Reward-program company Parago is tapping into value-seeking customers via a geotargeted mobile application.

The GoRebate Mobile app lets marketers directly target consumers with rebates on their mobile devices. The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market.

“GoRebate Mobile provides access to the exponentially growing demographic of price-savvy consumers that rely on their smart phones to shop and research deals,” said Juli Spottiswood, president and CEO of Parago, Lewisville, TX.

“Marketing and consumer expectations are rapidly evolving, and we are able to deliver the innovation and technology to push our clients to the forefront,” she said.
The app was developed by Bottle Rocket .

Hand-held deals
Parago’s app lets users find local rebate deals based on their location.

Consumers can browse for rebates in their area by retailer, product or category to help filter their search when they are looking for something specific.

Consumers can also track their rebates during the redemption period via the app, which helps them stay on top of the rebates they have and when they expire.

Additionally, the app lets users set alerts for rebates in their area and tag deals they are interested in.

Consumers can share their deal finds with friends and family via social integrations within the app, such as Twitter, Facebook, email or SMS.

The company decided to roll out iPhone and Android apps because of the increasing mobile market and the channel seemed like a natural fit.

“GoRebate Mobile was developed on Apple and Android platforms because they are the leading platforms for apps,” Ms. Spottiswood said.

“Due to the large market share of these devices, it was a no-brainer when deciding how to empower the consumers of today,” she said.

Parago developed the app after seeing a need in the marketplace where retailers and manufacturers are continually vying for consumers’ attention.

The app also represents a shift in consumer behavior with shoppers who search and browse for products on their mobile devices.

“Until now, businesses had to actively do something to market rebate promotions to the public or they had to hope that consumers would notice them in their stores,” Ms. Spottiswood said.

“GoRebate offers a whole new avenue for businesses to make consumers aware of rebates and to drive store traffic and sales lift,” she said.

“We believe that consumer deal finding is here to stay and marketers must respond to this demand.”

Mobile shopping
Parago took its large library of data and wanted to create a way to make it relevant for consumers.

“The main goal of the Parago app was to create a consumer-facing product to provide value to both the company’s clients and bring in consumers,” said David Goldstein, director of business development at Bottle Rocket.

“We also worked with Parago to create an app that wanted to increase awareness about the brand and drive consumers with rebates,” he said.

In addition to Parago, Bottle Rocket works with retailers and companies looking to boost their mobile presence, and according to Mr. Goldstein, consumers can expect to see more retail-based reward apps in the future.

“One of the biggest challenges for retailers in mobile right now is trying to find a way to shift in-store, passive experiences to a more proactive experience that knows the customer well enough to understand their buying habits,” Mr. Goldstein said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York