Scottish digital agency of the year takes pride of place as their app for Longleat roars its way to “UK App of the Year”

29/11/2019
Winners of UK app of the year

EDINBURGH based, Intelligent Mobile recently beat off competition from global agencies to win the much sought-after “UK App of the Year”. The award was for an app they developed for top UK visitor attraction, Longleat.  This follows on from recently winning the Scottish Digital Agency of the Year.

The 2019 winners were announced at a glamorous awards ceremony and gala dinner on 26 November at the Montcalm Marble Arch in London.

The commitment made by Intelligent Mobile to Longleat was disarmingly simple, “To build the world’s best Safari Park app”.  According to the judges and public feedback to date they have achieved this.

Jamie Lovie, Client Services Director said, “Our task was to bring technological expertise and genuine innovation to improve already outstanding visitor experience. A particular challenge was delivering location-specific content across 9,000 acres with poor mobile network coverage and Wi-Fi connectivity. – Luckily, our clever developers enjoy a challenge.”

The app comes to life at the Park. As the user moves around, the app and its contents change, providing a unique personal experience.  This location triggered audio guide has been described as “magical”.

The Longleat plus app

The Safari Drive function is location-aware and uses GPS and a complex map algorithm to track a user’s car on a graphical map and then deliver time/location-specific audio, quizzes, information and notices throughout a 5-mile journey that can take 2 – 3 hours to complete.

Through genuine innovation, the team was also able to create an app which delivers the same user experience with or without a data connection.  

All the app’s services function offline, including a Safari Drive Mode giving access to the full safari experience without a data connection. The App also provides Geo-Notifications, where users receive location-based notifications when they are within the vicinity of an attraction or point of interest within the park, even when they have no connection.

Jamie Lovie added, “The thing which sets Intelligent Mobile apart is our complete focus on user experience and always striving to deliver a best in class solution.  We are lucky to have a growing client list in both the UK and increasingly in North America. We are selective and will only take a project on if we genuinely believe that it is a technological advancement and will make a difference”.  

James Bailey, Marketing Director of Longleat is thrilled with the app:-

“With almost 50,000 downloads since launching, the app is already proving to be hugely successful and is demonstrating a clear appetite for digital solutions which enhance experiences at visitor attractions.  Here’s to many more downloads and happy guests.”

Development of the Longleat App included several technical “firsts”;

Safari Drive – A self-navigating, location-based audio and information platform that combines a bespoke mapping solution and GPS;

Park Messenger – A new benchmark ‘in App’ notifications for Visitor Attractions, delivering a bespoke geo-location and time-triggered messaging system to inform and drive secondary spend;

New Mapping, Xamarin & Umbraco tools – delivering the project required technical ‘firsts’ in the modification and extension of these Microsoft approved platforms.

From start to finish the project took 5 months and was developed by Intelligent Mobile’s team in Edinburgh. 

Results included significant cost savings through switching to digital tools, alongside five-star customer reviews for the app. Excellent feedback on the use of technology has also been generated on TripAdvisor, Facebook and Google.    

www.intelligentmobile.com

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