CheckPoints, a mobile shopping app that launched at TechCrunch Disrupt in 2010, is rebranding today as InMarket.
CheckPoints takes a more product centric approach to its shopping app. When you walk into a store, the app will show you featured products that you can scan with the built-in barcode reader. After scanning, you’ll receive an interactive game that a marketer has made for that brand, allowing marketers to actually directly connect with consumers at the point of sale. As opposed to partnering with stores, CheckPoints focused on brands.
Consumers are incentivized to scan products because it earns them “checkpoints” which can be redeemed for discounts and products once you have enough. For example, Frito-Lay has used CheckPoints to advertise a promo for their Tostitos Artisan Recipes. When consumers scan a Frito-Lay product, they will earn points and receive holiday recipe ideas and exclusive music content from Frito-Lay.
Today, CheckPoints has expanded to become inMarket, a mobile network focused on reaching shoppers as they make retail purchasing decisions. The CheckPoints rewards app will be one of the shopping apps included in the InMarket network, and inMarket’s new SDK developer platform, which is set for release in coming weeks.
As founder and president Todd Dipaola explains, InMarket’s goal is to become the go-to platform for developers and advertisers to reach mobile-enabled shoppers. A number of app developers are using InMarket already to gain reach, including ShopSavvy.
Dipaola says the inMarket Shopper Network currently has the capability to reach over 20 million consumers across multiple channels and says that purchase intent has increased by up to 400% by engaging with a shopper via mobile technologies while holding a product. “Mobile is the most powerful in the commerce cycle when consumers are making purchasing decision,” says Dipaola.
Basically, InMarket provides brands with “pay-per-click” advertising in the physical retail setting. Advertisers can target a particular chain, a region, or even an individual store. And the platform gives developers the ability to integrate an SDK to integrate product incentives into shopping apps.
“The loyalty app itself is not whole enchilada of mobile shopping,” says Dipaola,”Expanding beyond to additional apps that help shoppers do what they want to do in stores and at home will help advertisers expand brands beyond a single app.”
Currently, InMarket is cash flow positive, and not looking to raise any additional funds at the moment. Dipaola says that in the coming year, the startup will be looking at a number of acquisitions.