Yachting Magazine Uses Image Recognition to Give More to Readers

Yachting is introducing image recognition in its upcoming September issue. The service, called Pongr, is intended to increase contact between Bonnier Corporation's Yachting and its readers by providing instant interaction through readers' mobile devices.

Readers use a camera-equipped, web-enabled smartphone to take a picture of an editorial page or ad in the magazine, then send that image to a designated server via an app, text message or e-mail. The server then sends back content, links or information to the reader's mobile device.

Image recognition preserves the integrity of the page design, rather than incorporating a barcode or Jagtag. The service also gives the magazine instantaneous interaction with the reader. Because it depends on the mobile device as an interface, additional content is smartphone-friendly. The service gathers reader data from that mobile device, and its image-driven nature stimulates sharing via Facebook and Twitter.