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SpyderLynk's Marketer-Friendly Mobile Engagement Portal Converts No-Frills UPC Barcode into New Marketing ChannelDENVER --(Business Wire)-- SpyderLynk, a leading mobile engagement platform company for marketers and creator of the SnapTag ®, today announced the completion of its Series B round of funding with TBC Holdings totaling $2.5 million and the launch of its Snap Reader app and self-service online portal allowing brands to build and launch mobile campaigns using their existing UPC barcodes (or any type of mobile activator including QR codes!) Brands are able to set up their own mobile marketing campaigns in a snap using SpyderLynk's simple yet powerful turnkey mobile engagement portal. Marketers have been experimenting for several years with QR codes and other mobile barcodes like the SnapTag, printing them on packaging, signs, and just about every other medium to drive brand and product awareness, and, ultimately drive consideration and sales. The genesis of mobile barcodes was the unexciting, yet very utilitarian UPC barcode, which was created to track product inventory and sales. More recently, mobile technology app builders have created proprietary apps allowing consumers to scan UPC barcodes to drive them to non-branded sites/landing pages providing prices, nutritional information and competing retailer price comparisons. The rub? These apps, the messaging, nor the information provided is controlled by brands - but rather by the technology vendors. But, that is all about to change with the launch of the Snap Reader by SpyderLynk, which turns a virtually static UPC barcode into an interactive mobile engagement platform. All of the rich mobile engagement tools provided by SpyderLynk's SnapTag and mobile engagement platform are now available with the scan of a UPC barcode. Why it's different Because it's so simple - no other mobile activation tool is required. The entire mobile engagement can be driven through a brand's existing UPC barcode. Two, the backend development and programming has already been done. Brands have the ability to set up and customize their own campaigns through SpyderLynk's online self-service mobile engagement portal and can create infinite product marketing campaigns without incurring significant developmet costs or time constraints. Brands can simply promote the Snap Reader to engage with consumers across multiple product platforms. What's more - the entire engagement takes place on consumers' mobile phones - no link to a mobile website is required.
"We're very excited to launch the Snap Reader and mobile engagement portal, which puts brands squarely in the driver's seat," said Nicole Skogg, SpyderLynk Founder and CEO. "Our new self service portal gives brands to the ability to deliver a brand experience that they control using any mobile activator they choose - even their existing UPC barcodes!" "Our investment in SpyderLynk represents a strategic commitment to the significant opportunity we see in the mobile marketing industry. We believe that companies who offer unique mobile marketing solutions and activation tools, like SpyderLynk and its iconic SnapTag, will play a key role in driving industry growth," said James V. Continenza, Chairman, CEO of TBC Holdings and a Board member of SpyderLynk. Research shows that consumers are embracing mobile and want opportunities provided through mobile activators. In a research study SpyderLynk commissioned last spring and conducted by Research Now, 82% of the consumers polled said they preferred receiving brand offers via either QR codes, SnapTags, UPC barcodes or NFC. What's more, 64% said they wished more advertisements provided mobile activators to get more information and offers. The development of the Snap Reader and new engagement portal was funded, in part, by an investment from TBC Holdings, a holding company created to acquire and manage advertising, marketing and technology companies backed primarily by affiliates of Blackstone's GSO Capital. About SpyderLynk SpyderLynk is a leading mobile activation and marketing platform company. We make it possible to deliver marketing programs directly to mobile phones-creating innovative, instantaneous interaction between consumers and brands. We market to the moment. We establish opportunities for consumers to react and interact to a variety of marketing options when they are most curious and most ready to convert their desire into action. SpyderLynk focuses on activating engagements from any media channel via virtually any mobile activator from our patented SnapTag to QR codes and UPC barcodes. We offer a suite of mobile marketing solutions improving consumer engagement, affinity and knowledge while driving conversion, commerce and retail traffic. This suite of solutions includes coupons, commerce, social, promotions, content, surveys and CRM, which have accelerated purchase cycles and driven marketing results for over one third of the top 100 US advertisers including Glamour, Revlon, L'Oreal and Toyota. SpyderLynk can be found online at www.spyderlynk.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and through the #SnapTag hashtag.
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