Smart Signs Promote Local Deals & Activities

This new smart signage app helps visitors and residents engage with their neighborhood's many offerings.

By Starling Childs

The Long Island City Partnership used Ginkgo to launch LIC Local (liclocal.nyc). This new smart signage app helps visitors, residents and others discover what’s around them, including the vibrant mix of local businesses, events, exhibits, curated tours, and even special perks and discounts throughout the neighborhood.

QR Code sign on a mural to share information about the artwork and guide visitors to other local art installations and businesses nearby.

The next time you find yourself in Long Island City, you will notice more and more “Quick Response Signs” on walls, windows and other convenient locations. The signs direct you instantly to an interactive map displaying all the things to do around you in the neighborhood.

QR Code signage on a storefront window with local placemaking brand.

LIC Local (liclocal.nyc) helps visitors, residents and others discover what’s around them, including the vibrant mix of local businesses, events, exhibits, curated tours, and even special perks and discounts throughout the neighborhood.

The Long Island City Partnership uses Ginkgo to manage LIC Local with their community of small business owners, local artists and other stakeholders.

Quick Response (QR) codes on signs are helping business owners engage the public where they are, whether in a hotel lobby, a residential building or out on the street. And the signs are helping the public access the wealth of real time information about the neighborhood right from their mobile device, without the need to download any new apps. LIC Local was launched by Long Island City Partnership at the end of 2019 for beta testing.


The best part is that LIC Local was easy to launch using the Long Island City Partnership's Ginkgo account. The QR codes and geospatial data were already set to go. In addition to Ginkgo providing the community's data management for the system,  LICP also worked with a local design agency, ThoughtMatter, for the branding and marketing of LIC Local, and with a local manufacturing partner in the community, Boyce Technologies, to manufacture all the signs.

Visit liclocal.nyc to explore the map from your mobile device.

LIC Local is entirely browser-based, enabling anyone to access the app without the need to download new apps on a phone or other mobile device.
A LIC Local decal sign installed on a storefront window.
LIC Local decal sign installed on a local art gallery.

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How is LIC Local, as well as other apps built on Ginkgo like this complimentary to the popular platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, etc?

  • For the neighborhood, by the neighborhood - Ginkgo’s Local Guides are entirely owned and operated by your community. Ginkgo puts your organization in control of the technology to collaborate with your community stakeholders to launch smart QR code based signage systems.
  • Super easy to use. Just focus your smartphone’s camera on the Quick Response (QR) code displayed on one of the signs and click the link that instantly appears.
  • Instant information about what’s around you. No apps to download, no typing in searches - just hold up your phone’s camera and click the link.
  • Quick Response Signs are being installed around the neighborhood in public areas - on street furniture, building facades and storefronts. This enables your community to physically reach the public where other technology providers are unable, because your organization represents the community directly. Google, Yelp and other big tech companies do not.
  • Neighborhood-wide user analytics. Analyze which signs perform the best and continue to improve your community’s engagement with the public.

Customize a QR code signage system for your community.

Request a free consultation and proposal to get started by sending an email to [email protected].

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