and more detailed site information about the shovel-ready Medina Business Park or Sandstone Development Site in the Medina, New York, Town of Shelby.

The Orleans EDA’s targeted business-to-business marketing video for the Medina Business Park’s 40,000 square-foot pre-permitted site includes isometric mapping elements with build-up architectural animation. This technology gives viewers a real-life interface on their digital screens to visualize, at a glance, the actual site and the many design-build options the OEDA can offer new or expanding businesses.

Reports suggest the use of augmented reality allows for more strategic marketing in far less time than traditional advertising. In 2014, 30-percent of mobile users used AR at least once a week; mobile AR app use is increasing with more than 864 million smartphone users downloading AR technology annually. Viewing site-specific content via smartphones with one touch contact access is not only convenient, it is the future of marketing and mobile communications.

Eighty percent of time spent on mobile devices is spent using apps by today’s mobile users who are always on the move. The reach of augmented reality is undeniable. Total revenue generated from AR by the end of 2013 was approximately $300 million. With AR revenue from mobile app usage expected to exceed $600 billion in 2016, the Orleans County EDA has advanced their global marketing strategies to include AR and other leading mobile connectivity platforms favored by mobile users across the United States and abroad.

For more on the EDA, click here.