News
PageOnDemand shakes up the catalogue production industry
The company now offers a Web platform designed to save time and money.
Advertising brochures will not be disappearing from our mailboxes anytime soon… The French firm PageOnDemand has developed a collaborative Web platform to speed up the catalogue and brochure design process. The market for such a service is huge given that 5,000 companies in France are currently producing catalogues. As an added advantage, this tool is multichannel: paper catalogues can be easily converted into a Web version and even formatted for smartphones and iPads.
PageOnDemand was founded in 2006 around technologies that at the time were still emerging; “cloud” (or remote) computing was taking shape, alongside its on-demand software counterpart known as SaaS (for Software as a Service). “We took a gamble on SaaS, a solution that eliminates a number of constraints, beginning with catalogue production costs”, points out Stéphane Claret, PageOnDemand’s CEO. Accessible via the Internet from a browser, the application becomes operational very quickly since no special workstation installation is required. Advertisers can access a platform that allows tracking progress during catalogue formatting, in addition to a complete library of templates for simplifying catalogue layout. This resource is enhanced by a conversion tool that automatically generates desktop publishing files ready for use by graphic artists, assigned to complete the format before final submission to the printer. “Simplifying and streamlining production phases are the chief objectives sought by advertisers, who through our system are able to directly control tasks they often had to delegate to creative media agencies”, insists Stéphane. Here’s another convincing argument in favor of adopting this service: professional users pay for just their consumption, as only the number of pages produced are invoiced.
- A client list that includes Carrefour
The company’s staff size is currently 20 and its revenue is expected to reach €1.3 million this year. The PageOnDemand platform has already produced some 4,000 catalogues (for companies like the retailer Boulanger, Belambra resorts and Carrefour). For two years now, the 1,000 stores in the Carrefour Market chain have designed their promotional materials using this tool. “Advertising managers can modify prices or photographs until the very last minute. Each change is automatically relayed to all versions of the catalogue. What’s more, stores in the various regions can customize their sales ads”, notes Mr. Claret. A broader dissemination effort encompassing all Carrefour stores throughout Europe has also been launched.
Source: La Tribune, issue 4565, Tuesday September 28, 2010 by Laurent Pericone
