News

Schawk intros 360-degree spin photography for online retail

May 11, 2010

Schawk Inc., a provider of brand point management services that enable companies of all sizes to connect their brands with consumers to create deeper brand affinity, announced today that its retail marketing group has introduced 360-degree spin photography as part of its comprehensive dynamic asset solution for online retailers.

Spin photography is a process by which a product may be viewed online from all angles, creating a visually rich experience for shoppers. Spin photography allows shoppers to pan and rotate the product image while zooming in and out, giving them incredibly detailed product information.

Spin photography can enhance shoppers' online browsing experiences, the company says, making their encounter with merchandise analogous to scanning the aisles and shelves in a physical store or even skimming short product copy on a website. The opportunity to engage with the product in this manner gives shoppers the power to examine merchandise online much like if they picked it up in-store, thus building confidence in their decision to purchase.

For retailers, 360° spin photography can boost conversion rates, reduce merchandise return rates and improve overall customer satisfaction with the online shopping experience and the brand itself, Schawk says. Using high-quality, large images with pan, zoom and color-select options allows retailers to present products online in a way that emulates the in-store shopping experience, creating a powerful emotional driver for consumers that compels purchase.

"We believe a dynamic asset solution that includes 360° spin photography can help retailers create an experience for consumers that deepens the emotional connection with their products and brands, thereby strengthening the consumers' desire to buy," said Mike Lemon, senior vice president at Schawk Retail Marketing.

Schawk's comprehensive integrated global solution removes the obstacles standing in the way of retailers' ability to successfully integrate spin photography into the online shopping experience. Many retailers have been reluctant to implement a spin photography solution using in-house resources because according to a recent Adobe Scene7 survey, it can be a fragmented, confusing and expensive process.

Successful implementation of 360° spin photography requires experience in integrating project management, creative services, software and dynamic IT solutions. Additionally, the cost of shipping merchandise to a single location, often far from where the products were manufactured, can outweigh the benefits of spin photography.

"We are confident that the combination of our photography studios, photography talent, technology and comprehensive post-production services can make 360° spin photography easy and affordable for retailers to enhance the presentation of any number of product SKUs online," said Kristin Wangbichler, vice president of studio operations at Schawk Retail Marketing.

The 360° spin photography equipment, conceived, designed and built for commercial photographers, is a professional grade robotic system designed to scale up or down easily, handling large quantities of products effectively and cost-efficiently. Additionally, flexible components can be configured in multiple ways to handle products of any size, including 360° spins of products that range in size from small jewelry to large appliances.