Although video brochures have been recognized for their ability to engage audiences, the ability to capture behavior and sentiments is unprecedented. The team at Marc Media (Marc) identified a new opportunity to build the first connected video brochures by integrating IoT technology into every campaign, collecting first person behavioral data. Marc turned to Quectel Wireless Solutions, specifically for the Quectel BG95 LPWA module, to enable Marc to run its own application code directly on the module.

Marc, short for Media Activated Response Console, is the first advertising channel to collect first-party data on behavior and interests from print media. Video campaigns are delivered through Marc brochures, tracking open rates, impressions, interactions, and re-engagements. To sum it up, this is data over direct mail, first person and in real-time, giving brands a deep understanding of audiences, with key insights that help drive sales goals and increase revenue.

The Quectel BG95 is a multi-mode low power wide area (LPWA) module that supports LTE Cat M1/Cat NB2/EGPRS and integrated GNSS. It offers maximum data rates of 588 kbps downlink and 1119 kbps uplink under LTE Cat M1. It features ultra-low power consumption by using the integrated RAM/flash as well as the ARM Cortex A7 processor supporting ThreadX. The BG95 boasts a comprehensive set of hardware-based security features and enables trusted applications to run directly on the Cortex A7 TrustZone engine. The module has a cost-effective SMT form factor of 23.6mm × 19.9mm × 2.2mm and is therefore pricing is suitable for use cases that demand scale.

“Direct marketing with analytics gives brands true ROI and a robust understanding of audiences, which helps support both sales and marketing initiatives.” says Walid Khoury, the founder and CEO of Marc Media. “The Quectel IoT module powers the Marc channel in every form, from brochures to boxes, and fixed displays to any tangible experience.”

Marc selected Quectel’s modules because they met its key criteria which includes: an ARM application core, the small form factor, chip availability, production capability, and competitive cost.

“Quectel’s flexibility and enthusiasm to build strategic partnerships and its ability to keep pace with scale were important to us,” added Khoury. “As key strategic partners, Quectel’s engineering and tech support have been integral to our success.”

Since Marc’s vision was to add cellular connectivity to its video brochures, the engineering team had to overcome 3 major constraints:  battery power, module size and cost.

Joe Peterson, VP, IoT Sales, North America at Quectel Wireless Solutions, added: “We’re delighted that Marc Media has selected our BG95 module to support this innovative new use for harnessing the power of IoT. By enabling video brochures with connectivity, campaigns can gain far richer insights into customers experiences, reactions and behavior. We’re proud to have played our part in enabling this and of how our team has worked to address the challenges of small form factor, low power consumption and cost that allows volumes to scale up.”

With campaigns already active in North America, the company plans global rollouts in 2022.