ATLANTA -- InComm and Serious USA recently signed an alliance naming InComm as the exclusive provider of Serious products and technology throughout InComm's retail distribution network of more than 145,000 retail locations.
The agreement allows InComm to use Serious products and technology to add content value to many products such as gift cards, music, game cards and more. Serious' patented products are interactive cards, namely CD-Cardz and DVD-Cardz that allow InComm's partners to take their product offerings to new digital levels, providing customers [image-nocss] with added value as well as entertainment.
The cards are shaped and sized like traditional gift cards, and can be redeemed as such, but the underside of the card is actually an interactive CD or DVD that allows customers to enjoy customized digital content including video, music and other interactive experiences. The content may inform customers about the product or merchant or deliver branded, interactive tools including screensavers, wallpapers, games and e-mail postcards. The technology can be used to provide customers with discounts or other special offers, direct customers to websites or allow customers to register with the retailer for special promotions, a way to build and maintain relationships with customers.
CD Cardz are Win/Mac compatible. Dual feature DVD Cardz include PC/Mac extras and play in a trayloading computer's DVD drive. DVD content is also compatible with PS2, Xbox and standard DVD players.
Serious has produced content-rich interactive products for not only sports brands including the NFL, NBA and Manchester United, but also film houses like New Line Cinema, MGM, Sony Pictures, Disney and 20th Century Fox, as well as major retailers. Its ability to acquire and develop content has now been extended to InComm's partners through this relationship.
We are delighted to partner with [InComm] to bring our digital cards to the broader market, said David Joseph Brown, Serious president and CEO.
Meanwhile, InComm's patent-pending Win It Now! adds a twist to gift cards, it said. WIN! cards are similar to traditional gift cards, but a scratch-off area on the back offers recipients the chance to win extra prize values.
The WIN! and Serious technologies further increase the number of approaches that InComm now offers for card-based merchant programs, including consumer promotions, rebates and loyalty programs. In addition, InComm has developed a number of card-based loyalty and rebate solutions that the company said can increase the flexibility that merchants have in developing customer loyalty and incentive programs.
For companies with existing programs, InComm offers a number of products that can be purchased in bulk quantities, such as InComm's Vanilla Visa Gift Cards.
InComm also offers gift cards from leading retailers including restaurants, clothing stores, theme parks, travel and more.
InComm's technology allows retailers in a number of categories to offer products in prepaid wireless, gift cards, downloadable music and ring tones, prepaid debit cards, long-distance and more. InComm said its retail distribution network reaches more than 145,000 retail locations, including, three of the four largest grocery store chains, the four largest big-box retailers, seven of the top-10 drug store chains, 10 of the top-15 convenience store chains, the four largest electronics retailers, the three largest office supply chains and three of the largest dollar store chains.
Atlanta-based InComm is an innovator in prepaid products and point-of-sale (POS) technology specializing in retail prepaid services, subscriber services and payment solutions. It provides the most robust product portfolio in the industry including wireless airtime, financial debit cards, gift cards, music downloads, ring tones, games, long-distance cards, online games, broadband, digital TV as well as bill payment solutions.
New York City-based Serious is a digital publisher and marketer with a portfolio of intellectual property that includes more than 100 optical card patents in 60 countries. Applications of its proprietary technology include interactive gift cards, loyalty cards, pharmaceutical patient education cards, direct-mail programs and collectible digital trading cards. Clients include Disney, BBC Worldwide, Best Buy, Vodafone, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Electronic Arts, Circuit City, five of the top 10 US pharmaceutical companies, Manchester United, Sony Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Brothers, ESPN and Campbell's.
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