Nuts & bolts: Tech talk
March 2008
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Printable Technologies, a provider of integrated marketing, Web-to-print and personalized direct marketing solutions, recently launched the FusionPro VDP Suite, Version 5.0. The software offers users a print-vendor agnostic document composition tool with a wide range of customization options.
The new version, in particular, showcases two additional features. The first feature, variable text on a curve, allows designers to draw variable text curves using several methods—including freehand, control-point and ellipse drawing tools. The second feature, soft drop-shadow effects, allows users to specify solid or semi-transparent drop-shadow effects on variable text with control over the drop-shadow opacity, angle, distance and spread. This feature is designed to allow VDP template creators to develop images without the need for a high-end graphic design package.
Web: www.printable.com
Next-Gen Banner Ads
New York–based online lead generation company SilverCarrot has introduced iFlipit, a system that converts traditional Internet advertising banners into a source of non-incentivized leads and information inquiries for advertisers. The leads generated through this program flow from content-rich sites that are identified up front; media partners so far include Beliefnet, Batanga and MenuPages. The program works by generating a drop-down form when the consumer rolls over an iFlipit-delivered banner. The consumer enters her information, clicks to send and receives a thank-you message while remaining on the same Web page. The information entered by the consumer is scrubbed and submitted to the advertiser in real time. Then, a new, targeted ad appears based on the information the consumer entered.
Web: www.iflipitnetwork.com
More Targeted Offers
For firms working to make the most of every customer interaction, Pluris, a Framingham, Mass.–based provider of multichannel marketing solutions, recently released its Marketing Optimization and Recommendation Engine. The program is a package of analytics, recommendation engines and optimization engines slated to provide not only product recommendations, but also optimized offer and messaging directives for retail outlet, call center and Internet use.
MORE is an outsourced solution intended to require minimal business resources for management and, according to Pluris representatives, often requires less than a few weeks to implement. The program was designed to create simple execution and management for offers while reducing call-handle time and Web site bounce rates. Using analytics, econometric models and optimization algorithms, the program pinpoints the most appropriate offer and message for each customer or prospect—and provides a separately optimized product recommendation.
Web: www.plurisinc.com
Video Stickiness
Costa Mesa, Calif.–based personalized video overlay technology provider Innovate Ads recently announced five new products for online videos. The programs are coded to direct the marketer’s Web page to launch each particular type of video from the Innovate Ads servers. The video program then runs on top of the marketer’s Web page, and Innovate Ads handles browser compatibility issues, bandwidth and delivery. The new iAds Playlist program presents a different video each time a visitor returns to a Web site, offering a fresh experience with each visit. The iAds Hotspot program allows marketers to create an unlimited number of hotspots, or clickable links, to take Web site visitors to other pages for more information, to fill out contact forms or to buy a product. iAds Sound-on/Sound-off program provides Web site visitors with a cursor to control the volume of online videos. In addition, the iAds Unique Camera Angles offering allows the video spokesperson to use creative video angles for a more dramatic presentation.
Web: www.innovateads.com
—Kate DeBevois
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