Star Toilet Paper wants to help its customers capture a captive audience, and what better place to do it than a toilet?
The two-year-old Ann Arbor company specializes in printing advertising and coupons on rolls of toilet paper. The ads use
QR and coupon codes so their target audience can take advantage of the advertising without taking it with them. It was started by a couple of recent University of Michigan graduates who are launching their first business.
"Advertising is part of every part of our lives but here (on the toilet)," says Jordan Silverman, co-founder of
Star Toilet Paper. "It seems like a great place to capture a captive audience."
The six-person team at Star Toilet Paper recently took second place in the new business idea category at last month's
Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest business plan competition. It plans to launch its product in August with its first outlets consisting of an apartment building in Ann Arbor,
Bel-Mark Lanes and
Dance Theatre Studio, among others. Some of Star Toilet Paper's first advertisers, 45 in all, include Ben & Jerry's, Pita Pit, and
Just Baked.
Silverman hopes to establish his business this year and work to scale it in 2013. He plans to go after bigger venues and brands next year.
Source: Jordan Silverman, co-founder of Star Toilet Paper
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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