Shop from a magazine page
In this article (5)
Read, snap buy: See something you like in a magazine? Now you can shop from a magazine with new Singapore technology being trialled in Thailand.
iQNect is a Singapore company described by Enterprise Innovation as a “visual search startup”. It has partnered with a Thai creative agency C True to merge image recognition technology with an mCommerce application to allow readers of two Thai magazines to literally shop from a photo.
Two popular Thai magazines are involved in the trial – fashion publication Image and IN – along with four international titles, Her World, Maxim, Madame Figaro and Attitude.
As Enterprise Innovation explains “iQNect’s visual search app enables magazine readers to access interactive digital content simply by taking a picture of any page’s images with their smartphone. This instantly brings up content like videos, invitations, exclusive digital offers or coupons and the option to buy the item photographed without having to go to a website or store.”
“We challenge the belief that print is a dying medium,” Niamh Byrne, iQNect COO told the website.
“Visual search acts as a bridge between the sumptuous tactility of print media and the instant responsiveness of mCommerce.”
iQNect’s full mCommerce platform will be publicly available from mid-November.
Read more about the technology on Enterprise Innovation.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific companies are involved in this new technology trial?
Which specific companies are involved in this new technology trial?
Singaporean company iQNect, described as a visual search startup, has partnered with Thai creative agency C True. They are trialling the technology with two Thai magazines, Image and IN, and four international titles.
Q.What is the core function of the iQNect visual search app for magazine readers?
What is the core function of the iQNect visual search app for magazine readers?
The app allows readers to take a picture of a magazine page with their smartphone. This instantly brings up interactive digital content, including videos, offers, coupons, and the option to buy the photographed item directly.
Q.When will iQNect's full mCommerce platform be made publicly available?
When will iQNect's full mCommerce platform be made publicly available?
iQNect's complete mCommerce platform is scheduled to be publicly accessible starting from mid-November. The current setup is described as a trial in Thailand with specific magazine titles.
Q.How does iQNect believe its technology helps print media?
How does iQNect believe its technology helps print media?
iQNect believes its visual search acts as a bridge. It connects the tactile experience of print media with the immediate responsiveness of mobile commerce, challenging the idea that print is a dying medium.
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