PALO ALTO, CA — (Marketwire) — 10/19/11 — PunchTab, Inc., the world-s first instant loyalty and rewards platform allowing bloggers, brands, and businesses to create free social and mobile-enabled loyalty programs, today announced the debut of PunchBowl, a free mobile application that provides local merchants with a way to create viral giveaways, drive in-store traffic and increase social engagement.
Launching with more than 35 local businesses across the Bay Area, PunchBowl puts a modern twist on the classic concept of dropping business cards into a fish bowl to enter a contest. PunchBowl takes the in-store giveaways that businesses are already running, and makes them mobile, adding the viral power of social sharing and Word of Mouth marketing. To greater incentivize in-store visits, actions are ranked higher as a customer gets closer to the cash register. Using the PunchBowl app, Customers receive one entry when they “like” a business- Facebook page and share the giveaway via Twitter or email but receive ten giveaway entries for in-store check-ins.
Daily deal websites offer customers promotional discounts at a significant cost to business owners, creating a one-time buying frenzy but doing little to inspire loyal and repeat customers. PunchTab-s mobile app is free for both merchants and consumers, and bridges the gap between social, mobile and traditional in-store giveaways to incentivize consumers to engage, connect, and most importantly, return to local stores.
“There-s a lifetime value associated with social sharing that extends beyond the cash register or a single transaction. This first release of PunchBowl is focused on driving social sharing and meaningful in-store activity to both engage customers as well as leverage their social networks,” said PunchTab founder Ranjith Kumaran.
“PunchBowl is just one example of how PunchTab can power loyalty and reward programs for mobile apps,” Kumaran said. “With our iOS SDK, we-re bringing that functionality to mobile app developers so they can unleash their own creativity with the PunchTab platform. We-re constantly thinking about building products that empower companies to incentivize and reward users wherever they are — mobile, e-commerce, online or in-store.”
More information on the mobile app can be found at
About PunchTab, Inc.
Founded in January 2011, PunchTab is the world-s first instant loyalty and rewards platform allowing bloggers, brands, and businesses to create free social and mobile-enabled loyalty programs in minutes. Through the PunchTab platform, consumers earn points for engaging on websites, in stores, and social sharing sites like Facebook and Twitter, redeemable for discounts and prizes from a customized catalog. Over 2,200 publishers are using PunchTab-s tightly-integrated rewards program to engage and incentivize over 7.5 million consumers every month, with no development or marketing costs. Web and mobile app developers can now utilize the PunchTab Developer Tools for a tightly integrated solution.
Based in Silicon Valley and led by founders Ranjith Kumaran, Co-founder of YouSendIt.com and Mehdi AitOufkir, an early YouSendIt employee who went on to found JellyDo.com, a location-based reminder service for Foursquare users, PunchTab is funded by Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Embarcadero Ventures. For more information visit
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