SOLANA BEACH, Calif.—Having recently celebrated their first year of nationwide deployment, Contentlinq has significantly expanded its presence in the optical industry and is poised for significant growth in 2018.  An SaaS  (software-as-a-service) business, the Contentlinq platform provides optical vendors and retailers with a cloud-based “digital asset management and distribution service” which is designed to enhance the optical retail experience.
 
To date, the company has secured contracts with independent ECPs, major optical chains and an increasing roster of frame and spectacle lens vendors. Via the online digital asset management tool and in-store digital players, vendors can keep their collection images updated and fresh while the ECP or retailer can manage what’s displayed to patients and customers in their dispensaries.
 
Contentlinq CEO and co-founder Bill Gerber says, “Going digital at point of sale is something the industry has wanted for quite some time now. We are very happy to see the fast adoption of the platform by large and small optical retailers alike. POP as we know it is outdated and digital is the perfect replacement because it’s targeted, focused and delivers a consistent message and is sustainable.”
 
Contentlinq offers a wide range of features and benefits to its user base. These include the digital asset manager (DAM) which is a central repository for all digital marketing content. This enables the ECP or retailer to create and publish custom playlists that are delivered to digital devices at retail via the cloud, which provides easy access from any device. The system has the ability to add metadata, tags and keywords for simplified content search, the ability to manage asset licensing compliance and to share assets on social media, with teams and service providers.
 
The Contentlinq Player pulls marketing content from the DAM for display at point of sale, where vendor and retailer content are displayed via curated playlists on digital devices. A Photo Booth allows the consumer to take photos of themselves trying on frames to share with friends. An Interactive Lens Demo tool allows the consumer to see the difference between lenses (progressives, polarized, etc.)
 
Contenlinq is “retail ready,” preventing the unauthorized use of displays for the retailer’s security. Content is updated in real time. And consumer engagement is measured with face detection at the point of sale, providing detailed analytics.  A host of vendor benefits includes the delivery of unique brand stories consistently to the consumer and retail associates at the point of sale.
 
Future development of Contentlinq includes customized catalog integration, virtual frame try on and API integration with point-of-sale, EMR and CRM systems, the company said.
 
Stated Vision Source Administrator Dr. Alex Martin OD, Sanford, N.C. , “I have already seen after a short amount of time, patients spending more time in my optical, and that’s young or old, men or women. I’m seeing the same effect for everyone, which is delivering a great return on my investment. I am recommending going digital with Contentlinq to all my colleagues.”

Added Vision Source member Dr. Wade Ellisor, OD, Kingwood, Texas, “We installed Contentlinq in the Vision Source location in Kingwood  and the response has been amazing. I absolutely love it! I don’t need to have a bunch of POP up on display. My patients love it as well. They can learn more about the brands on display, take and share photos of themselves trying out frames and learn about lenses with the interactive Lens Demo feature.”

Noted Michael Kling, OD, president and CEO of Invision Optometry, San Diego,  “Shopping has changed in today’s world. People are looking for a much more interactive experience. The days of simply shopping in a retail store are over. Mobile devices have really changed the whole consumer paradigm whether it involves comparing prices or checking product availability.

“We recently invested in the Contentlinq system which allows us to tell the story of each brand we want to highlight. These changes can be made instantly, in real time, by tapping Contentlinq’s easy to use digital asset manager. Motion is an attention getter. The Contentlinq tablets pull people in and gets them interested in the brands. It makes a real statement about who we are as a retail business. It shows we’re cutting edge. We are committed to delivering the best possible customer experience and Contentlinq is helping,” he said.