The Z-CARD® is the registered trademark

Trademark

A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

 for the foldable guide invented by George McDonald when he was a travel writer and consultant for British Airways

British Airways

British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

. 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, with the company as it looks today being founded in 2003. Z-CARD® Ltd. holds over 20 patents in 80 countries for their PocketMedia® line, which includes the Z-CARD® foldable guide. All Z-CARD® products are legally required to carry patent and trademark notification.

The Z-CARD® was quickly adopted as a marketing communications

Marketing communications

Marketing Communications are messages and related media used to communicate with a market...

 tool and reached such prevalence that the term ‘z-card’ is now used as reference to many z-fold or concertina card and not just those produced by Z-CARD® Ltd. 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.

Applications

The Z-CARD® and similar products have been used for a wide range of applications, including internal corporate communications

Corporate communications

Corporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its publics. "Publics" can be both internal Corporate communication is the message issued by a corporate organization, body, or institute to its publics. "Publics" can be both internal Corporate...

, product and services information and promotional merchandise

Promotional merchandise

Promotional merchandise, promotional items, promotional products, promotional gifts, or advertising gifts, sometimes nicknamed swag or schwag, are articles of merchandise used in marketing and communication programs. They are given away to promote a company, corporate image, brand, or event...

 across all major industries.

Use of Technology

In recent years, cards have featured technology such as Radio-frequency identification, QR codes and Augmented reality

Augmented reality

Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...

.

See also

Folded leaflets

Folded leaflets

Leaflets that are folded are usually used for advertising or marketing purposes. There are many types of folds, only the most popular types are listed here...

Marketing collateral

Marketing collateral

Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales, is the collection of media used to support the sales of a product or service. These sales aids are intended to make the sales effort easier and more effective...

Merchant Mariner's Document

Merchant Mariner's Document

Countries with a Merchant Navy or Merchant Marine require identifying credentials for their mariners. The Merchant Mariner's Document or Z-card in the United States, and the Ordinary Seaman's Certificate in the United Kingdom are examples of these credentials.-United Kingdom:An Ordinary Seaman...

Comp card

Comp card

A comp card is a marketing tool for actors and especially models. They serve as the latest and best of a model's portfolio and are used as a business card...

Pamphlet

Pamphlet

A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...

Brochure

Brochure

A brochure is a type of leaflet. Brochures are most commonly found at places that tourists frequently visit, such as museums, major shops, and tourist information. Brochure racks or stands may suggest visits to amusement parks and other points of interest...

Business Card

Business card

Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...

External links

• http://www.zcard.com
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/8459429/Z-Card-seeks-to-shape-up-for-austerity-times.html
• http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/423/60916.html
• http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b82b4442-b2dd-11e0-86b8-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1YTkMEi5w