HP's alternate experience centers

Philip Wong | Sep 22, 2008

In the not-so-distant future, you'll be able to sample and experience HP products and services in the least expected venues. To reach out to even more consumers, the Palo Alto company has tied up with various fashion and entertainment industry partners to promote its wares. This is on top of the 7,500 new retail partner stores slated for launch across 1,000 Asia-Pacific cities to beef up its regional presence.

Under its latest HP alternative experience center initiative, the IT solutions provider has identified three key customer segments in the youth, family and women markets to implement its new shop-and-play concept. The following are details of the collaborations as well as their respective propositions to bring HP's offerings beyond the usual IT malls and conventional retail channels.

EA Experience store.
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Youth
To demonstrate the gaming credentials of its entertainment laptops and PCs, HP and Electronic Arts have set up the EA Experience store at The Peak, Hong Kong. Not only will you have the chance to sample and purchase some of the latest EA gaming titles onsite, you can also print and create memorabilia using your personalized creations via HP printers and its Snapfish Web portal.

You could, for example, create your very own Spore character by simply tapping the screen of the initiative HP TouchSmart IQ800. Get your snapshot captured through the IQ800's built-in Webcam, select a Spore-themed template and print wirelessly to an HP Photosmart. Furthermore, fans can also check out the wallpapers, desktop icons and skins tailored for gaming titles like Need for Speed and The Sims.

Future Group Foto Depots.
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Family
The HP Photo Café in Korean CGV Guro movie cineplexes opens another avenue for consumers to access easy-to-use and fast digital print services. Its customers can leverage on the Photosmart ps2000 Studio printer to produce customized photo books, albums, calendars, CDs, greeting cards and posters within an hour. This is besides its pe1000 Express Station kiosk which delivers 4 x 6-inch prints in just 5 seconds.

On the more conventional photo lab front, there are the Foto Depots run by Future Group in India based on the same HP Retail Photo solutions mentioned above. These Foto Depots provide similar products and end-to-end services rivaling the Korean Photo Café. There are currently eight outlets in Big Bazaar stores across five Indian cities with 42 more in the pipeline over the next 12 to 18 months.

Special-edition Vivienne Tam HP Netbook.
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Women
Fashion meets technology with New York-based designer Vivienne Tam's recent involvement in the aesthetic design of the special-edition HP Netbook. Dubbed the world's first "Digital Clutch", the peony-design red concoction is still pretty much in development stage and is slated for launch in early 2009. In addition, the tie-up will also involve special HP corners in selected Vivienne Tam boutiques throughout Asia. These are expected to be ready around the same time as the debut of the special-edition Netbook, allowing customers an opportunity to interact and experience HP laptops.

Filed under: Future Tech, PC & Peripherals, Printers
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