Seeking Investment: The Streets of Jerusalem

Blum Interactive Media is looking for funding for a new web and mobile application that will transform the way travelers learn about, explore, and ultimately spend money in a foreign city. If  you are interested in getting involved with this interactive and revenue-generating opportunity,  please contact Brian Blum directly at brian@bluminteractivemedia.com.

Click here to see a live demo of The Streets of Jerusalem. Once on the site, click on either of the two pushpin icons to play the video.

Vision

Jerusalem is considered by many to be the most important city in the world. Mayor Nir Barkat has pledged to increase tourism to the city fivefold, from two million visitors today to more than 10 million within a few years. Such a goal will require new and innovative ways to reach out to potential visitors.

The Streets of Jerusalem project aims to become an integral part of this ambitious vision. More than a city guide, cultural blog or even a Google Map, the Streets of Jerusalem is a web-based immersive interactive multimedia experience where visitors can explore the alleyways and history of the city by “virtually” walking it.

The project will address three main themes – spirituality, engagement and partnership – in order to transform one-time visits into long-term relationships.

The Streets of Jerusalem will combine elements of history, architecture, and commerce. It will use state of the art technologies including streaming video and social media. The site will be of value to travelers planning a stay, visitors already in the city, and armchair tourists who wish to experience all that Jerusalem has to offer but cannot physically or financially afford to make the trip.

We aim to make the Streets of Jerusalem nothing less than the go-to first stop information source for all things Jerusalem.

How it works

The key visual component to the Streets of Jerusalem is a specially created map that can be zoomed to show a wide variety of city attractions. Users will be able to stroll a street and see what is available to do in that area. Stops along the way are clickable, opening a window with information, images, links, user reviews, and in many cases professionally produced video.

Extensive use of video

Video is without question the most effective way to bring a location to life. Our videography team has extensive experience creating compelling and fast-paced mini-“documentaries.” Videos in the Streets of Jerusalem will include both historical sites – for example the latest excavations near the Western Wall – and commerce, such as restaurants, stores, bars and shops along Jerusalem’s trendy Emek Refaim Street. We will also have video hosts who appear on the map itself to guide visitors through the website.

Social media

The Streets of Jerusalem will make the most of social media to ensure a high level of visitor involvement. Visitors may review and rank any location, send recommendations to friends, create blogs, upload their own pictures and videos, and participate in forums. Users will be able to leave public messages on the site’s Facebook-style “Wall.” The site will maintain a strong presence on social networking sites, and staff will be active on micro-blogging services such as Twitter.

Mobile

Initially, the Streets of Jerusalem will be a website that visitors use when planning a trip – either before leaving home or while in their hotel rooms. In stage two, we will create a mobile version that visitors can use to call up information while on the go. GPS technology will allow visitors to wirelessly find locations and read what other users have said while actually walking the streets of the city. Similar mobile services in the U.S. include Yelp and CitySearch.

Bookings

Also in phase two, visitors will be able to use the Streets of Jerusalem to make bookings – for example, to reserve a table at a local restaurant through a service such as Bite2Eat or to find a room at a hotel via Expedia. We will strive to set up partnerships with other Jerusalem-oriented services, such as discount coupon website eLuna.

Business model

The Streets of Jerusalem requires an initial investment to get started. Afterward, the site will generate revenue by selling advertising and sponsorships, charging local businesses for video production, and taking a percentage of any bookings conducted through the site. Ultimately, we envision building similar sites for other cities in Israel and, through a franchise model, expanding the “Streets” concept to cities around the world.

The initial investment required to launch the company is $430,000. This will be used for software development and graphic design; video production and editing; product management; sales and marketing; and new business development in order to create a solid working beta.