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1. THE BEGINNING
This innovation came to life when…
We noticed the decline in demand for printed student diaries from our university clients. We had already begun transforming our printed student discount platform PokitPal into a smartphone app. In late 2010 the idea to create a white label student diary app with a shared discount network connecting all students seemed the natural progression. Today more than 25 universities and TAFEs license the PokitPal Community Diary app (PCD) to enhance their student engagement.
2. WHAT & HOW
The purpose of this innovation is to…
Maximise communities’ engagement with their followers, whilst connecting relevant brands to communities and followers to provide a sustainable and rewarding platform for the community.
It does this by…
Each community licenses their own branded PCD app and through their CMS they can communicate real-time news, events, advertising and discounts direct to their user’s app.
The PokitPal discount network allows economies of scale to attract greater discounts for users beyond the location of their community. Therefore the user receives a true mobile experience from their chosen community app.
3. PURPOSE & BENEFITS
This innovation improves on what came before because…
Printed diaries are one-off print runs; no additional news/events can be communicated through this channel. Community followers are rewarded with discounts beyond what was previously provided and therefore maximising community engagement. In addition advertising revenue opportunities are greater for the community given they have a 12-month advertising platform compared with a printed diary for one run per year.
The benefits to the customer/end-user include…
Convenience. Everyone carries their phone. Followers of a particular community gain instant access to the latest news and events with their PCD app. As a bonus users can pull in flash and save discounts around their geo-location for instant savings.
4. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
In the past, this problem was solved by…
Communities providing printed diaries with pull-out coupons. In recent years community followers have been turning to generic digital diaries on their smartphones for convenience. From a discount perspective, white label reward programs have been popular for years to enhance community engagement.
Its predecessors/competitors include…
Printed diaries, generic digital diaries, white label community discount reward programs, as well as Facebook and social media platforms.
5. TARGET MARKET
This innovation is made for…
Community engagement. Given our company experience in the Australian student market we have launched the product in this space; however we developed the system to accommodate a range of community groups including sporting clubs, corporations, hotel groups, etc. For now our primary focus is on connecting the global student market.
6. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
It is available for sale through…
Google Play and the App Store for users. Each community has their own app customised to their community. Communities can purchase direct from PokitPal. Search “PokitPal” as our stand-alone discount example or “CurtinGuild” for a university diary app.
Our marketing strategy is to…
Further prove the concept. Total users are at 115,000+ and growing fast, as is our engagement with national brands who are receiving high mobile redemption rates.
Our second wave in marketing is focusing on broadening community verticals. Once we have a broader community reach we will look at further expansion in the UK and beyond.
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FINE PRINT
This SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity.
