Retail Roulette Will customers be loyal if they routinely are given a chance to win their purchases? The people behind Fun2buy.com think so, which is why they’ve been making U.S. sales calls pitching the service to promotion shops and brand marketers. The premise is simple: Online shoppers who have already committed to a purchase are given a chance to instead “play for it” by partaking in a game. Win the game and they earn a discount (of the merchant’s choosing). Executives at Carouge, Switzerland-based Fun2Buy believe the concept can cultivate long-term customers. And they’ve done their U.S. homework: the service is legal in all states save North Dakota and Vermont. More info: 41-22-309-3884 or fun2buy.com
Drilling Down RCI Systems, Inc., Chicago, expanded its National Retail Traffic Index to include department store indices along with the mall traffic reports it has been offering since its November 1999 launch. Retailers can now access a more specific view of their segments rather than just an aggregate look. More info: 773-594-5325 or www.nrti.com.
Sports Fans Unite Boston Media Corp. (from the city of the same name) launched Shoxygen Sports Network, a link to sports-related sites for the online fan. The network offers exclusive and non-exclusive advertising and sponsorship opportunities, including “beyond the banner” tools such as sweepstakes and other promotions. Early clients include Gear.com, William Hill, and Pinnacle. More info: 781-383-2039 or shoxygen.com.
Personal Postcards So you went to the Lakers game but forgot to bring a camera? Here’s the answer: Wishoo, Inc., Carmel, IN, takes digital photos of attendees (with their permission) at sporting events, business conventions, and entertainment attractions, then directs subjects to the Wishoo Web site to download photos for free. To access the photos, however, consumers must provide their name, ZIP code, and e-mail address, which the company then gives to event sponsors and their merchant partners – but with the consumer’s permission. More info: 317-705-9640 or wishoo.com.
Riding E-Waves CouponSurfer.com, Bedford, MA, a provider of personalized online coupons from major brands, has teamed with Internet infrastructure company Lumapath to offer the CouponButler, a service using Lumapath’s “Take It With You” technology, a small toolbar that accompanies consumers as they browse and indicates when coupon savings are relevant to a specific site. The service is available for free downloads. More info: 781-687-9616 or couponsurfer.com.
With Your Permission TouchScape Corp., Phoenix, AZ, an Internet marketing and customer service firm, has added Email Marketing Manager to its arsenal. The service offers permission-based e-mail to Web sites by allowing customers to create, execute, and manage all aspects of outbound marketing campaigns. More info: 602-266-8650 or touchscape.com.
Want consumers to play with your brand? eGames, Langhorne, PA, makes customized CDs that pair computer games (sticky content) with an Internet-like browser that delivers brand messages every time players boot up. Gamers play offline but can go online – to your site – with one click. The software maker last year channeled its expertise in value-priced games to branded premiums for the likes of Burger King and Fox Kids Network. More info: 215-750-6606 or egames.com.
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