MiiBrand named in ‘SMART 100’ Index

MiiBrand has been named one of Australia’s 100 mostinnovative products or services, in one of the largest andmost audacious innovation awards of its kind in Australia –the Anthill Magazine ‘SMART 100’ Index.

MiiBrand is an innovative website and iPhone app designedspecifically to engage with today's consumers and increaseclothing retailers store traffic.It allows retailers to deliver real time and highly targetedoffers whilst taking advantage of geo-locationservices to reach consumers when they come within range of a store. Offers are then redeemed in-store via a mobile device. Regular engagement and participation is encouragedby using game mechanics, social media integration and a brand feedback mechanism.

"While retailers are struggling to deal with online competition, a strong AU dollar, rising costs and new overseas entrants, we want to change the game with an innovative solution that drives loyal customers back into stores where they get real customer service", said Jeremy Fisher, one of the MiiBrand founders. "Users will be rewarded for engaging with theirfavoritebrands via actions such as 'checking in' at stores and sharing offers with friends via social networks." Retailers will also have the opportunity to offer 'check-in' deals that aim to increase the likelihood ofpurchasebehavior closest to the point of sale.

MiiBrand is set to launch to the public in July. A pre-launch page is live at www.miibrand.com.au where the public can register for a priority invite when the site launches. The page is also calling for interested brands or marketers to submit expressions of interest in partnering with the site for launch.

You can vote for MiiBrand in the SMART 100 reader's choice award here.

The SMART 100 Index was created by leading business media channel Anthill Magazine in 2008 toidentify and rank Australia’s 100 most innovative products, proving to be one of the largest surveysof its kind in Australia.“In true Anthillian style, the SMART 100 is an ever-evolving, ever-improving experiment,” said Anthillfounder and Editor-In-Chief James Tuckerman.

“It identifies and ranks new Australian innovations by applying a combination of crowdsourcing,collaboration and common-sense. We employ the judgement of ‘mavens’ and readers.“Unlike your average awards program, we don’t lock a panel of expert adjudicators in a small room.Neither do we demand a thorough analysis of each applicant’s P&L statement. We don’t evenrequest an historical snapshot of ‘runs on the board’ or commercial achievements.“This is because innovation is future focussed. It is about identifying and solving problems in waysthat will change the way we live, do business and think.”

Academics have known about the existence of Mavens for many years, claiming they have aparticular psychotype. However, it was Malcom Gladwell’s book ‘The Tipping Point’ that reallybrought attention to this underutilised group in society.Gladwell described Mavens as “those who are intense gatherers of information and impressions, andso are often the first to pick up on new or nascent trends”. ‘Maven’ is a Yiddish word that means,literally, “one who understands”.According to Tuckerman, “The maven’s unique talent is his or her ability to unearth and identify,from all the new products and services available in the marketplace, the innovations that are worthpropagating. A maven also generally has the ability to communicate the potential of the innovationto the broader public and, therefore, plays an integral role in the mass take-up of any innovation.

“These people have the ability to identify innovations that will meet an important need for thepopulation. The hypothesis is that Mavens will provide a more predictive measure of innovationthan mass consumers or, indeed, experts in the field – because they have a unique ability to identifythe importance and relevance of an innovation.”

Anthill was initially launched as a print magazine, in September 2003, by its current editor-in-chiefJames Tuckerman, who at the age of 26 quit his day job, departing a promising career in corporatePR, to pursue his own entrepreneurial journey.Since then, it has evolved into one of Australia’s leading online communities for Australian businessowners, ranked among the Top 50 Business & Finance websites in Australia by Nielsen OnlineRatings. It is dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship and the commercial development ofAustralian ideas.

Further images are available on request