The word rollover has a number of different connotations or associations. In this case, there is no reason to call an ambulance or to break out the treats for Fido. In the realm of digital print media there is a single meaning that refers specifically to a unique interaction between a Flip Page publication and the consumer. Product Rollovers are identified by a pop-up or zoomed window as a consumer rolls (or maybe more accurately ‘mouse’s) over a highlighted product. A rollover generally provides another view of a product and also provides additional textual information (such as price, dimensions, weight etc) pertaining to the product that may not be included within the actual publication. The rollover feature is typically integrated into retail publications.
What is a Retail Publication?
Retail is generally defined as the sale of goods or commodities directly to consumers or other businesses. Unlike publications that contain information, news, entertainment, editorial, or journalistic content, a retail publication typically focuses on the sale of goods or commodities. Accordingly, the official Flip Page definition of Retail Publication is any publication that focuses on the sale of goods or commodities. Common indicators of a Retail Publication are the presence of product images, product descriptions, prices, sku or product numbers, and the desire to have links to an e‐commerce portal. Common types of Retail Publications include flyers, inserts, and catalogs.
Product Rollovers offer a variety of options aside from simply linking a product to its corresponding product page. Click here for a Product URL sample.
A basic rollover provides additional graphical and textual information that when clicked will add the product to a ‘virtual wishlist’ (click here for sample). The ‘wishlist’ is populated in the toolbar as each product is added by the consumer.
A rollover to URL option provides additional graphical and textual information that when clicked will link to an external product page or e-commerce page (click here for sample).
A rollover to Product Detail page provides additional graphical and textual information that when clicked will open a Product Detail page. The product detail page offers the consumer an opportunity to share the publication, add products to shopping list, view the shopping list, or return to the publication. The product detail page also provides additional product details such as price, category, brand, and details. The product detail page also populates similar products that fall in the same category as the product being viewed (click here for sample).
The final rollover option involves linking a product to a corresponding Product Detail page as well as a URL link. This essentially provides the benefits of both the ‘rollover to URL’ and ‘rollover to Product Detail’ page options (click here for sample).
Rollovers can do a lot more than just provide additional textual content or images. Our rollover suite provides three optional external link locations. This means that a retailer can really expand on the description of the product with links to video, brochures, warranty information, nutritional information, a vendor’s website and more! (click here for sample).
Application
The interactive nature of a product rollover tucked inside a Flip Page edition provides a unique opportunity for retailers. Not only does the Flip Page version have the potential to reach consumers outside the traditional avenue of print but it now also offers an additional element to spur online and retail sales via 'wishlist' and 'shopping cart' functionality.
Offering expansive media to a consumer in a rollover in the form of video and linked content provides an avenue for furthering product knowledge and appeal.