Fathead, the poster-decal firm, has teamed up with mobile-app-maker
Detroit Labs to create the Fathead Big Shot app, the latest example of how the downtown Detroit-based firm is leveraging new technology to boost its bottom line and workforce.
Fathead creates life-size wall graphics that act like decals. The graphics are normally stars or brands from athletic teams or entertainment franchises. The
Fathead Big Shot app enables its shoppers to see what a Fathead will look like on a wall or similar surface with a photo before they buy it.
"It allows people to see what it will look like before they bring it home," says Joanna Cline, chief marketing officer of
Fathead.
The 7-year-old firm, a member of Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert's family of business, has grown to 100 employees and about a dozen interns, most of which are based in the Compuware Building. It has hired 12 people over the last year, including six in the last two months.
Propelling all of this growth is Fathead's evolving product offerings. It has traditionally sold Fatheads of athletes but has now switched into sports and entertainment brands and even allowing customer to create their own custom Fatheads. It has also started to ship internationally as it continues to grow.
"We're really building our entertainment business," Cline says. "Two weeks ago we launched our 'Hunger Games' fatheads."
Source: Joanna Cline, chief marketing officer of Fathead
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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