Archive for October, 2011

Calling all iPhone and iPad developers… We’ve released our iOS SDK!

Posted by on October 26, 2011

Drive Application Awareness and Increase Loyalty by adding a customized loyalty and reward program to your mobile applications
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The iOS SDK is a free toolkit that provides iPhone and iPad developers with the ability to add customized loyalty and reward programs to any mobile application to help boost consumer awareness, user loyalty and meaningful engagement. 

With hundreds of thousands of applications hitting the market every month, the world of mobile development has become a congested, competitive place to carve out success. Generating user awareness and continued use remain critical challenges for organizations that utilize mobile applications to engage with their customers. Developers can now implement PunchTab’s loyalty programs on mobile applications, incentivizing users to take desired actions by rewarding them with points, redeemable for discounts, products and prizes.

“Awareness, engagement, and enhanced loyalty are essential components in the success of a mobile app,” said PunchTab co-founder Ranjith Kumaran. “With our iOS SDK we can provide iOS developers with the same high-quality, easy-to-use functionality that the PunchTab platform offers to over 3000 blogs, websites and e-commerce sites, reaching more than 7.5 million consumers each month.”

“Eighty percent of mobile apps are used only once and then abandoned,” said Jeff Haynie, CEO of Appcelerator.  ”PunchTab is helping solve this problem by creating great loyalty programs for mobile apps.  Features such as reward-enabling daily visits will keep users returning to apps again and again.” PunchTab’s mobile libraries are also being made available for Appcelerator‘s Titanium platform, reaching over 200,000 active mobile developers.

PunchTab’s iOS SDK offers mobile developers a free toolkit with an easy to integrate static library and customizable features to most effectively meet a businesses’ needs. Developers can easily reward-enable actions for repeat usage, social sharing and more.
For more information on PunchTab’s developer kit visit www.punchtab.com/developer or email ios@punchtab.com.

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We’ve Launched an iPhone App to Help Local Businesses and Their Customers Win!

Posted by on October 19, 2011

Today we’re proud to announce the debut of PunchTab Local, a free mobile application that provides local merchants with a way to create viral giveaways, drive in-store traffic and increase social engagement.  (Pretty cool, right!)

The app is available to use anywhere, but we’ve started by launching with more than 35 local businesses across the Bay Area. PunchTab Local puts a modern twist on the classic concept of dropping business cards into a fish bowl to enter a contest. PunchTab Local takes the in-store giveaways that businesses are already running, and makes them mobile, adding the viral power of social sharing and Word of Mouth marketing. To greater incentivize in-store visits, actions are ranked higher as a customer gets closer to the cash register. Using the PunchTab Local app, Customers receive one entry when they “like” a business’ Facebook page and share the giveaway via Twitter or email but receive ten giveaway entries for in-store check-ins.

Daily deal websites offer customers promotional discounts at a significant cost to business owners, creating a one-time buying frenzy, but they do little to inspire loyal and repeat customers. PunchTab Local is free for both merchants and consumers, and bridges the gap between social, mobile and traditional in-store giveaways to incentivize consumers to engage, connect, and most importantly, return to local stores.

“There’s a lifetime value associated with social sharing that extends beyond the cash register or a single transaction. This first release of PunchTab Local is focused on driving social sharing and meaningful in-store activity to both engage customers as well as leverage their social networks,” said PunchTab founder Ranjith Kumaran.

“PunchTab Local is just one example of how PunchTab can power loyalty and reward programs for mobile apps,” Kumaran said. “With our iOS SDK, we’re bringing that functionality to mobile app developers so they can unleash their own creativity with the PunchTab platform. We’re constantly thinking about building products that empower companies to incentivize and reward users wherever they are – mobile, e-commerce, online or in-store.”

More information on the mobile app can be found at www.punchtab.com/punchbowl

Happy downloading!

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Act like a Start-Up

Posted by on October 11, 2011

The thing about being a Silicon Valley start-up, is that you’re pretty much required to do cool, unconventional things. It’s some kind of tacit agreement we all have with our investors and early adopters- a silent promise to avoid sell-out corporate pitfalls, be extra human, and do a few things that are just a little bit odd… and funny.

Some start ups encourage team members to bring in pets, give free reign on decorating their cube space, or offer unlimited cereal in more varieties than you knew existed… Some just throw in a video game system, a bar stocked with micro brews and a couple of bean bag chairs.

So what’s PunchTab doing?

Well. Our engineers occasionally rock wrestling masks while coding. We listen to music on vinyl. (Yeah. Actual records.) We’ve got a funny little team bio page. And now… after months of squatting in our investor’s office, we’ve temporally moved.

Our head count has gone from 3 to 10 in just over a month. We’re too big to stay in the nest… and frankly, I think we ate too many of their Quadrus cookies. (Some of the best you’ll ever eat!)

Our office space won’t be ready for a couple weeks, so in keeping with the grand tradition of Silicon Valley start ups, we’ve gone quirky and AirBnB’d a temporary office space… and it’s a guest house.

Located behind a super beautiful, giant Portola Valley home, we’ve got access to a sport court, a pool AND a VHS player. Our “offices” are bedrooms. Literally. And we take turns cooking lunch for the team. No small feat with 2 vegetarians and a limited number of bowls.

We’ve got marketeers planning from queen sized beds, developers sprawled out on comfy leather couches, and founders working from the kitchen counter.

It’s start-up life. This is how we roll… you know, while we roll.

Comments: 41

New month = new rewards and new daily earning opportunities

Posted by on October 5, 2011

So it’s been a while since we put new rewards in the catalog.  Here’s why:
We had a few requests in the past about not rotating the rewards out so often. However we then received a lot of feedback last month about continuing to have new surprises every month too. Guess we’ll have to figure out the right cadence for this…

That being said we’re happy to feature a new entry this month: a $10 gift card from Barnes & Noble. This one is limited to 1 per user as supplies are limited and we want to spread the love. There’s a chance that we’ll add one more special reward this month, we’re working on it as I type.

We’ve also added more daily earning opportunities for you to get more points every day. Specifically, our very popular Foursquare check-in system that has been rolled out by dozens of sites who are using PunchTab to power their loyalty systems. If you see that the program you’re part of has claimed their Foursquare venue make sure to visit often. If you don’t see it then gently remind the site owner. ;)

As always, let us know what you’d like to see and we’ll do our best to make PunchTab more and more fun.

Comments: 31

New look. Same great taste.

Posted by on October 3, 2011

There’s a fresh new look to our Giveaway Widget!

But fear not, we didn’t touch the easy-to-use functionality that you know and love… And we think you’ll be pretty happy.

With muted colors and super clear buttons, this latest version will fit more seamlessly into your website or blog. Since last Friday’s launch, the positive feedback has been rolling in. (Thanks for that!)

We’re committed to ensuring that our product pipeline is bursting with tasty reward-enabled treats that are guaranteed to keep your customers looking for their next big bite of loyalty love. Let us know what you think!

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