Weekly Content Critique: Mr Porter’s Take on a Denim Jacket
Selling clothing online is no easy task. It's hard to compete with the physical experience of a fitting room, but e-tailers are finding ways to make it work, like the new trend of blending editorial content with commerce to create retail sites that rival fashion magazines. Mr Porter, which sells attire and accoutrements for discerning gentlemen, does this very well. As Lauren Indvik on Mashable put it, Mr Porter's home page "feels more like opening...read more >>
Utilizing Consumer Generated Testimonials
Over at Video Commerce, Grant Crowell talks with VideoGenie CEO Justin Nassiri about the growing benefits of user-generated video testimonials. Together, the pair delivers five reasons why this type of video can build better customer relations. The first thing Nassiri points out is that video testimonials can attract the attention of a consumer quickly. He says that most users spend only 5-10 seconds on a website before making a decision to stay...read more >>
Weekly Content Critique: It’s a Baby Miracle
A Baby Carrier Miracle, that is. (I'm surrounded by talk of babies and baby products lately, it's getting to me.) I read a lot about product video--how badly consumers want it and how badly some people want to give it to them, for instance--but I don't see many good product videos. Sure, Zappos and Amazon have tens of thousands of videos about shoes and backpacks in which a brogrammer narrates what is essentially an animated video montage. Frankly,...read more >>
Video and its Impact on the Shopping Experience
The e-tailing group, with sponsorship from Invodo, recently released a report titled "Delivering Superior Shopping Experiences Via Video" that details the impact of video on retail and illustrates the increased demand for video content. Over 1,000 consumers were surveyed in an attempt to understand the current habits of video consumption and the role product videos play in the consumers' research and purchasing habits. The following is a recap of...read more >>
CNET’s Eli Marcus: “A Holistic Approach to Content”
Syndication forms only a small part of the services offered by CNET Content Solutions (CCS). While most of the division's resources are focused on its product database, the company does offer ContentCast, a syndication service that delivers manufacturers' branded content to retailer and partner websites. For more about CNET Content Solutions, check out our overview. Content Ping recently caught up with Eli Marcus, Senior Director of Products for...read more >>
WebCollage’s Scott Matthews: Staying Ahead of the Market
New York-based WebCollage's technology roots run deep: the company started out designing software for web applications before evolving into its role as a leading content syndicator. For more about WebCollage, check out our overview. Content Ping recently caught up with WebCollage CEO Scott Matthews to learn more about how he sees technology advances made by WebCollage playing an important role in the future of content syndication. Content Ping:...read more >>
SellPoint’s Rick Martin: “We Eliminate Complexity”
SellPoint, Inc. creates and syndicates product tours for manufacturers. Content Ping recently caught up with President and CEO Rick Martin to discuss what SellPoint is doing to convince customers of the value of rich media content. For more about SellPoint, check out our overview. Rich Media Drives Purchases Content Ping: What sets SellPoint apart from its competitors? Rick Martin: Since the majority of online product pages are still comprised...read more >>
Easy2′s Jerry Spelic: “Technology Sets Us Apart”
Easy2 started off as a website offering how-to tips for DIY home improvers. The company eventually expanded its home improvement focus and now syndicates rich content to e-tailers on behalf of 150 manufacturing clients. For more about Easy2, check out our overview. Content Ping recently caught up with Easy2 Director of Marketing Jerry Spelic to learn more about the company's strategy for creating engaging and interactive content. Embracing a...read more >>
Weekly Content Critique: Against Nudity
If we accept the rule of double negative elimination, I am for nudity. Because I'm most certainly against AgainstNudity.com, a clothing retailer of the H&M variety. This type of retailer focuses on clothing design rather than brand names; the nymphet shirt is a fine example. (Note: My objection is not to the aesthetic-over-brand mentality.) If they ever branch out to commercial advertising, I'm thinking they should hire Against Me! to do music...read more >>
Scan-and-Scram and Content Merchandising
It's known as "showrooming," and it is not something giggling hippies do in the woods. What I'm referring to is the growing habit of visiting a store only for the purpose of researching a product and with the intent of purchasing the item elsewhere for less--usually online. It's also called the "scan-and-scram." Regardless of which term you choose to embrace, you can add this activity to the list maladies plaguing brick-and-mortar retail (while benefiting...read more >>