>This is the coolest idea, developed by Mediaman, a software startup in Mainz.

You download a minute chunk of software onto your mobile, take a photo of the Semacode matrix on one of six information boards scattered around Mainz and watch an audio-visual presentation describing the sights, featuring Gundula Gause, national TV news reader and local girl.

Finished at one location?

A digital map shows you how to get to the next location.

It’s just excellent.

It’s also virtually unknown.

What they’ve done is the classic reverse of the marketing mantra “Sell benefits, not features”.

You can’t find it on Mainz’s tourism website – not a big surprise, given that they’re still advertising packages for Carnival. For February 2007.

And you can’t call them, either. Their lines are eternally busy, they promise to call back and never do and they close for lunch (CLOSE FOR LUNCH!!) between 1 and 2 pm.

The stuff’ on the information boards is written by civil servants and techies – it tells you how to USE the service, doesn’t really tell you what is DOES and it sure as heck doesn’t tell you how COOL it is.
Doesn’t tell you who to contact if you have problems.

The excuse is that “It’s a pilot project”

Hallo? I’ve run enough pilot projects to know that you have to market the benefits of your product to raise awareness and support users if they have problems if you want to get any traction.

What they need are big posters around the place with Gundula – 100% recognition factor – holding a mobile phone and saying something like “Let me show you around Mainz”.
Then you list the locations where you can join the tour.

What they also need is a user guide for their website.

I’ve even written one for them. (The silence of their response was deafening…)

What are my benefits?

Take a tour through Mainz on your mobile phone with your personal tour guide: journalist, national TV news reader and local girl, Gundula Gause <>. Start at any of the 6 sights <> that we’ve chosen for this pilot project and she’ll tell you more about them that any guide book can.
Then just follow the digital map on your phone to the next location where she’ll pick up her commentary.

How does it work?

You just take a photograph of the Semacode image on one of the signs you’ll find around Mainz with your mobile phone.
Our software recognises the image and connects to a website that streams sound and images to your phone.

As simple as that

What do I need?

1. A mobile phone with UMTS and Java that can play mp3s. In other words – just about any modern mobile phone.

2. Software to recognise the Semacode image

How do I get set up?

Before you get to Mainz

You can download the software here <> and transfer it to your phone via Bluetooth or USB cable.

Or point your mobile’s webbrowser to http://xxxxxxxx. The software’s only 180kb and installs automatically.

Once you’re in Mainz

You’ll see signs at the following locations:
Schillerplatz
Theater
Liebfrauenplatz
Augustinerkirche
Bischofsplatz
Dom

They’ll explain how to download the software to your phone and start the tour.

How do I start the tour?

Just take a photo of the code on one of the signs and the tour starts automatically.
Once you’re finished at one location, the digital map on your phone will guide you to the next point of interest

What does it cost?

The entire tour uses 3.5MB of data. If you’ve got a flat rate and you’re within your capped limit, it’s free!
Otherwise it’ll cost around €2 for the entire tour

Roaming charges will apply if you don’t have a contract with a German-based mobile phone provider.

What’s the bet that they’ll let it drift on for a year and then declare it a flop because no-one used it.

Shame…