FanCams have inventors, businesses smiling

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Denise Neil and Katie Grover FanCam photo at Cocktails and Cookies

Written by By Denise Neil of the Wichita Eagle on April 15, 2012. Here are some excerpts from the full story, which can be read here http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/13/2297306/fancams-have-inventors-businesses.html.

Now, a Wichita trio has come up with the 2012 version of a photo booth that is catching on across Wichita — and catching attention across the country.

It’s called FanCam, and it allows a business’ patrons or a party’s attendees to pose for photobooth-type pictures and instantly post them to Facebook. The idea is simple, but it’s proving to be a fun and effective marketing tool for local restaurants, clubs and other businesses.

A year later, FanCams are everywhere. The new Chick-fil-A at Central and Rock has one set up where people can use it while waiting in line.

There’s one at the Kansas Humane Society, at Northrock Lanes, at Salon Teased, at Subaru of Wichita, at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, and at a long list of other businesses in Wichita and in the Kansas City area.

I found one when I went to the Cocktails & Cookies fundraiser for the Girl Scouts in February, and it was way fun to cheese it up with my friend Katie. It’s the only picture from the night we have because we were too busy stuffing our faces with dessert to think about digging for our cameras.

Fans simply find a FanCam, stand in front of it, hit a couple of buttons, and cheese. The photos are instantly posted on to the Facebook pages of the events or the businesses and collected in an album that can be viewed by anyone who visits the page.

Users can decide to share their e-mails with the business (or not share them), and businesses then can e-mail news and specials to FanCam users who want them.

Brad Fuller, the owner/operator of Wichita’s new Chick-fil-A, said other franchisees across the country have asked how he got his FanCam.

“I think they’re on to something,” Fuller said. “They’ve got a fantastic idea. I like the way they’re trying to push the boundaries as much as they can locally to evolve the product to a point they can take it outside of Wichita. I’ll be one of their biggest cheerleaders.”

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