Featured Startup Pitch: Brussels-based Point Shout has built a mobile app that enables instant consumer feedback for brick-and-mortar retailers

By Ionut Danifeld, Point Shout co-founder

ELEVATOR PITCH

Established in 2013, Point Shout is a subscription-based mobile and web app solution that enables businesses to listen, engage, and react more effectively to their customers’ needs. We facilitate easier customer feedback while improving customer loyalty.

PRODUCT/SERVICE DESCRIPTION

In a nutshell, Point Shout comprises of a mobile app (iOS and Android) that visitors to participating venues can download and then complete a short customer feedback survey for the venue they are at. In return, a limited time discount code is displayed on the app, which the visitor can then redeem for a discount or free goodies, depending on what the venue has decided to offer.

The Point Shout platform is available free of charge for businesses to try out. For multiple venue locations, custom surveys, and demographic analysis, Point Shout charge a flexible monthly fee which includes assistance with offline marketing collateral to help promote the venue-specific Point Shout surveys to the end users.

The benefits of Point Shout for business owners:

First, valuable customer engagement and feedback data is collected. This turns into powerful business intelligence when analysed through the Point Shout dashboard.
Second, Point Shout encourages customer loyalty through the regular taking of surveys in return for repeated discounts or freebies.
Third, using Point Shout you will be able to build a new marketing channel comprised of customers who are motivated to engage with your business. Through this, businesses can send push notifications via our app to their customers’ phones for special events, offers, or new surveys.

FOUNDERS’ STORY

I am a co-founder of Point Shout and I head up the international marketing efforts for the company. I am also ‘The Designer Guy’ within the company and my creative mindset helps in being able to deliver innovative ideas and concepts. My main goal is to always stand out from the crowd.

The Point Shout idea came from the market, when I realised that every time I went out to restaurant or bar, I couldn’t effectively share what I thought about a certain venue. That initial spark grew when I talked with different business owners and it became apparent that they didn’t have a clue what their clients thought about their establishments. This was my ‘lightbulb!’ moment.

I personally carried out some research to see if there was in fact an opportunity in the marketplace for a new solution focussing on customer feedback and satisfaction. The next step was to find a techy guy and a sales person. My co-founders, Irina and Mihai, believed in my idea from the start and became trusted business partners.

Mihai heads up the development of the web and mobile apps. Mihai has several years experience in developing mobile applications for companies from Europe and the U.S. He is passionate about new technology and this is the driving force behind our technological excellence.

Irina heads up sales and the development of strategic partnerships. She has solid experience in managing successful product launches in Europe.

MARKETING/PROMOTION STRATEGY

We employ social media, content marketing (blogging) and strategic partnerships to grow our customer base. We develop relationships with digital agencies and contacts who have clients in the retail and hospitality sectors in order to introduce our product to businesses who would benefit from it.

We are also exhibiting at the Web Summit Dublin in November, 2014, which will give us the opportunity to connect with over 20,000 individuals involved in the web and marketing.

MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Some relevant statistics around smartphone users’ behaviour:

44 percent access the site of retailer
24 percent search for a coupon to use at checkout

Source: think.withgoogle.com/mobileplanet

More-and-more people use smartphones in their everyday life, so a mobile optimised solution for in-store customer feedback and incentivisation, in our mind, seems obvious.

HOW WE’RE DIFFERENT FROM THE COMPETITION

The traditional method of obtaining customer feedback is to create surveys using different online or offline platforms or through the services of a specialised survey agency. Often this process takes a lot of time and resources.

There are existing self-service solutions such as Survey Monkey or mobile apps like Loop. There are also existing customer loyalty solutions such as qustomer or easypromosapp.

We differentiate ourselves from these platforms through our incentive-based survey concept. We combine customer feedback, engagement and incentivisation into a single solution.

BUSINESS MODEL

Point Shout charges a monthly subscription fee to businesses using the platform. The fee is based on the number of venues at which the business wants to use the Point Shout system. Custom pricing is available for large businesses with more than ten locations.

CURRENT NEEDS

We are looking for international partners to launch the Point Shout product to additional markets. We are also seeking an initial round of investment.