LONDON, UK, November 22, 2008
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Customers will be able to buy plants, flowers and other gifts featured in the four-and-a-half minute online video simply by clicking on the products to add directly to an online shopping basket, using hyperlinks embedded in the footage and HowTo.tv's Interactive Direct Sales Tool (IDST ).
It marks the first time that Thompson & Morgan has launched an interactive video gift guide, and the service uses content already filmed for its existing 15minute Living Gifts Christmas DVD, which is sent annually to customers.
The video is hosted by former Brookside actress Julie Peasgood and her daughter Kate McEnery, and is designed to be a bite-size, more entertaining and editorial version of the DVD.
Paul Hansord, Thompson & Morgan MD, said "It aims to appeal to shoppers seeking inspiration for Christmas gifts, whilst giving them an easy route to purchase. By using content that is much more like a TV show in content, we hope that viewers will be inspired to buy 'living' gifts for loved ones this Christmas."
Rebecca Allen, HowTo.tv head of client services, adds: "A lot of brands have fantastic video content that's already being used out there and used for other things. But what HowTo.tv can do is repurpose that content, make it an immediate call to action - and make that content work harder for brands." She adds that the ability to click on the video to buy a product means success can be measured in a highly accountable way.
The interactive guide launches today (Monday 10 November) and will be streamed directly to Thompson & Morgan's website, as well as a number of third-party sites, including leading lifestyle portals.
The editorial-style video is designed to achieve cut-through in an increasingly commercially cluttered online environment. Independent research conducted by Opinion Matters for HowTo.tv in July 2008 revealed that as many as 73% of web users have left a favourite website because of intrusive or annoying ads.
For more information contact HowTo.tv head of client services Rebecca Allen on 020 7251 9959 or email rebecca.allen@howto.tv
About How To TV
HowTo.tv is an on-demand video service, which sources and produces brand-funded on-demand video with tips on how to do anything from repairing a bicycle tyre puncture to improving your golf swing. It aims to target consumers looking for helpful tips and beat the growth of advertising avoidance by being highly targeted and completely on-demand.
The service allows companies to promote their products in videos and through its innovative Interactive Direct Sales Tool (IDST ) turns viewer engagement into action, such as direct purchase of product or data capture.
HowTo.tv takes existing or produces new content, makes it interactive and aggregates to highly indexed third party websites, driving additional traffic through targeted broadcast PR. Videos can be made available via mobile and WAP portals.
It is based in Clerkenwell, London, and has its own fully equipped studios and editing suites to produce broadcast quality videos. HowTo.tv clients include Screwfix, Oli.co.uk and Vodafone.
http://www.howto.tv
For further information, please contact us at +44 (0) 20 7251 9959 or email nik.harta@howto.tv
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