StartupTalky

Tag: Digital advertisement

  • ActiveCampaign: Leader in Customer Experience Automation

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by ActiveCampaign.

    In this modern era, every business is striving to provide a better customer experience to their targeted customers. Customer experience is a term used to define the sum of experiences that people have during the whole product or service cycle.

    Usually, enterprises find it challenging to control how customers feel about their relationship with their products or services. It is when customer experience automation tools and software come in handy.

    ActiveCampiagn is a Chicago-based private company that offers software for customer experience automation (CXA) to small and medium-sized businesses worldwide. Let’s dive in to learn more about ActiveCampaign- its startup story, founders, funding, growth, and more details.

    ActiveCampaign – Company Highlights

    Company Name ActiveCampaign
    Headquarters Chicago, Illinois, United States
    Primary Industry Software Development
    Founders Jason VandeBoom
    Founded In 2003
    Website Activecampaign.com

    ActiveCampaign – About
    ActiveCampaign – Founders and Team
    ActiveCampaign – Startup Story
    ActiveCampaign – Mission and Vision
    ActiveCampaign – Name, Logo, and Tagline
    ActiveCampaign – Business Model
    ActiveCampaign – Products and Services
    ActiveCampaign – Challenges Faced
    ActiveCampaign – Funding and Investors
    ActiveCampaign – Mergers and Acquisitions
    ActiveCampaign – Patents and Trademarks
    ActiveCampaign – Growth
    ActiveCampaign – Awards and Achievements
    ActiveCampaign – Competitors
    ActiveCampaign – Future Plans

    ActiveCampaign – About

    ActiveCampaign is a cloud software platform that offers customer experience automation, apps & integration, custom objects, machine learning, services, mobile app, and developer resources. It combines transactional email, email marketing, sales automation, marketing automation, and CRM categories.

    The company is known for serving technology, education, non-profit, small businesses, fitness, real estate, entertainment & events, and travel & hospitality industries in 170 countries. It has 5 more premises in the US, Australia, Brazil, and Ireland. Moreover, it integrates with over 850 applications, including Slack, Facebook, Salesforce, WordPress, Shopify, and Gmail.

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    ActiveCampaign – Founders and Team

    Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign, Jason VandeBoom has also founded BoardChair. He possesses multiple skills including marketing, email marketing, online marketing, strategic partnerships, product management and development, SaaS, and web marketing.

    Furthermore, the company employs more than 1050 employees at all its premises.

    Jason VandeBoom - Founder, ActiveCampaign
    Jason VandeBoom – Founder, ActiveCampaign

    ActiveCampaign – Startup Story

    Founded by Jason VandeBoom in 2003, ActiveCampaign commenced its journey as a consulting firm and was then established as an on-premises software provider to help small and medium-sized businesses automate their marketing tasks and manage contacts.

    The company later transitioned from on-premises software to a software-as-a-service business, the main focus of which is to automate marketing and sales.

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    ActiveCampaign – Mission and Vision

    The mission of the company is to help growing businesses connect and engage meaningfully with their targeted customers. When it comes to the vision statement, ActiveCampaign accelerates the growth of each company with only an automation platform designed for providing better customer experiences.

    Furthermore, it is looking forward to emerging as the renowned leader and fastest-growing marketing and customer experience platform, recognized for creating a new category that replaces traditional and enterprise-focused platforms. Additionally, the company focuses on creating a global ecosystem of entrepreneurs and growth-minded businesses.

    ActiveCampaign – Name, Logo, and Tagline

    ActiveCampaign Logo
    ActiveCampaign Logo

    ActiveCampaign follows a unique representation of using its logo with different colors. Primarily the company uses its logo in white color when displayed on dark background. And when it’s displayed on a light background, it uses primary blue as the base color.

    Getting Started with ActiveCampaign

    ActiveCampaign – Business Model

    ActiveCampaign connects every tool and channel that an organization uses in its business for engaging customers at each stage of the customer lifecycle. This platform collects data from email marketing, digital advertising, website, and social media to tailor personalized touchpoints with the organization’s contacts while ensuring that the marketing is effective and engaging.

    The company automates the marketing and sales channel so that a firm can focus on the personal touches for its business to stand out and ensure that it hasn’t missed any step with its targeted customers.

    ActiveCampaign – Products and Services

    The products and services of the company are classified into 4 categories – marketing, sales, e-commerce, and transactional. Marketing offers multiple solutions- marketing automation, email marketing, site tracking, landing pages, personalization, and forms.

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    CRM, sales automation, lead scoring, win probability, and inbox extensions are covered in the Sales category. The E-commerce category allows integration with several e-commerce apps and the Transactional category offers access to email API, SMTP email, email delivery, transactional email templates, and inbound emails.

    ActiveCampaign – Challenges Faced

    Some features that ActiveCampaign still needs to work on are the platform’s email editor and occasional slow performance. Moreover, customers find it difficult to edit multiple emails in automation and they have to build everything – identifying inactive contacts, delivering lead magnets, or adjusting granular subscription preferences- from scratch.

    ActiveCampaign – Funding and Investors

    ActiveCampaign has been able to raise a total of $360 million over 3 funding rounds. Furthermore, the company’s latest funding round – Series C Round was undertaken on April 21, 2021, in which it raised a total of $300 million. It is backed by multiple investors and the main ones are Tiger Global Management, Dragoneer Investment Group, Silversmith Capital Partners, and Susquehanna Growth Equity.

    Date Round Number of Investors Money Raised Lead Investor
    April 21, 2021 Series C 4 $240 million Tiger Global Management
    January 28, 2020 Series B 2 $100 million Susquehanna Growth Equity
    October 11, 2016 Series A 1 $20 million Silversmith Capital Partners

    ActiveCampaign – Mergers and Acquisitions

    It acquired two companies – Postmark and DMARC Digests. Postmark offers transactional email services and DMARC Digests is recognized for offering email authentication and monitoring service. Both these service offerings enhance ActiveCampaign’s capability to offer CRM along with transactional messages with sales and market automation.

    ActiveCampaign – Patents and Trademarks

    It has 4 registered trademarks categorized into the ‘Scientific and technological services’ class.

    ActiveCampaign – Growth

    In 2022, the annual revenue of ActiveCampaign hit $165 million with 65% YOY. the platform’s pricing is $180 per year with its current valuation worth $3 billion. Talking about the company’s customer base, it has more than 140K active users and is serving over 180K businesses. The monthly app download growth is estimated to be 9.06%. Moreover, the employee count has increased by 13%.

    ActiveCampaign – Awards and Achievements

    ActiveCampaign has garnered a myriad of prestigious awards as the leader in its industry. Some recent awards that the company earned are:

    • Best Email Marketing Tool & Best Email deliverability 2023 by ToolTester
    • 2022 Chicago Top Workforces by Chicago Tribune
    • 2022 Tech Cares Award Winner by TrustRadius
    • 2022 APPEALIE SaaS + Software Award Winner by APPEALIE
    • Best Companies for Remote Workers 2022 by Quartz
    • Cloud 100 by Forbes
    • 2022 Sales and Marketing Technology Awards by The Intelligence Group
    • The Top 100 Software Companies of 2022 by The Software Report

    ActiveCampaign – Competitors

    Some of its main competitors are:

    • AVADA Email
    • ConvertKit
    • GetResponse
    • HubSpot
    • Mailchimp
    • Klaviyo
    • Constant
    • MailerLite

    ActiveCampaign – Future Plans

    ActiveCampaign is committed to its customer success and will continue to utilize the resources required for making Postmark a winning solution for small and medium businesses. Moreover, the product-first company plans to continue investing in and prioritizing its roadmap for innovation.

    FAQs

    What tools does ActiveCampaign offer for customer experience automation?

    ActiveCampaign offers email marketing, marketing automation, CRM, messaging, and personalized content tools for customer experience automation.

    Does ActiveCampaign offer mobile app support?

    Yes, ActiveCampaign offers mobile app support for both iOS and Android platforms. The app provides access to managing contacts, sending campaigns, viewing analytics, and updating deals on the go.

    What are the challenges faced by ActiveCampaign?

    Some features that ActiveCampaign still needs to work on are the platform’s email editor and occasional slow performance.

  • 10 Best App Development Companies in the USA

    The smartphone industry has seen tremendous growth in the last decade. This leap in the smartphone industry has led to a huge surge in the growth of mobile app development companies, especially from the United States. Looking at the decline of apps in the current market, many app development companies are taking the lead in providing services ranging from productivity app development to games and other services. The US is set to be one of the biggest digital hubs in the country.

    It is a goldmine for those who want to create and develop a new application for their products and services. There are over 7000 different mobile app development companies within the United States solely dedicated to creating mobile applications. And with the US tech market flourishing at a rapid pace, one of these app development companies in the US is bound to meet your desired needs and requirements. The article will let you know about the best and most reliable mobile companies in the US as well as give you an idea about the app development market in the USA.

    App Development Market in the USA
    Why Should You Work With an Us-Based App Developer?
    Top 10 App Development Companies in the USA

    1. Andresen Lab
    2. WillowTree
    3. Wunderman Thompson
    4. RightPoint
    5. Wizeline
    6. Sunrise Integration
    7. Zazz
    8. OrangeSoft
    9. Exadel
    10. Ace Infoway

    App Development Market in the USA

    The USA is currently one of the most lucrative markets for every tech enthusiast on the globe. Not only are Americans the leader in mobile app innovation, but American publishers have more than 190,000 apps on Google Play. In its natural consequence, the US tech market is healthy to the core.

    Global Mobile Application Market Size

    The app development market in the US mainly leans towards San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston. However, despite the above cities being major hubs for tech development, reports suggest that many app development companies and experts reside in smaller cities as well.

    The growing use of smartphones eventually calls for expansion in mobile app development which is something that can be seen in the US market. With more and more people using smartphones every day, the US is at the forefront of improving innovation design to meet user needs.

    Why Should You Work With an Us-Based App Developer?

    Opportunities and expertise in the field of computer science and information technology (IT) are present in abundance across the United States. Depending on your needs and requirements, you can pair the two with the required set of skills and expertise and get yourself the right developer.

    Companies that have worked with US-based developers in the past were able to ensure long-term success and sustainability in their workflow. Hiring a professional app development company allows you to be more efficient and time-saving.

    But neither of the facts explains why should one work with a US-based app developer. Well, here are a few reasons for you to work with a US-based app development company.

    • Working with a US-based app developer allows you to reach a wider base and target newer market segments
    • Adds to the efficiency of business and leads to time-effective mobile app development.
    • With a US-based app developer, you have access to a diverse set of skills and expertise.
    • Continued app maintenance and support
    • Team support is available 24/7
    • Innovative Development
    • Efficient Workflows
    • Constant Project Monitoring

    Smartphones are gradually being used to provide qualitative opportunities to the user, allowing industries to target a wider market segment and reach a new demographic without being physically present. As businesses are slowly transitioning to a digital landscape, people are also finding it easier to interact with products, services and others online rather than in person.

    This is where the US app development market offers a great opportunity for businesses to acquire a new set of skills, maintain efficiency, and develop optimised apps to help retain existing customers while simultaneously reaching out to a new audience.

    Not only is the US tech market expanding at some pace, but it is simultaneously bringing new experts of every variety into the limelight. All of this opens up the scope for new talent, each with its own unique selection of skills.

    Top 10 App Development Companies in the USA

    Given the number of developers in the USA, choosing the right developer with the required set of skills, expertise, and budget is never easy. To make the right decision, you need to spend hours and hours of research after the interview to find out and understand their skills.

    This is where we come in. Instead of letting you comb through the long list of developers, we have shortlisted the top 10 app development companies to work for in the USA in 2023. All these app development companies and developers have offices in the USA. Furthermore, the 10 app development companies in the list are a mix of budget, skill, expertise, and other relevant factors required while developing mobile applications.

    Andresen Lab

    Founder Alexandr Khomich
    Founded 2007

    Operating primarily within the US, Europe and the UK, Andersen Labs is one of the top software development companies with over 3000 developers, business analysts and QA engineers on its payroll. Started in 2007, the US-based company provides a full cycle of services to those looking to transform the business world by creating effective digital solutions through innovative use of technology.

    Since 2007, the company has worked on over 800 projects and has a constantly growing client base. As a brand or a company looking to stay ahead of the curve, then Andersen lab has a wide range of services on offer such as

    • Software Development
    • Team Augmentation
    • IT Constellation
    • Interface Design
    • DevOps
    • Project Management

    Over the years, Andersen Lab has handled numerous projects in the fields of finance, eLearning, travel and hospitality, supply chain management, healthcare, video and entertainment, real estate, telco, gambling, and more.

    WillowTree

    Founder Prichard and Tobias Dengel
    Founded 2009

    Whether you’re a small business owner or run a personal brand, you’ll always need to stay ahead of the curve by finding ways to incorporate digital goods into your business. This is where you will find mobile apps that can give you a much-needed edge in the modern-day market.

    Realising this need, WillowTree won several awards in the field of app development support and relevant expertise. From process to the end product, WillowTree will guide you through the digital strategy, design, development and growth of your application.

    The company recently partnered with Fox Sports to create a mobile experience for every sports fan looking for up-to-the-minute content. Meanwhile, the company also helped HBO launch its first global OTT experience, which now has over 8 million live users across 8 countries.

    Wunderman Thompson

    Founder Lester Wunderman
    Founded 2018

    Wunderman Thompson has been in the app-development business for many years. The company primarily operates as a creative agency that also provides consultancy services that help its clients find inspiration and provide excellent customer service.

    This New-York based global marketing tech giant has now over 200 offices in 90 different markets around the world. Over the years, the company has delivered several high-profile applications for handsets, tablets, native development, and so on.

    Not only does Wunderman Thompson provide engaging applications on mobiles, but it also engaged with its customers through numerous connected devices such as Apple TV, Fire/Android TV, Roku, Xbox, LG, Samsung TVs, and so on.

    RightPoint

    Founder Ross Freedman
    Founded 2007

    RightPoint specializes in creating an impactful digital experience for its clients and customers pouring in every last ounce of insight, strategy, design and technology. Thanks to the company’s latest collaboration with Raizlabs, the company offers a deep foundation in designing and delivering mobile applications.

    The company specialises in human-machine interface design. It provides multiple software solutions such as

    As of now, Rightpoint has more than 250 Fortune 1,000 companies as their prospective clients with over 450 employees working in 10 offices spread across multiple destinations.

    Wizeline

    Founder Bismarck Lepe
    Founded 2014

    Wizeline specialises as a global tech services provider, delivering high-quality digital products and an accelerated market platform. Over the years, the company has provided seamless, scalable and scalable digital marketing solutions that embed just the right technology, methodology and mindset.

    Furthermore, the company’s technology is mainly focused on AI and machine learning which allows you to build a roadmap for the future.

    Wizeline give you access to multiple software solutions like

    • Software Development
    • Team Augmentation
    • Data Migration
    • Product Strategy

    With Wizeline’s network, you can improve your software delivery through DevOps and ensure comprehensive test coverage. With Wizeline, you get access to a host of QA-like solutions that help you analyze and optimize your data.

    Sunrise Integration

    Founder Coby Pfaff
    Founded 1999

    The US tech market is growing at a tremendous pace, with new experts of every diversity and demographic being unveiled along the way. One like Sunrise Integration, a technology startup providing software development services to brands and companies for over 20 years.

    Apart from businesses, the company is widely popular for its product software services for enterprise eCommerce, data mitigation, and developing mobile applications for businesses both big and small.

    With Sunrise integration, you get access to multiple enterprise development software solutions like

    • API Integration
    • Software App Development
    • E-Commerce Services
    • Data Migration
    • Data Integration

    Apart from mobile app development, the company also specializes in complex data integration services and other workflow solutions that help streamline your business. The data integration experts at Sunrise Integrations have a deep focus on e-commerce, logistics, supply chain management, SaaS software, and more.

    Zazz

    Founder Ian Cruickshank
    Founded 2010

    Zaaz is an American digital agency founded in 2009 and is at the forefront of software development and design innovation. The company takes great pride in adopting, iterating, and integrating the latest technologies as and when it evolves. Zazz can help your architect scale your vision.

    The company is based in San Fransisco and is widely known for developing mobile applications for both iOS and Android with multi-platform frameworks. Zazz is one of the first American companies to specialise in app development by resorting to using contemporary technology such as React Native and Flutter.

    With Zazz, you get access to a variety of services such as

    • Product Strategy
    • Prototyping
    • Concept Development
    • Product Design
    • iOS And Android App Development
    • SAP Development
    • Fluter App Development

    From nurturing your idea to the launch of your final product, Zazz is with you. Whether you’re looking to launch a new app for your brand or undergo a digital transformation, Zazz will facilitate all your projects from start to finish.

    OrangeSoft

    Founder Tatsiana Kerimova
    Founded 2011

    Like most of the entries on our list, OrangeSoft is yet another software development company that offers a full cycle of services ranging from highly productive to cost-effective solutions across multiple domains. With Orangesoft, you get access to a number of web development services such as

    • iOS And Android App Development
    • Web Software Development
    • User Interface Design
    • UX Design
    • Business Analytics
    • Quality Assurance
    • IoT Development

    Since its launch in 2011, Orangesoft has worked on and delivered over 300 projects in mobile and web development. The company relies on the innovative use of technology to create mobile apps using over 100 developers, designers, analysts, and strategists on their payroll

    Exadel

    Founder Fima Katz
    Founded 1998

    Exadel has been in the service of providing app development and software solutions to Fortune 500 companies for over 20 years. This global software engineering company has more than 20 offices in locations spread across the United States and Europe.

    With Exadel, you can finally reach your company’s goal of undergoing a complete digital transformation with the help of Exadel’s technology which helps digitally mould your company both from the outside and inside.

    With Exadel, you get access to a number of web development services such as

    • Business Analytics
    • Concept Development
    • Product Design
    • Quality Assurance
    • IoT Development

    Since the 90s, the company has been providing each of its customers with high-quality software with a wide range of services such as Product Engineering, Cloud Development, Mobile Development, QA, QA Automation, DevOps, etc.

    Ace Infoway

    Founder Amit Mehta
    Founded 1999

    With teams in the US, UK, and India, Ace Infoway has been delivering a plethora of IT services and software development solutions. The company partnered with several remote development teams spanning over 50 web agencies and business industries.

    Over the years, Ace Infoway has become the “go-to” technology partner for many groups who are interested in the company’s web and mobile applications, software, and product engineering services for MSMEs.

    With Ace Infoway, you get access to multiple enterprise development software solutions like

    • SaaS Programming
    • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
    • ERP Data Exchange
    • Shipping And Logistics
    • User Experience Design

    At Ace Infoway, you get access to a wide range of services such as website development, mobile app development, SaaS development, eCommerce development, web application development, and more.

    Conclusion

    A web presence is essential for every business owner in the 21st century. As a result, business owners are resorting to developing their own applications to stay ahead of the curve. Having an app of your own can bring huge benefits to your business. Looking at the tech market in the US, you can find many mobile app development companies that will have a process integrated with the latest technology followed by an innovative design to better meet your business needs.

    FAQ

    How many mobile app development companies are in the USA?

    In the US market, there are more than 7000 mobile app development companies dedicated to building mobile apps for businesses.

    How can I promote my app in the USA?

    The following will help to promote your app

    1. Customer Research
    2. Influencer Marketing
    3. Leverage Your Website
    4. Email Marketing
    5. Create a Teaser Video
    6. Consider Alternative App Stores
    7. SEO

    How much does it cost to build a mobile app in the US?

    The tentative cost to build a mobile app is $40,000 to $150,000 and can exceed $300,000 in some cases.

    How can one attract traffic to their apps?

    The following can help to increase the traffic on any app

    1. Internet Reviews
    2. Start Blogging
    3. Optimize the App Store Page
    4. Use Social Media and Email Marketing
    5. Leverage Google Adwords
    6. Reach Out to Influencers
    7. Motivate Users to Make Referrals

    When is the Best Time for a Company to Build an App?

    Mobile apps can assist with sales growth, brand building, marketing and communications, data collection, and more. Businesses that need support in any of these areas would find apps very useful.

  • Top 10 Creative Ways of In-App Advertising to Grow User Base

    Let’s not bore our app users, people. Let’s give them the ads they deserve.

    There’s an app for everything, and they are all rivalling on the way to becoming the ones with the best customer experience. So, what is stopping them? In-app advertising. Google ads can get boring and hamper your customer’s experience. So, why do apps still need them? They need them to make revenue.

    Another use is that other apps might need in-app advertising to promote themselves. You would find banner ads and pop-up ads coming on your screens when you least expect them, and this much we can assume that you don’t like it.

    So, as app developers, it’s unnatural to think our users would like it. As per a report by InMobi, 70% of surveyed Indian app users say they feel highly repulsed by the experience of intrusive ads popping up in the middle of reading, and playing, and would consider installing if the problem persists.

    What this means is that apps have to figure out ways to advertise better. Advertising is only successful when it maximizes sales and minimises unwanted intrusions.

    Here’s a look at some ways apps can get creative at in-app advertising:

    Get Creative
    Make the Advertisement an Organic Part of Your App
    Time Your Ads Correctly
    Create Utility Driven Ads
    Create Immersive Ads
    Use Geotagging
    Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD)
    Make them Play
    Skin ads
    Make Use of Creative Filters

    Get Creative

    Inshorts is a popular Indian app with the goal of making news simple and easy to understand in a limited set of characters. Not just a great concept for an app, their recent ad campaign has also been a breath of fresh air.

    As a user passes between two news cards, one receives a call from a celebrity. So, you would see Aamir Khan calling you and upon picking up that call you would instantly be greeted by the actor who would then lead you into the phone conversation towards an advertisement of his brand, for example, AU Bank. Jio too tried it out recently with Amitabh Bachchan.

    Make the Advertisement an Organic Part of Your App

    Tinder has always been ahead of its time. From the very concept of matchmaking, Tinder has been a pioneer at whatever it does, even looking at some of the best ad campaigns that have been done much before anyone else was trying to make personalised ad campaigns.

    The famous dating app made use of integrated advertisements in collaboration with brands. These brands would be shown as normal cards to swipe. If a user liked the profile, much like any other profile, they would be directed to a match and inbox with sales offers from the brand and the likes of Zomato and Starbucks had this feature.

    What makes this campaign interesting is the copy and the content used in the messaging of these advertisements, which would actually make it sound like you’re talking to a person you have just matched with on a dating app. “Hey, you look delicious! We are not so bad too”, says Zomato’s profile when you match on Tinder.

    Time Your Ads Correctly

    It’s not the ad, but, its timing that could sometimes annoy the user too. For instance, if you were looking to book a ticket and you were suddenly bombed by a full-page display ad of the same movie, it won’t just be redundant, it would also elongate the process.

    Now, on the contrary, cab brands like Uber and Ola can make use of the timing their work allows. For instance, when a user has booked their cab and they are waiting for it, these cab rental apps could show their users and reward them accordingly for watching the ads.

    While the “watch the video ad” template has become a staple for many apps, the problem is they wouldn’t let a user make use of the service until they watch the ad. If Ola or Uber were to do this during the wait time, it would not be intrusive and since most people are idle during their waiting times, this could lead to higher watch times and better ad response.

    Create Utility Driven Ads

    Snickers, a famous chocolate brand, probably needs no introduction, but it sure knew it needed a kick ads ad. This is perhaps why it collaborated with Spotify, a popular music streaming app, to create an impact. The ad wasn’t even an ad, for the most part, that’s the genius.

    When users would listen to a song that was out of their typical choice of niche, Spotify would flash a pop-up “You are not you when you are hungry, and neither is your music taste. Stop being so forgetful! Grab snickers and get back to the tracks you love”.

    Create Immersive Ads

    Another number for Inshorts on this list. While we are recommending a few ideas to many apps, Inshorts is truly out there delivering out-of-the-box ideas for the marketing world at large.

    This is perhaps why recently Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors, two of the noticeable leading automobile players in the Indian subcontinent, recently partnered with Inshorts to introduce the launch of their new car in a rather customized template.

    Inshorts put a piece of news out on Tata Motors launching a new Kaziranga Edition of flagship cars. These cars take inspiration from the Kaziranga national park in Assam, and so rightfully this news card was designed a bit differently from the rest of the cards. This one had lush green canopies and a rhinoceros running toward the user. Truly making the ad an experience!

    Tata Ads on Inshorts App
    Tata Ads on Inshorts App

    Use Geotagging

    Instead of apps putting up random ads to fill up the blank space, they could narrow down the demographics and make advertising smarter. For instance, when you are watching a YouTube ad, you might sometimes get advertisements in foreign languages that you don’t understand. This is a clear targeting failure.

    On the contrary, what brands could do is make ads hyper-local. This would invite smaller and more local players to the arena. Zomato could use this as part of an active strategy where landmarks that advertise with them get a higher rank on the listing and are placed right at the top. This could include restaurants, cafes, pizzerias, patisseries, etc. However, this doesn’t have to stay limited to hotel listings.

    They could use this feature to also put out advertisements for other local businesses. The advantages of geotagging include giving users more relevant listings, which they are more likely to act upon.

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    Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD)

    Amazon Prime Video is into videos anyway, so it makes sense for them to offer video production to their advertisers as well. This is a plan in the making as of April 2022. Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD) would allow advertisers full access to video production, marketing, and reach commensurate with the giant Amazon Prime Videos. While details on this campaign are yet to be out, we do see it becoming a format other OTT biggies pick up on too.

    Make them Play

    If before you clicked on install, you could actually get a trailer into what you were signing up for, wouldn’t that make the case more convincing! Let us illustrate. Scrabble, the word game, decided to offer Paris free Wi-fi. There was only one condition, the French Capital had to play some games. They had to scan a QR code and play the game to get access to the internet.

    Now, the result of this campaign was 1,10,000 minutes of free internet access, but more importantly for Scrabble, it led to a 20% hike in their downloads in the first month!

    Skin ads

    What do you do if your app offers no annoying ads and it’s a free source app, which means there is no revenue coming in from subscribers or users? This was the case with WeTransfer. You can use WeTranfer to send hefty files that your mail or social media won’t allow passing without cutting it down.

    WeTranfer solved that problem for free, and though the paid models are still an option, the brand found that the majority of users only rely on the free version. So, they took to using their home page as an ad. They understood they had a great footfall on their app, and this meant their home page itself could become an ad. So, any brand looking to use its organic reach could use its home page. Smart!

    WeTranfer Homepage Ad
    WeTranfer Homepage Ad

    Make Use of Creative Filters

    Snapchat is full of filters and they would dedicate their creative team to giving you the filter of your dreams. For brands that are looking to make a branding impact, Snapchat offers lenses.

    Snapchat Taco Bell Collaboration
    Snapchat Taco Bell Collaboration

    Users can use these lenses much like any other filter and go about creating pics that also contain the brand’s logo and sometimes, a code to scan to download the app. Taco Bell has used it, and so has Gatorade. A brilliant way to remind you are cool while also not pitching your products actively.

    Conclusion

    There are countless ways to make an ad stand out. As the digital world expands, we realize the sky is the limit. Creativity and in-app advertising too can blend.

    We see the potential for gamification and geo-tagging to make a big splash in advertising. More and more apps have begun contemplating how to make ads more conversion-friendly.

    If you have an idea that brands need to get on, let us know in the comments below.

    FAQs

    How does advertising on an app work?

    Advertisers pay app developers to display their ads on their apps.

    What are the creative methods used in in-app advertising?

    The use of creative filters, geotagging, and creating immersive ads are some of the creative ways to advertise on an app.

    How much does it cost to advertise on a mobile app?

    Advertising on an app can cost you around $5 to $10 CPM (cost per mille) that’s the reason app advertising is considered slightly expensive compared to other advertising formats.

  • C Com Digital: A 360 Degree Digital Marketing Agency

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by C Com Digital.

    Digitization has become a universal phenomenon that is growing with every passing day. The increasing prominence of virtual space is observed to influence almost every domain of work. Especially in India with the highest mobile penetration, the scope for digital marketing has assumed importance. Under this circumstance, it is necessary for every venture to have a digital presence and come up with ideas to woo its potential customers who are present online.  A company that is helping businesses use the digital medium to its advantage is C Com Digital. C Com Digital is India’s first 360 Degree Digital Marketing Agency with an AI-powered platform, which helps companies to be ahead of their competitors through the effective marketing services it provides in various domains of digital marketing.

    Startup Name C Com Digital
    Headquarter Mumbai
    Sector Digital Advertisement
    Founders Chandan Bagwe
    Founded 1999
    Parent Organization C Com Enterprises Pvt. Ltd.
    Website www.ccomsys.net

    About C Com Digital and How it Works
    Digital Advertising Industry Details
    Founders of C Com Digital and team
    How was C Com Digital Started
    C Com Digital – Name, Tagline and Logo
    C Com Digital – User Acquisition
    C Com Digital – Technology Stacks/Tools/Software Used
    C Com Digital – Startup Challenges
    C Com Digital – Growth
    C Com Digital – Awards
    C Com Digital – Future Plans
    C Com Digital – Founder’s Advice

    About C Com Digital and How it Works

    C Com Digital is a 360-degree digital marketing agency that employs the latest technological developments like AI and data analytics. Headquartered in Mumbai, C Com offers its services pan India. They offer a plethora of products and services, all under one roof. The products and services include:

    ThinkBots (Building Brands with AI): AI-based Campaign management and performance optimization platform

    Digital Assets: Website, Mobile Apps, E-commerce Store

    Digital PR and Events: Media Outreach, Influencer Marketing, Brand Reputation Management

    Creatives and Branding: Corporate Collaterals, Positioning, Branding

    Digital Advertising: Social Media Marketing (SMM), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Network Advertising, E-Commerce advertising

    Digital Content: Videos, Blogs, EDMs, Social Media Optimization (SMO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

    Some of the key factors for ROI in digital marketing include Market Insights, Customer Engagement, Voice Search, Data Analytics, Predictive Analysis, and Hyper-Local Advertising. C Com Digital takes into account every factor so as to arrive at an effective strategy that gives 100% results.

    Digital Advertising Industry Details

    The shift of ad spending from traditional to digital media is happening at a rapid pace. The Indian ad industry stands at OVER 564 billion and is expected to touch 700 billion rupees by the end of 2022.

    Digital ad spending currently stands at 199 billion Indian rupees. This is expected to touch 539 billion rupees by the end of 2024. Digital will contribute 38% of the ad market size by 2023. Brands are also focusing on digital content creation, PR and digital services such as websites, mobile apps, search engine optimization and social media engagements.

    Founders of C Com Digital and team

    Chandan Bagwe is the Founder and Managing Director of C Com Digital. He is an engineering graduate, and holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the United States. Besides, Chandan did MBA in Marketing from the reputed Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. He is an avid teacher; a visiting faculty member at the premier B-school, Welingker’s Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. Besides, he is passionate about reading (non-fiction books, including biographies, philosophy, and spirituality), watching science-fiction movies, jogging, and yoga.

    C Com Digital Team

    Nikhil Marwaha, Director of Digital Strategy, has 14 years of cross-functional experience in design, product development and digital marketing in industries such as education, retail and dotcom. He has successfully led and delivered many insightful overseas campaigns, including those that drive results and support clients’ business objectives. He brings to the table some exceptional work experience from his years with top brands such as the Future Group and Tata Interactive Systems, Tata Communication Services, Globus.

    How was C Com Digital Started

    Coming from a business family, Chandan Bagwe had a natural inclination towards the business sector. While he was studying in the USA, from 1995 to 2000, the IT industry in India has started gaining prominence, and soon it was flourishing. Exactly around the same period, Amazon.com started growing in the USA. TCS, Infosys, Wipro grew by many folds in India. Chandan Bagwe took inspiration from Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. Thereon, Chandan Bagwe had decided to start an IT company and outsource work from the USA to India.

    The team wanted a name that was short and had good recall value. The name of the company is C Com Digital which stands for ‘Creative Communications’. Digital agencies are all about creativity and communication over the internet.

    C Com Digital logo carries 2 rings connected as links which represents the world connected with the Internet. The two colours in these two rings represent the strong bond between the two organizations i.e. C Com and its associates.

    C Com Digital – Growth

    Founded in 1999, C Com Digital is India’s first 360 Degree Digital Marketing Agency with an AI-powered platform. The company caters to the entire spectrum of digital marketing services for B2B and B2C customers. C Com Digital ThinkBots is a proprietary AI-powered Campaign planning, campaign management and performance optimization platform. C Com Digital has become renowned as a leading agency in the country’s digital space by creating strong digital assets, effective digital PR, creative branding, digital advertising and valuable digital content

    The company has grown by 200% since its establishment with a strong team of leading online influencers and advertising partners. The brand has expanded in the metropolitan cities of Chennai and Bengaluru as well as Hyderabad. Also, they have a client base in Dubai, Singapore and the USA.

    In all these years, the company has managed to successfully build a very strong network of Youtubers, Influencer Marketers, Multi-Channel Agencies, Ad Networks, OTT Channels and Video Content Developers.

    C Com’s clients are higher rung companies belonging to various segments, including industry leaders like Times Now, Zoom, Edelweiss, Southern Health Foods Pvt. Ltd (Manna), Tata Interactive Systems, Tata ClassEdge, Blue Cross Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Anunta Technology Management Services Pvt. Ltd., Asian Heart Institute, We School, Chintamanis, Outlook Publishing, Ram Ratna Group, and Globus.

    C Com Digital – User Acquisition

    Getting the first few customers is quite a task for any startup, and so was it for C Com Digital. Chandan managed to rope in the initial customers by leveraging the contacts of his family-run offset printing business.

    We have a family offset printing business which was looked after by my father and brother. I started contacting the network of clients, suppliers, associates for their requirements, and getting business slowly.

    Thereafter, C Com Digital partnered with 30 advertising agencies to get more work. When C Com Digital was established, advertising agencies could not provide technology services such as website development, SEO and social media. Due to such a gap in the then existing market, C Com Digital ultimately became their preferred partners to provide technology solutions which helped C Com in expansion of its network.

    C Com Digital – Technology Stacks/Tools/Software Used

    C Com’s ThinkBots is a proprietary AI-powered campaign planning, campaign management and performance optimization platform. C Com uses the ThinkBots AI platform to find valuable insights for marketing the products and services. With the insights received, the company starts executing the plan and monitoring closely the progress in real-time. C Com’s partnership with leading YouTube channels and YouTubers allows it to execute successful influencer marketing campaigns. C Com has also partnered with Google, Facebook, Amazon, Flipkart, and Paytm for online marketing and e-commerce businesses.

    C Com Digital – Startup Challenges

    Initially, C Com Digital had to face a few challenges concerning creating their mark and distinguishing themselves from their competitors. Mainly since 2007, digital agencies began flourishing. That was the period when SEO agencies were on the rise, along with SMO agencies with Google and Facebook popularizing advertisements on their platform. Nevertheless, C Com Digital was successful in creating a niche in the market due to their background in core technology, unlike others. This further allowed them to embrace all the technological and marketing shifts that were occurring in the industry.

    The demand started growing in the digital industry, and at the same time, the visionaries from the mainline media understood the importance of the digital agencies. This resulted in several mergers and acquisitions between digital marketing companies and mainline agencies to form new digital agencies. C Com Digital thrived in this digital outbreak working with all top mainline agencies and taking care of their digital work without getting merged or acquired.

    C Com Digital Awards and Recognition

    • C Com Digital has run successful campaigns including the award-winning campaign for Times Now- NRI of the Year, resulting in doubling the growing participation with the audience from across 15+ countries.
    • The company also showcased its expertise in digital mediums with a successful campaign “Happy Heart India” for “Asian heart Institute”, supported by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar to save lives of 200 underprivileged children suffering from chronic heart ailments.
    • C Com Digital has been growing big since it was established. Recently, it has created a huge hype in the media and won the media mandate from Blue Cross Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. for an awareness drive on dysmenorrhea- #WhySufferSilently campaign, which managed to reach 81 lakh, people, through social media platforms.
    • Received ‘Best Unique & Innovative Promotion of the Year’ at the National Jewellery Awards, for Chintamanis’ #LoveWins Campaign.
    • ‘Content Marketing Agency of the year 2019’ at the AgencyCon Indian Agency Awards Summit for NRI Of The Year Awards, Season 4 Campaign.
    • C Com Digital was awarded by TATA classed for achieving the milestone of reaching 15,000 classrooms.

    C Com Digital – Future Plans

    With the arrival of IoT, Big Data, concepts and advancements in data analytics, AI is going to become all-pervasive and play a crucial role in brand engagements. Bots will be capable of doing incredible things and will exceedingly enhance the human experience in all walks of life. AI is evolving rapidly in many realms such as research analysis, design, consumer mapping, social media marketing etc. Against such a background C Com Digitals’ ThinkBots is poised to become the next big thing in AI for the digital marketing space, given its exceptional capabilities and breakthrough technology.

    C Com Digital – Founder’s Advice

    My advice would be to aim for sustenance rather than biting more than one can chew. Hence, the fundamentals must be in place, both in thoughts and action before critically planning further expansion. In addition, there are four essential qualities that any entrepreneur must have: belief, focus, planning, and action. All four are equally important and require maximum sincerity. A high regard for these ideals will inevitably create an unstoppable force – Chandan Bagwe

    FAQs

    Who Founded C Com Digital?

    C Com Digital was founded by Chandan Bagwe.

    When was C Com Digital founded?

    C Com Digital was founded in the year 1999.