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The internet may have already brought new transparency, accountability and ease to myriad aspects of consumers' lives, but auto repair is not typically among them. Aiming to provide an alternative to the time-consuming process of driving from shop to shop collecting estimates, DentBetty is an online system that lets users upload photos of the damage to their car and receive competing bids from local repair shops in return. Structural damage typically requires a physical inspection for a realistic estimate, DentBetty notes; for that reason, it focuses on dings, dents, scrapes and scratches instead. Users begin on the free system, which is currently in beta, by simply entering their ZIP code and uploading at least two photos of the damage to their car. Local auto body shops can then examine the photos and come up with bids for getting the repair done. Whenever a shop makes an estimate, DentBetty notifies the user by email; all estimates received so far (up to the maximum of seven) are presented together on a personal DentBetty page. The DentBetty Quality Scoreboard, meanwhile, keeps a running record of consumer feedback and other information about the various vendors involved to help consumers evaluate their reliability. When the consumer selects a bid, he or she then contacts the shop directly to schedule an appointment. There are currently more than 100 shops nationwide in the DentBetty Network, each prescreened against DentBetty’s rigorous standards. Such members get notified every time a new consumer within driving distance requests an estimate. Since some repairs are difficult to estimate by photo alone, shops can indicate a level of confidence along with their bid. DentBetty's staff also prescreens every photo to make certain that it's from a legitimate consumer—“not just some teenager having fun with his camera.” Of the USD 36 billion spent each year in the US on collision repair, some USD 3 to 5 billion takes the form of out-of-pocket expenditures for cosmetic damage. One to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world? (Related: Home-repair bidding site prescreens contractors — Premium tire chain focuses on transparency.) Website: www.dentbetty.com |
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Helping consumers around the world locate everything from mislaid car keys to runaway pets, Finnish startup FinderBase is a global social search engine for lost or found belongings, powered by its member community. Built on a Google Maps foundation, Finderbase lets users post a listing for an item they have lost or found and geo-tag it to a specific location. Listings include the date an item was lost or found, a description and a photograph if available. Listings for lost items can also include a reward for the finder. The site uses a credits system to reward object finders and manage payments from object seekers. Finders can post found object listings for free and receive 5 FinderBase credits for every found item. Seekers pay 1 euro (20 credits) to place a lost item listing. Upon registering, all new users are given 20 credits, making their first lost item listing free. Launched into public beta in May, Finderbase has already attracted hundreds of listings worldwide. It's big challenge, of course, is to become the destination for anyone in search of an object or its owner. (Related: Worldwide bicycle registration scheme — Lost & found in the 21st century.) Website: www.finderbase.com Spotted by: John Greene |
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It's long been recognized that celebrity endorsements can help sell products, but typically it's only the biggest brands and the brightest stars that are lucky enough to strike such deals. Aiming to bring celebrity endorsements into the realm of possibility for all the other brands and professional athletes out there, Brand Affinity Technologies has created a platform focused on creating the right match. Founded in 2007, California-based BAT gives advertisers of every size and shape the ability to quickly and easily launch endorsement campaigns using its endorsement platform, which currently includes more than 3,300 contracted athletes and celebrities covering every U.S. DMA. BAT's celebrity roster includes Olympic athletes and marquee active and retired players in nearly every sport, including Drew Brees of the NFL, Jorge Posada of the MLB and the NBA's Rajon Rondo. Advertisers can browse that talent based on geography, branding and targeting considerations; included in the platform are detailed talent profiles with photos, videos and personal information—what type of cellphone they use, for example—as well as proprietary metrics that can help compare talent by region, sport and status. Endorsement offerings include digital, radio, outdoor, print and television advertising as well as appearances and virtual memorabilia that advertisers can provide to consumers as incentives and rewards. The BAT platform's interface mimics an “iTunes experience,” the company says, and standardized contracts help get campaigns up and running quickly. Pricing is on a pay-for-what-you-use, CPM or flat-rate basis with no long-term lock-ins or additional costs for talent or targeting. Some 80 percent of all Americans are self-proclaimed sports fans, and half of all U.S. adults closely follow sports, BAT says. One to emulate for all the fans and brands in your part of the world...? Website: www.brandaffinity.net Spotted by: Wired Magazine |
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Launched at this year's Future Everything digital arts festival in Manchester, RememberMe is a collaborative project between TOTeM (Tales of Things and Electronic Memory) and Oxfam which infused personal history into donated items by enabling people to attach stories to them using RFID tags. People donating items at an Oxfam store in Manchester were asked to tell a story about the object into a microphone, including when and where they acquired it and any personal stories associated with it. The audio clips were linked to an RFID tag and QR code and items tagged with a story were added to the shop's stock as part of the in-store exhibition. Visitors to the shop used their own smart phone or a bespoke RFID reader to listen to the stories through speakers in the shop, and were invited to purchase the story-tagged objects. Beyond the Oxfam project, TOTeM’s free iPhone app gives purchasers anytime access to attached stories, and can also be used to scan, comment and add location to things in the wild. Consumers can also tag their own items at the TOTeM website, linking any object to a snippet of video, audio or text describing its history via printable QR code tags. The concept steers people away from thinking of an item's value as purely financial, encouraging them to realize the sentimental value of objects and (maybe) think twice before throwing things away. It's also a retail concept that would no doubt appeal to authenticity-seeking consumers everywhere—one to implement on a permanent basis? (Related: Secondhand store in Tokyo showcases previous owners — App lets users attach digital content to any barcode.) Website: www.talesofthings.com Spotted by: Jane Macdonald |
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While we usually feature companies when they launch, we love seeing their creativity develop and grow after that initial period. And we just spotted a fun example: the made-to-order muesli mixers of mymuesli recently created the first TV commercial filmed and edited entirely on the iPhone 4. In the three years since we first featured mymuesli, they've expanded to the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and have been joined by similar concepts in other countries, including [Me]&Goji in the US. They've also forged smart alliances with established health, fitness and beauty brands, and developed a convenience product: mymuesli2go. Which brings us back to the iPhone. mymuesli's founders were so impressed by the phone's video quality, that they decided to use it to shoot and edit an ad for their new product. Highlighting the convenience aspect of mymuesli2go, the ad features a skydiver eating cereal before jumping out of a plane. (The video below shows both the ad and 'the making of'.) The commercial aired on German and Austrian television over the weekend. Whether or not you're an Apple fanboy, there's no denying the buzz surrounding their product launches. And latching on to that early fervor can be an inexpensive way for young brands to draw some attention their way. Watch and learn ;-) (Related: Fashion shoot uses iPhone 3GS.) Website: www.mymuesli.com |
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Last year we saw a UK Volvo dealership offer bicycles as loaner vehicles when customers' cars are in for service, and recently one of our spotters alerted us to something similar in Spain. Specifically, Fiat now offers owners of its Fiat 500 an electric bike option while their car is in the shop. Launched in May, Fiat's offering is now available in its Barcelona, Valencia, A Coruña, Sevilla and Madrid locations through a partnership with bicycle maker Trek. There's no charge for borrowing the electric bikes, which have a 70 km range and recharge during braking as well as through plug-in power. The motivation for the move, Fiat says, is to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable mobility; the company also offers an eco:Drive service to help consumers use their cars more efficiently. If the electric-bike loaner program proves popular in Spain, Fiat will reportedly extend it to other European countries as well. Other car makers and dealerships: what about you? And since this is a relevant and appealing way to let consumers try out a product that's still unfamiliar to most consumers, electric bicycle brands would do well to seize the opportunity and initiate similar partnerships. (Related: Bicycle trailers on loan at IKEA.) Website: www.fiat.es Spotted by: Leticia Pérez Prieto
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The concept of the pop-up drive-in movie is not brand-new—we covered a California-based effort back in 2006, after all—but we're pretty sure the involvement of a major car brand has not been seen before. Sure enough, though, that's exactly what's enabled the Starlite Urban Drive-in, which recently sold out a three-night run in London's East End. Situated in the cultural heart of London at the Truman Brewery, the Starlite featured a full-sized, outdoor screen along with 25 pre-parked Volvo cars, ready for patrons' viewing, reminiscing and snacking pleasure. Tickets were GBP 25 per person, with a maximum of two people per car—included among those were the Volvo XC60, C30 and convertible C70, all wired to play the soundtrack on their radios. Snacks were even available from waitresses on roller skates at the event, which began on July 1 with a specially commissioned short film about the story of the drive-in movie. “Dirty Dancing” was featured the next night, followed by “Grease” on the last of the run. Tickets to the Startlite's events sold out in two minutes, causing its creators to begin planning a nationwide expansion of the theater, which is even carbon-neutral. “The opportunity seemed to be one that fit well with our brand," a Volvo spokeswoman told AdAge. "It also gave us a fun and unique opportunity to reach a younger audience that may not have been exposed to the Volvo brand before. We've been delighted with the success of the Starlite Urban drive-in." Other car brands and entertainment entrepreneurs: time to embark on your own trip down memory lane...? Website: www.starliteurbandrivein.co.uk Spotted by: AdAge via Raymond Kollau |
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Just as chefs are forever seeking out new ways to fill our bellies, the food industry shows a insatiable appetite for novel concepts, as can be seen in our food & beverage database. Here's a selection of new innovations designed to appeal to those hungry for a more unusual dining experience: 1. LE TROISIEME LIEU — Stealing a tradition from music and comedy clubs, Paris bar Le Troisième Lieu has declared Mondays as 'open kitchen nights': any aspiring chef can register to be the venue's cook for the evening. All meals cost EUR 12. 2. PUBLIC PIE — Dutch mobile kitchen Public Pie features ovens that are integrated into the outdoor benching that is provided for patrons, meaning customers get exactly what is promised by the company motto: 'Fresh apple pie with a hot butt'. 3. PATTY'S PIZZA — Santa Monica pizza maker Patty's has done away with its brick-and-mortar eatery altogether, and moved its retail operation entirely online. On top of that, customers can choose to have their gourmet pizzas delivered baked or par-baked, giving them the option of completing the process their own oven. 4. LOBSTER PUSHER — How to make a sandwich more exciting to consumers? The Lobster Pusher's answer is to make the act of buying one emulate a drug deal. Customers interested in The Merchandise—a lobster bun—must first become a member of a Facebook group. Orders for product are conducted by SMS, and handovers take place surreptitiously on street corners. Spotters: Elisabeth Dien, Food Inspiration, Jim Stewart, Erin Lindholm |
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Much the way New York's Park Avenue seasonal restaurant is reborn every three months, so New Jersey-based Canal House's cookbook is published three times a year. Canal House Cooking aims to present “home cooking by home cooks for home cooks,” as it says on its site. Recipes included use ingredients found seasonally in most markets, and all are easy to prepare. Canal House Cooking Volume No. 4, Farm Markets & Gardens, is the fourth book of Canal House's series of recipes and the latest one available. “Grilled leeks with romesco sauce,” “Grilled quail & fresh figs,” and “Patty Curtan’s famous apricot jam” are all among the seasonal offerings served up on this latest edition's pages; up next will be editions for fall & holiday, winter and spring. Individual cookbooks are USD 19.95, while a yearlong subscription—including all three cookbooks in a year—costs USD 49.95. At a time when appreciation is increasing for all that is homegrown, seasonal and (still) made here, it makes good sense to adapt virtually all food-related offerings to nature's rhythms. Such notions should already be standard for individual menu items, but most restaurants, cookbooks and gourmet stores could all stand to reflect more closely what each new season brings. (Related: 52 recipe contests to spawn crowdsourced cookbook — Members club for artisanal ice cream in Manhattan.) Website: www.thecanalhouse.com Spotted by: Bethany Bailly |
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It's not often we see crowdsourcing applied to food products, and when we do—Yellow's chocolate bar and Vitaminwater's flavour contest both come to mind—it's typically a matter of soliciting input on product development. Bringing the concept into the realm of the supply chain, New Zealand's Giapo Gelato is now inviting consumers who grow organic fruit to sign up as suppliers for the store's new “Giapo Certified Organic” line. Located in Auckland, Giapo Gelato serves up an all-natural line of healthful gelato and sorbets, with inventive flavours including Spirulina, Feijoa and Chili Chocolate. Earlier this week, it kicked off its new crowdsourcing effort to incorporate organic fruits supplied by the crowds. To be eligible for consideration, consumers must guarantee that no herbicides or pesticides have been used within the growing area of their fruit; samples will be randomly tested to ensure compliance. The price of the fruit supplied will then be calculated in current market prices, and Giapo will give suppliers free Giapo Gelato in return. Given the garden produce that tends to overflow each growing season, it's a safe bet there are gardeners aplenty willing to exchange some of that abundance for free ice cream—not to mention a good status story and some (still) made here appeal. Next, who will find a way to help consumers unload all that excess zucchini...? ;-) Website: www.giapo.com |
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It's one thing to entreat consumers to change their behaviour for the better, but when corporate rewards are involved, the win-win turns into a win-win-win... or more. Much the way Plus 3 Network matches corporate sponsors with consumers who work out for the benefit of the charities of their choice, so Bolder works with businesses to sponsor a different challenge each week. California-based Bolder teams up with businesses to challenge consumers to complete a certain action every week. This week's challenge, for example, is to “make a car trip a bike trip,” and it's sponsored by Timbuk2. Consumers who complete the challenge must then log it in along with a tweet-length story about their action; in return, they get the promised reward. In Timbuk2's case, that's USD 20 off a custom-made bag. Such stories also go to the site's action feed, meanwhile, where the Bolder community can see them, comment on them and vote for them. Those voted “boldest” will be featured on the Bolder blog and may receive extra special rewards. At a time when change needs to happen, consumers need motivation, and companies need to show more generosity, Bolder seems to be positioned nicely to satisfy all three needs—and benefit itself in the process. How can your brand help consumers do good....? (Related: Site uses social media to raffle off free, sponsored prizes — Drink maker features socially minded partners on its packages.) Website: www.actbolder.com Spotted by: Henry Mason |
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There are countless dating sites out there for consumers interested in that kind of matchmaking, and Facebook does an excellent job of supplying most users with myriad online “friends.” What can still be a challenge, however, is meeting real people to hang out with on the weekend. Meet Joe is a new, low-tech alternative to Facebook and its ilk that requires no online profile but relies on personal introductions instead. Serving the Chicago area, Meet Joe focuses on introducing people to new friends based on their interests and the kinds of people they want to meet. Users begin by signing up with the service online—that may actually be the last time they use its website. From there, Joe Drake, the company's founder, will contact them personally via email to set up a confidential meeting over coffee or a drink. Based on their description of who they're hoping to find, Joe will then coordinate an opportunity for them to meet someone or a small group of people—he'll even help coordinate schedules and recommend an activity based on everyone's personalities, interests and preferences. Once the get-together has happened, Joe follows up with the user for feedback and guidance on subsequent recommendations. The site explains: “Joe is like a great tailor or a trusted real estate agent, but he doesn't have an assistant and he never takes a day off. You'll be able to reach him by email, phone, text, or instant message within 24 hours unless he is in jail, a coma, or the world is ending.” The price of a personal consultation and one meeting with potential friends is USD 29. Our sister site covers myriad examples of mass mingling in last month's trend briefing, but Meet Joe is striking for its low-tech simplicity and boutique-like focus on individual attention. The world did make friends before Facebook, after all, and it was generally through personal introductions. One to emulate in other parts of the world...? (Related: Five online services for getting together offline — Online network for tweens requires offline introductions.) Website: www.meetjoe.net |
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