DigiRoo To Hold Official Retail Launch Event
A party celebrating the official retail launch of a new product, invented by Bermudian mom, Antonia Holder and designed to help children practice safer screen time, will be happening this week on Thursday, April 20th.
Taking place at A.F. Smith, the event will mark the first time the DigiRoo – a patented, ergonomically designed electronic tablet cover, will be displayed in a brick-and-mortar store for customers to buy.
Since its soft launch last November, over 400 DigiRoos have been sold in Bermuda and the U.S. Mrs Holder, a local entrepreneur and mom-of-two, said: “Sales have been going very well and the feedback we have received from customers, mostly parents, grandparents and godparents, has been phenomenal. As an entrepreneur of a product based business you have this idea, or in this case an invention, that you believe will help make people’s lives better. To know we are accomplishing that mission is extremely rewarding and makes all the hard work and sleepless nights worth it.”
A.F. Smith is the DigiRoo’s premier retail partner on the Island, Mrs Holder explained. While still in its infancy stage, it was Tim Smith of A.F. Smith who believed in her vision and was willing to support the company, Kids Digital Wellness, in growing.
Antonia and Lloyd Holder with Tim Smith of A.F. Smith
“I’m extremely fortunate with A.F. Smith because they have been champions of our business from day one,” Mrs Holder said. “When we first got our packaging and product prototypes, I was at A.F. Smith holding the prototype on a shelf just so I could imagine what it would look like – so to now be at this stage where our product will finally be in stores is a dream come true.”
“On top of that, to have a relationship like this with a retailer that has been supportive of the whole journey of creating a product – from start to finish – is very rare. It’s one of the benefits and beautiful things about being part of a tight knit community like Bermuda. In addition to having amazing management and a company culture that I deeply respect, there was such a great synergy between DigiRoo and A.F. Smith, which specialises in selling office supplies, stationary, technology and tech accessories. In every way, the partnership just made sense and my husband and I are incredibly grateful.”
At Thursday’s ‘Pickup and Launch Party’ there will be nibbles and beverages on offer for this family-friendly event. There will also be music playing by DJ iBreeze and a prize draw to win an iPad 9th generation; the draw is open to anyone who has preordered their DigiRoo from A.F. Smith or who buys live during the event. In additional, A.F. Smith is offering a special 10% discount, with exclusions on Apple products, for those in attendance.
“The launch event for me personally is an important symbol,” Mrs Holder said. “My hope is that anyone who has seen the DigiRoo featured in the media, or heard about it through word of mouth or from the website, and thought it would be a fantastic product for their son, daughter, niece, nephew or grandchild, will take action and support.
“Not only will you be buying a new phenomenal product designed and invented by a local Bermudian, but you will be on the celebration train with us where you can come in and pick up the DigiRoo straight from the shelf. This is a first of its kind product that has been invented and didn’t exist, so it’s a major milestone and something that I personally believe will help to continue to put Bermuda on the map.”
Mrs Holder first came up with the idea for the DigiRoo back in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, while watching her eldest daughter, then age five, holding her neck and head in distorted positions to watch her electronic tablet. The concerned mom started researching immediately and spoke with chiropractors and physiotherapists about safer ways for children to watch their Kindles and iPads. It was out of that, she developed the DigiRoo.
Both Mrs Holder – and her husband, Lloyd – have been involved in the product creation process every step of the way – from editing and approving the initial 2D and 3D sketches, to hiring a lawyer to patent the design, working with a product development team to properly engineer the product, as well as marketing.
Since beginning the soft launch period, Mrs Holder said she has been blessed to receive really positive feedback from children, parents and guardians. One child even told her mom ‘her neck has never felt better’ since using the DigiRoo.
Going forward, the brand is looking to partner with schools to promote child digital wellness – with Warwick Academy being the first school to pilot a programme designed by Mrs Holder.
“From the very beginning, one of our goals was to partner with a school that was already digitally conscious and supportive of integrating the use of technology safely, and practically in an academic setting. The DigiRoo case was designed to optimise interactive learning while on tablet devices. Therefore, partnering with schools to help enhance student’s tech experience was a priority. We are beyond excited to share that after much discussion, we have established a Pilot Programme with Warwick Academy that will feature the use of DigiRoos in limited classrooms.”
The DigiRoo Pickup and Launch Party will take place at A.F. Smith on Thursday, April 20th from 5pm until 7pm. For more information email contact@kidsdigitalwellness.com or to pre-order the product, visit https://retail.afsmith.bm/.
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