Mobile App Makes Rewards Smarter - Charities Benefit

NEW YORK, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- How much can a consumer raise for their charity? "A lot" says Likestyle Founders Brad Thorne and Jerry Broughton.

The east coast tech start-up is launching a mobile rewards platform that allows consumers to receive mobile rewards and generate donations for charity from their favorite stores, restaurants and hotels.

With smart-phone and mobile data plan sales posting record increases, more consumers find themselves carrying a phone that accomplishes much more than connecting two people on a call.

"We were researching how to make consumer spending a more rewarding experience. What we found is using our power as consumers to benefit those in need is a great reward. Likestyle asks which charity the user wants to support and tells the merchant where the donation should go," says Thorne.

The platform utilizes location aware technology to identify where the customer is each time they check in to find a reward. Likestyle's algorithm, dubbed the matchmaker, connects a user's personality, motivations and interests to the reward offered by the merchant that is the best fit.

The notion of using interests to determine compatibility isn't a new concept. According to Co-Founder Jerry Broughton, the technology that focuses on these precepts is familiar to many.

"Online matchmaking sites use similar models to bring two people together based on their compatibility, so we know that connecting a person's interests to the compatible store reward makes sense."

Many retailers currently have programs in place that benefit a charity often accompanied by national campaigns and celebrity endorsements.

Thorne adds, "What we're the most excited about is that through Likestyle, we can develop revenue channels for smaller charities that would otherwise go unnoticed by larger chain stores. Many of these local charities are very effective at helping their community. We're welcoming charities of all sizes to sign up with Likestyle at no cost."

Likestyle.com notes a summer 2010 launch in locations across the US.

SOURCE Likestyle

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED