Based at Sunnyvale, CA, Punchh is a Mobile CRM platform for restaurants and other businesses that uses the power of mobile devices and social networks to drive and measure repeat visits, word of mouth, and referrals.

In the current marketing world led by superlative technologies, mobile customer engagement is becoming a top priority for brands to reach their target audience. It is allowing companies to interact with their customers through mobile web, messaging and apps, and enabling them to make purchases, request services, support, and learn about company's products.

Historically, brands were squandering majority of their time and money on traditional media and advertising, but in the current mobile landscape, tides are shifting towards digital and mobile mediums to reach their customer database. As numerous individuals are adhering to social media, Mobile customer engagement in confluence with social media technologies is providing brands highly effective alternatives and higher return on investment (ROI) to acquire new customers and retain existing customers than traditional marketing options.

Ascent of Mobile Customer Relation Management

When Customer Relation Management (CRM) was created by Siebel, most Fortune 500 companies adopted it in the imminent years. In a similar fashion, when Salesforce.com delivered CRM using Software as a Service (SaaS), most Global 1000 B2B companies adopted it rapidly. Mobile CRM is making CRM accessible to brick and mortar businesses (Retailers, Restaurants, Hospitality, Stadiums, Entertainment venues, Hair salons, Auto service centers, and ohers.), and most brick and mortar businesses are likely to adopt Mobile CRM within the next five years. Mobile CRM enables brands to understand each of their customers comprehensively, and target them directly using 1-1 offers based on their unique preferences, behavior/purchases, and location etc. Just like how Amazon and Netflix revolutionized online retail and entertainment, with highly personalized experiences, mobile CRM will revolutionize brick and mortar businesses.

Key to Thriving in Our Competitive World

Today's market is highly dynamic and competitive across many industries. To thrive in this market, entrepreneurs need to have a single-minded focus on problem and solve it better than anyone else before trying to expand into other markets. Also they have to focus on building the right team that has a shared vision and brings together complementary skill sets. Without a strong, cohesive team no startup can succeed. (As told to Arun Kant)