Online Wellness Community and E-commerce Site InnerRewards Raises $1 Million in Angel Funding
Company unveils powerful online marketing platform that includes business listings, an e-commerce engine and full social networking features
San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) December 10, 2008
Even with the economic downturn, the wellness industry continues to grow rapidly as consumers look to spas (http://www. innerrewards. com/topics/spas/articles/ir-types-of-spas-323), yoga (http://www. innerrewards. com), Pilates (http://www. innerrewards. com/topics/pilates/articles/ir-is-pilates-for-everybody-20), alternative medicine and more to ease stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The spa sector alone is a $255 billion a year market. But as the industry grows, it has also become fragmented, making it difficult for consumers to get straightforward, trusted, and accurate information. Today, InnerRewards - a single online destination where consumers can learn about various health and wellness topics, find and review businesses, connect with other sophisticated consumers, and buy wellness services and products - announced it has raised $1 million in angel funding and launched its public beta.
InnerRewards is the first community-focused, integrated online marketing solution for wellness providers like spa owners, Pilates instructors, and massage therapists who hope to decrease acquisition costs and better understand consumers. For these wellness providers - which typically spend 15-25% of their annual budgets on marketing - traditional advertising vehicles such as print ads are expensive, not measurable, and don't offer the opportunity for community building.
"Health and wellness is a fast-growing category, but the businesses that provide wellness services such as spa treatments (http://www. innerrewards. com/destinations/paris/article/ir-paris-hottest-spas-306), Pilates, yoga, massage and more are woefully underserved from an online point of view," said Julie Elaine Brown, chief executive officer of InnerRewards. "We've heard from hundreds of local businesses that are frustrated with traditional advertising and not satisfied with current online options; they offer great services, but have a hard time educating consumers about their offerings. InnerRewards is a complete online marketing solution designed from the ground-up to help wellness providers connect with consumers in a meaningful and measurable way."
Online Marketing Solution for Wellness Providers:
InnerRewards offers the benefits of a targeted community and a place where business providers can:
-Reach new customers interested in health and wellness.
-Educate consumers on services and expertise.
-Decrease customer acquisition costs, increase customer loyalty, and increase number of e-commerce transactions.
-Participate in an open, community-focused dialogue with customers, while maintaining complete control over their brand message and aesthetic.
-Use sophisticated online marketing techniques that may otherwise seem out of reach including brand-focused social communities, search engine marketing, e-commerce, integrated merchandising, reward and loyalty programs.
-Collaborate and form partnerships with other wellness providers and complementary businesses.
-Track and measure the effectiveness of their online marketing efforts (social marketing, brand marketing, and lead-generation) for a clear ROI.
"InnerRewards is a unique wellness community where we can connect with exactly the type of customers we're hoping to attract," said Mika Street, owner of Uptown Pilates and Uptown Pilates on Madison. "The aesthetics of the site, the quality and depth of the content, and the whole focus on the wellness sector really set it apart from more generalized online communities and city listings services."
A Trusted Brand for Consumers:
InnerRewards is a single online destination where consumers can learn about various health and wellness topics, find and review businesses, connect with other sophisticated consumers, and buy wellness services and products. With InnerRewards, consumers can:
-Read high quality, original editorial content about health and wellness.
-View and set up personal topic pages, which are like turbo-charged Facebook pages.
-Start a discussion, participate in live chat, create a blog, and review or comment on articles, topics, businesses, and more.
-Upload videos and pictures, write articles, and create their own content.
-Purchase gift certificates and unique wellness packages and trips (including group trips).
-Earn rewards points for contributions to the site.
About InnerRewards:
InnerRewards is the first complete online wellness community and e-commerce platform that connects businesses with new and existing customers. Consumers interested in health and wellness can get information, connect with one another, and buy products and services, while wellness providers can reach new customers, build their brand, and drive sales via innovative and measurable online marketing techniques. The company was founded in 2008 by Julie Elaine Brown, former new media executive for Johnson & Johnson, and includes a team with experience at companies such as PayPal, Yahoo!, Apple, and Razorfish. For more information, visit www. innerrewards. com.
###
