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Pro Sports Teams Strengthen Communication with Fans Through ECAL Calendar-Based Digital Channel

Announcement posted by ECAL 04 Mar 2015

ECAL Launches Digital 'Sync to Calendar' Button Tool for Easier Access to Content

Melbourne, Australia—March 4, 2015ECAL, the first right-time communications platform company, has launched its proprietary ‘Sync to Calendar’ subscription tool that enables any events-based organisation to deliver rich events content directly into any personal calendar on mobile, desktop or social.

With one click the ECAL ‘Sync to Calendar’ button launches a new mobile-responsive pop-up display that allows customers to choose their favourite content, select their calendar program, and sync.

Since ECAL technology is totally ‘dynamic’, customers are kept updated with any changes or any new events instantly, directly in their calendar.

Numerous Advantages

The advantages for sports, entertainment, corporate and community organisations alike are numerous. For example, they can use the tool as a new laser-like marketing channel to communicate events and sales opportunities that suit the user’s profile – for communications at the ‘right time’, in the ‘right place’.

Additionally, the ECAL platform can be used as a new commercial property for organisations to sell sponsorships, with a range of high value benefits including branding and integrated content and sales links in the calendar of consumers.

The ECAL channel is completely customisable for both organisations and consumers.

Consumers have complete ‘opt-in’ power to which organisations they subscribe to and what types of content they would like to receive, from game schedules to ticket on-sale dates to TV programming and corporate events.

Organisations can customise the location and branding of the ‘Sync to Calendar’ subscription tool, which comes in two formats – a long button and a square icon; for example, they can place this ‘sync’ icon on their social bar on their website or alongside any event listing. ECAL has also added a social sharing function allowing consumers to share the calendar link with their friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and more.

“The calendar is the last untapped marketing frontier,” says Patrick Barrett, founder and CEO of ECAL. “It’s the best place for brands to forge stronger relationships with their most high-value customers.”

Barrett says “ECAL clients such as the New England Patriots are finding this new channel provides 10 times greater click through rates than rich media, as well as unprecedented opt-in rates of 98 per cent with an ROI of anywhere from 30 -300 times.”

“ECAL is the perfect solution,” said Jana Gauthier, Director of Digital Media at New England Patriots.

“Not only is it easy to set up and maintain, but any modifications will automatically update on the fans’ calendar of choice – smartphone, social media and desktop. Plus we can attach marketing opportunities and drive traffic back to Patriots.com assets.”

About ECAL

ECAL is the first right-time, event-driven communications platform that forges closer, more influential relationships between consumers and their favorite event-based organizations.

Over 300 major sports and entertainment brands rely on ECAL to increase revenue streams, acquire important customer data, and develop deeper levels of engagement and trust with high value customers. ECAL is successfully entering new expansive verticals including banking, education, and media now too. Over 600,000 people rely on ECAL-based communication to stay connected to the teams, people, brands and organizations they care about. Flagship customers include The New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins, Boston Celtics, Major League Soccer, USA Volleyball, Ladies Professional Golf Association, UCONN and Duke University athletics, plus major sports across Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

The management team has played key roles in prestigious organizations, including The British Horseracing Board (UK), Carlton Football Club (Aust), SecurePay (Aust), Real Estate Group, and iSelect. ECAL Directors include Patrick Barrett (Founder & CEO), Larry Kestelman who founded Dodo Internet (sold $220M), Matt McCann (former Director / CEO at iSelect, Shazam, and Allens Arthur Robinson lawyers) and Ilya Frolov, Founding Partner at Oxygen Ventures (ECAL’s lead investor). ECAL Advisors include Chris Bernard of Microsoft, David Riemer formerly of Yahoo and JWalter Thompson and Simon Raik-Allen, current CTO at MYOB.

ECAL was founded in 2010 by Patrick Barrett with the platform built and launched in 2012. ECAL is globally headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with a U.S. Headquarters in New York, New York. www.ecal.com