Built a platform vs. one-offs to ensure scalability, quick turn around time and efficient use of resources.

Each app was customized per customer's needs. Innovative features included a scrolling message on the app welcome screen, step-by-step directions to a store or restaurant, a robust searchable list of stores, the capability to make a restaurant reservation directly from the app and a wish list feature that enabled the customers to snap a picture of an item in a store and immediately share it via social media sites or e-mail.

PROJECT: Mall Apps Platform (Reach Messaging)

Role:

Hired by Reach Messaging as GM of Product to be responsible for creating, developing and managing the product portfolio. Charged with meeting customer needs and driving aggressive business growth and profitability.

Challenge:

Launch a mall apps platform that exceeded from a feature, cost and time to market perspective anything existing in the marketplace. The apps needed to be adopted by consumers and endorsed by mall mgmt companies.

Resolution:

Based on research done with both mall managers and shoppers, RM decided to build a platform to quickly and efficiently deliver mall apps to the market. The first app launched was a pilot for the Reston Town Center.
It quickly became apparent that in order to grow the business, model needed to be changed from upfront development fee to revenue derived from monthly hosting fee and ad revenue. To support the latter, a proprietary ad system was developed that enabled retailers to choose from a variety of sizes and destination apps. It was the first ad system that supported social media sharing.
In the first year over 30 apps were deployed and over $400K in revenue generated.

Skills Used:

Specifics:

Implemented and sustainined the strategic product roadmap
Led customer market research efforts, including meeting with mall managers, including Mall of America team and consumers to understand landscape and market place needs requiring addressing
Synthesized market feedback to team of product managers
In collaboration with product and IT teams, conceived, defined and managed launch of features
Negotiated business terms with malls
Defined and launched Interactive Ad Curtain which was deployed in all mall apps and across all of Wizzard Media apps