Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - Page number 15 - November/December 2021

BLUEFINITY LAUNCHES EVOKE‘S NEW ADVANCED 360° VIRTUAL TOUR FACILITY BlueFinity has released the latest of its enhancements to the Evoke low-code app development platform so that it now includes an integrated and adaptable 360° virtual tour capability. This multi-purpose feature allows for the searching, browsing and inspection of any store, venue, property or utility through an integrated part of an app, giving customers a complete virtual and immersive experience. Late in 2020 BlueFinity announced its e-commerce package, which has provided Evoke customers with the ability to incorporate a sophisticated retail environment in the apps they create using Evoke’s low-code. Many apps have already been created by Evoke users to extend their online presence, and are now in live use across their retail, consumer and wholesale customers. This latest 360° feature extends the retail functionality of Evoke (with customers already planning holiday season virtual stores) as well as providing a feature that can be used across multiple industry sectors. Evoke gives companies of all sizes and from multiple industry sectors the ability to create sophisticated apps for their employees, partners and customers. It provides a point and click, drag and drop and option select development process, supported by an extensive array of functional routines and widgets, that anyone can use. The results are sophisticated, full function web and mobile apps that can run on and are optimized for any device and operating system (phones, tablets, watches and televisions using IOS, Android and Windows as well as Windows, Linux and Apple desktops) and can be fully integrated with any type of database (SQL, Oracle, DB2, MultiValue etc). This latest enhancement enables vendors to provide a full function virtual tour experience within their apps, allowing consumers to browse around a store or for a prospective house buyer or dealer in commercial property to obtain an unrestricted view of a property, from all perspectives and completely online. Evoke provides for the easy access and use of the virtual tour in conjunction with all of the features of the app, as well as the seamless interaction with a company’s website, if they have one. This means that in a retail outlet, the consumer may browse the store, visiting various departments through the 360° tour function, then opt to take a closer look at or select specific products. This in turn, and dependent on the options you have selected when designing the app, can utilise the extensive e-commerce capabilities directly in the app itself (select, purchase, shopping cart etc.) or to interact with the company’s website to inspect and purchase products. Designed to be used for multiple purposes and across multiple industry sectors, this feature dramatically changes the ease in which an app may now be used and also how a company can significantly improve the way they can interact with their customers and staff in a constantly changing business world. www.bluefinity.com RHS AND ANNIE SLOAN PARTNER FOR DECORATIVE PRODUCTS FOR THE HOME The Royal Horticultural Society and Annie Sloan, one of the world’s leading authorities in paint, colour and style, have announced a partnership for decoupage papers, named the RHS with Annie Sloan Decoupage Papers. A form of household decoration that simply and cost- effectively transforms a wide range of pieces in any home, these decoupage papers use designs inspired by the RHS Lindley Collections of botanical art. The Annie Sloan approach to decoupage is simple, adhering to traditional techniques whereby printed images on paper are torn or cut out and applied to a huge range of pieces, from cupboard doors to furniture and ceramics. The cut-outs are stuck down with an even coat of Image Medium (a type of glue) and then sealed with another coat. Botanicals, flora and fauna are especially popular designs to use in decoupage, and the vast archive of beautiful botanical drawings from the RHS Lindley Collections – the world’s largest collection of botanical art – lent itself perfectly to the new Annie Sloan range. With her design team, Annie Sloan carefully searched through the RHS Lindley Collections to find illustrations to cut out, repeat, combine and colour to match some of the 47 colours from Annie’s famous Chalk Paint palette, a versatile decorative furniture paint designed by Annie Sloan in 1990. There are twelve individual designs with two large sheets of decoupage paper per pack. The RHS name and logo are prominently highlighted on the front of the packaging. The back of the packaging includes information about the RHS and its aims, alongside a practical guide to using the decoupage papers. Annie Sloan and her team are working towards a global launch late autumn 2021 – online and in physical stockist shops around the world. Annie Sloan sells through a network of independent shops in more than 55 countries. The target market is a wide one, with anyone who enjoys home decoration – from experienced furniture painters to someone who just wants a satisfying weekend project – able to use decoupage to transform their home. Annie Sloan offers a wide selection of home decoration products, ranging from fabric, waxes and finishes to stencils, tools and of course her world-famous Chalk Paint. Amy Honour, Head of Marketing, Annie Sloan Interiors Ltd, says, “Annie’s ambition has always been to inspire individuals with the confidence to bring colour, character and design into their homes. For this range that colour, character and design has come about with help from the RHS – the passionate force at the heart of horticulture for more than two centuries. The result, we think, is both beautiful and memorable.” Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says, “This combination of inspiration from the RHS Lindley Collections and the unrivalled home decoration expertise of Annie Sloan has brought about an innovative and beautiful range of decoupage papers that will have a gloriously transformative effect on any home.” INDUSTRY NEWS 15