In the world of marketing, innovation is paramount for staying ahead and shaping the future. At Proxi, we're not just committed to staying ahead of the curve, we're passionate about defining it. This ethos is evident in our latest collaboration with Visit Detroit, the city's leading tourism organization. 

Recognizing the need for innovative digital solutions to navigate a city as vibrant and diverse as Detroit, Visit Detroit embarked on a project to overhaul their map services. The objective was to create an interactive, user-friendly, and comprehensive map system that would guide visitors around the city while highlighting Detroit's best offerings. 

This blog post delves into our collaboration where we successfully delivered tailored managed map services, introducing efficient solutions to long-standing challenges the organization had faced. We'll walk you through the challenges, the scope of the project, and how our team exceeded expectations. Additionally, we'll share insights on how these new map services are enhancing the visitor experience in Detroit. Whether you're a local, planning a visit, or just intrigued by the behind-the-scenes of a successful map services project, keep reading!

Meet Visit Detroit

Visit Detroit is the premier organization responsible for promoting the metro Detroit region on regional, national, and international levels as a hub for conventions, business, and tourism. They recently completed a major rebranding effort aimed at capturing the soul of Detroit and attract a wider audience. But one major hiccup they encountered was the need for updated maps that would align with their refreshed identity.

Historically, maps have been a headache for the Visit Detroit team for a multitude of reasons. They are easily outdated, hard to maintain and update, and quite expensive to produce. Moreover, the team found themselves restrained by the inability to control the design and user interface of their maps.In a world where information is constantly changing, this was a significant obstacle in delivering accurate and up-to-date information to their visitors.

The Scope

For this ambitious project, Visit Detroit laid out a series of must-haves to elevate their visitor experience:

1. Digital, embedable, sharable maps for their website to allow users to explore the region before or during their visit. Their scope included 4 maps total: A downtown specific guide, and then 3 additional maps for the surrounding counties. 

2. Large printouts of the maps for their help desk located downtown. This would help their staff point walk-up visitors in the right direction. 

3. Tear-off paper maps that visitors could use while exploring the city.

The challenge was to deliver all this within an ambitious two-week deadline, ensure that all content seamlessly integrated with Visit Detroit's new branding and that all assets could be easily updated by their small team.

The Proxi Solution 

In collaboration with Visit Detroit, we created a set of marketing materials that perfectly suited their needs. Here's what the collaboration produced:

Four Dynamic Proxi Maps

With thoughtful design, Proxi crafted interactive digital maps that seamlessly blended into Visit Detroit's website. We meticulously incorporated Visit Detroit's brand elements and voice into each map, ensuring their new brand was showcased and consistent throughout. These maps were also enriched with a wealth of useful information - we scoured their website to highlight the best places to visit and activities in the region. Each point was filled with detailed descriptions, curated images, and links to Visit Detroit's blogs for further information, as well as direct booking links to their city guide pass for immediate conversions.

Proxi maps set themselves apart from other digital maps in several ways. They are easy to update and manage, requiring no coding skills. The Visit Detroit team can access them at any time to make edits, add new points, and ensure their content remains current. Furthermore, the team now has access to comprehensive analytics, providing valuable insights into views, clicks, engagements, and conversions. With direct booking links and point check-in capabilities, their Proxi map plays a crucial role in understanding the economic impact they're generating.

Placemats for the Help Desk

Proxi produced 4 (one for each county + downtown map), double-sided, custom designed printouts of the maps with a fresh design, highlighting key points on one side and the larger county on the other. Each was laminated for durability and draw on map capabilities. The Visit Detroit Front Desk Manager uses these maps daily and LOVES the ability to easily direct her walk up visitors to the best places in town. The placemats had QR codes with the corresponding digital map linked, so visitors could scan, and access the map for the remainder of their visit. 

Tear-Off Maps

In consideration of visitors who prefer the experience of a physical map in their hands over a digital one, we carefully crafted tear-off paper maps. These are available for the Visitors Center guests to take along on their explorations. The design of these maps mirrors that of the placemat, ensuring an effortless location of key points, a clear view of the comprehensive map legend, and a reflection of the Visit Detroit brand. As is customary with all Proxi designs, a QR code linked to the digital maps is also included. This provides instant access to Google directions and direct booking links, bridging the gap between traditional and digital navigation.

Building Custom Designs for Your Project

At Proxi, we dedicate ourselves to the creation of marketing and mapping materials that are as distinctive as your brand. Our collaboration with Visit Detroit demonstrates our ability to deliver bespoke solutions that sync perfectly with brand identities. We cater to specific needs, elevate traditional map experiences, and equip our clients with the skills and ability to manage and maintain their maps autonomously going forward. 

If you need help designing your digital Proxi map or want to break the mold with custom prints, Proxi is your go-to partner. Our team will work alongside you for the design process, give you ample opportunities for reviews and edits, and handle the printing and shipping, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.

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Are you ready to take your Proxi map to new heights? Submit a Map Design Inquiry form and one of our team members will be in touch with you!