Zocalo Group Launches FanRally™, The Next-generation Brand Advocacy Platform

CHICAGO, July 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocalo Group today announced the release of FanRally, a next-generation brand advocacy platform designed to identify, engage and empower the small percentage of influential advocates whose recommendations lead to sales.

By now, many brands have built a consumer following through social media, CRM and traditional marketing efforts. But research shows that only a small percentage of these fans, "likes," or "followers" are actually engaged with the brand. First-generation brand advocacy platforms fall short in helping brands sustain advocacy and recommendations. Some use "rented fans" that are only interested in giveaways, while others are one-size-fits-all or short-lived. Still, others are not integrated with other marketing programs.

Zocalo Group, a leader in word of mouth, digital and social media marketing, has helped leading brands develop successful advocacy programs for years. The agency leveraged this deep understanding of what motivates and sustains advocacy to create FanRally – the second-generation brand advocacy platform. The affordable, proprietary program can be used to launch a product or build a brand, and complements existing PR, social and marketing strategies.

"Nearly every brand recognizes the power of social media, and most are now recognizing that the biggest value comes from their brand fans," said Zocalo Group President and CEO Paul M. Rand. "FanRally will fundamentally change the way brands fully capitalize on social media by helping them create more meaningful and effective brand-consumer experiences – leading to affinity, recommendations, sales and product innovation."

More than a year in development, FanRally already has been running in beta for several months with some clients of Zocalo Group, and it has seen early successes.

What FanRally Does

FanRally uses game mechanics to engage advocates with ways to earn (and redeem) points for learning, talking, sharing, recommending and giving feedback. FanRally's proprietary platform seamlessly integrates with the website and social networks a brand already owns using a three-step methodology tailored to the brand's unique needs:

1. Understand & identify: Zocalo Group gains an understanding of the brand's biggest fans and builds the brand's ideal FanRally profile. Additional candidates will be identified using existing channels, email and CRM data, and third-party data sources.

2. Invite & excite: Only those fans that match the brand's criteria will receive an email invite. They are treated to insider information, rewards and recognition, sneak previews, special offers, immediate access and more.

3. Engage & empower: These engaging experiences are designed to fuel fans' desire to recommend, share, review, defend and advocate. This will lead to measurable increases in recommendations and sales.

The Technology

Zocalo Group first compiles customer data from CRM, social channels and select third-party vendors. The data is reconciled using tools and data partners to pinpoint advocate candidates. After further screening, the most influential advocates are invited inside and provided with the types of engagement that matter most: inside information, sneak previews, special offers and input opportunities.

Using game mechanics, FanRally focuses advocacy activity where the brand needs it most, from learning, talking and sharing to recommending and giving feedback. That means users can behave normally on their favorite channels, while still providing the brand with a complete picture of their social activity.

FanRally was built to enable brands to customize across desktop and mobile platforms, while matching the look and feel of their other brand sites. Importantly, this powerful customer data is carefully maintained to protect the confidentiality and privacy of clients and their customers.

With FanRally, fans won't just "like" a brand – they'll share, review, defend and rave about it. For more information, visit fanrally.com.

About Zocalo Group

Zocalo Group is a full-service word-of-mouth, digital and social media marketing agency, helping leading consumer and business to business brands become the most talked about and recommended in their categories. Based in Chicago, Zocalo Group has received numerous industry awards for brand programs and measurement initiatives. Zocalo Group is a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) and Ketchum. For more information, please visit www.zocalogroup.com.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Named 2012 PR Agency of the Year (PRWeek and European Excellence Awards) and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., visit www.ketchum.com.

About Diversified Agency Services

Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom's holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organisations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Zocalo Group

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