PePiCo

PePiCo: Mobile fun content gets a real personal touch …

PePiCo?

PePiCo stands for Personal Picture Content. The service enables mobile users to personalize rich content for mobile devices such as games, animated cards, wallpapers, etc., with their own content (pictures, text, etc.) These personalized items can be stored on the user’s phone, sent to friends or shared with other users. The user can for example take his or her own picture and embed it into an animated snowman for a mobile Christmas screensaver!

The service was officially launched in November 2008 and is still considered a beta version to reflect an ongoing process of improvements. The technology behind PePiCo took over 2 years to develop.

The access URL for the service is pepico.jp. PePiCo is free of charge and can be used on approximately 95% of all handsets from the three big carriers (DoCoMo, Softbank and AU). Both the service and the technology are registered at the Japanese Patent Office.

Content

The applications (or so-called “Pepicos” or “Pepis”) feature special stories that are sometimes whacky and sometimes cute, but always intended to make users laugh and entice them to pass the content along to friends (multiplier effect). At the time of the launch there were 11 different PePiCos available. They range from Christmas cards to interactive games and wallpapers. New PePiCos are added every month.

How PePiCo works

Visitors to the PePiCo site can select from a range of e-cards, animations, wallpapers and games. After selecting the PePiCo application, users attach a picture of themselves to an email and send it via cellphone to the PePiCo service. The users will then receive an email featuring their personalized PePiCo, including a link to where they can modify the picture. At this point, the custom application is ready to be used or shared with friends.

The Pepi-nados: Usage behavior

An initial test with a group of around 10,000 mobile phone users showed interesting results: Users on average created two PePiCos during their first visit and forwarded to at least two friends. Some 35% of all those who received a Pepi from their friend also started to create their own versions. It has been demonstrated, therefore, that once users try PePiCo and see the results, they fall in love with the service, trying out new Pepis and passing them on to their friends.

Free, Ad-based Service

The service is currently free of charge and advertising based. Each PePiCo can also include a sponsor’s banner/ message, which is embedded in the application. A different banner/ message can be embedded based on the user profile and preferences. It is also possible to embed product placements or create fully customized and branded PePiCos.

The PePiCo Engine

The PePiCo Engine can combine text; pictures and rich content such as games and animations on the fly and deliver this content to a users mobile phone. This opens up a broad range of future applications such as personalized games, personal reminder services, E-Cards, interactive calendars and screensavers and personal widget applications. The technology is not limited to mobile phones. It can also be used on PCs and other internet-enabled devices (For example smartphones, set-top-boxes, etc.)

Contact:

PePiCo
Tech Hiroo Bldg 1F
Hiroo 1-10-5
Shibuya-ku,
150-0012 Tokyo
Phone+81(0)3-5423-5333
Fax+81(0)3-5423-6654
Email: info@pepico.jp

PePiCo and the PePiCo Engine are registered trademarks.