Project: F i.d. o Pet Tag Engraving Kiosk
Client: PETCO
Submitted by: The Hillman Group
Also contributing: AtomDesign

fido Pet tag Engraving System from hillmangroup_fido on Vimeo.

Brief overview of the project/technology:
F i.d.o is a self-serve kiosk where an ultra-modern digital dog leads pet owners to create custom engraved pet identification tags. No tag is the number-one reason lost pets aren’t reunited with their owners. Where friendly f i.d.o is installed, pet ID tag sales soar up to 200 percent. The pet tags are packaged in a patented cassette made of recyclable material that doubles as a hang tag for the store display and an alignment fixture for the precision engraver. After inputting the activation code from their receipt, f i.d.o leads the pet owner through an interactive customization process simple enough for children. The tag cassette is inserted into the opening in the engraver window, where the consumer can watch the entire engraving process. Optional two-sided engraving provides room for more than one contact number, and the durable engraved tag ensures readability for the pet’s lifetime.

Objectives of the deployment or the technology:
Only 1 out of every 100 pets at shelters have tags. Lack of an ID tag is the No. 1 reason lost pets aren’t reunited with their owners. In almost every instance, a dog’s or cat’s connection to its family resides with the tag hanging from its collar. This small piece of jewelry is peace of mind that if pets wander off or get lost, they can be quickly be reunited with their owners. Despite best intentions, most pet owners never purchase pet ID tags. But they do visit pet stores. For the past 15 years, pet tag engravers have been relegated to the back of the store, where only those already determined to get a tag could find them – they had no interface and did not pull in users. The big idea was to take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind task and turn it into a very visible, irresistibly easy and fun experience. Thus the primary challenge was to instantly capture pet owners’ attention and express the function of the kiosk, in a cluttered retail environment, and engage them with an interactive game for the whole family – one that also ensures the security of the pet. The next challenge was packaging technology: how does one design a miniature engraving machine to be inviting and intriguing? Further, kiosks have a retail reputation of taking up too much space and intimidating customers into consciously avoiding them, a stigma that only a truly innovative design would be able to overcome. Finally, the kiosk needed to be designed to be easily accessible and operable for the entire population, ranging from adults to children to people in wheelchairs.

Results achieved:
F i.d. o has allowed the retailer to increase the number of tags offered from six on previous equipment to 24 with the f i.d. o kiosk. The attractive tag packaging has allowed the price of the tags at a 20 percent increase from the previous system. Again tag sales have increased as much as 200 percent in many locations.

Size and geographic location(s) of the deployment:
The retailer has requested a total of 500 installations by the end of 2011, up from 125 in 2010.

Selected judges’ comments:

• Great video on the solution. Great overall technology solution including the tag making process, use of a friendly dog walking the user through the process. Great design of kiosk - fun, whimsical, would draw a user. I look forward to using one.
• Talk about compelling design! My kids would definitely gravitate towards this unit at the store. Well thought-out solution on all aspects, especially millwork/enclosure design.
• F i.d. o is an outstanding application. It is original, interactive, and fun to use. It has identified an important need and supplied an engaging fix. Seeing the engraving allows the user to be part of the process. Well done!
• What a fun way to get a pet tag. It looks like a video game. Getting a pet tag is now fun! Good for the pet and fun for the owner. Nicely done.