My Punch Bowl – Custom Invitations (via techcrunch)
In the Techcrunch article Jason Kincaid hints that the next step for MyPunchBowl is to expand into real, printed invitations. MPB offers some neat party planning tools, but their sample designs and card creation interface are much more attractive and easier to use than those of their better funded competitors: Shutterfly, Zazzle, and Hallmark. The design route seems like a great strategic option. I’m not sure of the online invitation market size but I imagine it is lower than the $36B spent per year on cards and stationary. With leadership from Adobe, I think these guys will put a lot of fear into the major players.
3D Printing + Christmas Ornaments
Singapore based JuJups has launched a new service, similar to last year’s viral phenomana “Elf Yourself”. The difference is now the experience is physical. You can upload your loved one’s photo and have their face 3D printed onto an angel, Santa, or elf shaped ornament. The concept is great, the base designs are cute, and the process is simple. The $24.99 price is a little on the high side compared to what you see at retail and the quality has the ZCorp “sand sculpture” finish, but it is a great idea with a lot of potential.
Psychology of Customization
Customization is new and exciting, which may work against it if the consumer mindset is trending towards the safe and familiar. Time has an article on the effect of the economic downturn on toy buying behavior in advance of Christmas. Older and less expensive classics like Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, and Color Forms are making a comeback. Parents are less likely to spend on bigger ticket, technology based toys that may go unused on December 26th opting for timeless classics instead.
Printfection
Printfection is offering a white label Tshirt service, a similar offering to those offered by Zazzle and Cafepress. The major differentiator is that Printfection is completely anonymous where the others still include their branding on invoices which can make your fledgling enterprise seem less professional. An example partner, FaceInHole.com, shows what the service can do.
Ponoko gets Primed
Ponoko made two big announcements this week. First was the expansion of their material library to include metals, felts, and a broader selection of woods. The second was a “Prime” service similar to Amazon Prime that reduces the cost of production and shipping.
The addition of metal and felt will go a long way to increasing the diversity of projects that are possible and it will be exciting to see what projects come up a few months hence.
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