FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RocketBux
Pilot Study Successfully Drives Consumer Purchasing Via Mobile Phone
Payment and Text-Based Messages
Patented
Technology for Location-Based Mobile Phone Advertising Proves 50
Percent Purchase Conversion Rates
May
19, 2006 – Bend, OR – RocketBux, Inc., the
leaders in location-based, pay-for-performance loyalty program,
today announced it successfully completed its first pilot study.
On
April 25th and 26th, 2006 in Bend, Oregon, RocketBux, Inc. conducted
the first public use of text message advertising triggered by a
merchant point-of-sale terminal. In the study, random mobile phone
users volunteered to participate, providing their cell phone number
and carrier. A small RocketBux RFID tag was then affixed to the
back of their mobile phone. The users walked into the first location
and waved their phone over the contactless payment reader. After
the users swiped, a text message was sent to their phone, giving
them an offer such as $5 off any purchase at the next participating
merchant. The consumers did this up to eight times over two days
with many users buying expensive items at participating merchants.
“We
originally thought our conversion rates of people buying items at
the locations would be 5 to 7 percent, which is very good by traditional
advertising standards,” says Fred Boos, chief inventor and
co-founder of RocketBux. “But our conversion rates were over
50 percent – a phenomenal success.”
“The
real importance of what we accomplished was the ability to direct
user movement using location-based services on a standard mobile
phone via text messaging,” says Tony Westerberg, co-founder
of RocketBux. “The participating merchants were amazed at
the pinpointed advertising model that successfully brought real
buyers into their stores. For consumers, it was a fun and very rewarding
experience.”
Merchants
Earn Additional Revenue; Consumers Receive Relevant Offers
In the RocketBux model, merchants earn revenue from ads served.
For example, in the pilot study a user making a purchase at the
participating coffee shop would receive an ad for another nearby
store. If the consumer purchased at the next store, the coffee shop
would receive revenue for driving that consumer to the second merchant.
Users
will only receive relevant ads that they allow into their phone.
If consumers would like, they will be able to provide information
about their preferences, so they only receive offers meaningful
to them.
“The
cell phone has evolved to become a device that many of us wouldn’t
leave home without – like our wallets or keys,” says
Boos. “RocketBux brings the convenience of fast, easy and
safe payment to mobile phones, along with the targeted offers and
rewards that consumers want.”
More
than 140,000 Contactless Readers Nationwide
RocketBux has developed its location based phone advertising services
using ViVOtech breakthrough technologies. i.e, RFID tags, contactless
readers, and back end transaction software platform. There are more
than 140,000 ViVOtech contactless readers already installed at various
merchant POS locations nationwide that enable consumers to make
contactless payments by simply waving their radio frequency (RF)
enabled credit cards, key fobs, or mobile phones at existing point-of-sale
(POS) systems. ViVOtech solutions upgrade existing magnetic stripe
POS terminals in minutes so they can accept contactless payments
which are faster than cash and safer than checks. ViVOtech contactless
readers are equally capable to support RocketBux services for participating
merchants.
“RocketBux
is absolutely in the right place at the right time,” said
Mohammad Khan, president and founder of ViVOtech. “Consumers
want the ease of paying via their mobile phones and receiving offers
that are relevant to their needs. ViVOtech is excited to work with
RocketBux in accomplishing both experiences for consumers.

Click the thumbnail image above
for a high resolution picture
About
RocketBux
RocketBux, Inc. specializes in mobile phone payment and location-based
text advertising and rewards. The company provides a new way for
merchants and customers to interact and benefit from each other.
Never before has there been a method for merchants to target their
customers via advertising so precisely. Consumers can now benefit
immediately from the merchants closest to them, receiving special
offers that are geographically and interest-specific. RocketBux
has a patent pending for location-based messaging via point-of-sale.
The company is based in Bend, Oregon. For more information, go to
www.rocketbux.com.
About ViVOtech
ViVOtech is the market leader in contactless payment software, readers,
cards, fobs and transaction management systems. These solutions
allow consumers to make contactless payments with radio frequency-enabled
credit cards, debit cards, key fobs, and NFC enabled mobile phones.
With more than 160,000 units shipped to 17 countries, ViVOtech's
products are being used by movie theaters, fast food restaurants
(QSR), casual dining establishments, convenience stores, gas stations,
drug stores, grocery and vending machine locations enabling them
to accept contactless payments. ViVOtech is headquartered in Santa
Clara, California, with offices in Europe and Asia. In 2005, ViVOtech
received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan technology award for
its role in transforming the contactless payment industry, as well
as winning the first annual ETA Technology Innovation Award. For
more information, please visit the ViVOtech website at www.vivotech.com.
Contact:
Fred Boos
RocketBux, Inc
www.rocketbux.com
541-408-0203
Contact:
Loretta Stevens
VIVOtech
www.vivotech.com
415-248-3434
lstevens@webershandwick.com
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