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Applica develops customer loyalty solutions which combine data sciences, behavioral economics and emerging technologies.

Applica Helps Quarter Million Households Save Energy and Improve Home Safety press release >

Applica has developed a SAAS/AaaS-based scalable A.I. personalization engine and customer engagement platform, that enables clients to increase cross-selling, enhance customer loyalty rewards, and strengthen brand relationships.

  • Scalable A.I. personalization engine:
    • algorithms that provide personalized optimization of customer goals & situations.
    • data analytics already developed for key industry verticals (home care, pet care, health & wellness).
  • Model for increasing customer interactions:
    • framework for providing added-value, on-going customer touch points. optimization of customer goals & situations.
    • application of behavioral economic principles to nudge customers to action.
    • application of gamification techniques.
    • machine learning being implemented.
  • Client interaction platforms:
    • mobile
    • web
    • email
    • social media
  • Increased cross-selling of products & services
  • Enhanced performance of customer loyal rewards
  • Strengthened brand relationships

Initial roll-out in the retail home services vertical is displaying exponential growth.

Recent user survey results:
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    88% said they would recommend to a friend (NPS=9)
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    98% rated as either 'outstanding' or 'very good'
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    96% said has made it easier to take care of their home
  • -
    92% reported that it has helped them to save energy
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    88% said that it has helped them make their home safer
full user survey results: http://applica-solutions.com/Survey/HomeWizardReviews
see existing client statements: http://tinyurl.com/z4d6pkt

Global, multi-vertical market opportunities

Applica sees opportunities across large-scale global vertical markets where Applica's A.I. personalization engine and unique approach to increasing customer interactions can drive improving cross-selling, loyalty reward effectiveness, and brand relationships:
  • Home Professionals
  • Home Improvement Retailers
  • Smart Home
  • Pet Care
  • Health & Wellness
  • Grocery
  • Insurance
  • Automotive
  • Financial Health & Wellness
  • SMEs (via Salesforce, etc.)

Timeline of key development milestones

  • 1998 company formed as 'Customer Support Technologies'; work begins on developing home care database and algorithms
  • 1999 initial prototype for home care developed
  • 2000 web version prototype online using Microsoft Access database
  • 2001 continued development of home care database and algorithms
  • 2002 eNewsletter launched
  • 2003 developed as CRM tool for home care industry
  • 2004 initial home industry clients added
  • 2005 upgraded email processing and handling capabilities
  • 2006 introduced additional upgrades based on Behavioral Economic principles
  • 2007 expanded framework to include tips and improvement ideas
  • 2008 upgraded database to Microsoft SQL server
  • 2009 upgraded to .NET web platform
  • 2010 began development of mobile application
  • 2011 began development of pet care database and algorithms
  • 2012 release of iPhone and iPad versions of home care application
  • 2013 release of Android version of home care application
  • 2014 completed major upgrade of responsive web application
  • 2015 completed major upgrade of client dashboard
  • 2016 began development of health & wellness database and algorithms
  • 2017 completed IoT integration with Google NEST, FitBit, Netatmo, FitBARK, and The Energy Detective

Applica has created a business model for increasing customer interactions and improving cross- selling, loyalty reward effectiveness, and brand relationships.

  • Applica's unique approach to customer management is built around a model for increasing customer interactions.
  • For various industry verticals, Applica has developed analytics that support offering customers a highly personalized and value-added care program for that vertical (home care, pet care, health & wellness . . . and under development are automotive care, financial health & wealth management, etc.).
  • By providing on-going personalized reminders & tips, customer interactions are increased, which increase opportunities for cross-selling products & services, providing targeted loyalty rewards, and enhancing brand relationships.
  • Brand relationships with customers are enhanced as customers see our clients as more than just a merchant, but rather as helping them to achieve their goals ("more than just a grocer, we're helping your family to achieve your nutrition goals").

Scalable A.I. personalization analytics engine

  • Applica has developed a scalable A.I. personalization analytics engine, that creates an optimized care program for each customer, based on their unique goals and particular situations.
  • The analytics are designed to include real-time data inputs from IoT sensors and devices, and to re-optimize the customers care program utilizing these dynamic data inputs.
  • The architecture is scalable, such that the algorithms that optimize goals and situations are independent of which vertical the inputed data are coming from.
  • And that data analytics for the various verticals are built as modules, so that can be 'mixed and matched' to suit the product / services offered by individual companies.
  • For example, the 'home care' application is built of modules of 'energy savings', 'home safety', 'food safety', 'food waste reduction', etc . . . and the 'food safety' and 'food waste reduction' modules can be integrated with the 'nutrition' module from the 'health & wellness' application, along with the 'pet nutrition' module from the 'pet care' application to create a 'grocery' application.

Applica has developed IoT approach and capabilities for integrating real-time data into A.I. personalization analytics engine.

  • Over the past year, Applica has developed web services and web APIs that enable integration of real-time IoT sensors and devices ('internet of things').
  • Data from these IoT elements are integrated into the algorithms of the Applica personalization analytics engine, as real-time situational inputs.
  • We are continuing to identify and integrate additional IoT sensors and devices across industry verticals.

Application of Behavioral Economics principles

Example behavioral economic features include:
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    providing on-going monthly reminders
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    providing highly personalized recommendations
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    displaing transparent benefits
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    allowing rewards for performance
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    prioritizing the display of recommendations
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    prioritizing the display of recommendations
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    allowing assignment to helpers (and performance tracking)
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    enabling accessibility from any device or browser
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    suggesting personalized value-added product accessories.
  • Through user feedback over the years, Applica has studied the disconnect between high user satisfaction and the lack of actions actually taken.
  • Early users expressed very high satisfaction with the reminders and tips, but when asked if they were actually changing their behavior (i.e., doing their tasks), the answer was mostly that they were not.
  • Applica began research and trail & error upgrades to encourage behavior change consistent with the user's goals.
  • These initiatives are now what is referred to as applying principles of 'Behavioral Economics.'
  • Applica believes that the application of Behavioral Economic principles is what has helped deliver extremely high user satisfaction reviews (a Net Promoter Score = 9, etc.)

Application of Gamification principles

  • Over the past several months, Applica has begun introducing gamification principles into its model.
  • We are continuing to refine the features and techniques.
  • The approach is very different for aspects of care programs that are viewed as 'chores' (such as improving home care 'safety'), versus 'delightful' (such as improving pet care 'happiness').

Machine learning framework

  • Over the next 6 months, Applica has plans for introducing machine learning into its A.I. personalization engine.
  • Example elements include automatically adjusting user goals based on:
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      the tasks they actually mark as 'done.'
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      the tips and ideas they choose to share on social media.
    • - etc.

Applica has developed high-volume personalized (and client customizable) eNewsletter email processing capabilities.

  • Applica has developed high-volume eNewsletter processing capabilities, which can deliver personalized (and client customized) customer interactions.
  • Each eNewsletter is personalized for each individual user, for their particular goals and situation.
  • And each eNewsletter can be customized by individual clients, with their branding, messaging, template choices, colors, etc.

Applica has developed scalable mobile applications using flexible webview technology and client- side data management.

  • Applica has developed a mobile app for the home services industry for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
  • App is scalable across clients by using Promo Codes, which rebrands the app with their logo, pictures, messages, social media links, etc.
  • App was developed using 'webview' architecture.
  • Webview design allows upgrades to be made to the mobile app's features and functionalities without requiring the user to download from iTunes / GooglePlay.
  • To give a more 'app-like' feel, webview screens use client- side data management technologies, that allow screen changes, display sorting, etc. without requiring server refreshes.
  • Design of web services allows users to access their account simultaneously from anywhere they have installed the app, or from any browser.
  • Pet care app for iPhone, iPad and Android will be released this summer.
  • Health & Wellness app with follow shortly thereafter.

Applica has developed scalable responsive web applications.

  • Applica has developed a scalable responsive-design web application for the home services industry.
  • The web application is scalable by enabling sub-domains to act as client customization variables (sub-domain variable sets customization of client's branding, logo, messaging, social media links, etc.).
  • Applica has also developed web widgets which allow clients to place interactive elements on their own websites, such as daily tips, monthly article carousels, top recommended tasks for the month, etc.
  • Pet care web application will be released this summer.
  • Health & Wellness app with follow shortly thereafter.

Applica has developed an interactive client dashboard interface that allows for individual client customization, user management, performance monitoring, and admin.

  • Applica has created a responsive-design client 'Brand-Builder Dashboard' interface.
  • Clients use it to:
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      customize their mobile app, eNewsletter, web application, etc.
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      manage their user lists, etc.
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      access advanced marketing tools, such as: adding their local contractor recommendations; downloading widgets, using closing gifts, etc.
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      monitoring their performance.
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      performing admin functions, such as billing & payments.