Kona Ice Selects SOCi to Manage Online Local Listings and Avoid Local Invisibility

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Jun 08, 2023, 10:00 ET

Kona Ice is one of the country's most successful mobile food franchises, with 1,500 mobile units across 49 states

SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kona Ice, one of the top mobile food franchises in the U.S., with over 1,500 mobile units across 49 states, today announced the selection of SOCi Inc., the leading comarketing cloud for multi-location enterprises, to manage its extensive online local listings. This strategic move is designed to ensure that Kona Ice remains visible to its customers on multiple platforms such as Google, Facebook, Yelp, and more, effectively tackling the industry-wide issue of local invisibility.

An overwhelming majority of consumers today use digital tools to find information about a local business, including location information. However, according to a recent report by SOCi, the average U.S. business is virtually invisible in two out of three local online searches, even when nine of 10 customers turn to search when they have a need. Kona Ice's partnership with SOCi underscores the brand's commitment to customer satisfaction and positions it to increase online visibility and avoid search pitfalls as it continues to scale its operations amid surging demand.

"We don't want our customers to ever struggle to find our trucks online," said Tony Lamb, Founder and CEO of Kona Ice. "With SOCi, we can effectively manage our online presence across dozens of platforms to ensure that doesn't happen, especially as we continue to grow. We also want to enhance the digital strength of each franchise to improve local visibility and make our brand more accessible to our customers – SOCi will help us do that on all fronts."

As a unique mobile franchise, Kona Ice offers customers a one-of-a-kind experience with its self-serve Flavorwave™, allowing them to create their own shaved ice while basking in a tropical ambience. The brand is dedicated to providing an exceptional customer experience, not just in person, but online as well. As Kona Ice continues to expand, the need for a unified platform to manage their online presence and customer expectations has become increasingly evident.

"Kona Ice recognizes the high cost of low search visibility and the importance of landing in the Google 3-pack. They understand that brands who have optimized their online listings appear in the 3-pack twice as often," said David Marler, Chief Customer Officer of SOCi. "By leveraging the SOCi platform and our world class service, Kona Ice will continue to increase their visibility within local searches making it easier for their customers to find mobile Kona Ice locations closest to them."

Kona Ice's decision to engage SOCi was also motivated by the desire to better support its team as customer volume increases, and the brand has plans to utilize the platform for managing reviews and social media later this year. As Kona Ice plans to launch multiple brands, having one platform to oversee its online listings data, as well as other marketing channels, all in one place is crucial.

SOCi provides the necessary AI-powered tools to manage thousands of listings, reviews, and social channels efficiently. To learn more about how SOCi automates the optimization of multi-location brands' online listings, visit www.meetsoci.com/products/listings. And to learn more about how SOCi is empowering multi-location enterprises through its cutting-edge CoMarketing Cloud solution, visit www.meetsoci.com/genius.

About SOCi

SOCi is the leading comarketing cloud for multi-location enterprises. We empower businesses like Ace Hardware, Jersey Mike's, Kumon, and Ford to automate and scale their marketing efforts across all locations and digital channels in a way that is brand directed, locally perfected, and data connected. Through the use of best-in-class generative AI and machine learning, the SOCi Genius platform provides multi-location enterprises actionable insights and recommendations while automating their most important workflows at scale. With SOCi, businesses can strengthen their digital presence across local search and social pages while protecting their online reputation, driving improved customer engagement and market leading results. To learn more about how SOCi can help fuel your localized marketing success, please visit us at www.meetsoci.com or message us at [email protected].

About Kona Ice

Founded in 2007 by Tony Lamb, Kona Ice launched its first Kona Entertainment Vehicle (KEV) in Florence, Kentucky. Offering a unique combination of cleanliness, friendliness, and a one-of-a-kind experience, the self-serve Flavorwave™ features the opportunity to create your very own shaved ice while enjoying the soothing sights and sounds of the tropics, all while giving back to each and every community Kona Ice serves. Since its inception, Kona Ice has given more than $135 million back to neighborhood schools, organizations, and teams. Today, Kona Ice has grown to more than 1,500 mobile units that serve 49 states across the country.

Kona Ice has been named one of the top eight franchises in the United States by TheStreet.com, ranked on Entrepreneur's "Fastest-Growing" franchises list multiple years in a row, and has earned many other industry, local, and nationwide awards. For more on Kona Ice, visit the brand's online Newsroom and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news.

For more information about booking Kona Ice for a fundraiser or event, visit www.kona-ice.com. To learn more about available franchise opportunities, visit www.ownakona.com or email [email protected].

SOURCE SOCi