Tag: shazam

Shazam Adds AR Capabilities To Its Music Recognition App

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Shazam has launched an augmented reality (AR) platform to its eponymous music recognition app, allowing users to unlock 3D animations and product visualizations by scanning Shazam codes in the app. The company first branched out to visual recognition in 2015, letting users scan a mini-Shazam code (think QR-codes) to unlock extra digital content on their smartphones. Shazam’s new AR code-scanning technology will be powered by Zappar, a London-based AR startup, and will be available for users and brands worldwide.

What Brands Need To Do
While the AR technology that Shazam is integrating is not exactly new, what it does bring to the table is the massive global reach of its app, which recently surpassed the milestone of one billion downloads. By launching this AR platform, Shazam effectively gave tens of millions of smartphone users a quick and easy way to unlock AR content on their mobile devices. Brands should take advantage of this new platform to experiment with AR content and add fun, interactive experiences to their posters and packagings.  

If you’d like to get some help to figure out how augmented reality can enhance your customer experience and drive new opportunities for your brand, or simply to try out the HoloLens demo we have to experience the transformative power of AR, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.

 

Source: Business Wire

Header image courtesy of Shazam’s press release

Shazam Ramps Up Ad Efforts With More Data And Branded Content

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Shazam aims to grow its advertising revenue by offering brands more data on music consumption and new sponsorship opportunities. Brands will be able to use the “Shazam Brand Connect” program to identify up-and-coming artists and musical genres they can align themselves with. Until now, Shazam has mostly sold their data to record labels to help them gauge market interests and trends. Moreover, the company also plans to launch its first event highlighting emerging artists later this year, which will provide brands with sponsorship opportunities.

What Brands Need To Do
Previously, Shazam mostly limited their ad efforts to selling in-app banner ads and occasional pop-ups while users wait for search results. Now as it looks to boost ad revenue, it is offering brands more data and new opportunities to connect brands with the music industry. At a time when consumers start to turn away from traditional ads (see more on this in the Ad Avoidance section of our Outlook 2016), it is important for brands to take advantage of Shazam’s diversified ad products and try engaging their audience with branded music content and events.

 

Source: AdAge

MillerCoors and IPG Media Lab Help You Discover The Music Of NYC Neighborhoods

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
In an innovative new outdoor campaign created and coordinated by the Lab team, MillerCoors teamed up with Intersection, maker of the LinkNYC kiosks, and popular music recognition app Shazam to bring location-specific music discovery to New York City. In a month-long pilot program, select LinkNYC kiosks will display Coors Light-branded playlists of what people in several NYC neighborhoods have been listening to, generated based on real-time data from Shazam. Passersby near those branded kiosks can open the Shazam app and get those branded playlists on their phones.

What Brands Need To Do
Thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and advances in out-of-home ad tech, outdoor display ads are getting more and more interactive and engaging. Aiming to connect with consumers on the go via their mobile devices, this new Coors Light campaign provides them with the fun of local music discovery, therefore earning consumer attention by adding value to its outdoor display ads.

If you would like to discuss how your brand can leverage new technologies to create innovative, dynamic OOH ads like this, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Barrett ([email protected]) to get in touch with us and schedule a visit.

 

Source: AdWeek

 

How Coke Zero Added Value To Its TV Ads Using Shazam

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Coca-Cola launched a new campaign for Coke Zero that employs tune-identifying and mobile discovery app Shazam to add interactivity to its TV ads, which feature well-known ESPN personalities asking viewers to use the Shazam app during the ads to instantly receive a digital coupon for a free 20-ounce bottle, redeemable at select stores such as 7-Eleven, QuickTrip, Speedway and Domino’s.

What Brands Should Do
With its audio-detecting and redirecting capabilities, Shazam could serve as a bridge between the primary screen and the second screens. This new Coke Zero campaign marks the first time a brand offers real value to its audience with digital coupons via Shazam, whereas previously brands mostly integrate Shazam into their ads to redirect viewers to destination sites. As more and more consumers turn to mobile devices, it is imperative that brands come up with interactive solutions like this one to engage with the audience.

Source: AdAge

Shazam For More Than Just Music

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: The Next Web

We first heard of Shazam’s ambitious plan to go beyond simply music recognition back in January at CES. Now, the company has officially launched a new “Visual Shazam”, as it continues to expand its platform for contextual content discovery. The new feature that will allow users to use Shazam app to scan physical products, QR codes or print ads for more interactive experiences on mobile devices. The mobile interactions reportedly include augmented reality visuals, exclusive behind-the-scene videos, good ol’ coupons and more.

Similar to the visual scanning tools like Google Goggles or Amazon Firefly before it, this new Visual Shazam could offer great opportunities for brand integration. At launch, Shazam is already teaming up with several big-name partners from various industries, including Levi’s, Guerlain, Hearst, Condé Nast, Time, Harper Collins and Disney in promotion of its new blockbuster, “Tomorrowland”.

Compared to regular QR codes, “Visual Shazam” stands out with a vast built-in user base (Shazam claims to have over 100 million monthly mobile active users), its versatility in applications, and general user-friendliness. As the interactive mobile experience continues to grow in prominence, we expect to see more brands to give it a try.

CES 2015: Shazam To Conquer Physical World With Wearable Integration

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: The Next Web

Shazam, the go-to app for identifying unknown tunes, is looking beyond music. At CES 2015, the company is showcasing its ambitious plan to connect the app to the physical retail experience with some more visual Shazam features.

They are also looking to optimize the Shazam app for the wearable market. Rather than having users pull their phones out and stick it to the nearest speakers, they are aiming to let users to simply use voice command on wearables for Shazam.

Music Industry Buys Into Shazam

Posted on by Lab Team

Shazam Entertainment officially announced that it’s landed a series of investments from many of the world’s biggest record companies, indicating that the music industry is looking at new and different methods of keeping relevant and present. Shazam, whose latest valuation was $500 million, said that Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are each taking $3 million stakes in Shazam, which were purchased through a third party investor. These groups all also own a stake in Spotify, and have used the platform to push artists’ streams, and thus its likely we’ll see these music groups do the same on Shazam. 

Shazam gets $40 Million Backing

Posted on by Lab Team

Smartphone app developer Shazam has found itself allied with Carlos Slim, who invested $40 million to back the continued development of the startup. British-based Shazam wants to use the funds to accelerate its expansion into television – where its utilization as a second-screen app has created an entirely new niche for the app to expand into. Shazam believes that within 18 months, TV will significantly outperform the music side of its business, and considers this the driving force behind the investment.

Shazam Aiming To Tackle TV Commerce?

Posted on by Lab Team

With 20 million downloads, Shazam is quickly becoming the premier provider for second screen experiences beyond music identification. Shazam has branched out to TV programming and appears to be interested in couch commerce, enabling purchases based on the TV content. As CEO Andrew Fisher explains, “We have the ability to identify the product in a TV show so that when someone Shazams it, they could find out where a presenter’s dress is from in one click.” The potential solution cuts out the discovery phase altogether, enabling consumers to purchase at the point of inspiration.