Vote for Penny Black in HackerNoon's Startup of the Year

Hey Hackers,

Penny Black has been nominated in HackerNoon's annual Startup of the Year awards in London, UK.

Please vote for us here: https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-london-england-uk.

Read more about us below to understand why we deserve your vote.

Meet Penny Black

We are Penny Black, the company turning your ecommerce packaging into a new, personalised marketing channel with a 100% open rate.

Brands work hard and spend money to acquire new customers but then struggle to retain these customers long-term. At Penny Black, we see an opportunity for brands to use the moment they have their customers’ complete, undivided attention – the unboxing moment – to emotionally connect with customers and encourage them to convert again. We’ve helped brands unlock a new marketing channel that converts 5x better than post-purchase emails and contributes to an 11x increase in repeat purchases.

With our technology, ecommerce brands can use customer data from their store and customer data platform (including Klaviyo) to send tailored messaging to customers through personalised inserts. Brands can also create segments so shoppers get a different experience every time they shop.

My role

My name is James Halsall, Principal Software Engineer here at Penny Black. I am just one part of a whole team looking after our platform, management application, customers and operations.

On the technical side, our estate spans a huge variety of areas from serverless to containers to satellites, which are the little black boxes we deploy that bridge the gap between our physical printers and our cloud software platform.

How we're disrupting the ecommerce marketing industry

Traditionally, our industry has been dominated by digital channels, such as email, alongside a sprinkling of physical channels like direct mail. Penny Black is unique because it combines the best of both physical and digital marketing, as well as being delivered at the point that matters most: the unboxing moment. Direct mail has previously captured the physical element of marketing but usually needs more personalisation to meet high customer expectations. Whereas post-purchase channels, like email and SMS, can offer better personalisation but often get lost in the noise.

We are changing the game by introducing a physical marketing channel that uses digital data to emotionally connect with customers.

Our platform allows ecommerce brands to create dynamic artwork, personalise it, and then target customer segments using a huge variety of data points (including age, location, purchase history and more). Then, we allow brands to print these inserts, in real-time, during the pick-and-pack process. Ecommerce brands can then use the only IRL moment they may have with their shoppers to deeply emotionally connect and serve them a personalised experience that builds their customer loyalty.

Standing out from the crowd

What sets us apart from other startups in the ecommerce space is the multifaceted nature of our technology. Unlike conventional SaaS tools, our platform extends beyond software, requiring seamless connections with physical hardware such as satellites and printers. This all means brands can personalise and add personalised inserts into their orders directly within their logistics centres.

We are also tasked with developing integrations for a diverse range of warehouse management systems (WMS), to make sure our solution seamlessly integrates into the existing processes of any logistics center. On top of this, we are dedicated to optimising print times, working diligently to keep them at minimal levels.

In summary, our startup faces a more complex set of challenges compared to others in the ecommerce space. We are actively engaged in streamlining various aspects of our operations, presenting our team with both challenging and exhilarating problems to solve.

Our predictions for the ecommerce industry in 2024

This year's been a bit of a rollercoaster for ecommerce brands. The COVID ecommerce boom has faded, and people are tightening their purse strings due to the cost of living crunch. Now, the real winners are the ones going viral on TikTok, building strong communities, or serving truly innovative products. It's getting trickier for ecommerce brands to shine and stand out from the crowd.

On top of that, brands are cluing in on the magic of face-to-face interactions that got lost during the COVID rush. So, guess what? Ecommerce-first businesses are ditching the online-only approach and reopening physical stores to make shopping a memorable experience.

Looking into 2024, we're betting more ecommerce folks will catch on that they've got to connect with customers both online and in the real world to stand out.

New marketing channels, like personalised inserts, will allow brands to optimise what they’re already doing (like packaging up their orders) to stand out. Not only will small changes like this will surprise and delight customers, but also have a direct impact on long-term, sustainable revenue which is crucial for the year ahead.

What word defines the state of ecommerce in 2023?

Experimental

Why we decided to participate in HackerNoon's Startup of the Year awards

Here at Penny Black, we’re doing something different and for the first time! Being part of HackerNoon’s Startup of the Year awards means we can spotlight the incredible work we’re doing to shake up the ecommerce game. We’re not just another AI tool, chatbot or ESP - we’re serving new technology that everyone needs to hear about.

Final thoughts

Penny Black is honoured to be part of HackerNoon's Startup of the Year awards in London, UK. We're not your typical tool; we're introducing groundbreaking technology that's reshaping the ecommerce landscape. Your vote can help us shine a spotlight on the innovative work we're doing.

Vote for us today here, and let's continue transforming the ecommerce game together. Thanks for your support! https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-london-england-uk

Connect with me on LinkedIn here.