Bling Nation Brings its Successful FanConnect Program to Austin

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Bling Nation® is adding more "friends" of its FanConnect social rewards program with the addition of several key businesses in the Austin area.  FanConnect gives businesses the opportunity to connect with their customers in new ways through a powerful rewards platform on Facebook.

"We are always looking for new ways to connect with our customers both online and offline, and Bling Nation is a great resource to link the Facebook experience with the retail in-store experience," said Mehul Patel, of Dominican Joe Coffee.  "FanConnect gives us the ability to recognize and appreciate our customers, reward them for their loyalty and provide a platform for them to share these rewards with their friends on Facebook."

Bling Nation is working with a variety of businesses in the downtown and surrounding areas of Austin, including: Dominican Joe, Jeanie's Java, Portable, Silver Grill, Simply Fit Meals, 4 Seasons Salon & Spa, Hopdoddy, Sugar Shack BBQ, Bits and Druthers, and Texas French Bread. Austin will join other markets, such as Chicago (IL), San Francisco (CA), Palo Alto (CA) and the broader Bay Area markets in bringing in "the Bling." FanConnect will enable these brick-and-mortar businesses to engage with their customers both online and offline with one simple tool to enable customized rewards and discount offers.  Residents of Austin will be able to get rewarded every time they visit their favorite local businesses.  Businesses using FanConnect can reward their customers for their loyalty, and let them share these rewards with their hundreds of friends on Facebook, who can grab that deal and use it when they visit the business.

"Known for its tremendous contributions to technology innovations, Austin is an ideal market for Bling Nation," said Meyer Malka, co-CEO for Bling Nation.  "With the backing and support of these great Austin retailers, we are broadening our reach and enabling more consumers to take advantage of these great local discounts."

How It Works

To find Bling Nation deals, consumers can go to Facebook and add the Bling Nation application or view a deal a friend has shared on their wall. Once consumers grab a deal online they come into the business to redeem it, without needing to bring a printed coupon.  Once they claim their deal, they receive a BlingTag® to use every time they visit a business to accumulate rewards for future purchases. Every time they earn a social reward, customers will automatically share a special offer to their Facebook wall and the first five friends to click on the post will grab the deal for their next visit to the business.  

FanConnect is available to any Austin business. When a business signs up they will receive a starter kit, which includes all the tools needed to implement the program including a voucher printer, BlingTags and merchandising materials. For information on how a business can add FanConnect, visit www.blingnation.com. Keep checking the site for more events and activities from Bling Nation in Austin and other locations in the near future.

About Bling Nation

Bling Nation helps businesses turn their best customers into Fans and their friends into new customers through social rewards.  Bling Nation is a mobile platform that enables unique tap-and-connect capabilities with rich social media connectivity and cost-effective mobile transactions, closing the loop between the online and offline customer experience at checkout.  

SOURCE Bling Nation