Blippar forays into India; eyes 3-5 mn users in 12 months

Blippar allows smartphone users to point their phones' cameras at certain objects to start videos or offer product info.

Visual browser Blippar aims to partner about 50 big brands in the country to help them offer marketing campaigns with rich and engaging content.

Blippar, which counts global brands like L’Oreal, Universal Pictures and Jaguar among its clients, also expects to add about 3-5 million users for its app in India.

“India has over 100 million smartphone users and USD 5 billion worth of ad and media industry. It presents a big opportunity for us and our clients, who can engage with customers in a new and interesting manner. It uses traditional media like print but is still digital,” Blippar CEO and co-founder Ambarish Mitra told PTI.

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He added that the firm aims to bring 40-50 major brands and 3-4 large houses on board in the next 12 months.

Blippar, using augmented reality (AR) technology, allows smartphone users to point their phones’ cameras at certain objects — be it a print advertisement or even a can of aerated drink — to start videos or offer product info.

The company, which has about 25 people in India, is also looking at introducing a solution that will work on mobile connections with low Internet speed.

“In markets like India, connectivity and speed is an issue. Many people are still using 2G. A new product will be out in the next 4-6 weeks to take care of that issue,” he said.

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Besides, Blippar is also in discussion with telecom operators and handset makers here to reach a larger base of smartphone users, he added.

Founded in the UK in 2011, Blippar today has over 50 million unique users (post acquiring another AR player, Layar in June this year) and over 50 million global interactions. It has presence in the US, the UK, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands and Benelux countries and has conducted projects across other countries as well.

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Augmented reality