Prevent-IT! North West Business Insider, September 2004 Prevent-IT!
The publishers of health and safety training software Prevent-IT! are celebrating winning their first client, Stockport-based Adidas UK.
The software, which is aimed at office workers, uses a creative approach to get computer users to think constructively about their own routine and overturn ingrained habits in an attempt to prevent repetitive strain and back injuries.
Max Klein, partner at Inside Track, explains: "People react well to an enjoyable presentation of information and to a challenge they don't find overwhelming. We design Prevent-IT! with that in mind.
"The computer games-like 3D office that users move around in and the interaction mean they have something to do and to control from the word go and don't just sit there passively.
"The Display Screen Equipment Regulations, the official guidelines on the safe use of office computers, cover many different aspects. They range from the user's own health and their sitting posture to how they take their breaks, the organisation of the work surface of their desks, the space they have to move around in and the office lighting."
Prevent-IT! was developed by three North West companies: Liverpool-based Mersey Fire and Safety, the health and safety training consultancy; Inside Track of Warrington, software publishers and 3D web design pioneers, and the Formby IT consultancy, Ashurst Ward Associates.
"We launched the first Prevent-IT! module at an important time with increased awareness of the contribution of poor posture to musculoskeletal conditions and stress; also, senstivity to the impact of compensation claims on a company's resources and management time, which proper training, assessments and appropriate action will serve to eliminate," says Klein.
The publishers of Prevent-IT! are optimistic that more companies will buy their software: "We have just landed our second, Runcorn-based client. Several other organisations have the first Prevent-IT! module on trial, and purchase decisions are now before the boards of various North West and London-based organisations."
A Record August with Inside Track Marketing Insight, October 2003 Wirral Couriers IBL Parts
Two companies which have just chosen Inside Track to support their drive for business growth are Wirral Couriers and Warrington’s own IBL Parts.
As service-led businesses, they know that people find courier services and the electronic components they require in a variety of ways. Inside Track’s experience in providing integrated marketing communications was the deciding factor in both cases, with corporate identity, direct and email marketing, database development, advertising and website design and marketing work now in progress.
Commenting, IBL’s Ian Laugher says: "Inside Track’s web marketing brought about an immediate and very significant rise in traffic, which has translated into a record August for business".
Cruisin' for a Boozin' Internet Works, April 2002
Welcome to an online off-licence with a difference - at Bargain Booze the emphasis is on having fun while you shop in its unique and interactive virtual 3D store.
THE IDEA
Bargain Booze is the fastest growing discount off-licence franchise network in Britain. Just like its physical stores, its website is fun, different and, quite literally, stands out from the crowd.
Internet Works DESIGN INNOVATION AWARD
Click on to Bargain Booze's 3D site and you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd drunk too much of the good stuff. The company is the first UK retailer to apply immersive 3D technology to its Web presence. The physical experience of visiting one of its stores has been recreated for the Web and bolted on to its existing site.
Visitors are able to move around a virtual world in much the same way as they would if playing a 3D computer game, but this time you'll be surrounded by products and merchandising displays rather than evil aliens.
The idea for the 3D store came about after one of the company's franchisees attended a business presentation by Warrington-based 3D development specialists, Inside Track. The 3D experience is not a gimmick, though, according to Max Klein of Inside Track: "It serves a couple of purposes. First of all, it's a navigation system, but then at another level it further emphasises the company's branding.
Once users have clicked to have the necessary plug-in downloaded into their browser, they are free to wander around the 3D store using the arrow keys or mouse to navigate. The sexily named siren Juicy Lucy welcomes you to the store, and all the elements you'd expect of the 2D Web site are also present.
Get the buzz
Fun is a key element of the Bargain Booze shopping experience and it was considered important to reflect that in the design of the Web site. "Our initial 2D site was designed to be two things," says Matthew Hughes, sales and marketing manager of Bargain Booze. "First, a way of getting information about our franchise network to potential franchisees and, second, to be something of value to our retail customers. So the site includes an online catalogue, details of our current promotional offers, a store locator, competitions and company news. We also wanted to bring the Bargain Booze buzz to the site."
Buzz is the term the company uses to describe the general sense of fun that surrounds the business. This is reflected on the site with a character called Joe Punter the Bargain Hunter and a Poet's Corner feature. Visitors are invited to come up with an amusing poem, rhyme or limerick about any subject. Winners achieve fame by appearing on the site and they receive a Bargain Booze voucher as a prize.
In going on the Web the company also didn't want to sell online and negatively impact their existing franchise network. Matthew Hughes: "Our key focus has always been, and will continue to be, on in-store retail but we know we need to have a Web presence that is, and continues to be, in keeping with what we're about."
On the right track
It was only natural, therefore, that when Inside Track came up with its 3D ideas that Bargain Booze would go for it. "We didn't want the sort of 360-degree panoramic photography that you see so often these days on the Internet. We wanted a totally immersive environment and that's what we've got. It's something different and unusual and a feature that hard-bitten Web users could get excited about," asserts Matthew Hughes.
The 3D site was created by Inside Track using tools developed by the San Francisco-based company, Flatland. Its new Web publishing format 3DML (3 Dimensional Mark-up Language) enables developers to quickly create visually compelling rich media environments called Spots. You can navigate with Spots and build interactive 3D environments on the Web that can incorporate animation, sound and video.
To view these 3D environments a piece of shareware called Rover is required. It either works as a standalone application, as an ActiveX control inside IE or as a plug-in for Netscape.
Developing 3D environments is conceptually quite simple, but there is more to it than meets the eye and it is a specialist skill. Max Klein: "First of all you create the visual concept for the environment. You place the various building blocks on a grid and create the new shapes you want. To improve and speed up the process we've built in-house development tools."
There were some initial technical teething problems with the Bargain Booze 3D site. Hughes explains: "The Flatland Rover download was only compatible with Internet Explorer 5.5 or lower; IE 6.0 wasn't supported. However, the plug-in has now been updated so that it automatically updates the download. So as new versions of IE come out the new, compatible, version of Rover is implemented."
Pushing the frontiers
Max Klein of Inside Track senses the start of a new wave as regards the Internet: "As a company we're at the forefront of commercial 3D Web design and software development in the UK. With technology we can now make the Internet experience more true to life and intuitive. The next step is about humanisation of the Web and getting rid of distancing."
The applications of 3D environments on the Web are wide and various. Max Klein: "Being there is the best way of getting a feel of the place, but what if it's inconvenient to be there? What if the place doesn't yet exist? Some people want to 'look before they book', especially when dealing with show homes, sports stadiums and concert halls. Offering customers the ability to place themselves in a realistic 3D environment and move around within it as they would in real life now exists."
Bargain Booze has pioneered immersive 3D technology in the retail sector in the UK and is now busily promoting their innovation in off-line ways. It runs a 'below the line' campaign at Point of Sale in its hundreds of stores and advertises the site on the quarter of a million leaflets it distributes to homes every month.
Bargain Booze competes by having a unique personality and by always selling discounted products, and not just at certain times of the year such as Christmas, as the other off-licence chains and supermarkets do. Matthew Hughes: "We're prepared to live on a lower margin than our competitors. AC Nielsen did a piece of research in the States and found that smaller shops can compete with the superstores if they're distinct and don't try and be all things to all people. We were the first discount off-licence chain in the UK and we remain aggressive in our approach."
Over the next three to four years Bargain Booze aims to have shops across Britain, with the possible exception of Scotland and London. Future plans for the site include adding more interactivity and features. Matthew Hughes: "With the 3D store we've begun to dip our toes into the water but we don't want to stop there. We're thinking about adding a game to the site next. It's the kind of thing our customers could go for and it's possible that the game could become a very effective viral marketing tool."
SITE FOCUS
Staff Launched How many unique visitors a month? Has the site made a return on investment? Does the site have an offline element?
5,000 people work for the company in total, 300 of which are based at head office
The 2D site was launched in October 2000 and the 3D aspect was added a year later in October 2001
1,000 prior to the launch of the 3D bolt-on, and 1,800 since
es, the site has achieved its purpose on brand building and attracting franchisees
Yes, Bargain Booze has over 300 stores in the UK and plans to open more
Bargain Booze Computer Shopper, February 2002
What do you do if the refrigerator is empty...? It’s Bargain Booze to the rescue! You can use Bargain Booze’s new site to find your favourite drinks. Print you own order form from the order page and drop it in to your local Bargain Booze store, and you will be contacted when your order is ready for collection.
As well as tempting you with a huge selection of drinks, Bargain Booze’s website features an interactive 3D store, which you can walk around virtually using just your keyboard and mouse. As the first UK shopping site to implement this 3D technology, Bargain Booze is setting the standard for many next-generation internet pages.
Virtual Offy Wire FM, 20th December 2001
Drinkers will soon be able to wander through a virtual off-licence thanks to techno-boffins at a Warrington company.
They’ve designed a web site for Bargain Booze which allows people to buy their favourite tipple from the comfort of their armchair.
If you want to sup a pint of e-ale get on-line now.
Bargain Booze seeks to provide 'real' experience Retail Week, December 7th, 2001
Northwest-based off-licence group Bargain Booze has created a walk-through Website to promote products in its franchise outlets.
The site employs 3D technology, which will bring the 'wow' factor to online shopping, according to a spokesman for Inside Track Marketing, which designed the site.
Visitors to bargainbooze.co.uk can wander down the aisles, choosing items and ordering them for collection at their local outlet.
Wilson claimed: "It is more like the real shopping experience. The traditional online shopping experience is flat. This unique marketing weapon will help open-up e-commerce."
Bargain Booze has 220 stores, some of which also carry a c-store range.
A whole new Dimension The Chronicle (Crewe), November 18th, 2001
CREWE-BASED off-licence chain Bargain Booze has become the first UK retailer to apply 3D technology to its website to create its own on-line store.
The experience of visiting a Bargain Booze shop is projected through an immersive 3D environment thanks to the creative work of Inside Track Marketing from Warrington.
Visitors to the website can move around in much the same way as when playing computer games - but surrounded by products and merchandising displays.
Inside Track partner Max Klein explained: "Being there is the best way to get a feel of the place. But what if it’s inconvenient to be there? This gives you the ability to place yourself in a 3D environment and move around within it, as you would in real life."
....Bargain Booze, the alcohol retailer, has Marketing, November 15th, 2001
Bargain Booze, the alcohol retailer, has created a virtual store through marketing communications agency Inside Track Marketing. It provides a realistic 3-D environment.
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