Linkz demonstrates technology with connected Christmas card

Featuring Holly the shepherd dog, this is the third year in a row that Linkz has distributed a connected Christmas card. For its Christmas card, Linkz uses a standard digital watermark – also known as a Digimarc barcode – to invisibly attach a video to a card. By scanning the card with the Linkz app, content is activated on a smartphone. In this case, all cards will be connected to the same message but there will be some distributed featuring personalized video greetings.

Linkz recently added serialized marks to its offer, providing a unique identifier to each printed item. These marks can be visible, like QR codes, or invisibly embedded via digital watermarks.

Linkz CEO Dr Nathalie Muller said: ‘Interactive print lets you include a lot more on the card or pack. With serialization brands can offer highly personalized engagement, as well as track and trace individual items. Consumers interact with the world around them via their smartphones. Make the interaction personal with serialized marks.’

Ward Parsons, product manager at Linkz and founder/director of Picktre, a Swedish marketing services and technology company, added: ‘I absolutely love connected greeting cards. You can attach something totally personal to a shop-bought card, and it is so cool to see the video when you just hover over the handwriting.

‘People don’t care about the tech, it just needs to be simple and work. No ugly printed codes or requests for authentication, with the latest Linkz technology it couldn’t be easier.’