Concept:
With social media’s rise as the preferred communications platform for consumers, Engage121, Inc. created Engage121: Enterprise, a social media management application designed to meet the unique needs of retailers that serve local customers through multiple stores, offices, restaurants and field representatives.
Launched in September 2010, Enterprise monitors, engages and evaluates consumer communications across all relevant social media networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Ning, Yelp and more, as well as nearly one million blogs. Through Enterprise, companies can build online relationships with customers to harvest uncovered revenue opportunities.
The tool is designed to integrate all relevant platforms into one application. Engage121 Corporate enables retailers to find new customers, build online loyalty programs, distribute localized coupons, increase fans and followers and garner customer feedback.
Team:
Founded in 1997, Engage121, Inc. is led by CEO Jon Victor. The company is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut with offices in New York, London, Chicago and San Francisco. Victor assembled a team of software and communications specialists with retail expertise to help develop and bring to market Engage121’s suite of services, including Executive Vice President Jack Serpa, Chief Technology Officer Kurt Strumpf, Applications Developer David Whalen and Marketing Manager Nick Perold.
Advertisement
Market Relevance:
Social media provides an opportunity for retailers to engage consumers in real time, on an individual basis, allowing them to improve perceptions of the company while cultivating brand loyalty. This explains social media’s rapid adoption in the online and offline retail industry. A September 2010 survey from the Aberdeen Group found that 85% of retailers currently have social media initiatives in place.
Through Engage121, a national retailer can have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Foursquare account — or any other social media account — for each of its locations, allowing for custom, localized messaging.
Delivery:
Engage121’s Enterprise social media application empowers retailers with the following capabilities:
- · Explore: use keywords to discover social media conversations that matter;
- · Listen: track the people and brands followed in one manageable stream;
- · Speak: broadcast a localized message to all social networks with one post; and
- · Evaluate: measure the results of social media efforts with powerful analytics.
Engage121 Enterprise uses social media to help companies with multiple outlets and locations connect with local consumers. Retailers can localize outbound communications from the corporate headquarters, through their multiple locations. The “Speak Local” feature allows all outbound messages — including news, special offers, contests, polls and promotions.
Through Engage121: Enterprise, each outlet can have their own local version of the application allowing them to harness the power of local social media in an integrated, easy-to-use dashboard. The application also includes a Market Library that can contain unlimited promotional content for use by each of the retailer’s outlets, and a comprehensive Events Library that can be used to discover upcoming events for local promotions. All activity through the application is then tracked and measured to evaluate ROI.
Proof Points: Engage121, Inc. serves more than 1,400 clients from leading global brands to emerging startups. The company was founded in 1998. Recently, Mashable.com recognized Engage121: Enterprise as the “best in its class at encompassing monitoring, broadcasting and engagement.” The solution also was nominated for a Mashable Award in the category of “Best Social Media Management Tool.” Engage121: Enterprise has been adopted by a number of companies, including Learning Express and Curves International.
