While the old saying “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” has always been true, an even more accurate update to that proverb might be, “He definitely won’t drink if he doesn’t know the water is there.”
And so goes the photo merchandise market, as it appears the thirst is certainly there but awareness that the water is there appears lacking.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the reports regarding what could be a fairly robust photo merchandise market in the next few years. A recent InfoTrends’ report, U.S Online Photo Services Forecast: 2010–2015, highlights key market drivers in the online photo services market, projecting that by 2015 more than 80% of total net-to-mail (online) revenue will come from custom photo gifts and merchandise.
Sounds great, but an even closer look at this market reveals a general lack of awareness in photo merchandise products by a large percentage of the population. It’s becoming clear that attracting more first-time buyers into the photo merchandise market is essential to success.
David Haueter, an associate director at InfoTrends, recently commented, “Our research has shown that photo merchandise buyers are very likely to buy again, so it is crucial for the market to create awareness and find creative ways to get non-buyers to try it out for the first time.”
New Fulfillment Options
That being said, we are starting to see manufacturers, both long-standing, familiar players and a few newcomers, begin to offer some unique service options for retailers that are worth a closer look.
Fujifilm Smart Publishing API
Fujifilm recently announced it launched a new photo product fulfillment API (Application Programming Interface) aimed at helping mobile developers monetize photos in their applications by generating incremental revenue streams for their platform and business. The Fujifilm Smart Publishing API allows developers to enhance their photo-related applications by offering a wide range of high-quality photo products produced by Fujifilm’s Printing Services Group. Products like photo prints, magnets, stickers and coffee mugs can be easily added to mobile applications for purchase and delivered right to consumers’ homes.
To assist developers in setup and management of the API, Fujifilm has launched a web portal at fujifilmapi.com that will provide instructions on how to implement the API as well as web-based tools for developers to easily configure products and pricing for their applications.
The Fujifilm Smart Publishing API has the following features: a built-in shopping cart that handles payments directly via the API; built-in product previews using customer images; more than 40 high-quality photo products, ready to be shipped directly to consumers; and several robust sales reporting tools.
“As digital imaging use on mobile phones and tablets continues to rise, we are pleased to provide high-quality Fujifilm products to meet the needs of this exciting market segment,” said Go Miyazaki, president and chief operating officer, Fujifilm North America Corporation. “Offering photo products is a very tangible way for application developers to build deeper relationships with their users, and additionally a great opportunity for them to create a new source of revenue.”
Developers interested in signing up for the Fujifilm API can go to fujifilmapi.com. The portal provides instructions for accessing the API and code samples to simplify the integration process.
HP Photo Center 7
HP is a company that has always had their finger squarely on the consumer image output pulse, and their recent photokina 2012 announcements were simply further proof of this fact.
The company explains that their new HP Photo Center 7 software upgrade “helps retailers drive growth by unlocking the billions of photos stored on social networks and mobile devices, making them available for in-store photo and photo creative merchandise purchase.” HP kiosks running Photo Center 7 offer direct access to photos stored on Facebook, as well as plug-in connectivity that allows consumers to immediately download photos from their iPhone or Android smartphone.
HP further explains that the software also enables retailers to compete with online photo publishing services by offering an expansive portfolio of photo creative merchandise, including photo books, greeting cards, posters and calendars, as well as new products such as HP Canvas, HP Faux Canvas, HP Mounted Photos and HP Custom Cover Photo Books—all available the same day they are ordered in-store or online (hp.com/go/gsb).
ECCE’s Photo Merch Mover
During the 6Sight Show in New York earlier this year, ECCE Terram (ecce-terram.com) demonstrated an interesting photo/print software setup for retailers based on helping them move their photo merchandise items more efficiently. Their Photo2Lab software suite permits a retailer to offer their customers some freedom and ease-of-use in ordering through whichever order channel is the most convenient for them (desktop, web, mobile, social app, in-store kiosk, etc).
ECCE Terram will integrate all those options into an easier order process as well as help the service provider with development of products and services along with implementing new image sharing solutions—all while retaining the retailers’ trusted brand with those customers.
This notion of addressing the emerging trend of “crowd source mentality,” whereby multiple people are capturing the same event, is also addressed. Their Photo2Lab software permits for the creation of collaborative photo books that groups of users work together to produce and they all can order.
“This solution is about empowering your customers to easily share photos and personalized products that will turn them into brand ambassadors for your company,” explained ECCE Terram’s CEO, Frank Simon.
Simply Encouraging Output
Here’s another note, while off subject just a bit, but still encouraging news on the output side of the equation to say the least. Did you see the recent RIM debut of the camera in its new BlackBerry 10 phones? If not it’s pretty incredible stuff, as the device has an amazing app that actually lets users go back in time on specific parts of a photograph.
The feature is billed as a quick and clean way to make easy and seamless corrections to get rid of things like glare, closed eyes or other issues that might ruin an otherwise “print-worthy” photograph. The app also boasts features very similar to those introduced previously by Scalado, including the ability to remove unwanted background objects and isolate faces in a sequence of shots to select the best ones to merge together.
Again, anything that encourages photo output from consumers is good news for all and worth making your customers aware of. After all, don’t you need to make them aware that the water exists before you lead them to it and expect them to drink it?
