Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Third-Party Product Info Is a Click Away

    By
    Dan Berthiaume
    -
    May 21, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Expo Communications, proprietor of Web-based social network ExpoTV for consumers wishing to share product information, has released the beta version of a platform that allows customers to ask each other specific questions about products they buy.

      Ask an Owner, announced May 20, allows consumers to create and post their own video product reviews of up to 75MB in file size for public viewing.

      “There are lots of places where a customer can ask questions and lots of sites have product reviews,” said Expo Communications Vice President David Rubinstein. “But at the end of the day, you don’t know who’s posting that review or their relationship with the product.”

      Because ExpoTV users film themselves with their products, Rubinstein said, they can provide an “authentic response” about product-related questions. Using the Ask an Owner platform, a consumer can have a question about a specific product automatically sent to all the users who have posted reviews about it. Replies to the questions are sent in text format with a link to the original video review.

      According to Jessica Thorpe, director of marketing for ExpoTV, so far testing of Ask an Owner has revealed that 41 percent of consumer questions are answered within an hour, 51 percent of questions are answered within 2 hours, and almost 80 percent of questions are answered within one day.

      Rubinstein said Ask an Owner will also be made available to manufacturers and retailers for marketing purposes. Companies will be able to link directly to the Ask an Owner platform from their Web sites so prospective customers can ask product questions of ExpoTV users.

      “They will be able to link to ExpoTV and we will become the seal of product approval,” Rubinstein said. “It’s the ultimate in a company saying, ‘I’m confident in my product.’ It’s a third-party-managed source of information.”

      Rubinstein said retailers and manufacturers will also be able to license ExpoTV content, use ExpoTV as a “next-generation research platform” and have access to “engagement communities” of users. “They will have the ability to invite people who talked about a certain product to solicit feedback and share concepts,” he said. “We can create a safe environment for advertisers [to interact with consumers].”

      Vahe Katros, a user experience consultant based in Palo Alto , California , said that ExpoTV could be a powerful tool for obtaining empathy with customers. “The root of customer-centricity is empathy, and what a shame that we have this fantastic vehicle to listen and we miss that rich window after the sale, when the consumer’s mind is full of insights that can move the dial on who we are as a brand,” said Katros.

      “Social networking can be a big source of noise, or it can be a resource for understanding the unmet needs and goals of the consumer,” he added. “Finally, someone gets it; it’s all about context and what ExpoTV is doing is providing a vehicle to probe for insights when it matters, during those fleeting moments after the sale when meaningful insights occur.”

      Dan Berthiaume

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×