1-800-Flowers.com is announcing a "Video Valentine" service today that allows users to go the site and upload photos, write messages and choose musical themes and graphics. The site then meshes the
various elements into a 60-second clip, that includes enough motion and sound to approximate a video experience.
The site allows users to send the valentines for free, and, after
employees review them for inappropriate content, they may post the valentines on the site for others to view and rate.
"The scary thing is that we don't know the financial implications
of this," says Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers. "We're just going on a leap here."
Other online retailers capitalizing on the YouTube craze--including Buy.com, Blendtec.com and
Golfsmith.com--are offering a video platform for product demonstrations, rants and raves, sentimental messages and just plain bizarre behavior.
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