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The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: Fotobabble
Quick Pitch: A photo sharing platform that adds your voice to your snapshots.
Genius Idea: Using a simple premise for engaging marketing campaigns.
Fotobabble is based on a pretty simple concept: The Facebook app, iPhone app and website allow users to add their voice to any photo, add a colorful background, and embed or share it anywhere.
Talking photos almost seem like an inevitable development in the photo sharing monsoon.
If you think of anyone talking about a trip, or their kids, whatever it is, the main way they do that is through their voice, says Fotobabble founder and CEO Kamal Shah. Its a more natural way to tell stories for the majority of people, and when you listen to a story told with someones voice, you get that level of personalization that you might not get out of the written word.
Fair enough. But whats most impressive about Fotobabble is that, unlike the majority of photo sharing apps, it has a concrete plan for monetization. While people have used the consumer-facing app to send photos to grandma, make baby announcements and narrate their travel photos, businesses have also found the technology useful for interactive marketing campaigns.
Dogster, a social network for dogs, ran one such campaign using the Fotobabble Facebook app to run a bark translator on its Page. Users can upload photos of their dogs with a voice clip of what the dog is saying. MyWinesDirect.com encourages users to give wine reviews using Fotobabble. Baby photographers Our365 asked parents to upload photos of their babies with audio clips of their giggles for a Tickle Me Baby contest.
Publications are also using Fotobabble. iVillage asked its readers to upload photos with style questions and had style experts add a voice clip of advice.
Shah, who has been bootstrapping Fotobabble since March 2010, says there is funding in the pipeline (the details of which are still unannounced) that will allow him to build a set of premium tools for brands and publications. These will include a way to integrate Fotobabble with a mobile app and more easily moderate content. Hed also like to see the platform used for social media campaigns and product descriptions.
Small businesses have an opportunity to describe their products and reach out to their customers with their own voice, he says.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, mattjeacock
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
More About: bizspark, Fotobabble, photo sharing
