DNP Conducts Field Trials aiming to Commercialize Consumer Information Distribution Service “Magitti”
Dai Nippon Printing, April 25, 2008
News release:
Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) between Tuesday March 18 and Saturday April 19 conducted field trials in the shopping and entertainment area of Shibuya, Tokyo aiming to commercialize its mobile phone based consumer information distribution service “Magitti,” which matches distributed data to the present location, time and personal preferences.
Summary of Magitti
As mobile communications devices proliferate, they are used increasingly as information-gathering tools to browse websites and download content, in both inside and outdoor venues. In response to this trend, DNP has been collaborating since 2005 with PARC to develop a system for distributing information tailor-made to match specific consumer conditions, and to promote the use of “local area” information via mobile terminals. By using this system, consumers can obtain timely information that matches their present conditions—with no need to initiate a mobile-based search.
System Overview
In September 2007, DNP in collaboration with the Palo Alto Research Center Inc. (PARC*1) developed a system employing contextual information(*2) obtained from consumer mobile phones to forecast the behavior a given consumer is most liable to undertake, including “eating,” “shopping,” seeing,” and “playing,” and to distribute the optimum information designed for each consumer to their mobile phones. Information which can be used as contextual data includes consumer’s related data such as location, time and weather, along with pre-registered personal preferences and browsing history.
DNP will use this system and from early 2009 plans to launch a service which distributes information regarding shops, facilities and events free of charge to mobile phones. Information to be distributed includes shop names, locations, shopping genres, business hours, along with some self-generated PR from the stores. The company also plans to distribute word of mouth information from consumers themselves and their ratings of these different stores. Information listings submitted by the operators of stores, facilities and events will be carried free of charge. Fee paying services will include the distribution of advertising information which uses contextual information and promotional information. DNP anticipates that promotional information will include a variety of announcements which have so far been carried out via such methods as pamphlet distribution, and that the new service will make it possible to distribute this information and announcements in a real-time format. For example, one possibility would be the distribution of information regarding special daily or hourly sales, or sales designed to bring in customers on a rainy day only to consumers situated nearby when the offers commence.
Field Test Summary
Prior to commercialization, DNP conducted field tests using PDAs in Shibuya, which is characterized by the presence of large numbers of young people who are conversant with the workings of mobile phones. The company loaned PDAs to these consumers for their use in Shibuya and conducted surveys on whether the provided data was the information they wanted, and on their desires connected with “Magitti.” DNP also surveyed business operators on their usage desires, wishes and points for improvement. The following is an extract from the survey results for both consumers and business operators.
Consumer Findings
- It was fun to use and also find out about stores I didn’t know about in certain locations
- It was cool to watch the data change in line with my movements
- The more I used Magitti the more the information was adapted to my personal likes and desires
- It was useful to see that Magitti also recommended data on activities other than eating and drinking, including shopping, movies and karaoke
Reactions of Business Operators
- It was useful to be able to distribute data to a select number of target consumers
- It was also helpful that the system could be used without the consumer having to conduct searches themselves
- The mobile based service recommending stores and outlets was completely new to us
- We would like to use a system which distributes information on a real time basis, (a sales promotion data distribution service).
Survey period: Tuesday, March 18 – Saturday, April 19, 2008
Target: Young people between 18 years old and 25 years old who often visit Shibuya
Target area: Shopping and entertainment area nearby Shibuya station
Participating stores: Some 1,500 restaurants, shops, cinemas and karaoke outlets frequented by young people.
In addition to GPS devices, the company also employed “PlaceEngine (*3)” a technology developed by Koozyt Inc. which employs wireless LAN WiFi in determining present location as a mechanism to search out consumer location data. As a result, it was possible to conduct searches in-door and in basement areas where GPS cannot be used.
Forward Looking Events
On this occasion the company employed PDAs with pre-installed software applications in its field tests, but from autumn 2008 plans to conduct a field test using mobile phones ordinarily carried by consumers, themselves. And based on the result of these field tests, DNP aims to commercialize services from spring 2009 in five areas of Tokyo, namely, Shibuya, Aoyama, Harajuku, Shinjuku, and Ginza-Yurakucho. Other areas are being considered for expansion.
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