Visual Discovery Platform Charmboard Wins the Best Design Award at 2019 SPOTT Awards

Charmboard has been named a winner in the Best Design/User Interface technology category of SPOTT Awards, 2019. SPOTT Awards honours excellence in video and audio content and recognises best-in-class efforts in creating the most innovative and disruptive design / user interface in last one year. The Awards by ET Brand Equity took place in Mumbai on the weekend.

Charmboard won the award for a discovery campaign it ran for Myntra during their flagship event - EORS. The campaign ran on all major TV shows of Zee5. Viewers watching India's top ranked TV series at Zee5 could simply tap to discover what they loved in the episode; and had an opportunity to buy or wishlist the product seamlessly from the show. The world's first implementation of in-video product discovery at scale brought millions of first-time users to commerce platforms.

Charmboard is currently available on videos at OTT platform Zee5 across eight languages and on tens of thousands of shared videos at its owned property. The shows on Zee5 include some of the highest rated in India such as Kumkum Bhagya & Kundali Bhagya. Top brands like L’Oréal, Amazon, Marico, Myntra, Amway, Jockey are amongst the brands who have been using Charmboard.

Global retail giant Target Corporation, USA and Venture fund 3one4 Capital had invested $5 million Series A round of funding of Charmboard

For brands, Charmboard provides an excellent opportunity to be present in the precise moment they need to. The user is a potential buyer, who is genuinely interested in the product and that’s what brings her to Charms, a visual bookmark of the inspiring moment in a video. This means that the brand has a likelihood of developing 5x brand affinity in the mind of a potential buyer. This also provides a space and context to place the right products in front of a curious user cutting through the clutter of forced digital ads, beautifully. Essentially showcasing the products to willing users with exceptional reach and engagement.

“We are delighted by this recognition from ET Brand Equity and this award will spur us to continue innovating and creating new value for our brand partners. Marketers increasingly want to put the customer at the center of their thinking and allow them to define each moment that matters. With our product offering marketers can create smarter journeys that delivers on-demand brand creatives in the right context,” said GBS Bindra, Founder and CEO of Charmboard.
About Charmboard

Founded in 2014, Charmboard is a web company that uses artificial intelligence to operate a service designed to discover more from popular culture, mainly video. It is transforming the way users engage with video. In the last two years since the company launched the service, it is reshaping the future of visual discovery and transforming how brands communicate with their audiences.

The emergence of a Charm - a personal visual bookmark marking a moment that has inspired the viewer, is helping brands build deeper connections with the users. A typical Charm comprises of three images and a GIF. The business model of Charmboard revolves around making brands discoverable. Brand ROI is guaranteed via inspired exposure during high points of consumer desire and consequent engagement reaching Charmboard’s large and growing audience.

~ Business Wire India

Seven Startups Graduate from Target Accelerator Program’s Fourth Batch in India

On an average it takes six weeks and $10,000 to create a motion picture promotional video. What if you could create a video every 15 minutes at a fraction of the cost? This was one of the many innovative ideas presented today at the Target Accelerator Program’s Demo Day. Seven startups - Preksh, MintM, Uncanny Vision, Lechal, Lawbot, Charmboard and Story Xpress, pitched ideas in areas like digital marketing, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

The Target Accelerator Program gives startups a unique platform to develop, scale and test their products in a live retail environment. With unparalleled access to retail business know-how and a community of mentors in India and the U.S., the 16-week program culminated in an impactful Demo Day that saw seven startups pitch to venture capitalists, retailers, serial entrepreneurs and the media. The graduating startups have successfully tested their products across Target stores and its digital channels. The program also provides a platform for Target team members to create compelling solutions. This batch included two internal ideas that were developed alongside the startups.

“We have worked with a broad category of startups and are excited about the initial tests conducted with several of them. The vision of their ideas and the far reaching impact it can have is helping Target stay ahead of the game”, said Navneet Kapoor, president and managing director of Target’s office in India. “Through our accelerator journey over the last three years, we have seen the Indian startup ecosystem mature and are thrilled to see them address deeper and more relevant business problems. We remain invested in partnering with the startups to shape the future of retail.”

The Demo Day in Bangalore comes on the heels of a successful retailer accelerator at Target’s U.S. headquarters in Minneapolis, which was run in conjunction with Techstars. The accelerator programs are being used as a springboard for Target to become more engaged with the startup ecosystem. The Target team in India recently partnered with late-stage startups to provide solutions for other business needs. For instance, UpGrad is providing online trainings for team members and startups to upskill on-the-job, and Blue Birch is solving reverse logistics problems through sustainable solutions for old laptops, phones and workstations.

Target’s long standing commitment to support the communities where we live and work is also being realized through the accelerator program. Target’s team in India is now working with Lechal, who was part of the fourth batch that presented their demos today, to provide haptic footwear to the visually-challenged cricket team from Samarthanam Trust, a partner NGO. Promising to provide ease of navigation, this wearable technology will enable these cricketers to pursue their passion with more zeal.

With a portfolio of 22 startups and counting, the fifth batch of the Target Accelerator Program is slated to launch later this year. Applications can be submitted at:www.f6s.com/targetacceleratorprogram.