ARTICLE
PROMO, an online app where you can find promotional deals and events that are being offered nearby, was started at Sewanee University (SEW) in Sewanee, Tennessee. George O’Neill III, a Polk County native, was in his second semester at SEW when he met a group of students with an idea for an app, then called Vivism. “It started with a really basic app,” said O’Neill. “I didn’t code then. I don’t code now. I just understood what it was like to be a freshman on a college campus or be somewhere where you don’t know people, and are trying to figure out what’s going on around you. There are things going on in downtown (areas) all over the world, and they’re just trying to get an extra five or six people to show up. We can’t turn out hundreds of thousands of people but getting an extra five people to show up at an event can be a big deal. So that was the focus,” said O’Neill. O’Neill said when creation of the app first began, he was “flying by the seat of (his) pants.” He said his initial mistake was focusing on creating hype rather than real value and functionality. Later, the app that started as an idea known as Vivism, has turned to what it is today as, the PROMO app. The app helps people find promotional deals and events in their local area. One of its key features is called, PROMO Deal. Many small businesses and community organizations offer regular promotional deals but have no way of incentivizing people to share that information on social media. PROMO Deal provides a system that allows these businesses to track and incentivize their customers to share their messages on social platforms without the cost or fees usually associated. For example, if a local coffee shop offers a ‘Mocha Monday’ promotional deal, they can create a PROMO Deal on the App and offer a reward to the first-five people to share that link on their social media. Those first-five people would qualify to receive a free mocha drink. PROMO will track that it was posted, then automatically send the user a QR code to redeem their reward. "We feel that the Lakeland business community with its vibrant and entrepreneurial spirit will be receptive in embracing this innovative and powerful technology,” said George O'Neill III, PROMO Applications founder. As an introductory offer The PROMO App is offering a $25.00 gift card to the first ten Lakeland Chamber businesses that sign up. For more information on the PROMO app visit, getpromoapp.com.
PROMO, an online app where you can find promotional deals and events that are being offered nearby, was started at Sewanee University (SEW) in Sewanee, Tennessee. George O’Neill III, a Polk County native, was in his second semester at SEW when he met a group of students with an idea for an app, then called Vivism.
“It started with a really basic app,” said O’Neill. “I didn’t code then. I don’t code now. I just understood what it was like to be a freshman on a college campus or be somewhere where you don’t know people, and are trying to figure out what’s going on around you. There are things going on in downtown (areas) all over the world, and they’re just trying to get an extra five or six people to show up. We can’t turn out hundreds of thousands of people but getting an extra five people to show up at an event can be a big deal. So that was the focus,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill said when creation of the app first began, he was “flying by the seat of (his) pants.” He said his initial mistake was focusing on creating hype rather than real value and functionality.
Later, the app that started as an idea known as Vivism, has turned to what it is today as, the PROMO app. The app helps people find promotional deals and events in their local area. One of its key features is called, PROMO Deal. Many small businesses and community organizations offer regular promotional deals but have no way of incentivizing people to share that information on social media. PROMO Deal provides a system that allows these businesses to track and incentivize their customers to share their messages on social platforms without the cost or fees usually associated. For example, if a local coffee shop offers a ‘Mocha Monday’ promotional deal, they can create a PROMO Deal on the App and offer a reward to the first-five people to share that link on their social media. Those first-five people would qualify to receive a free mocha drink. PROMO will track that it was posted, then automatically send the user a QR code to redeem their reward.
"We feel that the Lakeland business community with its vibrant and entrepreneurial spirit will be receptive in embracing this innovative and powerful technology,” said George O'Neill III, PROMO Applications founder.
As an introductory offer The PROMO App is offering a $25.00 gift card to the first ten Lakeland Chamber businesses that sign up.
For more information on the PROMO app visit, getpromoapp.com.