Arguably the hottest social media platform of the year thus far, Pinterest’s most popular images fall into the lifestyle, food and event categories – consequently causing marketers to find ways to ease their brands into a phenomenon that’s undoubtedly about to soar to bigger heights.

In the short time that Pinterest has been alive, I’ve personally come across a ton of “pin-addicts”, folks that spend countless hours pinning and repining visions and ideas that will probably remain figments of their imaginations. Not to mention the ladies who have their weddings planned out in their entirety yet haven’t been on a date in months. Nonetheless, Pinterest has gained quite a bit of popularity and the marketer in me wondered how brands could utilize this new space – and specifically for Aria, destinations.

Pinterest goes beyond a simple bookmarking tool; it is a collection of all things inspirational and a roadmap for what people envision their lives to look like – thus leaving the opportunity for travel destinations virtually limitless. A destination could have a pinboard for all of the elements that make said destination original. Columbus, Ohio, for example, did a great job at this. They have about 15 boards each relating to a different category that makes Columbus, Columbus. Categories such as “food scene,” “staying in Columbus,” “Columbus Drinks,” “Columbus Weddings” and “Columbus Foodtrucks” to name a few, are packed with photos that capture the city’s originality.

Pinterest allows consumers and marketers alike to stray away from the word copy and sell a product or destination based solely on photographs – which can truly capture a destination’s unique personality. And what better way to plan a trip than having photos of the things you want to do conveniently organized based on category? I’ll wait.

Pinterest also offers a great sense of virality, which could be huge for brands. When someone comes across a unique or compelling photo or idea, they have two options, to “repin” or to “like” it. Repining automatically shares that photo with all of that person’s followers, who too, get the option to repin and the cycle continues. You can also link your account to other social networks, so repining can also mean sharing the photo with your Facebook friends or your Twitter followers.

Though it’s tough to tell whether or not a destination’s photos will do more than compel a person to visit, it is in my opinion, a great branding tool, as it may inspire folks who in turn have the potential to inspire their followers. While there are few destinations that have leveraged this tool well enough to draw significant attention, I don’t think it will be long before others jump on board and start experimenting in other notable ways. It should be a pinteresting experience.

DALLAS, February 14, 2012 — Aria, a Dallas-based interactive agency specializing in destination marketing, today announced a new partnership with Triangle Studios that will bring customized mobile applications to tourism destinations throughout Texas and America. Triangle Studios, with offices in both the United States and the Netherlands, is a world-recognized leader in mobile application development.

Each smartphone app created for destinations is designed to showcase tailored information, and guide visitors to each area’s particular points of interest, including where to eat, where to sleep and what to do.

“We recognize that the best information companion when experiencing a destination is the mobile device you’re already carrying. We wanted to bring a solution to market that is both feature-rich and reasonably priced for destinations of all sizes,” said Ryan Thompson, Founder and CEO of Aria. “With the Triangle partnership, we have a proven mobile application on multiple platforms that incorporates cutting edge functionality, including couponing, itineraries, and augmented reality using GPS and imagery. Today, only the largest destinations can afford to build such custom features. Our solution makes it available out of the box, at price points starting south of $10,000.”

Major features of the fully customizable app include:

• Itineraries and checklists for visitors based on interest
• Entertainment directories that list events to experience, activities to do, or restaurant reviews
• Map integration for quick and easy directions using Google Maps Navigation
• Augmented reality using GPS to allow a 3D experience right on your mobile screen
• Social media integration
• Partner advertising with deep analytics and measurement tools to prove performance and engagement

“Early versions of the app were immediately popular for tourism. Partnering with Aria allows us to reach a broad destination marketing audience, allowing Triangle Studios to keep focusing on the latest developments in hardware and technology, making sure we offer the best solutions for our clients,” said Remco de Rooij, CEO at Triangle Studios.

Versions of the app are available now for destinations like McKinney, TX and the islands of Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire and St. Maarten where unique features like currency converters, offline maps and RSS feeds were built-in, native to the app, and are updated by tourism officials easily and frequently from any internet-connected computer.

J.R. Atkins, Chief Client Strategist at Aria, will be leading the effort to bring the app to market and shares in the excitement of the increased opportunities for interaction between traveler and destination. “Mobile apps are revolutionizing travel, bringing together location and event information with the latest technology and creating a truly unique experience.”

Visit http://aria.co/mobile for more information and to learn how this new technology can be applied to your destination.

Aria is a Dallas-based, results-focused digital marketing agency.
Multiple award-winning design firm Aria is a Dallas-based, results-oriented digital marketing agency.

With more than a decade in business, their agile team of strategists, communication architects, creatives, technologists and marketers specialize in producing sound, results-oriented, right-tool-for-the-job, unforgettable brand experiences. http://ariaagency.com

About Triangle Studios
Originally founded in the Netherlands, Triangle Studios is a company that has its origin in the business of video game development. Since three years, the company has been working on designing and developing high quality, cutting-edge software applications for smartphones. http://triangle-studios.com

]]> http://ariaagency.com/2012/02/experience/aria-and-triangle-studios-bring-mobile-solutions-to-tourism-industry/feed 0 http://ariaagency.com/2012/02/experience/augmenting-your-destination http://ariaagency.com/2012/02/experience/augmenting-your-destination#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:47:28 +0000 Aquia http://ariaagency.com/?p=1397 ...]]]> Augmented Reality (AR) is making wave and will soon make huge advancements to our lives through mobile devices. As Karri, our Marketing Communications Manager mentioned in her initial post, Augmented Reality to become your reality in 2012, augmented reality blurs the line between reality and computer-generated content by adding graphics and sound to the natural world as we know it.

As a conceptual entity, AR has been toyed with for quite some time. It’s only recently that developers have produced applications to make AR practical to the everyday consumer. We all know that in order to make any technological advancement both practical and relevant to a general consumer, it must have value. The lack of said value is probably the reason for AR’s obscurity in the past. However, more recently, tech-savvy developers and marketers alike have been working diligently to unveil the value in AR, further expanding the virtual boundaries.

AR can be applied to just about any concept coupled with a splash of creativity. As it pertains to travel and destination marketing, world browsing is perhaps the most significant use of AR, as it allows a traveler to explore their surroundings and view pertinent information about businesses or landmarks around them.

• The app Wikitude allows a user to point their smartphone at their surroundings and view a layer of icons that you’re able to customize. Such icons can represent things like Wikipedia articles detailing historic information, banks or coffee shops. I imagine applications of similar functionality being available in the near future, allowing you to visit a museum, for example, and having all relevant and historical information superimposed on your smartphone while pointing at a piece of art.

• Apps like Yelp, that allow users to find restaurants and read consumer-based reviews have adopted their own version of AR. Yelp’s “monocle” feature superimposes restaurant names and review ratings when you point your camera view in the direction of various restaurants in your area. Imagine the same idea being used for a shopping mall. You point your camera ahead of you and suddenly you know every store having a 50% off sale without taking a step inside or walking past their window display.

• ZipRealty Real Estate has a mobile app available on iPhone and Android devices that allows you to use AR to get information on their properties. The technology is available in about 30 US markets (including Dallas) and the app allows you to point to a property in their database and details such as price, square footage, etc. are overlaid onto your screen. I imagine a similar concept being applicable to hotels in the future. Imagine visiting a city (without prior hotel arrangements, of course) and being able to point your phone toward a hotel and having the availability, the price and even reviews superimposed on your screen without ever having to park and walk in.


Ultimately, the opportunities for destination marketing with AR are endless. Destinations have the power to become a “virtual attraction” as the number of tech-savvy travelers increase. AR has the ability to reshape the world as we know it – influencing major purchase decisions such as shopping, dining and lodging. Augmented reality has by no means reached its peak, but I predict that it won’t be long before the line between reality and “virtuality” is relatively seamless. This is definitely not a technology to ignore.

]]> http://ariaagency.com/2012/02/experience/augmenting-your-destination/feed 0 http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/experience/aria-helps-connect-kids-from-town-of-addisons-new-george-h-w-bush-school-to-a-schoolboy-named-george http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/experience/aria-helps-connect-kids-from-town-of-addisons-new-george-h-w-bush-school-to-a-schoolboy-named-george#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:16:00 +0000 Karri http://ariaagency.com/?p=1378 ...]]]> The Objective_

With the opening of the George H.W. Bush Elementary School in fall 2011, Addison city officials knew they wanted to make this division of Dallas Independent School District a truly exceptional, one-of-a-kind educational institution.

The school has a number of features that already make it exceptional: gigantic, vibrant murals that educate as well as decorate; an open, airy environment with floor to ceiling windows; solar skylight tubes that funnel light from the roof into the building’s halls to save energy; and kid-tended gardens to teach children about their world.

Yet the Town felt something was still missing. Mr. Bush had, perhaps, been the most experienced man ever to hold Office. They wanted more than a president’s name out front — they wanted to really honor him in a way that made his example meaningful to children.

For solutions they engaged long-time creative partner Aria, to do its homework and provide answers.

The Solution_

After extensive research, and with the cooperation of The George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Aria’s creative team brought a unique perspective and actionable ideas to the table.

We proposed using brightly colored childhood photos together with ideas that impacted Bush as a youth in order to connect him to the students — not as one more elder adult, but as one of them. Kindergarten through sixth graders would share the halls with a boy named George who played ball, did homework, and had fun just like them.



Some of the graphics proposed include, on a staircase landing, young George sitting on a stone wall; on the gymnasium walls will be George, as a young athlete, involved in various sports; and in the school library, a timeline showing him at various life stages from toddler to schoolboy, young naval aviator to family man and entrepreneur, President to adventurous skydiver.



In addition to these bold, brightly colored graphics, a 12 foot long shadowbox showcase, just inside the school’s entrance, will display photographs, souvenirs from his time in office, and memorabilia to include: a replica of his WWII flight jacket and a model of the torpedo bomber he flew, medals he was awarded after being shot down and rescued, a model of the aircraft carrier— CVN77— that bears his name, and other fascinating mementos.

The Results_

With the preliminary designs approved and the project ready to move forward, Town of Addison is now engaged in a fund-raising effort to realize this vision. It is hoped that work can begin as soon as summer 2012.

The project pays homage to Mr. Bush and life lessons learned that will help children understand presidents don’t spring full grown and ready for office… but begin life’s journeys as grade-schoolers who believe they can accomplish whatever they set their minds and hearts to.



]]> http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/experience/aria-helps-connect-kids-from-town-of-addisons-new-george-h-w-bush-school-to-a-schoolboy-named-george/feed 0 http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/design/were-hiring-designer-career-opportunity http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/design/were-hiring-designer-career-opportunity#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:47:14 +0000 Jordan http://ariaagency.com/?p=1365 ...]]]> We’re looking for a full-time designer with a serious passion for crafting awesome digital, UI/UX, and print design.

You’re the creative force behind our output. You’ll be working on everything from branding, to website design, to mobile user interfaces, to advertising, to email marketing and social media. You’ll do it all, and get to work on a lot of different business, with a lot of different clients.

If you’re our new designer, Download the full job description (PDF) —
and then submit your info (resume, personality, likes, disposition).

]]> http://ariaagency.com/2012/01/design/were-hiring-designer-career-opportunity/feed 0 http://ariaagency.com/2011/12/experience/augmented-reality-to-become-your-reality-in-2012 http://ariaagency.com/2011/12/experience/augmented-reality-to-become-your-reality-in-2012#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:33:10 +0000 Karri http://ariaagency.com/?p=1298 ...]]]> What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality is a term we’ve been tossing around a lot recently – not only as a potential marketing tool, but really as a major player in marketing campaigns for next year.

Augmented reality is a virtual experience. In the simplest of terms, augmented reality superimposes a virtual layer to the real world. It uses a real object, space or location as a base for creating imaginary sights, sounds and information.

Take these recent examples of augmented reality in use to better illustrate its application –

• Starbucks – recently launched an augmented reality app that allows winter characters on coffee cups and coffee bags to come to life through your smartphone. They have 5 different characters that provide the AR experience. How successful has it been? I can’t tell you how many customers have used the app, or even know it exists, but J.R. Atkins, Aria’s Chief Client Strategist, noted a lack of awareness among Starbucks employees. He said, “It took 3 weeks of showing Starbucks people the App and how it works before I found 1 employee who knew what I was talking about. I’d estimate about 1 in 20 employees know about this.”
• Krystal – Fast-food restaurant Krystal brought augmented reality to their customers earlier this year as part of a promotion for their Krystal Freeze. Similar to the Starbucks app, customers would point their smartphone to Krystal packaging to see 4 different incarnations of the Krystal penguin jumping and dancing.
• Toyota – this iPhone app allows users to superimpose the new FT-86 coupe into their photos and share online.
• DeBeers – allows you to “virtually try on” diamonds from their Forevermark brand. My personal favorite is this desktop augmented reality experience.

How can augmented reality be used in marketing?

The problem with augmented reality to date is the motive behind its application. Most companies and brands are using AR from a brand-centric or product-centric viewpoint. I mean, I think it’s fun and cute that Starbucks can make a snowman dance around my cardboard coffee cup, but, really, that doesn’t benefit me in any way.

I was talking with Mikon, our Video and Production Head, this morning about AR, its uses, its pitfalls and its potential this morning, and he had some interesting thoughts on how he hopes the application of this technology will evolve.

“In terms of what augmented reality applications are lacking, I think wayfinding is what’s missing. We need to bring together people’s search for information in real time and in real space. Imagine looking down a busy main street and being able to know exactly what’s going on in that direction – movie showtimes, retail sales, happy hours, whatever. It creates a more efficient and consumer-friendly world.”

“As for the future of augmented reality, I think it will evolve to become more organic then needing an actual device, but for now it becomes a sort of enhanced compass.”

How does this affect tourism and destination marketing?

Augmented reality can and will significantly change the scope of destination marketing. Specifically for visitors and tourists, AR becomes a virtual tour guide, taking visitors through a downtown space, a museum, a sports arena, or any area. Want to know more about the landmark in front of you or the painting you’re looking at? Take an augmented reality tour.

• Here’s a video showing an augmented reality tour of the Louvre in France.
• One of the best examples is the Tuscany+ app. Launched in May 2010, Tuscany+ “allows the user to point an iPhone at any scene in Tuscany and balloons will pop up with information in four categories: sightseeing, with information from Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and the web team of Voglio Vivere Così; accomodation that finds hotels, B&Bs, and agritourisms with data from Google Local and an aggregation of online reviews; dining, which includes the ability to read comments posted by others; and entertainment, which lists nightlife spots including jazz clubs, pubs, etc.” More information can be found at their tourism website.

AR can also take consumers on a journey back in time, showing locations and venues as they’ve appeared in years and decades past.

• Check out Berlin.
• And, The Cluny Abbey in France.

Augmented reality can also significantly help in trip planning. Google Earth gives consumers a “real-world” look at any location, and travel sites are now taking that lead and creating AR for the vacation planner. Earlier this year TripAdvisor launched a free iPad app that provides a 360 degree, augmented reality view of destinations with information on hotels, restaurants and other attractions.




Here's the street view going north from our office.

Tell us about your experiences with augmented reality in the comments below!

Additional sources: Padgadget.com, Singularityhub.com

Engage, engage, engage!

As marketers, we are primarily using these tools for promotional purposes, but to ensure its effectiveness, a marketing strategy focused on seeking brand engagement, conversation, and interaction will gain far better results.

Talk to the right people

The internet has the potential to reach millions of users, but simply putting your message out on the world wide web will get you nowhere! Find people that may be interested in what your business has to offer and will want to engage with your brand. In order to find, follow, and build relationships with people in your industry, try using tools like Twitter search and Twellow to identify other users interested in your industry.

Provide content worthy of following

It’s not enough to promote your presence online. You need to make your presence something worth following! Make sure your tweets, Facebook updates, and blog posts provide educational, valuable, and engaging content that reflect your brand’s values. People follow brands through social media not because they want to see a list of your products and services. They follow because they want something useful and relevant! Get Satisfaction provides a great infographic explaining why people choose to follow brands on social networks.  Some interesting numbers to pay attention to: Over 36% of Facebook users and over 43% of Twitter users said they connect with brands to stay in the loop on special offers, and 70% said they used social media to participate in contests or sweepstakes.

Interact with fans and followers

Along with providing regular and useful content, regularly interact with your fans and followers. Monitor your presence, participate in discussions, and ask questions!

Add social sharing buttons

When starting off an online campaign, you want to promote it in as many places as possible that target your audience and fit your business. Allow site visitors to easily share your content with their personal networks by adding social sharing buttons on everything from blog posts to landing pages and newsletters.

Get creative

A little creativity can go a long way! Artist @GregBurney promised to sketch the first 3,000 followers he gained on Twitter. Starting with only 70 followers, he attracted over 2,000 by the end of the day through the trending topic #drawmyfollowers. He now has over 5,000 followers! Because of his creative interaction showcasing his talent, Burney gained an 8,000% change in followers and probably a few more people interested in his artwork.

So what’s in it  for you?

The overall goal of creating an engaging social media campaign is to develop client-customer relationships that serve your audience and ultimately move your business forward. Use these best practices as the foundation to developing a unique, creative, and brand-centric campaign that will help build interest in your company and ultimately generate new leads and customers.

You:

• You’re a quick study and already have a good grasp of interactive, marketing and advertising concepts
• You enjoy social media and understand the strengths of various online mediums
• You’re a great communicator, presenter and writer
• You are looking to build a career in interactive marketing

Download the complete job description to become a
Community Manager (PDF) —
and then submit your resume (and personality) on our awesome form.

The Objective_

Capture people who don’t know the difference between Caravaggio and Cappuccino.

All kidding aside, while real art enthusiasts would certainly understand the magnitude and impact of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit, there’s a huge audience that needs to see this exhibit, but aren’t typically art-fans.

We had to build excitement for the show… and do it in less than 30 seconds.

The Solution_

In two words: mass media. We figured let’s go all out and get TV, Radio, Print, Social Media… basically, anywhere we could get eyes.

The campaign needed to be based on the artistic signature of the man himself, while of course maintaining a synergy with advertising the Kimbell already had live – magazine, newspaper, online and billboards.

Born in 1571, Caravaggio is considered by many to be one of the most influential figures in the history of art. His work, known for dramatic compositions contrasting light and shadow, influenced painters throughout Europe, and lived on well past his own death in 1610.

Our work would follow this similar “Caravaggisti” theme. Our commercial spots show a sweeping contrast between shots, meant to mirror the artist’s own technique. Our radio spots borrowed Caravaggio’s passion and drama, by utilizing heavy music and precisely-timed voiceovers to create a deeply emotional affect.

The Results_

The TV commercials and radio spots Aria created began running in heavy rotation in late October throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, and well, we think the results speak for themselves…

4 TV commercials – 2 (:15) and 2 (:30)

4 radio spots – 2 (:15) and 2 (:30)

Do you have broadcast media requirements including TV or Radio?
Ask us about our Storytelling, Video and Animation services.

Aria expands focus on tourism market, names industry veteran Christine Szalay as Director of Destination Marketing

Dallas, TX, November 2, 2011 – Aria today announced Christine Szalay is joining the agency as Director of Destination Marketing. Christine will oversee the creation of new tourism programs including destination marketing, partnership development and event production.

“Aria designs experiences for brands in a variety of marketing channels. Our increasing focus on tourism makes a lot of sense because experiential marketing is critically important in marketing destinations” says Ryan Thompson, founder and CEO of Aria.

Successful destination marketing today requires a shift in thinking. Consumers are in control and their control is increasing through social technologies, content sharing and user-generated reviews. Destinations must work cooperatively with organizations inside their borders to provide the best, most consistent consumer experience at every touch point. This happens through effective local partnerships and cooperative marketing, creating an all-for-one approach.

“We believe destinations must focus on bringing stakeholders together and integrating three areas: marketing, events and partnerships. With one area feeding another, partnerships can exponentially expand marketing reach without increasing cost burden. With greater marketing, an effective sponsorship program can be deployed to match marketing opportunities with sponsors providing new revenue and cost subsidies,” says Thompson. “And of course, ultimately we want to get consumers’ feet on the street intimately experiencing the destination. For that, there’s no substitute for well-conceived and executed events.”

Throughout her career, Christine has demonstrated a unique ability to understand visitor motivations and design programs to engage those visitors and create loyalty. While at NorthPark Center and Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, Szalay oversaw programs that created nationwide awareness for the organizations while tangibly driving new revenue. As a key member of the management team during the opening of the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Szalay managed programs that generated buzz in the marketplace and maximized hospitality for high-value partners through private events.

Christine knows the cooperative nature behind event production, event management, sponsorship placement, and bringing it all together to ensure the protection and promotion of a destination’s brand.

Christine said, “I got to know the Aria team while collaborating on a number of Texas tourism projects including work with The Dallas Arts District. The synergies are almost immediately clear: Aria’s approach to marketing combined with my background in development programs that drive revenue through events and sponsorships made sense. We’re very excited about bringing this combined approach to the market.”

About Aria

Multiple award-winning marketing firm Aria is a Dallas-based, results-oriented agency that designs experiences for brands and destinations. We work where audiences congregate online, on screen and at events.

ariaagency.com

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