Key Ring is a smartphone application owned by Gannett, Inc. that allows users to digitally store loyalty cards, enroll in new loyalty programs, receive localized offers on their smartphone, browse weekly sales circulars, and create digital shopping lists.
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Digital Media |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Chris Fagan |
| Headquarters | |
| Owner | Gannett, Inc. |
| Website | keyringapp |
Overview
editThe mobile application was developed by Mobestream Media,[1] a company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, in 2008.
On February 11, 2011, Key Ring received 1.75 million dollars in Series A funding from Austin Ventures, a venture capital and growth equity firm based in Texas.[2]
In September 2012, the company was acquired by Gannett Inc (GCI) for an undisclosed price.[3] The company operates under the G/O Digital, the digital marketing division of Gannett.[1] Other divisions under G/O Digital include PointRoll, BLINQ Media, Deal Chicken, GannettLocal and Shoplocal.[4]
Key Ring has been mentioned in media outlets such as The Today Show,[5] Time Magazine,[6] Fox Business,[7] The New York Times,[8] Wall Street Journal,[9] Entrepreneur Magazine,[10] Oprah.com,[11] and The Los Angeles Times.[12]
Features
editThe mobile application supports the following barcode types: EAN13, EAN8, UPC-A, UPCE, ITF, Code128, Code128C, Code39, Code128A, CODABAR, CODABAR2, CODABAR1, QR code
Cards are stored by either scanning the barcode on the back of the card or manually typing in the UPC number. The app alerts users when one of the loyalty programs they are a member of has an offer or coupon available. Rewards points earned by the user are kept track of within the loyalty card feature as well.[5] Users can share loyalty and membership cards with other users as long as they are registered in Key Ring.[13] Weekly Sales Circulars are digitized, allowing users to view what they would normally find in a newspaper on their smartphone.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Gannett Dives Deeper Into Agency Business with 'G/O Digital'", Ad Age Digital, August 13, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
- ^ "Private equity and venture capital news, data and community". peHUB. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ "Gannett Buys Mobile Consumer Rewards And Loyalty Platform, Key Ring". TechCrunch. 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ "Gannett Dives Deeper Into Agency Business with 'G/O Digital'", Ad Age Digital, August 13, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-20.
- ^ a b "Try these 6 apps for all ages - Video on". Today.com. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ Newman, Jared (2013-06-30). "Key Ring | 50 Best Android Apps for 2013". Time. Archived from the original on 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ "Hot Apps: 5 Price-Saving Apps for Shoppers". Fox Business. 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ a b "How To Get Loyalty Card Prices Without Loyalty Cards". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ Holmes, Elizabeth (2011-05-05). "Exploiting Retail Rewards - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ Gwen Moran (2011-10-07). "Create Card-Free Rewards Programs with Apps". Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ "Loyalty Cards - New Ways to Save". Oprah.com. 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ "Making shopping more of a snap with your smartphone - latimes.com". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
- ^ Gayomali, Chris (2011-09-14). "App of the Week: 'Key Ring Rewards' Puts Membership Cards on Your Phone". Time. Retrieved 2013-09-16.