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After two years of being unimpressed with the offerings in digital advertising while working on digital brand marketing at Red Bull, Bryan Hawkins set out to build his own formula.
What resulted was Freeway, a hybrid between product discovery and reward-based mobile gaming. The product discovery mobile platform connects users with new products that are relevant to their lifestyle by rewarding them with points daily. Users then browse games backed by innovative brands - and use the points to play for a chance to win. The platform is launching June 30 with over $30,000 in products as rewards for users.
The three-person team, based out of Santa Monica, sees themselves as “matchmakers” between consumers and brands: “Our goal is to provide users with an entertaining means of discovering new products while also helping our partners break through the clutter and gain exposure,” Director of Business Development Ben Umber said.
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Though the digital marketing space is crowded with specialized solutions for brands, Umber said he considers Freeway’s main competitors to be Pinterest, Kiip and LA-based Lootsie. Freeway is differentiating itself by building off the current trend of many companies using loyalty and rewards programs that turn in-app achievements into real-life rewards. “Most of these apps are used as 3rd party systems that can be integrated into other apps to help developers monetize. Freeway is building off this trend, but adding a unique twist. We are creating a stand-alone product discovery platform and rewarding users with branded game integrations for a chance to win for free.”
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