My good friend Tim Germer recently told me about a really cool company that he found out about while on his trip down to California, called RippleTV.
At the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee house in California Tim saw a TV screen with some ads mixed with news, stock quotes and MLB baseball scores. Well, this was exactly what Alex Nocifera had envisioned in 2004 when he founded RippleTV with some Friends. “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was something for me to look at while I was waiting, like the Internet on a big-screen TV?” Said Alex back in 2004 while standing inline at the Manhattan Beach Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee house.
Nocifera, then an executive with a firm that helped companies such as Microsoft and Sony with Web operations, decided to pursue his idea. He persuaded the regional Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf chain to test it.
His company, Ripple, puts flat-screen TVs into businesses, pumping in news, information and advertisements for local merchants. Ripple’s launch reflects the growing trend of in-store TV networks at gas stations, airports and Wal-Marts, but with a twist. Ripple’s customers can run their spots on the entire network, or target a specific store.
Greg Sterling, a noted market intelligence researcher, was quoted recently in an interview saying “This is the most fully realized micro-targeting I’ve ever seen. If you’re a dry cleaner or contractor and do a lot of work in a particular area, you can reach out to exactly the clients you want, without the broad reach of traditional media.”
Growth comes quick when you have a great idea!
RippleTV is already in over 200 Coffee Bean stores and 100 Jiffy Lube stores throughout California. Jack in the Box has reportedly added the service to several newly remodeled restaurants.
Ripple’s deal with businesses promises a free 50-inch LCD flat-screen TV and entertainment for customers. The Ripple network shows information from CBS, E Entertainment Network, ESPN and Yahoo.
The businesses also share in the advertising revenue, and dictate which kinds of companies can be promoted in their stores. For instance, Jack in the Box asked that rival hamburger chains be excluded.
Ripple’s challenge is making money. The company isn’t yet profitable, and its rates are so low, it will take some time to turn a profit.
The company plans to begin offering consumer video “Shout-outs” with “I Love You” and “Will You Marry Me?” ads for $1 daily per store.
“It’s a great way to build awareness for the brand,” says Ali Diab, the former Yahoo vice president who is co-president of Ripple.
Tami Clark, Coffee Bean vice president of marketing, says she was intrigued with the idea of in-store entertainment and advertising. “We thought our customers would appreciate catching up on news,” she says. “It also gives us the opportunity to talk about our brand in a different way. This is a great way for us to spend a little time with our customers.”
In the future, Nocifera says, he can imagine his screens everywhere, especially travel-related locations such as airports, rental car outlets and hotels.
“If I’m landing in Boston, why wouldn’t I be interested in hearing about the best Italian restaurant in town?” he says.
Here’s an Example of what Ripple looks like:
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