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Z-CARD

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ZCARD
IndustryMarketing
Founded2003
HeadquartersLondon, UK
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
George McDonald (Inventor)
Liz Love (Managing Director)
Revenue£7 million (2011)[1]
Number of employees
40 (June 2011)
Websitewww.zcard.co.uk

Z-CARD is the registered trademark for a foldable guide[clarification needed] invented by George McDonald when he was a travel writer and consultant for British Airways.

History

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McDonald found that traditional fold-out maps were too bulky to carry with him on travel research trips and wanted a more convenient solution. From this the Z-CARD was developed and launched in 1992,[1] with the company as it looks today being founded in 2003. The original manufacturing was outsourced to the Russian prison system as this was the cheapest option.[1]

While Z-CARD pioneered the z-fold market from 1992, a number of other companies have since entered the market by producing their own take on the z-fold format. The original inspiration for the product came from the fold-out map format.

Applications

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The Z-CARD and similar products have been used for a range of applications, including internal corporate communications, product and services information and promotional merchandise across all major industries.

Use of technology

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In recent years, cards have featured technology such as Radio-frequency identification, QR codes and Augmented reality.[1][2]

Awards

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In 2011, Z-CARD won the Chartered Institute of Marketing Excellence Award in the SME category. Previous winners of CIM awards include Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann Erickson and JCDecaux.

In 2010, Z-CARD won South London Business of the Year and the Best Business for Marketing categories at the South London Business Awards.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d The Telegraph Z-Card seeks to shape up for austerity times 2011-4-19, retrieved 2012-12-10
  2. ^ Printweek Z-Card launches augmented reality PocketMedia product 2010-07-21, retrieved 2012-12-10
  3. ^ South London Business RBS South London Business Awards 2009 retrieved 2012-12-10