Chris Bryson thinks he’s found a new way to leverage loyalty on mobile.
Bryson’s company, Unata, unveiled its first product Tuesday – Fresh Points, an app that works like a super-charged coupon booklet.
When consumers visit a grocery store, they can check-in to the app to find a list of available products, each with associated points. After check out, the user scans each purchase to collect points and cash-in on rewards.
The company plans to earn revenue through partnerships with brands. Fresh Points sells in-app product placement and rewards packages, but Bryson said the consumer data it collects is also a core offering.
“We can understand which people have looked at which ads,” Bryson said, explaining the data Fresh Points collects shows each step in the purchase cycle. “You can never tell who reads a flyer. We can see if the ad created a conversion.”
Bryson wouldn’t reveal any of Fresh Point’s brand partners, but the app has received a seal of approval from Aimia, the loyalty management firm behind Montreal’s Aeroplan program.
Bryson secured funding for Unata after he left Aeroplan in 2010 (for which he managed the company’s partnership with American Express). Unata is also backed by Mantella Venture Partners, a Toronto-based fund for early-stage tech companies.
Apps similar to Fresh Points, such as CheckPoints and Shopkick, have found success in the U.S. market, which Bryson hopes is a sign of his app’s potential.
Unata has yet to submit Fresh Points to Apple’s App Store, but Bryson said he is expecting it to be available to consumers by the end of the month.
