Today we announced the acquisition of Locately, a Boston-based consumer location analytics company. Locately has developed proprietary geo-targeted smartphone technology that offers consumers short, relevant surveys about their experiences and brand preferences. This technology, combined with our insights, is unlike anything in the marketplace.
Service Management Group Acquires Locately:
Driving Insight with Location Analytics and Mobile Surveys
Kansas City, Mo. – August 16, 2012 – Service Management Group (SMG), the leading international customer research firm focused on loyalty and service improvement, announced today that it has acquired Boston-based Locately, the market leader in consumer location analytics. Locately’s proprietary technology helps manufacturers, retailers and restaurants understand how people shop or make dining decisions through the unique combination of GPS analytics and mobile surveys.
After receiving funding just two years ago, Locately has quickly garnered a great deal of attention and accolades both in the tech community and among consumer and shopper insights professionals. In addition to winning Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and II grants from the National Science Foundation, Locately received funding from HackerAngels and Project 11 Ventures. More recently, Locately was selected as a recipient of the prestigious START Phase I award from MassVentures, the venture capital arm of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Locately’s client list includes some of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers. Over the past year, the company has detected approximately 1.5 million shopper visits and has captured responses to over 600,000 location-triggered mobile survey questions.
Andy Fromm, CEO of SMG, shared his thoughts on the acquisition, “It’s no secret that mobile technology is continuing to put more resources and power in the hands of consumers while they shop. We have already tested Locately’s technology with some of our clients and are extremely impressed. Consumers respond well to short and relevant mobile surveys. We are excited to extend this technology to our clients.” Thaddeus Fulford-Jones, CEO of Locately, expressed his enthusiasm for the future, “Locately’s platform is being used today by leading consumer packaged goods manufacturers to drive shopper marketing decisions for multiple billion-dollar brands. SMG’s global capabilities and recognized leadership in providing deep insights to restaurant and retail brands makes this a perfect match.”
About Service Management Group:
SMG helps its clients drive business results by improving customer loyalty and employee engagement. SMG has a rich history in innovation, providing proprietary data collection, reporting and insights tools for front-line and executive levels. Each year, SMG collects and evaluates over 70 million surveys in 65 countries and 29 languages for more than 225 brands. To request more information, please email Joe Sciara at jsciara@smg.com or call 816-448-4500.
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Fax: 1.816.448.4599
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Fax: +44 (0)20 3463 0701
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