Fourninety have recently been working in close partnership with technology specialists Your Surface on the launch of Multi-Touch technology to the UK retail market. The interactive system, which can be built bespoke to a retailer’s requirements, enables customers to simultaneously touch and interact with hundreds of points on a single surface. It provides access to a range of features including the ability to share multi-media content with family and friends. The innovative technology also has the capacity to bring website, videos, images and e-commerce systems in-store, providing retailers with real-time behaviour analytics and creating a multi-channel environment.

As a retail communications agency with a thirty year history of multi-channel marketing, Fourninety believes that the system marks the next generation of innovation surrounding customer in-store interaction. John Lawrence, Business Development Director at Fourninety says:

‘the possibilities of multi-touch are endless. It provides a completely new retail channel which has the ability to push brands further whilst continuing to offer users a familiar catalogue browsing experience. Multi-touch empowers retailers to maximise the value and scope of their in-store content. It’s a truly exciting piece of innovation and has the capability to make a huge impact in the retail market.’

Fourninety and Your Surface will officially be launching Multi-touch technology at the Event Production show at London’s Olympia on the 3rd-4th February 2010.

Your Surface will also be at the Amadeus stand at the Business Travel and Meetings Show at Earls Court on the 9th-10th February and exhibiting to the European market at the ISE trade show, Netherlands on the 2nd-4th Feburary.

Click here to learn more about Multi-touch.

Creativematch have recently published this story. Click here to read more.

The Milton Keynes studio has been busy this week filming catwalk and shooting still images for a leading UK designer. The high-end images showcase the latest trends and allow customers to view garments from different angles, zoom in on a product and highlight details and textures.

In a market that is increasingly reliant on retailers finding the most effective ways to present their products and their brand digitally, Fourninety’s 15,000ft multi-use studio can simultaneously provide the perfect catwalk installation and space for still photography. We can offer a complimentary digital channel that will ensure that brands stay ahead in a multi-channel market. The catwalks allow retailers to communicate the most information possible, providing customers with an experience that is the next best thing to trying on clothes.

Fourninety’s impressive studio space has been purpose built to deliver high-volume creatively complex photography. This, combined with working closely with a plethora of internationally acclaimed photographers, art directors and stylists, allows us to offer a shoot that has the capacity to break boundaries and push brands further.

An example video of the digital catwalk experience will be available soon!

With January 2010 almost at a close (how did that happen?!!), the month has been especially successful for one member of our team. Finance Assistant Kate Longthorn has recently found out that she has passed three notoriously difficult strategic level CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountancy) exams. The exams, which Kate sat in December, were the penultimate modules in the completion of a CIMA qualification. After completing her final assessment Kate will become a recognised Chartered Management Accountant- congratulations Kate!

Another member of the Fourninety team has also started 2010 with a challenging goal. Account Executive Iona Yarrow has set herself an impressive New Year’s challenge, committing to walking, swimming or jogging a mammoth 365 miles in 365 days.  This resolution will test her endurance and hopefully raise a lot of money for charity in the process!   Iona is a keen photographer and will be updating an online journal to share the miles with us. Click here to take a look.

Will Iona be part of the 12% who achieve their New Year’s resolution? Follow her progress and donate to her chosen charities (Macmillan and Dexter’s Wish) here.

Fourninety’s Senior Account Manager Lian Sherer and Art Director Louise Bader-Morrison have recently returned from Cape Town after a two week photographic shoot for home improvement retailer Homebase. The Fourninety team creatively managed the production of a successful shoot for the retailer’s Outdoor Living Brochure for the second year in a row. This year, the shoot took place over seven different locations, ranging from beachside to modern town and country houses. The locations chosen emanated an English feel: South Africa has historically been chosen for Homebase photographic shoots as the gardens and architecture is believed to be a closer match to their English counterparts than other European locations.

Utilising Fourninety’s specialist photographic knowledge, Louise and Lian managed a large local photographic, logistics and production team. Senior Account Manager Lian said: ‘the shoot ran very smoothly and the team at Homebase were very pleased with the images we captured. The men in the office are very jealous- we were shooting whilst the World Cup Draw was taking place. Cape Town was buzzing and the entire city came to a standstill! However, I keep trying to persuade them that they didn’t miss out; we were too busy working to see much of the atmosphere other than on the telly, just like everyone in England!’

The Homebase Outdoor Living 2010 brochure goes to print in late March and will be in stores in early April.

As the snow continues to fall thick and fast at Fourninety Towers, it’s been a wintery walk to work for members of our team as you can see by this picture! While we fill up our mugs with hot chocolate and comfort eat for 10, we thought we’d take this opportunity to wish you a very happy new year and give you the lowdown on what happened at the end of 2009!

December saw Fourninety gracing the front page of the Yorkshire Post’s business section. The article celebrated a positive year despite the ongoing pressures of the recession that have been felt throughout both the region and the creative industries. Indeed, the springboard that 2009 provided currently sees Fourninety pitching for work with three of the top five retailers in Britain this year and partnering with national agencies to build innovative solutions that cross many industries. To read the full Yorkshire Post article, click here.

At group level, the end of 2009 also proved to be a rewarding time for our sister agencies. CMW came second in Campagin Magazine’s direct agency of the year award, having added an impressive number of high profile new wins to their portfolio whilst retaining 100% of their clients during 2009. IAS was crowned best B2B agency at both the B2B marketing awards and the MIN (Marketing Industry Network awards), whilst twentysix announced the launch of a new affiliate marketing division to compliment its existing range of online marketing services.

Throughout the group, it is clear that 2009 marked a period of significant development. We’re incredibly exited and exhilerated by what we can achive in 2010!

Here’s to a happy and healthy new year.