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MapWheel
This innovation initially came to life when…
Russell Bolden of Glenbrook, NSW, had one those light bulb moments after a visitor to his home asked what direction the township of Katoomba was as they looked out over their spectacular view of the Blue Mountains. This was a question he had been asked by others too many times before without ever being able to give a satisfactory answer. The eureka moment was thinking of a direction plaque (as commonly found at lookouts) and then Google Maps and how the two could be brought together. This marriage conceived the first MapWheel which is now proudly adorning Russell’s outdoor table.
WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
…modernise direction plaques and make them accessible to everyone. We want the user to personalise their MapWheel by including locations that are significant to them such as their birthplace, favourite holiday destinations and the location of friends and family.
It does this by…
PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
…there is currently no online service where the user can custom design and order a direction plaque online. Direction plaques until now have been confined to public places where the points of interest can be seen. We are broadening their application by suggesting a MapWheel can be used at home, the office, cafes, hotels or just about anywhere.
Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…
…being able to make their MapWheel customised — they get to choose locations that are meaningful to them. They also get to personalise their MapWheel by choosing a colour, a font, a decorative border pattern and even a personal message.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Its predecessors/competitors include…
There is no known competing online service that allows the user to design and order a direction plaque online.
TARGET MARKET
It is made for…
…both the home consumer and business market. We believe a MapWheel can be for anyone whether they live in a location with an interesting outlook or not. We want people to personalise them by including the location of places and people that are significant to them. MapWheels will potentially have great appeal for business such as cafes, restaurants, hotels, resorts, waiting rooms, etc. For example, imagine a MapWheel mounted on a cafe table or on the balcony of a resort room — providing interesting and useful information about the surrounding area. There is also tremendous opportunity in the gift market.
DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
mapwheel.com exclusively.
Our marketing strategy is to…
…use traditional online marketing tools such as AdWords with a strong focus on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. The website will allow users to share their MapWheel design by posting it to their Facebook page. Every MapWheel will display “mapwheel.com” so as they penetrate into public space they will be self-advertising.
SUPPORTING IMAGES
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