Pelago and Collective Bias have partnered to launch a mobile social shopping tool that lets brands offer consumers exclusive in-store promotions, coupons and discounts.

The application will be integrated into Pelago’s Whrrl and leverage its location-based and social technology in order to link consumers with a community to provide word of mouth recommendations about products and services.

“The strategy is to bridge the gap that exists today between retailers, brands and consumers, and take advantage of the huge opportunity that exists to target consumers in-store with relevant information to make wise shopping decisions,” said Heather Meeker, director of marketing and corporate communications for Pelago, Seattle.

Pelago is committed to developing products that bring the power of online information to everyday life in the physical world. Their flagship product, Whrrl v2.0, lets people capture and share the stories of their lives, one moment at a time.

Between 28-60 percent of shoppers make purchase decisions while in-store, according to collective Bias. With numbers like this, it is evident that providing consumers with a pre-shopping experience is just not enough.

The application links consumers, brands and retailers together at the point of purchase. 

As part of the agreement, Collective Bias will offer the new mobile social shopping services exclusively to both prospective clients and their customers such as Colgate, Smart & Final, ELF Cosmetics, Hershey and Genesis Today.

In addition to integrating the service into Whrrl, Pelago and Collective Bias also have the option to build additional applications powered by Whrrl or entirely new products that address the growing convergence of social media and shopper marketing.
 
Consumers want contextual information on the go, including the ability to connect with the communities they trust, according to Pelago. 

Brands want the opportunity to be involved in relevant opportunities as they happen.

“As it stands today, consumers enter a store and see advertisements and promotions that are not tailored to them,” Ms. Meeker said. “Imagine walking into Walmart, checking in on your mobile phone and saying you’re there, and having relevant information, coupons, discounts and etcetera  delivered right to your phone.

Also imagine having a word of mouth community giving their recommendations about products and services,” she said. “This is what we aim to offer.”