New Nokia Flagship Store Offers Unique Experience
The first Nokia Flagship Store in the United States has opened on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, and is designed to elevate the often confusing task of buying a wireless device into the kind of pleasurable shopping experience normally associated with exclusive upscale boutiques.
The Nokia Flagship Store features a carefully crafted retail environment surrounded by state-of-the-art multimedia displays. These displays interactively walk guests through the features and benefits of a wide range of Nokia products and even allows them to send text messages that can then be seen on not only the local store displays, but in other Nokia Flagship Store locations around the world.
As interactive displays allow customers to learn about the latest in wireless technology on their own, the Nokia Flagship Store team is close at hand to walk guests through any questions or concerns that they may have regarding wireless technology and Nokia products.
Along with a wide selection of Nokia handsets, the Chicago store will also be home to the first Vertu Lounge “store-in-a-store” in the United States. Marked by the highest possible level of craftsmanship and materials, the Vertu line includes the Signature and Ascent series of handsets.
“The Nokia Flagship Store concept was developed to offer consumers unparalleled selection and guidance in this complex environment, and to do it in a way that transforms the process of acquiring a new wireless device from a task into a pleasure,” said Cliff Crosbie, Director of Global Retail and Trade Marketing for Nokia. Nokia plans to open another Flagship Store on New York’s Fifth Avenue in fall 2006.
Seagram’s Coolers & Audible.com Partner For Promotion
Seagram’s Cooler Escapes, marketed by U.S. Beverage, LLC and Audible.com, a leading provider of spoken entertainment on the Internet, recently teamed up to conduct a national in-store program called the “Seagram’s Book Escape.”
Consumers of Seagram’s Cooler Escapes could enjoy the two new flavors, Tahitian Sunset and Passionate Kiss, while also downloading two free audiobooks from a collection of more than 30,000 titles available at Audible.com.
“We are thrilled to partner with Audible.com to offer our loyal drinkers a great value,” said Sr. Brand Manager, Justin Fisch.
This offer includes a powerful collection of audiobook best sellers by authors such as Patricia Cornwell, Kyra Davis, Michael Connolly, Phillip Roth and classics by Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway and more.
DVDPlay Rolls Out DVD Rental Kiosks Nationwide
DVDPlay is rolling out DVD rental kiosks to offer unparalleled convenience, low rental prices and current titles with new releases available every Tuesday.
DVDPlay kiosks, situated in heavily trafficked locations such as grocery stores, restaurants and convenience stores, offer a broad selection of new release DVDs in a compact footprint. DVDPlay’s patent pending software enables dynamic pricing promotions, inventory management, advertising and movie trailer insertions.
DVDPlay’s Automated Entertainment Machine is an intelligent, automated, Internet-connected DVD rental store. It captures e-mail addresses, can be managed remotely and runs movie trailers through two available screens: the flat panel topper unit or the DVDPlay User Interface.
Fast Flick DVD Rentals Installs DVmatic Kiosk
FastFlick DVD Rentals, Tucson, AZ, has placed the DVmatic kiosk from ELO Media inside its convenience store. “We are thrilled to be the first Tucson business to install an automated DVD kiosk and to provide our customers with this convenient entertainment option,”said Lee Jestings, an owner of FastFlick.
ELO Media’s DVmatic machines offer low operating costs, are easy to use and occupy only a minimal footprint. According to Oren Hon, CEO of ELO Media, “Placed at grocery stores and convenience stores, you are no longer forcing renters to make a special trip to the video store, thus making the rental experience even more convenient.”
CVS Photo Center Facilitates Internet-To-Retail Picture Processing
Consumers who use online photo services to order their pictures no longer have to wait for prints to arrive in the mail thanks to the new CVS Photo Center. CVS/pharmacy's online photo center offers image sharing, storage, gifts and internet-to-retail picture processing. Unlike most other online photo sites, www.cvsphotocenter.com makes it possible for customers to upload photos, order prints and drive to a local CVS/pharmacy store to pick them up-in many instances in as little as one hour.
In Internet to-retail processing, consumers upload pictures to the CVS online photo center then go to local stores to pick up their pictures, days faster than a Web-only service can deliver.
Tweeter Opens ‘Playground’ Concept Store
Tweeter Home Entertainment has opened a “Consumer Electronics Playground” concept store in Burlington, MA. The store’s unique selling spaces create a “custom journey” that makes shopping for home and mobile entertainment more enjoyable.
The new CE Playground store showcases whole-home control and automation through sophisticated spaces designed to replicate the rooms throughout a customer’s home. A fully-integrated family room, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen sports bar and patio space are all decked out with the most cutting-edge video/audio gear. The store’s gigantic wall of flat-panel TVs allows customers to compare TVs with little effort. The Big Screen Adventure, is a home theater experience that offers people the opportunity to sit in D-BOX Quest motion simulator seating, while viewing their favorite movies on a Sony projector with a 120" Stewart screen.
Judy Quye, Tweeter’s Sr. V.P., Sales, said “Our concept stores are consumer electronics playgrounds that excite and educate consumers about what is now possible in their homes.”
Garmin Showcase To Open In Chicago
Garmin International plans to open a retail product showcase on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue in time for the 2006 holiday shopping season. Garmin is the only GPS manufacturer to unveil a location devoted to giving customers the world’s most comprehensive GPS experience through hands-on product demonstrations and interactive kiosks, and special seminars.
“This new Garmin presence on Michigan Avenue will allow us to promote our brand and our products in a new way,” said Dr. Min Kao, Garmin’s CEO. “We want to use this location as a destination to excite our customers, and further propel sales among all our retailers.”
Showcraft
Intertise Inc. has released an out of the box digital signage system called POP Advertising System. This turnkey digital signage product can be used as a stand alone unit or as part of a network that spans multiple locations. The Intertise POP Advertising system is designed to be a cost effective way to integrate digital signage into point-of-purchase locations. For more information, contact Intertise Inc., 4987 N. University Drive, Lauderhill, FL 33351; (Tel) 800-630-2841, 954-337-1587, (Web Site) www.intertise.com.
PlasmaGlass is a portable, rear projection screen that delivers a crystal clear image, ideal for retail displays and trade show exhibits. The ultimate show screen (25W x 20H) is bright, thin, requires no power, can be taken anywhere, is easy to set up, and includes a travel bag. For more information, contact PlasmaGlass, 760 N. 1250 E., Provo, UT 84606; (Tel.) 1-877-5PLASMA (Web) www.plasmaglass.com. PlasmaGlass is a portable, rear projection screen that delivers a crystal clear image, ideal for retail displays and trade show exhibits. The ultimate show screen (25W x 20H) is bright, thin, requires no power, can be taken anywhere, is easy to set up, and includes a travel bag. For more information, contact PlasmaGlass, 760 N. 1250 E., Provo, UT 84606; (Tel.) 1-877-5PLASMA (Web) www.plasmaglass.com.
BlueFire Digital has released “BlueFire MS” next-generation Mobile Marketing products and BlueFire DS digital signage products. The BlueFire MS line of products allows digital signage network operators to reach consumers on mobile phones and PDAs. BlueFire MS takes advantage of Bluetooth wireless technology. “With BlueFire MS, digital signage integrators and network operators will be able to reach consumers on their mobile phones without any physical interaction. BlueFire MS lays the groundwork for personalized marketing,” said H. Jay Patel, President, BlueFire Digital. With small footprints, BlueFire MS modules can be hidden behind static paper poster or digital signs. Bluefire MS hardware takes advantage of existing infrastructure to reduce installation cost. In addition, BlueFire DS digital signage products line has been revamped to be integrated with BlueFire MS. For more information, contact BlueFire Digital, (Tel) 1-877-823-7353, (Web) www.bluefiredigital.com.
The C.W. Allen Group recently unveiled HypoSurface at the 2006 International Manufacturing Technology Show. HypoSurface is the world’s first digital architecture and is capable of interacting with light, sound, touch and movement. The innovation’s display surface is capable of physically moving, with waves of up to 2 feet rippling across its surface at over 60 mph. Thousands of computer-controlled actuators are able to work in concert to create a fluid surface that makes waves. This new media technology is a technologically advanced ‘experiential marketing’ medium in the global exhibition and events industry. For more information, visit www.cwallengroup.com.
Visual Ice Launches In-Store Freezer Nano Promotions
Visual Ice has introduced In-Store Freezer and Refrigerator Promotions using our patented nanotechnology process. The Company uses a patented nanotechnology called Diamon-Fusion to create the Visual Ice Nano-Promotion.
A Nano-Promotion is the ability to put a specific design or logo on a Freezer or Refrigerator door at a store.
The imbedded image remains invisible until; either the door is opened or when warm air is blown on the surface by manual means. The greater the difference between the air temperature of the store and the freezer or refrigerator temperature, the quicker the image will show.
For more information on Visual Ice’s Nano-Promotions, contact Visual Ice, Inc., c/o DFI, 1046 Calle Recodo, Ste. F, San Clemente, CA 92673; (Tel) 800-213-0793, (Fax) 949-388-3299, (Web Site) www.visualice.com.
Carl’s Jr/Hardee’s Run ‘Burger Slayers’ Promo.
Carl’s Jr. & Hardee’s is conducting an interactive marketing campaign for “Burger Slayers.” The campaign encourages participants to snap a photo of themselves devouring or “slaying” their favorite Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s burger with their camera phone and then submitting it for posting online.
The best photos are posted to Carl’s/Hardee’s Web Site and one is proclaimed Burger Slayer of the Month. The promotion targets young guys with the reward of free burgers for a month for the winner.
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