Cruz Thru Media Offers Movie Rentals and Purchases at OU

Oakland University graduate Eric Franchy opened a self-service DVD rental kiosk, called Cruz Thru Media at his alma mater. 

He recently submitted information about the business through the Small Business Spotlight.

Here are his answers.

What does your business offer? 

Cruz Thru Media offers convenient and affordable movie rentals and purchases.

Mission: To be the most convenient and cost-effective entertainment source for the communities it serves.

What's your most popular product or service? 

Movie rentals

What's a fact about your business that most customers probably don't know?

It was launched by a 22 year old, who is an OU alumnus. Now 23, he still runs the kiosk, has another full-time PR/Marketing position, and resides in Oakland County.

When was the business founded?

Business was founded in April 2012, but launched in November 2012 in the Oakland Center of Oakland University.

How did your business come to be? 

The idea of launching a DVD rental service came to me while on a vacation to Florida and Arizona. I had been working as a front desk clerk at a hotel in Auburn Hills, and thought a DVD rental option would be beneficial to hotel guests. Upon return from my vacation, I was reading through a couple of Entrepreneur Magazines and found an ad and then an article on a company that supplies kiosks specifically designed for DVD rentals. I attended a couple of webinars, researched the company for a few months and spoke with other kiosk owners. The more I looked into it, the more it felt like a good fit (although I ultimately did not launch it in the hotel, that still might be an expansion opportunity down the road).

Why did you choose the area you did?

I considered other venues and conducted market research before deciding on Oakland University. A university seemed attractive to me as a potential market because it sees such a high volume of traffic everyday; from students, faculty and all the staff in between, there is a great potential for interest in using a self-service DVD rental kiosk. It's a quick, easy and affordable way to experience a movie. The majority of these groups are on campus multiple times throughout the week, which makes renting from Cruz Thru Media extremely convenient for them. Students can even rent, watch, and return movies in between classes if they have a long enough break.

Oakland University was also particularly attractive because I enjoyed being on campus, both as a student and as an employee. I graduated in December of 2011 with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from OU. During that time, I was a member of the OU chapter of the American Marketing Association, worked as a telefund caller for the Annual University Giving Fund, and served as a marketing assistant for the Office of Strategic Programs.

Contact information:

Web: http://cruzthrumedia.mydvdkiosks.net/member/home

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