EPrize Becomes HelloWorld

PLEASANT RIDGE (WWJ) -- The Pleasant Ridge online promotion provider ePrize LLC is giving up 15 years of brand equity for a new name the company says better reflects its recent growth -- HelloWorld.

The company's business won't change -- online contests and loyalty programs. But the company is also now providing a service-based platform offering mobile marketing, live event activities and more.

The majority of the Fortune 500, including brands like Coca-Cola, Microsoft and P&G, have used what's now called HelloWorld to motivate consumer behavior -- the company has administered four times more promotions than its top competitor.

Included are the following service offerings:
● Mobile marketing: SMS, in-app push notifications, custom mobile app experiences, mobile clubs, alerts, mobile coupons and location-based services.
● Live event activation: Jumbotron games, photos, tweets and texts to screen, for concert tours, sporting events, tradeshows and retail.
● Promotions: Sweepstakes, instant-wins, trivia, photo contests and advertising-based games.
● Loyalty programs: Points-based, social engagement or advocacy programs with a range of reward options and prize catalogs.
● In-store activation: Digital coupons, scavenger hunts, mobile clubs, and POS integration.

"Rapidly evolving technology like smart phones and social networks have created marketing opportunities – but have also made engaging with consumers complicated with multiple vendors and complex software," HelloWorld CEO Matt Wise said in a statement. "In the same way Salesforce.com and Oracle solved this problem for CRM, the HelloWorld SaaS platform solves this problem for rich consumer engagement. It was time to reinvent the way things are done and build one platform to help brands
connect with consumers across channels. We're proud to pave the way for brands to take advantage of this exciting and evolving medium."

In the last three years, the company has nearly doubled in revenue and tripled the number of clients it serves. The company has also made acquisitions, including a division of the predictive analytics company Apollo Data Technologies, mobile technology provider Cellit, mobile live event activation firm Mozes, app engagement startup Bulbstorm and online promotions company Promotions.com.

EPrize was founded by Josh Linkner, now an independent investor and entrepreneurship consultant. It later attracted investments from Quicken Loans and Rock Financial founder Dan Gilbert. In 2011, companies began approaching ePrize about a buyout. The company hired an adviser and wound up selling itself in 2012 to the Greenwich, Conn.-based private equity firm Catterton Partners, and Linkner and Gilbert sold their shares. EPrize has also incubated a startup in the enterprise gamification space called LevelEleven.

HelloWorld has more than 400 employees in seven offices. Now found at www.helloworld.com, the company continues to be headquartered in Pleasant Ridge.