Company releases

• Zazum® Wins the AT&T Fastpitch Competition

  May 15, 2012 - San Francisco, CA

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Media Contact:
  Susan Rits, Founder & CEO
  646.200.5107 | press@zazuminc.com

  Zazum takes first place out of nine finalists in the Baruch College AT&T Fastpitch Competition in NYC on Wednesday.

  James Martinez was pitching for Zazum yesterday in NYC, where he won in the Wealth category for e-commerce, mobile analytics, mobile finance, and interactive advertising.

  The AT&T and Baruch College Fast Pitch Competition is a business competition where teams have the chance to compete in one of three tracks: wealth, education and health, and enjoyment.

  Zazum survived the first two rounds of the competition, beating 115 other contenders. The first round consisted of the executive summary and answers to key questions about their business submitted through Gust. Teams that made it past the first round then submitted a two minute video detailing their business concept, market demand for their product or service, and important aspects of the business. Finalists then pitched a five-minute presentation in NYC to judges from Baruch College, AT&T and the investment community.

  Judging was by a panel of venture capitalists and experts in technology startups. A $2000 award was given to the winner, along with valuable VC connections.

• Zazum™ Comes Out on OUTtv October 1st

  September 13, 2011 - New York

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Media Contact:
  Susan Rits, Founder & CEO
  646.200.5107 | press@zazuminc.com

  Zazum makes its broadcast television debut on Canada's hottest young network, OUTtv.

  OUTtv and Zazum have teamed up to make broadcasting history with SeeLoveBuy, the revolutionary new iPhone app that makes TV instantly shoppable. When the October 1, 2011 episode of "Men's Fashion Insider" airs at 8:30pm ET/PT, it will be the first time ever that Canadian audiences can use their iPhones to shop a television show as it airs.

  "We are absolutely thrilled to be the first broadcaster working with Zazum," Brad Danks, president of OUTtv said. "We were looking for a new way to integrate our advertising partners into our Men's Fashion show. Zazum's application is perfect because it is so seamless and easy to use."

  Viewers who use SeeLoveBuy during a special 10-minute segment on "Men's Fashion Insider," featuring a new line of men's bags, called NB Man by Nella Bella, will be able to buy the bags as they appear on their TV screens.

  To use SeeLoveBuy, viewers simply turn on the app when they see Zazum's blue heart in the corner of their screen. The app then identifies advertisers' products in the broadcast, allowing the viewer to explore product images, read descriptions and buy the things they want, right on their iPhones.

  "We love it because it allows our viewers to take immediate action on a product while not disrupting the flow of the programming for the rest of the audience. Our sponsors love it because they can get an immediate response to their e-commerce platform," Danks said.

  A Nella Bella spokesperson added, "As a fashion-forward company, we are always seeking ways to reach people who care about the 'next big thing.' We think SeeLoveBuy is trending forward and we are excited to be on board!"

  "Zazum is honored to be working with OUTtv and Nella Bella,"  said Zazum founder and CEO Susan Rits. "When you set out to change the way an industry does business, you look for partners who can match you in both their ability to envision the future and their courage to move toward it. In these two companies we have found that."

  About Zazum, Inc.

  NYC-based Zazum introduces a revolutionary 2nd-screen platform that makes TV instantly shoppable. SeeLoveBuy for iPhone allows viewers to use their phones to buy products the instant they appear on the TV screen. Zazum creates a new revenue stream for network partners while driving brand engagement, sales and measurable ROI for advertisers. zazuminc.com

  About OUTtv

  OUTtv is the world's first television channel focusing exclusively on television programming for the Gay and Lesbian audience. Launched in 2001, the channel now has nearly 700,000 subscribers and is available on every cable and satellite service in Canada, on mobile through our iTunes App and online at outtv.ca.

  About Nella Bella

  Founded in 2007, Nella Bella is a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto. Headed up by Tarek Al-Azbat, Nella Bella produces vegan handbags for the modern woman and man. Sold in more than 130 stores across Canada, Nella Bella has rapidly become a recognized brand name as their beautiful, trend-setting, high quality collections grow in popularity. nella-bella.com

• Zazum™ Wins Coveted Spot in Ad:Tech's Startup Spotlight - Competes for Innovation Award in November

  August 30, 2011 - New York

  Zazum is one of just sixteen digital rising stars selected to present at ad:tech, the largest digital marketing event in the world.

  If you went to ad:tech SF this year, you saw that start-ups are now a big part of the program. New York will witness the second startup competition this coming November. Sixteen startup companies with promising services and technologies for brands and marketers have been selected to participate in this series, and Zazum made the cut!

  During four, one-hour conferences each rising digital star will spotlight their technology and services in each of these areas: Gaming, Mobile, Social and Shopper Marketing.Zazum, with its SeeLoveBuy™ mobile app that makes TV instantly shoppable, will be competing in the Shopper Marketing category.

  Additionally, Zazum and the other selected startups will be exhibiting in Innovation Alley on the ad:tech Expo floor, where 8 billion in buying power will be perusing the exhibits. “This is not about showing off to the tech community or finding investors--this is all about attracting clients,” said Susan Rits, founder and CEO of Zazum.

  A special advisory board of industry peers selected the lucky companies that present and will determine an ad:tech Innovation Award winner in each category. Winners will be announced during ad:tech NY. “Do I think it’s an honor to be nominated? Yeah. We have a great product and an amazing service to offer advertisers and marketers. But let’s be clear, I want the award,” Rits said.

  Ad:tech is the meeting place for the world's leading digital marketing and service companies as well as 10,000 digital marketers, influential speakers, and domestic and international press. Three hundred exhibitors representing top brands in every major service category packed the show floor in 2010.

  About Zazum, Inc.

  NYC-based Zazum introduces a revolutionary 2nd-screen platform that makes TV instantly shoppable. SeeLoveBuy for iPhone allows viewers to use their phones to buy products the instant they appear on the TV screen. Zazumcreates a new revenue stream for network partners while driving brand engagement, sales and measurable ROI for advertisers.

• Zazum™ Unveils 2-Screen Shop-While-You-Watch, and Advertisers are Dying to Participate

  July 26, 2011 - New York

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Media Contact:
  Nadine Zukoski, VP Marketing & Sales
  646.200.5107 | press@zazuminc.com

  Zazum™ Unveils 2-Screen Shop-While-You-Watch, and Advertisers are Dying to Participate

  With a whole new take on interactive TV, Zazum has been rounding up the hottest NYC designers and independent filmmakers to create a new kind of entertainment—Shoppable Shorts. And advertisers are falling over themselves to participate.

  Fans who have wanted to buy Lindsay Lohan’s white “court house” dress, or spent days trying to find that blouse Nancy Botwin wore on Weeds are going to love what Zazum is doing. Shoppable Shorts are videos full of products that viewers can buy as they watch using Zazum’s iPhone App, SeeLoveBuy™.  “As you watch the video with the app on, items in the film pop up on your phone. You can see food, clothes, jewelry, and accessories, find out about the designers, and buy what you like,” explained Susan Rits, CEO and Founder.

  Zazum released the first shoppable short film (ever) this month on iTunes and Vimeo. “Milkmade in Manhattan” is a six-minute documentary about a business woman, featured recently on “The Rachel Ray Show,” who makes gourmet ice cream for a select group of customers. But what makes this video unique is that it’s chock full of clothes and jewelry from local NYC designers that you can buy while you watch—including the ice cream.

  “Unlike television shopping channels that are a string of promotional spots for products—nothing more than long ads—Shoppable Shorts are entertainment in their own right. They are definitely not commercials,” Rits emphasized. “If you didn’t already know you’d never guess you could buy all the products in them.”

  The response from local artists and merchants has been tremendous. Since the only cost to advertisers is a small sales commission, and then only if they make a sale through SeeLoveBuy, barriers to entry couldn’t be lower.  “Everyone wants into the project—we’re over-booked for the next film, and already nearly at capacity for the one after that,” Rits explained.

  This is the first in a series of films in production. “We’ve started a channel on iTunes and Vimeo that we’re planning to fill with interesting short films that are also shoppable,” Rits said. In the works now is a 5-min video about a dinner party featuring home goods and gourmet food available for purchase. In addition, Zazum will be adding designers’ lookbooks to the channel, full of limited-edition clothes, accessories and jewelry

  While a Shoppable Shorts channel is great summer fun, Zazum has bigger plans for its technology. It will be announcing its network debut this fall with several advertisers already queued up and ready to go, and a “big advertiser” in the wings, watching to see how it all shakes out.

  There is nothing new about affinity marketing using television shows. But until now, there was no simple way for audiences to make a purchase while the impulse is strongest—while they’re watching the show. It’s not hard to see the kind of revenue impact this could have on network series with audiences of 10-15 million viewers. “Imagine if shows like Extreme Makeover—Home Edition triggered the phones of 100,000 audience members with information about how and where to buy the products they’re looking at,” Rits pointed out. “This is untapped revenue that networks are starting to take advantage of.”

  Fans are pretty excited too. “We’ve gotten amazingly enthusiastic responses from almost every TV fan we’ve polled. Everyone has a story about some item they saw on their favorite television show and spent days or weeks trying to track down, with limited success,” Rits says. “We’ve actually had people tell us exactly what TV shows they want to see this for—‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Portlandia’ are at the top of the list.”

  About Zazum

  Zazum, Inc. is the pioneering provider of a revolutionary 2screen mobile commerce platform. SeeLoveBuy, Zazum's mobile app, enables audiences to learn more about and instantly purchase the things they see and love on television and in movies. Our groundbreaking technology doesn’t just tell you what show you’re watching, but what product in each show you’re looking at—the moment it crosses the screen.

• One Step Beyond Shazam—Zazum™ Improves on ACR Technology

  July 12, 2011 - New York

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Media Contact:
  Nadine Zukoski, VP Marketing & Sales
  646.200.5107 | press@zazuminc.com

  New York, NY (PRWEB) July 12, 2011— A little start-up called Zazum makes a big breakthrough in automatic content recognition for television and film by tagging specific products within a show. Using Zazum’s proprietary mKues™ broadcasters can signal multiple events throughout a television show, so mobile devices know not only what audiences are watching, but exactly what’s on screen at each moment without resorting to timing, QR codes, or forcing viewers to pause the show and get off the couch to take a picture of their TV screens.

  “Most ACR, or automatic content recognition, uses Fingerprinting, the kind of technology Shazam and IntoNow are using to identify TV shows and commercials. But we needed to do more than just identify the episode. We wanted to identify exactly what’s on the television screen at each moment, and fingerprinting is not very good for that,” explained Susan Rits, founder and CEO of Zazum.

  Another advantage of mKues over other content recognition technology is that they make for a seamless 2screen user experience. “We designed this technology for the 10-foot viewing experience—for people who watch TV on TVs, which is still 95% of television audiences,” Rits said. The only thing a viewer needs to do is download SeeLoveBuy™,Zazum’s iPhone app, and turn it on. After that, the phone automatically recognizes each new cue, and information about what’s on the TV screen appears on the phone.

  “My favorite part so far about working with this technology is watching each person’s reaction when the mKue triggers their phone for the first time. When something that’s on TV suddenly pops up on the phone in their hand, they gasp or jump, and a big smile crosses their face,” Rits said. “I’ve seen grown men giggle.”

  Coming out of the deep-stealth mode of development, Zazum’s first steps into the public spotlight have already generated a lot of interest from producers and networks. “We’ve been approached by producers who want to make game shows interactive for audience members or trigger time-limited coupons, or just make companion apps for their shows. But what we find most compelling is how to use the technology for brand engagement and shopping from TV,” Rits said. “That’s what we’re exploring now with our own app, SeeLoveBuy.”

  Try this technology by downloading SeeLoveBuy, available in the iTunes App Store, and use it to shop Milkmade in Manhattan, available now on iTunes, and Vimeo.

  About Zazum

  Zazum, Inc. is the pioneering provider of a revolutionary 2screen mobile commerce platform. SeeLoveBuy,Zazum's mobile app, enables audiences to learn more about and instantly purchase the things they see and love on television and in movies. Our groundbreaking technology doesn’t just tell you what show you’re watching, but what product in each show you’re looking at—the moment it crosses the screen.

• Zazum™ Raises Funds to Enable 2-Screen Shoppable TV

  April 5, 2011 - New York

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  Media Contact:
  Nadine Zukoski, VP Marketing & Sales
  646.200.5107 | press@zazuminc.com

  New York NY, April 5, 2011--Zazum Inc., an advertising-technology startup, has received an undisclosed amount of Series A funding to produce its SeeLoveBuy™ mobile app. The app syncs TV and smartphones so audiences can purchase products as they appear on the television screen. Using Zazum’s patent-pending mKues, invisible tags are attached to each product in a broadcast, which cue nearby mobile devices to display product information when the app is turned on.

  “We expect the potential of this technology to be quickly realized,” Susan Rits, founder and CEO of Zazum said, “as a growing number of TV executives and brand managers seek platforms to leverage 2-Screen fan engagement, gather data about their viewers, and increase the value of product placements through direct sales to television audiences.”

  SeeLoveBuy is a branding and m-commerce platform that recognizes products in a partnered TV show as they appear onscreen. It displays product information and a one-click buying option on an iPad or iPhone so that fans who see the products in their favorite shows and fall instantly in love with them will be able to buy them, on-the-spot and without leaving the couch.

  SeeLoveBuy combines fan enthusiasm, impulse shopping, and a deeper connection with favorite shows and brands. SeeLoveBuy works no matter when or where the show is watched—whether live, on a DVR, streamed online, or from a DVD.

  Zazum’s executive team is lead by Susan Katherine Rits, previously user experience designer for Google, FOX, TimeWarner and CNNfn, Lise Yellen, and Ingrid Ducmanis, award-winning creative team from McCann Worldgroup’s MRM Worldwide, and Nadine Zukoski, previously SVP of digital marketing at Citibank.

  SeeLoveBuy will be available through the Apple App Store this May, and in the Android Market later this year. Partner announcements forthcoming.

  About Zazum


  Zazum, Inc. is the pioneering provider of a revolutionary branding and m-commerce platform. SeeLoveBuy, Zazum’s free mobile app, enables consumers to learn more about and instantly purchase the products they see and love on television. Our groundbreaking mKues cue mobile devices from television broadcasts to deliver product information to the viewing audience. We provide our partner networks with a new revenue stream while advertisers get brand exposure, sales, and user metrics.

  Zazum, the sound of the world changing. For more information please visit http://zazuminc.com

Zazum in the News

• INTERACTIVE TV NEWS ROUND-UP: SAMSUNG, TOWERCOM, SEACHANGE, ZAZUM, OUTTV

  Zazum, a New York-based company that is attempting to bring together automatic content recognition (ACR) and tcommerce (note: for more on the company, see the articles published on itvt.com, July 12th), contacted [itvt] last week to let us know that its flagship SeeLoveBuy iPhone app will make its broadcast-TV debut next month, during the October 1st episode of Canadian LGBT channel OUTtv's show, "Men's Fashion Insider" (airs 8:30PM ET/PT). "Viewers who use SeeLoveBuy during a special 10-minute segment on 'Men's Fashion Insider,' featuring a new line of men's bags, called NB Man by Nella Bella, will be able to buy the bags as they appear on their TV screens," Zazum explains in its press materials. "To use SeeLoveBuy, viewers simply turn on the app when they see Zazum's blue heart in the corner of their screen. The app then identifies advertisers' products in the broadcast, allowing the viewer to explore product images, read descriptions and buy the things they want, right on their iPhones." Said OUTtv president, Brad Danks: "We are absolutely thrilled to be the first broadcaster working with Zazum. We were looking for a new way to integrate our advertising partners into our 'Men's Fashion' show. Zazum's application is perfect because it is so seamless and easy to use. We love it because it allows our viewers to take immediate action on a product while not disrupting the flow of the programming for the rest of the audience. Our sponsors love it because they can get an immediate response to their ecommerce platform."

  Click here to read more...

• INTERACTIVE TV NEWS ROUND-UP: PACE, SOCIALGUIDE, MTV, SOFTEL, ZAZUM

  Zazum, a New York-based company that is attempting to bring together automatic content recognition (ACR) and tcommerce (note: for more on the company, see the article published on itvt.com, July 12th), contacted [itvt] Tuesday to let us know that it has become one of only 16 companies that have been selected to take part in ad:tech New York's Start-Up Spotlight competition this November. "During four, one-hour conferences each rising digital star will spotlight their technology and services in each of these areas: Gaming, Mobile, Social and Shopper Marketing," the company states in its press materials. "Zazum, with its SeeLoveBuy mobile app that makes TV instantly shoppable, will be competing in the Shopper Marketing category. Additionally, Zazum and the other selected start-ups will be exhibiting in Innovation Alley on the ad:tech Expo floor, where $8 billion in buying power will be perusing the exhibits."

  Click here to read more...

• INTERACTIVE TV NEWS ROUND-UP: VIRGIN MEDIA, TIVO, NESTLE, YOUTUBE, ZAZUM

  Zazum, a New York-based company that is attempting to bring together automatic content recognition (ACR) and tcommerce,has announced that it has made "a big breakthrough in automatic content recognition for television and film by tagging specific products within a show. Using Zazum's proprietary mKues," the company's press materials continue, "broadcasters can signal multiple events throughout a television show, so mobile devices know not only what audiences are watching, but exactly what's on screen at each moment without resorting to timing, QR codes, or forcing viewers to pause the show and get off the couch to take a picture of their TV screens." Said Zazum founder and CEO, Susan Rits: "Most ACR, or automatic content recognition, uses fingerprinting, the kind of technology Shazam and IntoNow are using to identify TV shows and commercials. But we needed to do more than just identify the episode. We wanted to identify exactly what's on the television screen at each moment, and fingerprinting is not very good for that...We designed this technology for the 10-foot viewing experience--for people who watch TV on TV's, which is still 95% of television audiences." According to Rits, while Zazum's ACR technology has generated interest among "producers who want to make game shows interactive for audience members or trigger time-limited coupons, or just make companion apps for their shows," the company's primary focus is on "how to use the technology for brand engagement and shopping from TV." It has launched a tcommerce app, called SeeLoveBuy, in the Apple App Store, which it says "automatically recognizes each new cue" and then displays "information about what's on the TV screen." The app--which can be downloaded here--can currently be used in conjunction with a short film, entitled "Milkmade in Manhattan," available on iTunes and Vimeo (and embedded above).

  Click here to read more...