Star^TM Gazer

May 2001


Publishers to Launch New Concept for Books
Shoppers Interview Top Authors Before Deciding to Buy a Book

In an industry trying to incorporate more of today's digital technologies, the book publishers have embraced a new concept that will provide an interactive element to new books. Retail stores will have the option to provide shoppers with evocative (and sometimes provocative) on-demand, instant video interviews of authors regarding their latest works, mixed with other topically related film footage.

In a deal put together with some of the industry's largest publishers and retail chains, Advanced Communication Design, Inc. (ACD), and BookstreamInc. Have partnered to provide the hardware, software and studio production for this revolutionary concept. ACD designs and manufactures patented systems, specifically developed to provide in-store retail shoppers with an enhanced shopping experience. The company provides a variety of ways to interact with digital video, audio and textual content through a multiplicity of compact devices in a store, each with integrated scanners, keyboards and video and graphic screens. BookstreamInc. Will be the primary production house for the author interviews and other related footage.

"ACD and BookstreamInc. started moving forward with similar concepts at about the same time," said Charles Halpin, CEO of BookstreamInc., "but our approaches were radically different." Halpin, with a strong background in the publishing industry, was planning on using the interviews as a part of a larger application designed for Websites. Fran Berland, COO of ACD said, "We knew the concept would be great for retailers because we work with them every day and we know where they see shortcomings in their available merchandising options. We didn't, however, know enough about the publishing industry to be sure we were approaching this correctly. That's where BookstreamInc. Filled the bill for us. Charles (Halpin) knows the publishing industry as well as anyone, so he works with that end of this project." The companies plan to have enough interviews in the "can" and ready to go for an offering of the TOP 50 new Fall releases.

"The concept appears to have tremendous merits for all the parties involved," stated Steve Malmberg, ACD's head of sales. "It benefits the authors, the publishers and the retailers by cleverly promoting their books in an educational, entertaining and inexpensive way. The shoppers benefit for all the obvious reasons, but beyond that, we think people who wouldn't otherwise consider buying a particular book, will now see it in a refreshing new light. It may be just the ticket for putting a potential buyer over the top on buying it," he said.

The way the system works, the shopper walks up to any of several small devises, called STAR NavigatorsTM, that are located in TOP 50 new release sections of the store. The shopper may use the device to scan the bar code on a book, or may choose from a scrolling list of titles on the device's screen by pushing a selection button, at which time the device will display a list of questions or topics from which to choose. Upon depression of a corresponding ATM-like button, typically, the interviewer asks the question and the author responds.

"The time has come for the traditional in-store book buyer to get some previously unavailable fresh insights. We're taking books to the next level," says Malmberg.