BRIDAL BANQUETS BY THE BEACH

       For decades, Thailand has been one of the most popular destinations for honeymooners around the wourld. Thanks to the country's geographical location and convenient access points that make it easily accessible from the US, Europe and Asia, the kingdom is blessed with a diversity of destinations that can be enjoyed at anytime of theyear. Throw in its cultural aspects and a few fun quirks and it's easy to see why Thailand has also becom a popular place for lovers to exchange vows. Growing alongside that popularity is the prufessinal wedding service offered by boyh independent studios and luxurious hotel chains. Among many famous locations, one new option for the soon-to-be-married is Pattava.
       Taking advanage of its vicinity to Bangkok and the mushrooming of luxurious four and five star hotels, Pattaya is now offering mid-range but quality wedding receptons for both local and foreign lovers.
       Those who want a cultural setting can choose to go up North for a Lanna style reception, or head Northeast to enjoy a nuptial experience on elephant back, Ocean lovers can tie the knot underwater in Trang and follow up with a romantic, candle-lit party on the beach to celebrate the union.
       But the vast majority of couples simply want the "perfect" reception, shich includes a decent meal and drinks, exquisite wedding cake, nice set up with romantic music anc, most importantly, convenience for their gurests.
       Phuket, Krabi and Samui have long been big wedding markets, as they all have stunning ocean cackdrops, easy access by plane and professional event organisers from many five-star beachside hotels, They mainly cater to high-end clients looking for an exclusive event.
       In Pattaya, couples will find both mid-range to super high-end and everything in between. Prices range from Bt15,000 to Bt 100,000 and cover both traditional Thai and Western style potions.
       Pattaya has worked hard to drop its "Sin City" tag and today is recognised as a family resort, It's busy expanding its territory int he wedding market thanks to expanding its territory in the wedding market thanks to its growth and strength in hospitality business. With its four to five-star hotel chains booming, ti attracts not only the higher-end vacationers and MICE groups but also wedding cuples who want convenient, quality reception in reasonable prices.
       Amari Orchid Resort & Tower in Pattay has been a pioneer in wedding business. For the third consecutive year, the hotel organised its Wedding Fair last weekend at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. The hotel offers a special wdding package and has now introduced a range of professionsl services from wedding planners, aestheitc spas. wdding dress designers and jewellers. The hotel also has additional packages for honeymoon and spa pampering after the wdding.
       "What we've been trying to do is tio fill the demand in Pattaya's wdding market." David cumming, General Manager, said in an interview after the opening ceremeny on Sturday. "Of course people get masrried here, both the Thais and the foreigners that live here, but it's not professionally organised. We're running a hotel business, we have the facilties and we have the manpower, we can cater to that."
       For teh first year, the fair claimed 26 weddings at the hotel and the figure went up to 45 last year. Amari hopes to double that number during the upcoming high season, While other hotel cahins in Pattaya slowly pick up on the wedding market, Amari ranks weedings as important as vacations and other functions.
       "What we do is the ensure the couple that they'ss get what they pay for, and they'll get the best for their money. We set up the banquets, full scale, for them to see, And we guarantee that they will get exactly what they choose on their wedding day. We sell the promise, and we deliver it." Cumming confirmed.

Jet ski operators ordered to buy insurance

       Provincial authorities are forcing jet ski operators on the resort island to buy insurance policies for their vehicles as part of efforts to regulate the business.
       Rear Adm Amornchote Sujirat, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) on Phuket, said the number of rental jet skis on the island would be limited to 219.
       The strict new measures were outlined at a meeting yesterday of a provincial panel set up to discuss regulating jet ski operations on Phuket. It was ordered to outline measures to prevent tourists being extorted by jet ski operators. Insurance firms, jet ski operators and tourism agencies attended the meeting.
       The move followed the recent distribution of video recordings showing foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket.The videos were broadcast by a cable TV channel in Britain and widely viewed on YouTube.
       Rear Adm Amornchote said the authorities wanted all commercial jet skis on the island to be insured. Only one insurance firm would be chosen to insure the jet skis.
       When the details were finalised, Phuket would become the first province to have all jet skis insured.
       The committee had met three times to discuss steps to regulate jet ski rental operations in a bid to prevent extortion of foreigners over damage to the vehicles.
       As part of the measures, zones will be set up on each beach. Each zone will be supervised by a person selected from among the jet ski operators.
       A total of 219 jet skis are now available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala,Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
       A list of operators and their jet skis will be prepared. Any operator found to extort money from tourists will face tough legal action. Closed-circuit television cameras will be installed on the beaches to prevent possible extortion of tourists.
       He said operators and jet ski staff would be required to undergo training on safety measures and safe areas for jet ski operations.
       Operators who took advantage of tourists would be blacklisted and they would not have their operating permits renewed, he said.
       Jet ski operators from other provinces would not be allowed to provide services in Phuket.
       Rear Adm Amornchote said 10 insurance firms had shown interest in the plan.
       They would be given 15 days to submit their conditions and premiums to the provincial authorities.
       Anusorn Sareh, acting chairman of the jet ski operators club in Phuket, said if the annual insurance premium cost more than 10,000 baht per vehicle it would be rejected by the operators, as their businesses only operate profitably during the main tourism season of about six months only.

EASING THE PAIN

       The loss of a spouse is a sorrowful turning point in anyone's life, but when Suppawan Duangsuwan's husband passed away two years ago,she found solace in art and has since created an unexpected business venture.
       She spent three days and nights painting her husband's coffin as her final gift. Her artwork made an impression on many mourners at the funeral and some asked her to paint coffins for their loved ones too.
       She opened the Sirimongkon coffinpainting shop in April 2008, where she also sells urns and artificial wood flowers. This later led to her becoming a funeral organiser.
       "I understand the stress involved in hosting a funeral because I have been through it. Some people are unable to organise anything as they are very sad,"said Ms Suppawan.
       "But I'm willing to be a funeral organiser for them as I have had some experience before. I think this business has large room to grow because the market has just a few players."
       There are many coffin shops and each month they sell between 400 and 500 coffins at 5,000 to 7,000 baht, which shows that the market has a high value,she said.
       A study in 2006 by Kasikorn Research Center found that the funeral business was worth about 35 billion baht per year, said Ms Suppawan.
       A funeral in Bangkok typically costs three times that of one organised in the provinces.
       One-stop funeral service organisers attract well-off customers, charging 120,000 to 400,000 baht per funeral,said the research centre.
       Sirimongkon's most popular products are painted coffins and urns and artificial wood flowers. But she limits her orders because all products are hand-made and take time to produce.She spends at least three days to paint a coffin herself.
       "I have at least two or three coffin orders per month. I plan to expand the business and I'm looking for skilled workers who love this job," she said.
       Her coffins are priced from 35,000 to more than 100,000 baht. She plans to soon offer cheaper painted coffins priced at 15,000 to 25,000 baht to capture the middle-class market.
       Sirimongkon organises at least two or three funerals a month, charging about 200,000 to 300,000 baht for a funeral lasting five to seven days.
       In addition to marketing online at w.sirimongkon.com -and through word of mouth, Ms Suppawan plans promotional campaigns featuring booths at temples and hospitals.
       "Many people, particularly the rich,have ordered coffins for themselves and even their loved ones. I am working on a customised coffin. One customer told me what coffin he would like. I think people no longer think that [plac-ing an order while still alive] will bring them bad luck," said Ms Suppawan.
       "I love this job. It is artistic work.And I feel good that I can make other people happy with my work. I think it's a way of doing good for other people,while I can feed my family after losing my husband."

PAKISTANI POLICE STAGE ARMS RAID ON US-CONTRACTED SECURITY COMPANY

       Pakistani police raided a local security firm that helps protect the US embassy yesterday, seizing dozens of allegedly unlicenced weapons at a time when unusually intense media scrutiny of America's use of private contractors has deepened anti-US sentiment.
       Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested during the raids in Islamabad, police official Rana Akram said. Reporters were shown the disputed weapons -61 assault rifles and nine pistols. Mr Akram said police were seeking the firm's owner.
       US embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire said the US contract with Inter-Risk took effect at the start of 2009. It is believed to be the first contract the firm has signed with the US, said Mr Snelsire.
       "Our understanding is they obtained licences with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs," he said."We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk,that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates."
       Mr Akram said he had no idea about any US links to Inter-Risk, but the company was recently mentioned in local media reports that have been trying to establish the types of private security firms American diplomats use in Pakistan.
       In particular, Pakistani reporters, antiUS bloggers and others have suggested the US is using the American firm formerly known as Blackwater - a claim that chills many Pakistanis because of the company's alleged involvement in killings of Iraqi civilians.
       The US embassy denies it uses Blackwater - now known as Xe Services - in Pakistan.
       Scandals involving US contractors have occurred elsewhere in the region.
       In Washington on Friday, the Commission on Wartime Contracting heard testimony about another contractor ArmorGroup North America - involving alleged illegal and immoral conduct by its guards at the US embassy in Afghanistan.
       The Iraqi government refused to grant Xe Services an operating licence earlier this year amid continued outrage over a 2007 lethal firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad, although the State Department has temporarily extended a contract with an Xe subsidiary to protect US diplomats in Iraq.
       Many of the reports in Pakistan have been fuelled by US plans to expand its embassy space and staff. Among the other rumours the US denies: that 1,000 US marines will land in the capital, and that Americans will set up a Guantanamostyle prison.
       The US says it needs to add hundreds more staff to allow it to disburse billions of dollars in additional aid to Pakistan.
       Legislation making its way through Congress will triple non-military aid to Pakistan - one version would provide $1.5 billion (50.5 billion baht) a year over five years in humanitarian and economic aid. The goal is to improve education and other areas, lessening the allure of extremism.
       The US considers stability in Pakistan critical to helping the faltering war effort in neighbouring Afghanistan, and has pressed Pakistan to crack down on extremism on its soil.

Efforts to regulate jet skis to be stepped up

       Authorities are stepping up efforts to regulate jet ski operators following alleged scams involving extortion of foreigners over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
       Phuket officials, jet ski operators and representatives of insurance companies yesterday met to discuss measures to promote tourism in the resort island and to bring jet ski operations into the insurance system to prevent possible extortion of foreigners.
       The move came after the recent distribution of video recordings featuring foreign tourists allegedly being ripped off over damage to jet skis on Phuket and other incidents.
       Phuket deputy governor Samith Palwatwichai said a committee will be set up to look at the possibility of having all jet skis in the province insured.
       Mr Samith said local authorities, insurers and jet ski operators will meet again on Wednesday to thrash out the details of insurance premiums for jet skis.
       A total of 219 jet skis are available for rent on Surin, Bangtao, Kamala, Patong and Kata-Karon beaches.
       Mr Samith said the provincial marine office had been asked to survey and register jet ski operators in the province.
       The deputy governor said operators will be asked to stop overcharging and extorting tourists or demanding exorbitant compensation for minor damage to jet skis.
       Suvimol sae Lim, director of the Phuket insurance commission office, said Phuket should serve as a trail-blazer in jet ski insurance as so far no insurers had ever provided coverage for jet ski operators in the country.
       She said if jet ski insurance was introduced in the province, this would help sort out problems involving the extortion of foreigners over damage.
       Tourists who rented jet skis would feel confident they would not be taken advantage of, Ms Suvimol said.
       "If Phuket is successful, it will serve as an example for other provinces which has jet ski operators," she said.
       Ms Suvimol said initially proposed insurance packages would cover damage to jet skis, insure against loss of income due to the damage to jet skis and provide coverage to tourists renting them.
       So far only the Bangkok Insurance company has offered to provide cover for jet skis in Phuket, Ms Suvimol said.
       Anusorn Sa-re, head of the Phuket association of jet ski operators, said he agreed with the proposal and said the insurance premium must be acceptable to operators. He said operators can only earn income between December and May. They could not make money during the remainder of the year as it is the monsoon season.
       Recently, video clips have been distributed showing a female British tourist being arrested for marijuana possession at a full moon party on Koh Phangan and a British marine and a US marine being threatened to pay exorbitant compensation for damage to rented jet skis on Phuket in separate incidents.

GREAT THINGS TO SEE AND DO: All about dreams

       Anette Pollner is running a workshop titled "Introduction to Working with Dreams" on October 3 from 10am to 5pm (lunch included) at the NCS Counselling Centre in Saphan Kwai.
       the workshop is open to everyone, with or without prior experience of either dream work or psychoterapy.
       Dream theories can be very complex, but the workshop will introduce participants to a series of simple and very effective exercies that offer fresh perspectives and often-surprising insights into dreams.
       Pollner, who tranied in London and the US, has extensive training and experience in post-Jungian approaches and uses methods from Gestalt and Transpersonal psychotherapies.
       Participants will have the opportunity to explore a dream in a safe and creative environment, and learn a few basic tools for unterstanding their dreams.
       The cost is Bt850 prior to September 26 and Bt950 after
       For reservations, email Anette.P@ncs-counselling.com or newcomserv@ji-net.com or call (084) 942 1012 or (081) 692 2981.

CENTRAL BANK WORKING ON PLAN TO SET UP A BILL CONSOLIDATOR

       The Bank of Thailand (BOT) plans to set up a single bill consolidator that would pool public utilities billings for consumers in a bid to reduce operational cost in the economy.
       The electronic bill project would enable consumers to check their bills via the bill consolidator or other counter services instead of dealing with many bills from many operators via snail mails.
       The consumer would be encouraged to use electronic oayment or they could use other traditional payment, according to their preference.
       Toschanok Leelawankulsiri, BOT's division executive of Payment Systems Policy and Strategy Division, said the project would help save the snail mail cost for the business sector and save time for consumers.
       "We should have the single bill consolidator but some companies said they have already invested in their own system," she said.
       The bill consolidator would gather all of the bills issued. A consumer would be able to surf the Net to read the bill consolidator.
       Counter services like post office's Pay-at-post or 7-Elecen's counter service could provide the bill consoldator service, so consumers could check and pay their bills.
       "The consumers might get an sms from a bill collector about how much they have to pay on various accounts," said Toschanok.
       The central bank, commercial banks and related companies, however, will have to work hard on the project.
       For example, the bill consolidator shoudl adopt online or offline system as it would deal with the partners.
       Many countries, such as the United States, Britain, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, have the bill consolifators. Some countries have a single consolidator while others have a few.
       Meanwhile, the BOT wants to encourage credit-card holders to use cards issued by local commercial banks to help reduce transaction cost and promote shops to take the credit cards.
       The credit-card transactions incurred by international card issuers currently need the overseas clearing system, resulting in the high operation cost. As a result, shops have to pay merchandise rate of 2-3 per cent for the card-issuers unnecessarily.
       Tischanok said the country could establish an internal clearing system via any agency, such as National ITMX, in a bid to reduce the cost.

Kodak taps small businesses

       To tap the growth of digital printing,Kodak (Thailand) has consolidated its technology resource bringing to retailers its new look Kodak Digital Express Solution.
       Kodak Express Solution will be one of the major focus movements this year as Kodak keeps supporting the retail shops with upgrading their service capability, according to Preecha Prasatwattana, the new managing director since April.
       The look of those retailers will be revamped, together with new merchan-dise, to catch up with digital technology.
       By the second half year, Preecha said Kodak would concentrate on the activity and package offer for SMEs. A Kodak Express conference will be held for partners and retailers in September and the company will help them to better offer services to customers with The KCPS (KODAK Creative Production Software),the workflow software designed specifically for photo retailers. The package offered to SMEs also includes Kodak Express Light Version which comes up with an APEX printer package that helps SMEs to start photo printing businesses on a small budget.
       Thailand is one of the world's best retail systems and Kodak Express is also regarded one of the most advanced in the world, said the managing director who has been overseeing Kodak's Southeast Asia market for over 10 years.
       The company will also expand the numbers of printing kiosks in Bangkok and upcountry to around 150 locations by this year.
       Digital printing still has a promising growth, at 35 percent, he said.
       Preecha admitted that sales of digital cameras had declined during the first half year, around 20 percent, due to the economic slowdown.

B-QUIK PLANS RAPID EXPANSION IN ALL DIMENSIONS

       Leading auto-maintenance and light-repair operator B-Quik will spend Bt160 million to open new stores and improve existing facilities.
       Of that amount, Bt100 million will be used to open eight new stores and the rest to upgrade existing ones.
       CEO Henk Kiks said there were now 57 B-Quik stores in Thailand and that up to six more would be built this year.
       "Currently, we have 57 stores. This weekend, we'll open No 58 at Carrefour Rama II, our second store on Rama II Road.
       "At the end of October or beginning of November, we'll open No 59 at Big C Pattaya; end of November, No 60 at Carrefour Superhighway in Chiang Mai; then in December, No 61 at Big C Klong 6 in Rangsit, No 62 at Esso Bang Na-Trat km 2 and possibly another store upcountry," Kiks said.
       B-Quik has already started its expansion with new stores this year at Central Chon Buri and Carrefour Hang Dong in Chiang Mai. Eight more are planned for the South and Northeast next year, he said.
       B-Quik will also replace its Jusco Pattanakarn store with a much larger one, expand its Ekamai Express to full size and renovate and upgrade 10 other stores.
       Kiks said B-Quik sales were up 30 per cent year on year to date and that full-year revenue was targeted at Bt2 billion.
       The only chain to offer all major brands of tyres, the company plans to sell 500,000 this year. Brands include Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental, Dunlop, Yokohama, Falken, Firenza and Nitto, as well as B-Quik's own brand, Thunderer.
       "This is another reason major department stores and superstores prefer to have us," Kiks said.
       He said the rapid expansion was because superstores and shopping centres had begun to understand B-Quik stores attracted customers.
       "They're starting to realise that we not only are an addition to the shopping experience, but also have become a magnet for them, since we serve more than 1,000 customers a month in our bigger stores - 40,000 cars a month in total. These are high-profile customers and very good to have for superstores and shopping centres," he said.
       "So it has slowly turned around over the years from us going after hypermarkets, supermarkets and shopping centres to them asking us to build with them."

Don't break up, go on holiday

       Marriage hit the rocks? Considering a divorce? An Indian tour operator wants warring couples to hold off consulting lawyers and go on holiday instead - with a relationship counsellor in tow.
       KV Tours and Travels, based in the western city of Mumbai, has launched "divorce tourism" packages, designed to get spouses who have fallen out of love to bury the hatchet.
       "With divorce tourism, what we're trying to do is to bring together couples who are heading towards divorce to stop them," the company's chief executive Vijesh Thakker said.
       India, where marriage is still viewed as the bedrock of society, has traditionally had one of the world's lowest divorce rates. Only about one in 100 marriages fail, compared with one in two in the United States.
       But the divorce rate is rising, particularly in India's big cities.
       "In metropolitan areas like New Delhi,Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, where higher income people are residing, divorce is becoming quite common," said Hasan Anzar, a partner at New Delhi firm ANZ Lawz.
       "You can definitely say that cases of family law are rising and it's happening with all lawyers."
       Reasons for the rise include the greater empowerment of women in urban India through better education and employment, which has changed their aspirations in life and given them financial independence, said Anzar.
       Others are interference from in-laws,many of whom live with married couples in the joint family structure, or imported ideas of "love marriages", as opposed to ones arranged by families along social,religious or caste lines.
       In a sign of the phenomenon, ANZ Lawz runs an Internet-based subsidiary called divorcelawyers.co.in, which bills itself as "India's first exclusive divorce law firm."
       Elsewhere, websites such as secondshaadi.com offer online dating services to divorcees and widows, who until recently were widely ostracised by conservative society. Shaadi is the Hindi word for wedding.
       Thakker said couples at loggerheads are likely to be unwilling to spend cash on each other, so is instead targeting family members who want to save a failing marriage - often to save family honour - to foot the bill.
       He said he had had half a dozen enquiries shortly after launching last month and was hoping for more.
       Different packages are available, from week-long stays in hill station resorts costing about 35,000 rupees (24,000 baht)to more expensive foreign destinations.
       "We're trying to send them where they have not been before, where there are not many people - and no relatives,"said Thakker.
       Experienced marriage counsellors,whose costs are paid through deals made with hoteliers and travel agents, will accompany the husbands and wives,encouraging them to patch up their differences and make a fresh start.
       Thakker, a 40-year-old father of two sons and "happily married for 18 years",reckons a seven-day trip is enough to determine a couple's future.
       Anzar suggested that the concept might work because of the continuing social stigma of divorce in certain sections of Indian society and the wider significance here of marriage as a union of families, not just individuals.
       Rhea Pravin Tembhekar, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist who runs a counselling centre in Mumbai,said she was intrigued by the concept.
       "If you're fighting about trivial things,like time management or in-laws issues -'my mother, your mother, my money,your money, etcetera'- maybe a holiday might work," she said.
       "But sometimes the issues are very critical, like domestic violence. You can't go on holiday and resolve that."
       The unusual package comes as the Indian tourism sector suffers a downturn due to the continued effects of the global economic crisis. Overseas visitors also fell after last November's militant attacks on Mumbai.
       Thakker, who hit on the concept after seeing a friend go through a divorce 18 months ago, said innovation was the key to helping boost tourist numbers.
       "People are ready to accept new concepts," he said.
       "Nowadays divorce rates are rising,so we need to sort it out. It's a good thing we're doing. And we're helping domestic and international governments by promoting tourism."
       "We're not destiny-changers," he admitted, but added:"We want them to treat the trip like a second honeymoon."

Kodak launches "Transpromo"

       Kodak is going to change the market perception of its "yellow box with camera" to the world of graphic communication by helping businesses to create effective customer communications.
       Called "Transpromo", the strategy is all about creating higher value, more effective customer communications to strengthen customer relations and drive higher response rates, said Pat McGrew,Eastman Kodak Data-Driven Communication Segment Evangelist, during an interview with Database .Kodak does this by offering technology that aligns transactional documents and promotional offers, and increases customer loyalty with one-to-one engagement.
       McGrew noted that companies around the world use billing statements to have contacts with their customers on a regular basis. Bills, statements,direct mail and other documents are delivered to someone to communicate.The bank and cell phone providers send monthly statements out to their customers.
       "The bill is a monthly appointment with customers because customers ex-pect it. If it is postcard or another piece of promotional material, they might throw it away because it something they don't want to take time reading, so why not put more marketing messages on the bill," she said.
       McGrew suggested the brand owners,the service providers, and those who deal with the billing should turn that monthly appointment into a regular conversation with their customers.
       "The first thing you want is to make sure that it must be easy for them to understand, and add good information content helping the customer to be a better customer."
       Credit card companies, banks, insurance companies and telephone companies around the world all have the same number one problem - losing customers.
       "Customers leave because they don't think they are getting value for the relationship and because they find it hard to do business with you. That's where the whole story comes together. Teaching them how to make them easy to read, teaching them to design the document so that when someone receives it they know exactly what they are supposed to do. Giving more information so that customers feel you value their time then you can educate them," she said.
       Kodak has partnered and worked with the post around the world McGrew said,adding that the post knows their customers. They can adopt the transpromotional strategy to create a personal relationship with customers. For instance, a cell phone provider used bills to tell customers about a special offer allowing them to call a country at a lower rate on a specific day and reminding them that the discount will be coming up.
       The bill cost per print is not the right conversation, she said. It is a matter of "cost per response"."If I charge you four times more for your prints, but you get a 500 percent higher response rate, most marketers said yes because most marketing offers made by any brand owners typically only get a 1 or 2 percent response rate. If I can take them 10,12 or 20 percent, which usually use data to create personal relations,then that's a lot more revenue coming back to the company."
       Asked how long the business can take to respond, McGrew said that it depends on various factors. Usually for customers, like mobile phone operators in Australia who issue the cell phone bills, from the time they have the idea to the time to implement, takes about 6 to 7 months.
       McGrew, whose job is to educate the market globally, said that it is market development, Kodak has to find the printers who are interested in changing the way they print for their customers,find the customers that are interested in working with the printer and educate them, and get to brand agencies, advertising agencies who advise their customers.
       "Most brand owners and advertising agencies know all this very well - SMS,web, email, billboard, direct mail but this one they've never heard of, so we have to find those people and tell them this service is available to them and it's an effective market. They can get a higher response rate because this is a personal communication market,this is one-to-one and this can be complimentary to web marketing, to mass marketing."
       McGrew, who was recently in Thailand, said she saw tremendous opportunity here."This is an interesting country because you have a rich understanding of colour, you like to communicate in colour. Look at the billboards, every building is colourful so the opportunity to communicate in colour, and also to bring the idea of data-driven personal in market is amazing.
       "Kodak has talked to customers here and there is a great deal of interest.Over the next year, you will see your mail box changed, the providers who create bills and statements learn the technique, the access to the technology.
       "The most normal thing to do is to work with brand owners, someone has to do data collecting, someone has to do market message development, sometimes the printers provide all of the services for free, so there are a number of different ways that you can handle the cost.
       "Way to be successful is get one thing to do first, start with a small project,and learn with the data track the data the use the method. Then once you have experience, you then grow. Then get more sophisticated with the data and with the messaging."