LOYALTY-REWARDS COMPANY TO ENABLE MOBILE REGISTRATION
RocketBux Inc. has signed an agreement with Thanks Again LLC to enable consumers to register for Thanks Again products and receive promotions using mobile phones, RocketBux says. The phones of consumers who register their credit cards with Thanks Again will receive images of coupons with bar codes that merchants can scan at the point of sale, the company says. Consumers can begin to use mobile phones to register their credit cards with Thanks Again, which is based in Tyrone, Ga., and receive coupons starting Sept. 1, Walt Granville, RocketBux vice president of sales, tells CardLine. RocketBux and Thanks Again plan to place ads in the Continental Airlines Inc. in-flight magazine to promote the initiative to members of the OnePass frequent-flyer program, Granville says. In October, RocketBux plans to promote the service to members of US Airways Inc.'s frequent-flyer program, Granville says. Bend, Ore.-based RocketBux operates a dedicated Web site that mobile-phone users can use to register their cards, Granville says. Once consumers register, they can begin to receive discount coupons on their mobile phones based on what they purchase with their credit cards, Granville says. Consumers do not need to pay to register, and merchants pay fees to have their businesses included in the promotions, he says.
Thanks Again and RocketBux Partner for a Card Industry First
© Business Wire 2008
2008-07-24 12:02:05
RocketBux, Inc. Walt Granville, VP Sales, 804-690-3655 Thanks Again, a leading merchant-funded reward network, and RocketBux, a mobile advertising pioneer, have announced a partnership to enable Thanks Again registered consumers and participating merchants to interact via mobile messaging. The partnership will soon allow consumers to enroll in the Thanks Again Rewarding Merchant(SM) Program via mobile phone and receive scannable,
barcoded coupons triggered by card transaction data. In addition, Thanks Again will be providing their participating merchant and reward partners the ability to communicate to the consumer base via opt-in mobile messaging.
"We see mobile communication as a natural extension of our existing integrated marketing campaigns and a way to bring additional value to both our merchant partners and registered card consumers. The unique and innovative feature set that RocketBux offers will further enhance the efforts we have in place to driving consumers to our merchant partners. RocketBux allows us to provide time sensitive, relevant offers and promotions to registered members," said Thanks Again CEO Marc Ellis.
The Thanks Again network has seen significant expansion during the last year. Over the past twelve months, the company added thousands of merchant locations and increased the number of national reward program partnerships. These national partnerships provide participating merchants with ready access to tens of millions of consumers. Thanks Again's network of national, regional and local brands across several everyday spend categories has created a unique mix of partners, many of which are preferred consumer brands in their respective markets.
"The Thanks Again team has done a superior job building their merchant network and consumer participant base. Thanks Again has identified an underserved market (small and medium businesses or SMBs) and has focused on providing a quality experience for all participants in their merchant-funded coalition. RocketBux is excited to work with this forward-thinking team in the effort to continue expanding their business with our mobile applications," said RocketBux CEO Fred Boos.
The Thanks Again/RocketBux partnership will commence on September 1st when the first stage of this mobile application is released for an enrollment promotion through one of Thanks Again's key reward program partners, Continental Airlines OnePass(R).
About Thanks Again, LLC:
Thanks Again is a merchant-funded reward network that allows large National Reward Programs to accelerate reward earning opportunities for millions of their members. The Thanks Again Rewarding Merchant(SM) Network is a 3,700+ local merchant consortium operating in the top 50 U.S. metropolitan areas and in 92 of the top 100 markets across 45 states. For more information, go to www.ThanksAgain.com or email the company at info@ThanksAgain.com.
About RocketBux:
RocketBux, Inc. provides a new way for consumers to receive preference, time, and location relevant offers to their phone. RocketBux has patents pending for location-based messaging via point-of-sale and dynamic, unique barcode delivery. The company is based in Bend, OR with offices in Palo Alto, CA, Richmond, VA, Eugene, OR and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. For more information, go to www.rocketbux.com or call Walt Granville, VP Sales at 804-690-3655.
Leader in Merchant-Funded Networks and Mobile Partner to Bring
Consumers, Merchants, and Card Issuers Together
VENTUREWIRE: Dow Jones Picks Top 10 Wireless Start-Upgrades
April 25, 2008: 09:04 AM EST | CNNMoney
Ten companies were given top marks by attendees and expert panelists at Dow Jones' Wireless Innovations conference this week.
The conference, held in Redwood City, Calif., featured two days of panel presentations and keynotes by venture capital professionals and company executives, and breakout sessions in which 80 start-up companies selected by VentureWire editors presented their business plans.
Here are the top 10 companies from the breakout sessions (in alphabetical order), chosen through a combination of audience voting through text-messaging; popularity of the presentations as judged by the number of attendees in each session; and voting by the expert panel of VCs:
1. Aerohive Networks Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., a developer of enterprise wireless networking technology. The company raised $24 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Northern Light Venture Capital. http://www.aerohive.com
2. Digby, Austin, Texas, a provider of a mobile commerce platform. It has raised $2.3 million and may raise additional venture funding in the first half of 2008. http://www.digby.com
3. Knowtate Inc., San Jose, a maker of technology used to link the physical, mobile and virtual worlds. The company is raising a $5 million round to close in the second quarter. http://www.knowtate.com
4. Mojix Inc., Los Angeles, a developer of signal processing products for sensory networks. It has raised $20.6 million from investors such as InnoCal Venture Capital, Oak Investment Partners, Red Rock Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. http://www.mojix.com
5. Myxer (MVisible Technologies Inc.), Deerfield Beach, Fla., a provider of mobile technology, products, services and programs to manage and deliver digital media to mobile devices. The company has raised $9.7 million from investors including Harris Preston & Partners, Morgenthau Venture Partners and New World Angels. http://www.myxer.com
6. Ontela Inc., Seattle, a provider of a technology platform that enables wireless carriers to bring imaging services to their users. Investors, which have given the company $4.5 million, include Hunt Ventures, Oak Investment Partners and Voyager Capital. http://www.ontela.com
7. Planet9 Studios Inc., San Francisco, a provider of 3-D city software and data products for navigation, friend finding and social networking. It anticipates raising an $8 million round to start within the second quarter of 2008. http://www.planet9.com
8. Pudding Media Inc., San Jose, a developer of advertising technology for voice services, mobile advertising and carrier platforms. It has raised $11.7 million from investors including BRM Capital, Opus Capital and individual investors. http://www.puddingmedia.com
9. Rocketbux, Bend, Ore., a developer of technology to deliver location and time relevant offers to mobile phones via the point-of-sale network. The company plans to raise a $2 million Series A round of funding to start in June 2008 and close in the third quarter of 2008. http://www.rocketbux.com
10. TrafficCast International Inc., Madison, Wash., a provider of a traffic science engine for location-based services and mobile devices. The company has raised $3.5 million from investors including Ceres Venture Fund LP, NEW Capital Fund, Phenomenelle Angels Management, Silicon Valley Bank and WomenAngels.net. http://www.trafficcast.com
In First Application of Barcodes on the Mobile Phone,
Mt. Bachelor and RocketBux Make the Registers Ring
Wednesday January 2, 11:02 am ET
BEND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mt. Bachelor, one of the largest resorts in North America, and RocketBux, a mobile software company, announced today that RocketBux is providing mobile phone barcode coupons to the resort’s customers. This is the first application of optimized standard barcodes on phones ever used by the public.
Using RocketBux technology, Mt. Bachelor has been offering daily text alerts to anyone who wants snow conditions sent to their mobile phones. Now, RocketBux has added mobile coupons in the form of a barcode for on-mountain deals. The barcode is displayed on the cell phone screen and can be scanned with standard image-type barcode wands that were already in use at Mt. Bachelor.
“It’s a way for us to deliver a more convenient, eco-friendly coupon to our guests plus it’s an opt-in program so there’s no spam issue,” says Frankie Labbé, Communications Manager for Mt. Bachelor.
“This is a killer app for the mobile phone and finally provides a compelling, practical reason to access the web on the phone,” says Fred Boos, President of RocketBux. “With our Mobile Wallet product, consumers can manage their coupons – and get just the ones they care about – without adding any special software to the phone.”
The first mobile barcode offers are being redeemed at Mt. Bachelor; promotions for downtown Bend, Oregon merchants will soon follow.
About Mt. Bachelor
Mt. Bachelor is in the Cascade Mountain Range just 22 miles from Bend, Oregon. With 3,683 acres accessible by lifts, the mountain accommodates 7 Express Quads, 3 Triple Chairlifts, 2 Tubing lifts and a Wonder Carpet. Average annual snowbase is between 150 and 200 inches. The resort features four terrain parks, 56K of groomed and tracked cross country trails, snowshoeing, tubing and dog sled rides. MSN ranks Mt. Bachelor as one of the Top 10 resorts in North America. For more information, visit the website at www.mtbachelor.com or call 1-800-829-2442.
About RocketBux
RocketBux, Inc. provides a new way for merchants and customers to interact and benefit from each other. RocketBux has a patent pending for location-based messaging via point-of-sale. The company is based in Bend, Oregon with offices in Palo Alto, California and Eugene, Oregon. Go to www.rocketbux.com or call 541-408-0203.
Contact:
RocketBux
Fred Boos, 541-408-0203
fred@rocketbux.com
or
Mt. Bachelor
Frankie Labbé, 541-382-2442
flabbe@mtbachelor.com
RocketBux Unveils New Mobile Phone Participation TV Product
November 26, 2007 08:09 AM Eastern Time
Viewers Participate, Bringing a New Source of Revenue to TV Stations
Business Wire (original article)
BEND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RocketBux announced today its new product, RocketBux RocketLaunch, its software text messaging platform for TV stations to use in Participation TV (PTV). The PTV revenue projection is in the hundreds of millions by 2009.
Currently, there are dozens of shows incorporating viewer participation into program formats. According to data from Nielsen Mobile, for the first half of 2007 PTV accounted for retail revenue generation of $56 million in the mobile entertainment industry, with the most popular four or five shows making up 85 percent of the revenue.
Now, many other stations that previously didn’t have the opportunity to tap into the PTV potential can use the RocketBux RocketLaunch platform for as little as $500 per month but generate thousands of dollars in revenue. Over the past six months, RocketBux has been processing thousands of PTV text messages from viewers watching a broad variety of shows such as Rachel Ray and the local daily news.
"We intend to be the leader in PTV by the end of 2008," says Fred Boos, President of RocketBux. “While we know that national broadcasters are currently leading the PTV charge, we realize that the bigger opportunity is actually with smaller affiliate stations because more advertising dollars are spent locally than nationally. Our platform is purpose built for stations with an eye on keeping costs down and profits up.”
As an example, using the RocketBux RocketLaunch platform, a television station can promote a "text-to-win" campaign sponsored by a local advertiser and generate a unique and sticky connection with their viewers at the same time. The RocketBux platform also allows for mobile coupons or even barcodes on the phone to be sent to viewers who request an offer. A recent RocketLaunch campaign featuring a coffee shop mobile coupon garnered a conversion rate greater than 50%.
"We believe that there will be entire TV shows built around the interaction of the content, viewing audience and the mobile phone. I can see a time in the near future where shows will quickly change direction or have alternate endings based on instant viewer feedback with the mobile phone," adds Paul Willerton, RocketBux Director of Marketing.
About RocketBux
RocketBux, Inc. provides the RocketLaunch platform for a small monthly fee to TV, print and radio media. RocketBux has patents pending. The company is based in Bend, Oregon with offices in Palo Alto, California and Eugene, Oregon. For more information, go to www.rocketbux.com or call 541-408-0203.
Mt. Bachelor and RocketBux Team to Give Skiers and Snowboarders Weather and Snow Reports on Mobile Phones
Mt. Bachelor, one of the Top 10 resorts in North America, and RocketBux, a mobile software company, today announced a new initiative to give skiers and snowboarders free weather and snow reports on mobile phones.
Bend, OR (PRWEB) November 6, 2007 -- Mt. Bachelor, one of the Top 10 resorts in North America, and RocketBux, a mobile software company, today announced a new initiative to give skiers and snowboarders free weather and snow reports on mobile phones.
Using patented technology from RocketBux, Mt. Bachelor will offer daily text alerts to anyone who wants morning weather reports sent to their mobile phones. Users simply text "mtbalerts" to 20123 from their mobile phone to enroll. Standard text message rates apply and it's easy to unsubscribe at any time.
"Our dedicated snowriders want to get daily snow reports as quickly and easily as possible, anywhere, anytime," said Matt Janney, President & General Manager of Mt. Bachelor. "We try to stay ahead of the industry curve when it comes to technology and the constant improvement of our customer experience."
The software infrastructure is provided by RocketBux, a pioneer in mobile software technology compatible with all of the 2.5 billion mobile phones worldwide. "The rapid and convenient dissemination of information is critical to the customer experience," says Fred Boos, President of RocketBux. "The mobile phone is not just about making phone calls anymore. Now consumers want relevant information custom tailored to them."
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
About Mt. Bachelor
Mt. Bachelor is in the Cascade Mountain Range just 22 miles from Bend, Oregon. More than 3,680 acres of terrain surround the classic cone-shaped peak of 9,065 feet. Mt. Bachelor receives approximately 370 inches of light, dry snow each year. MSN ranks Mt. Bachelor as one of the Top 10 resorts in North America. For more information on Mt. Bachelor, visit the website at www.mtbachelor.com or call 1-800-829-2442.
About RocketBux
RocketBux, Inc. provides a new way for merchants and customers to interact and benefit from each other. RocketBux has a patent pending for location-based messaging via point-of-sale. The company is based in Bend, Oregon with offices in Palo Alto, California and Eugene, Oregon. For more information, go to www.rocketbux.com or call 541-408-0203.
Contacts:
Fred Boos
RocketBux
(541) 408-0203
fred@rocketbux.com
Carly Carmichael
Mt. Bachelor
(541) 382-2442
ccarmichael@mtbachelor.com
RocketBux Brings Mobile Interaction to Broadcast
Technology enables viewers to use their mobile phones to interact with the morning news
Bend, OR – June 08, 2007 -- RocketBux, Inc. is now offering its easy-to-use mobile phone-based marketing platform to television stations around the nation. Rocketbux has a user-friendly web interface that allows television, newspaper, radio, internet and other media to quickly place a keyword short code promotion online. After selecting the keyword, the media company can then promote the offer to its viewers, readers and listeners.
The company launched its broadcast product with television station KEZI of Eugene, Oregon and has had remarkable results to date.
“In our first run with KEZI, we went on the air at 5:30 am with our first advertiser promotion. We originally thought we’d receive less than 100 text-in responses to our 66915 short code promotion. Instead, we received texts from 952 unique users. This is even more incredible given the small size of the market we were in and the time of day we were airing,” said Fred Boos, RocketBux CEO and Co-Founder. “Our subsequent promotions have also been resulting in several hundred participants – just phenomenal results.”
Using RocketBux, KEZI can schedule a text poll to run during its 5 p.m. news hour and then promote the poll live on the air. Votes are tallied in real-time and voters are sent a brief “thank you” text from KEZI with a mobile coupon for one of their advertisers. “It’s a great 21st century interactive way for our viewers to stay connected with us,” says Kerri Stewart, co-host of Good Morning Eugene. “It definitely adds excitement for our viewers and our advertisers.”
"Our success with KEZI demonstrates that television viewers will communicate with local programming on a large scale. It proves there is a market for our solutions right now. Even in smaller markets, viewers are ready, willing, and most importantly able, to use their mobile phones to interact with their television." added Paul Willerton, RocketBux Director of Marketing.
RocketBux offers four products related to mobile advertising, including:
- RocketEngine™, a service for credit card, gift card or loyalty card issuers to deliver offers to their cardholders’ mobile phones immediately upon swiping their cards at the cash register;
- RocketPower™, a closed-loop LBS (Location Based Service) product for shopping mall operators or retail associations; and,
- RocketLaunch™ which leverages existing advertising (television, print, radio, online or outdoor) by integrating a “text to short code” message turning each advertisement into a “direct response medium.”
- RocketRatings™, a service which allows viewers to rate programming and rewards them with valuable local merchant offers.
RocketBux also offers a patent pending "RocketPayload™" shared revenue system that links participating merchants to an innovative business service that automates delivery, collection and payment of a financial "bounty" for utilizing the service.
With unique advantages such as personalization, interactivity and immediacy, the mobile phone has emerged as an attractive advertising tool for advertisers and brands to reach new customers and target audiences according to their activities and connected lifestyle. Mobile advertising is experiencing rapid adoption with Adweek.com recently reporting that the data group eMarketer predicts global spending on mobile advertising at over $900 million in 2007.
About RocketBux
RocketBux, Inc. specializes in mobile phone couponing and location-based text advertising and rewards. The company provides a new way for merchants and customers to interact and benefit from each other. Never before has there been a method for merchants to target their customers via advertising so precisely. Consumers can now benefit immediately from the merchants closest to them, receiving special offers that are geographically and interest-specific. RocketBux has a patent pending for location-based messaging via point-of-sale. The company is based in Bend, Oregon. For more information, go to www.rocketbux.com.