PhotoChannel and Facebook

Reader N.L. shared with me the following correspondence he had with PhotoChannel (OTC BB: PNWIF.OB) today.

N.L.'s e-mail to PhotoChannel:

Is it fair to say that Photochannel is no longer in the running for facebook as a company called imagekind seems to be working with them? Any other social networking sites or flickr on the radar screen?

PhotoChannel's response to N.L.:

Thank you for your interest.

While I can’t speak definitively about Imagekind and their relationship with Facebook, it is of no mounting concern for us at PNI.

It seems that they have created a fan-page on Facebook. Artists who sell their art via Imagekind, and are also users of Facebook, can become fans of the fan page, and thereby attract new fans, with the hopes of selling more art via Imagekind. This type of marketing is a common strategy of both big and small companies, including some of PNI’s key customers. Wal-Mart Canada, for example, has a photo gift presence on Facebook already which can be used as an on ramp to further sales.

As a company, we are pursuing corporate level partnerships with leading retailers and sites, including Facebook and Flickr, the two you mentioned. In terms of marketing, we also guide and support our existing partners in devising and implementing messaging and strategies that will drive sales through the PNI platform.

I hope that answers your question.

Simon Cairns

PNI Digital Media