CARROT App: Good For Your Health, And Wallet

ROYAL OAK, Mich., Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Treading where no app has gone before, Royal Oak-based Marvel Apps has developed and released CARROT™, the first tool to give consumers relevant and immediate financial rewards for leading an active lifestyle.

"As a consumer engagement tool, CARROT is a game-changer – there's nothing else like it," said Marvel Apps President Michael Antaran. "People want to save money, and people want to live healthier. CARROT helps people do both.  They receive immediate, relevant offers from participating businesses, and they're also rewarded – financially – for doing things like walking, bicycling and shopping."

CARROT is now available as a free download on the Apple App Store.  The app combines Apple's Passbook, HealthKit and iBeacon technologies with the reach of Facebook to provide a customized tool to connect businesses and customers.

CARROT is a universal pass that allows users to receive immediate, relevant offers from CARROT-registered businesses. In addition to those savings, users also earn bonus points, called 'CARROT Points', just for being active. 

"By tapping into Apple's HealthKit feature, CARROT rewards you with redeemable points for each step you take, for each mile you bike, and for each participating business you visit," Antaran said.

Approximately 200 businesses, including 170 in Michigan, are onboard for CARROT's debut with beacons installed at their locations.  Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, these beacons will transmit information to the lock screens of iPhones and iPods with the CARROT app once the user is within 200 feet of a beacon. 

"It's completely unobtrusive, and you'll never receive more than one message at a time," said Antaran. "Most importantly, your privacy is completely protected – we needed to demonstrate that to both Apple and Facebook before we received their approval."

User-Friendly CARROT a New Marketing Tool for Small Businesses

According to Antaran, feedback from the initial participating businesses has been extremely positive. "Registration for any business is easy," Antaran said.  "They simply download the app, sign-in using their Facebook account, and they're ready to offer deals – that's it. Beacons can be ordered directly through our website (http://CARROTpass.com), and they immediately have access to an in-depth analytics package and, of course, tech and marketing support.

"The biggest surprise business owners typically have is the cost – it's just two dollars a day to provide unlimited offers," he said. "As one of the merchants told me last week, 'this is a no-brainer!'"

Named one of Michigan's leading app developers each of the last four years by Crain's Detroit Business, Marvel Apps developed CARROT primarily to assist consumers who wanted immediate, relevant offers from their favorite merchants.

"Our mission is to make game-changing apps, and we've done that with CARROT," said Antaran.

Information about CARROT is available at http://CARROTpass.com/about.

About Marvel Apps

Marvel Apps LLC is an independent software development company based in Royal Oak, Michigan.  Crain's Detroit Business has named Marvel Apps as one of Michigan's Top 10 App Developers in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.  Company founder Michael Antaran was selected by Goldman Sachs to participate in its 2014 10k Small Business Program – a program he successfully completed while developing CARROT, a unique consumer engagement app.  With the ability to accommodate multiple programming languages and adapt in a start-up environment, Marvel Apps has produced multiple "Top 10 Apps" in the Mac App Store. Their team consists of the brightest engineers from the top schools in Michigan.  More information is available at http://CARROTpass.com/about.

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SOURCE Marvel Apps

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