FotoFuse Helps Retailers Step into the Future
FotoFuse, an online photo gifting provider for retailers, catalogs and Web-based businesses, recently introduced its personalization technology and drop shipping services to retailers with help from OverCoffee Productions. FotoFuse worked with OverCoffee Productions, a leading Web design and integration firm serving the gift, home accents and toy industries, to develop the technology. Fotofuse provides retailers with a ‘ready-to-go’ system via its online technology. Everything is automated and fulfilled on behalf of the retailer. There is minimal software investment, no stock investment, no product returns, automated sales reporting systems, and virtually no risk on behalf of the retailer.
“Photo gifting is a relatively new phenomenon that is the ultimate in personalization. It involves applying personal digital photographic images to merchandise such as mugs, mouse pads, and t-shirts. We handle everything once an order is placed online,” explains Ruairi Curtin, founder of FotoFuse.
“The sole task of the retailer is to promote the photo gift service to their customers,” states Curtin. Retailers simply make their customers aware of the photo gifting option through store signage, catalog, or online offerings. The customer then visits the retailers’ website where they can upload their digital images and order their photo gifts. FotoFuse takes it from there, handling the automation, financial transactions, production, shipping and handling directly from its offices. “Offering drop shipping in addition to the personalization technology allows us to offer our retailers a true turnkey solution with minimal risk and no inventory to warehouse,” states Curtin.
Thanks to technological advances, personalization is now big business raking in about $27 billion annually. According to Curtin, since photo gifting is an exciting new phenomenon within the personalization industry, it too has experienced strong growth in recent years. “The whole experience is a win-win-win solution,” adds Curtin. “We can provide a level of service to our retailers that they’ve never had before, our retailers can offer a level of fulfillment to their customers that they’ve never had before, and their customers are happy to receive their orders as quickly as possible. We’re delighted to offer this program to our retailers.” Interested retailers can visit the Web site to see a demonstration of the Web technology.
Digital Signage Revolution
When it comes to advertising, retail outlets are no longer reliant upon traditional advertising means to lure consumers into their stores to buy their products. Digital imaging is redefining the in-store consumer shopping experience. Channel M is an out-of-home marketing and advertising company that focuses on the development of in-store networks and targeted broadcast-quality video content that enhances the in-store experience and engages customers.
Channel M specifically creates unique content for each of its partners, which helps differentiate the retailer from competitors by enhancing the store environment, educating consumers, impacting sales and driving incremental revenue for its retail partners such as GameStop, Blockbuster and Macy’s. Channel M’s network includes more than 20,000 locations, offering advertisers access to 7,000 locations with monthly total customer traffic of more than 100 million.
The company’s recent partnership with Marc Ecko Enterprises to develop ecko TV, an in-store and online entertainment network developed for the urban clothing and lifestyle brand by fashion designer Marc Ecko. The original content for the ecko TV network includes action sports, short interviews with bands, and stunts submitted by the Ecko community. In addition, the audience is encouraged to submit their own content for consideration to be featured in upcoming episodes. ecko TV represents a whole new channel for advertisers to reach a sometimes elusive youth market with considerable buying power.
In partnership with Marc Ecko Enterprises, Channel M continues to revolutionize the in-store consumer shopping experience, paving the way for this emerging trend to take hold of the marketplace and position digital signage in every major department and specialty store nationwide. For more information, please visit: http://www.channelm.com/
