Chicago, June 21st, 2007—After nearly 18 months of top-secret planning and development, Photo.com has announced that it will open its virtual doors on August 15th, 2007. A next generation social network, Photo.com plans on playing a critical role in the growth of the multi-billion dollar a year digital photography industry by offering the internet’s most comprehensive set of photography and networking tools available in one place. Justin Jarvinen, Photo.com’s founder, is confident that Photo.com will set a new standard for online shopping and networking. “We envisioned the ultimate consumer experience and it was one where consumers felt empowered but not overwhelmed; it was simple but elegant; and it had everything a consumer wanted, from user-generated product reviews to advanced photo enhancing tools, an easy to use e-commerce platform, fun ways to share pictures, and more”, says Justin.
According to a recent survey by the AMA, 47% of consumers said that they would be open to using social networks such as MySpace, Orkut or Facebook to find and discuss holiday gift ideas. Further, 51% claimed they would look for discounts on social networks; 29% said they would buy products from those sites; and 18% said they would read or write product reviews. Many experts believe social shopping is a bonafide and potentially massive trend.
As of today, nearly 600,000 visitors have logged on to Photo.com, many of whom registered for the chance to win a free digital camera. This success is despite zero advertising or public relations efforts. After August 15, Photo.com expects to be one of the top visited websites on the internet and promises an unforgettable launch.
Justin Jarvinen’s Background:
Justin, recently named one of the 40 most influential entrepreneurs under 40 by American Venture Magazine, has been developing innovative technologies and business models since 1996 when, at the age of 24, he left the investment bank Bear Stearns to begin developing his own ideas. Justin has become a sought after speaker on matters of innovation, entrepreneurship, and marketing, where he often presents his experiences and successes in financial modeling, social networking and digital media and entertainment. He has guest lectured at The University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business, has several patents pending, and is often quoted and featured in magazines such as Business Week, Crain’s, Smart Money, Sift, Red Herring, Inc., and more. Justin actively consults to senior executives and entrepreneurs who are looking to launch their own companies, as well as large global corporations looking to venture into new areas of business.
Justin, regarded by his peers as a visionary and a thought-leader in the digital media industry, is also the founder and CEO of VerveLife. He has grown VerveLife by nearly 4,000% over the past 3 years with global brand clients such as Anheuser Busch, Burger King, Goodie’s, Kellogg’s, Milk, Nestle, Unilever, Waste Management, and many more. His need to challenge the status quo has led not only to the development of a highly successful and innovative business, but also to breakthrough licensing deals with major entertainment properties, including a first-ever promotional MP3 licensing deal with EMI. VerveLife was recently named one of Red Herring’s Hot 200 companies in North America, an award shared by Google, YouTube, Salesforce.com, Yahoo!, Skype and Netscape, and recently won 3 “Best In Class” awards from the Interactive Media Council for its recent Axe Recovery Gel promotion. VerveLife was also named one of the top promotion agencies in America by Promo Magazine and achieved the second highest 2-year growth rate on the list. In 2007 and 2008, VerveLife will deliver over 2 billion unique download codes to consumers in 79 countries.
http://www.photo.com
Posted on: Thursday, June 21, 2007 12:06 PM
Jun 21, 2007
