Over the past few decades, the shopping experience for consumers has changed dramatically. Consumers today can purchase groceries, electronics and even cars from anywhere around the world using a mobile device from the comfort of their own home. But with the convenience of global options comes a tradeoff: many consumers don’t know who made the product and, in some cases, don’t know where it came from.
One UNC-affiliated startup is looking to forge that producer-consumer connection. The Looma Project is a company that promotes meaningful work and responsible purchasing through a human-centric point-of-decision video platform.
“For thousands of years, we as a human race bought food and goods from people we knew. We knew exactly where the food was coming from and who made it,” says Cole Johnson, founder and CEO of the Looma Project. “Over the years the distance between producers and consumers has grown, but we’re now seeing a generation that wants to close that gap and know the people and the stories behind their products.”
The company’s main product, Loop™, replicates the communal feel of a farmer’s market through a network of tablets that play short videos connecting consumers to the people behind their products. The videos merge the online and offline experience, driving emotional affinity for both vendor and venue. In addition, the platform enables retailers and brands to understand how shoppers respond to their messaging.
| UNC-CH
