Proximity Marketing: “Near me” Impact Mobile
Impact Mobile, part of the DealNet Capital Corp. (DLS:CSE), offers customer engagement services via mobile marketing solutions. Proximity marketing strategies enable retailers to reach customers with relevant content and solutions tailored to client’s immediate needs. Google’s “I-want-to-go” moments sketches the portrait of a connected consumer who not only makes decisions but also takes actions based on a satisfactory search result.
Can ‘Near Me’ Searches Make or Break Local Businesses?
If you walk down a busy city street, you’re likely to see many people glancing down at their smartphones as they go. Yes, some of them are reading emails and text messages — but some are probably searching for the closest location to purchase something they want right now.
Mobile devices have changed the entire process of looking for and retrieving information, especially when it comes to finding local products and services. In a recent article on Google blog Think with Google, author Matt Lawson, director of search ads marketing for Google, called these location-specific queries “I-want-to-go” moments — instances in which consumers use mobile search to quickly find what they want in the immediate area.
“Words like ‘near me,’ ‘closest’ and ‘nearby’ are increasingly common across the billions of queries on Google every month,” Lawson wrote. “More and more, people are looking for things in their vicinity — be it a gym or a mall, a plumber or a cup of coffee. Google search interest in ‘near me’ has increased 34 times since 2011 and nearly doubled since last year. The vast majority come from mobile — 80 percent in Q4 2014.”
As you might expect, “near me” searches aren’t solely for informational purposes; people make decisions and take action shortly after they find a satisfactory search result. According to Google data, 50 percent of consumers who conduct local searches on their smartphone go to a store within 24 hours, and nearly 20 percent make a purchase within a day. Therefore, businesses need to be searchable, especially via mobile, if they want to attract local customers.
“With a world of information at their fingertips, consumers have heightened expectations for immediacy and relevance,” Lawson said. “They want what they want, when they want it. They’re confident they can make well-informed choices whenever needs arise. It’s essential that brands be there in these moments that matter — when people are actively looking to learn, discover, find or buy.”
Brands can prepare for these spontaneous, act-now moments by thinking through situations in which consumers might search for their store and making sure they’re ready for them, Lawson said. Data analytics tools, and even day-to-day observations and patterns, can help you figure out when these situations are most likely to arise. Specific days and times will vary depending on the type of business you run — for instance, a restaurant or boutique might see spikes during night and weekend hours, while a coffee shop would likely see more foot traffic in the mornings and afternoons.
Lawson made the following recommendations for getting consumers in the door after they find your local business through a search:
- Think about how customers are interacting with your brand or category, particularly via their smartphones, when they are near one of your stores.
- Find ways to be there when people are looking for your business’s location, or when they want to know where they can connect with your brand.
- Incorporate user context into your ad messaging with technologies like location extensions or local inventory ads to show users relevant information about stores nearby.
- Easily deliver useful local information — such as directions, inventory and pricing — when people land on your site or app.
- Measure the impact of digital interactions both online and offline: Have a system in place to estimate or track how much store traffic results from digital interactions.
No matter which tactics or technologies you choose to implement, what matters is that you do plan for these “near me” searches that are sure to occur.
“Whether you’re a small business or global brand, you need to deliver on needs in these moments,” Lawson wrote. “Those who stay centered on the consumer’s context and intent in the moment will not only deliver on needs, they’ll also seamlessly advance the consumer journey and build brand preference along the way.”
Original article by Nicole Fallon, appeared in the Business News Daily. Read the article here.
InMed applies to patent EPS treatment in U.S.
INMED PHARMACEUTICALS FILES PROVISIONAL PATENT COVERING NOVEL COMPOUNDS FOR TREATING EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA SIMPLEX (EBS)
InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“InMed”) (IN:CSE ; IMLFF:OTC), announced today that it has filed a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) relating to the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex (EBS) using novel formulations of natural cannabinoid compounds developed by InMed.
Dr. Sazzad Hossain, InMed Pharmaceuticals’ Chief Scientific Officer, commented, “We are excited to file our first patent covering the use of our products in a high-value orphan disease category. Based on preliminary studies, our compounds are expected to positively address the significant medical needs of EBS by promoting improvement of the key hallmarks of the disease (anti-itching, wound healing, anti-microbial, pain, anti-inflammation). We are continuing the process to build our IP within the dermatology area, adding further value to our pipeline of novel therapeutics.”
A provisional patent application is a legal document that establishes an early priority date for the benefit of claiming “first to file” status against other companies or individuals that may want to file for a patent with similar claims after the filing date of our provisional application.
About InMed
InMed is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that specializes in developing cannabis based therapies through the research and development into the extensive pharmacology of cannabinoids coupled with innovative drug delivery systems. InMed’s proprietary platform technology, product pipeline and accelerated development pathway are the fundamental value drivers of the Company.
- Published in Blog, Life Sciences
Nomad Ventures Announces Third Purchase Order
Nomad Receives $1.6-million, 50,000 tonne Stone Order
Nomad Ventures Inc. (NMD:tsxv) has received a purchase order for 50,000 tonnes of quarried stone products from a well-established Lower Mainland heavy construction and aggregate company. The Purchase Order also includes 50,000 tonnes of construction fill that will be tug and barged back to the St. Vincent Bay Property for processing. The Purchase Order represents revenue of more than $1.6 million and has a delivery schedule over the next 2 years.
The addition of this Purchase Order and the previously announced Apex and Headwater Purchase Orders (May 14, 2015 and May 20, 2015) now represents more than $5.9 million dollars in revenue for Nomad.
Brent Forgeron, President/CEO, states “Nomad has reached another very important milestone by securing a third Purchase order since announcing receipt of our commercial sand, gravel and granite quarry permit from the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines on March 9, 2015. This further validates the quality of the deposit located at the St. Vincent Bay Quarry and the demand for the aggregate and specialty rock products that will be produced there.”
Additional aggregate and specialty rock supply contracts with British Columbia based construction and development companies are currently being negotiated by Nomad to meet the initial allowable volumes of the Company’s mining permit.Technical material in this news release has been reviewed by James H. Place, P.Geo., a Director of the company and a Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101.
The commencement of production on the St. Vincent Bay Property will not be based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability.
About the Vitaleaf Community
Vita Leaf
The vital link between alternative medicine patients, prescribers and distributors. Currently Vitaleaf is producing an online ebook that includes various information on medicinal herbs as well as interviews with doctors and patients who are currently using medicinal herbs to treat various ailments and diseases.
Invictus MD Strategies (IMH:CSE) currently owns 100{92d3d6fd85a76c012ea375328005e518e768e12ace6b1722b71965c2a02ea7ce} of Vitaleaf.
Invictus – Investment portfolio and cash flow generation
With a diverse portfolio, INVICTUSMD engages in long-lasting, strategic investment opportunities, which will promote durable growth and shareholder value. The companies targeted for investment must demonstrate specific traits including proven brand recognition, sound management, compelling market that will support growth, sustainable and differentiated advantage over competitors.
You can find below a brief description of the 6 verticals developed by INVICTUSMD, from which 3 are cash flow positive.
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana
Interview with Invictus MD Strategies’ CEO Dan Kriznic
Invictus MD Strategies rolls up six weed companies in four months; more to come?
by: Chris Parry, Stockhouse.com
Q: A lot of people would have been very happy to spend a few decades in your former position at Deloitte as well as your executive position at PrimaCorp. Yet you stepped back from an important role at a respected multinational, and opted to go solo with your own venture. What was the motivation behind that switch, and how are you feeling about that move in the early days of Invictus? Everything you wanted and more?
I left Deloitte back in 2009 to work for one of my clients who had just recently done a fairly large acquisition and needed my support to build the company. The most difficult part about leaving Deloitte was moving on from the numerous client relationships I had built during the 10 years that I was there. I’ve always had a sense of entrepreneurship in me since I was young and wanted to dive deeper into industry so I could utilize street smarts combined with my CA education. For over 6 years I was an integral part of building Canada’s largest for profit education company. The motivation to move on and incubate Invictus was primarily drawn from watching various footage with regards to medicinal cannabis and how it is helping the young and old. I am not a 420 recreational type of person. I saw this as a revolution where I could utilize my previous business experience and really make a difference. I never look back and truly believe the decision you make at the time you make it is always the right decision. Sure hindsight might suggest something different but when you’re running a fast growing company like Invictus there isn’t any time to look back. I more excited and motivated than ever before.
Q: You raised a small amount of cash as part of going public in December 2014, around $413k. Later you raised an additional $770k and combined turned that into six companies organically and by way of acquisition and still have $175k in change left over. Why are people so keen to sign over a large piece of their business to Invictus?
We raised approximately $413k when we went public at the end of December 2014 and an additional $770k a few months after. With those proceeds we were able to purchase and start up 6 companies, 2 of which are already revenue producing. Those companies include:
1. Vitaleaf – our patient education and management company dedicated to providing information to patients, producers, prescribers, policy makers and the general public. The full website will launch in Spring of 2015
2. Future Harvest – A manufacturer of hydroponic equipment as well as lawn and garden related products. They have three product lines including Nutradip which manufacturers metering and monitoring products, Plantlife Products which includes various nutrients for growing and Sunblaster which has introduced a number of lighting products to the hydroponic and in-door growing industry.
3. Smokazon – An American based multinational corporation engaged in worldwide marketing and selling of aromatherapy related gear and accessories.
4. The Edison Vape Co. – a unique new type of vaporizer technology that is currently in the proto type phase
5. Cannabis Health Sciences – Owns and operates the Cannabis Health Journal. Initially started back in 2002 with 21 issues. We are launching a comeback in Fall of 2015 with some amazing interviews and write ups.
6. Greener Pastures MD – This is our grow management and production vertical. We are seeking acquisitions in this vertical but do not currently have a license.
We are extremely efficient with our capital. I guess this is part of my roots as a Chartered Accountant. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t focus on the cash flow of the business. I’ve always considered myself very creative in the boardroom in terms of structuring deals. The secret is to understand the motivation of both parties and find a win-win solution. We pride ourselves on building a real cannabis company that will be around for many years. Business owners see this and want to be a part of a bigger movement. All acquisitions include a component of cash and shares in Invictus based on performance. That gives each company incentive to help and grow every vertical under the Invictus umbrella.
Q: I imagine a lot of the companies you’ve talked to maybe started out as mom and pop shops, found a little success, developed a nice niche, made some good money… What happens to those ground floor companies when someone like you walks in, takes inventory, and starts hitting cleanup?
We are very much operators at heart. We work with each vertical to understand their business before starting to implement improvements. I am a big believer in the saying “what you can’t measure you can’t manage”. We build Key Performance Indicators for each vertical and manage them in great detail. Every two weeks we have a full day management meeting with all the verticals to ensure we are on track with our growth plan. This is a time where the management of other verticals are welcome to join in any meeting to learn more about the company and provide their knowledge and expertise. A prime example is Smokazon is now working with one of our business advisors Dario Meli to provide web content through his company Quietly. We are already starting to see improvements in traffic as a result of this relationship.
Q: A lot of the moves you’ve made to date have been in acquiring what might be called marijuana services companies. Is that where you see the strongest future in the cannabis sector?
Invictus will be operating within all areas of the cannabis sector as we continue to raise and deploy capital. Our mission of increasing shareholder value by combining organic growth with a disciplined acquisition philosophy holds true within the services businesses as well as the production business. We have focused our acquisitions within the service areas at the moment more to manage regulatory risk than anything. There have been too many company’s in Canada that went public on an application to Health Canada and continue to be at their mercy. We wanted to be different. We wanted to protect the capital invested by our shareholders until such a time that we feel comfortable with the regulations.
Q: As your model starts to fill out, a company that joins your group will be able to take advantage of each of your verticals – coverage in Cannabis Health, products from Edison Vape, being distributed through Future Harvest, etc., not to mention being able to access the collective knowledge and experience base from your team. What’s missing from that model? If you could wave a magic wand, what sort of business would you like to add to that roster?
You are exactly correct. Invictus is a conduit to many of the verticals in the space. We give people access to resources they need and the connections they crave. To fill out our model we are seeking production opportunities as well as research and development opportunities. We want to continue building on the cash accretive assets and eventually start using those funds to support verticals in further research and development. We are currently looking at a few opportunities in Israel, Czech Republic and the US.
Q: When you started acquiring businesses, you kept the news very much to yourself. In fact, even now, yours is one of the less promotional companies in this space, yet I keep hearing your name mumbled by very serious people as an interesting play. Is that how you wanted things to roll out? Earn the respect and the investors will follow?
Yes. You don’t see too many companies going public 2 days before Christmas. This was all done by design. We wanted to acquire more assets before getting the word out to the general public. Keeping the market cap in line with our intrinsic value is important to us. I want investors to feel they have made the right decision based on economics rather than hype. We are in this for the long term.
Q: As an investor, I’m looking out for companies that are likely to rise in share price, but a lot of junior companies dilute to grow. You’ve been very focused on not diluting, and even cancelling shares out to further tighten the float. Is it likely we’ll see more of that in the future, or even a shift towards a dividend down the road?
Using stock as currency for acquisitions is definitely part of our acquisition philosophy. When we see an opportunity that makes economic sense we consider the impact of dilution to our existing shareholders. Typically we mitigate the negative impact of dilution by adding in significant performance metrics for the verticals including metrics for the management team at Invictus. Our goal is to continue incubating and consolidating private companies in the space and eventually exit with the verticals that make sense by way of sale, merger or even taking them public. We have only been public for 4 months and have already received offers. A dividend model down the road is definitely something we have considered pending cash flow from operations as well as proceeds on future exits. We want to give back to the shareholders who are currently supporting us and continue to do so.
Q: You’ve clearly evaluated a lot of potential acquisitions in the last several months. Are there any cannabis-related companies out there that, in a perfect world, you’d love to have gotten a piece of if the planets had aligned? Or, for that matter, any company that you just truly respect in how they’re doing business?
Everything happens for a reason. You can’t consummate all the deals that come across your desk nor would you want to. A recent example was a deal when I was in Tel Aviv which we were incubating for about 2 months. We were a couple of days from getting across the finish line when the deal terms shifted on us. It would have been a great international play for us however the terms were not right for Invictus and our shareholders so we decided to pass.
In terms of a company that I truly respect….At this stage I would say GW Pharma based on what they are doing for the industry as well as the capital they have managed to raise to date. There is a lot of noise in the market with minimal operations to back it. More so I respect the industry and the efforts some of the genuine operators have put into it.
Q: A vertical integrator draws strength from diversity, but the risk is often that the pieces can’t work together. How is your team building out to ensure that’s not an issue for Invictus?
We have built a very diverse team in a short period of time including industry operators, government officials, doctors, accountants, lawyers and marketers both operational and public markets. Each of the team members have something to add. Our stock of knowledge, habits, social and personality attributes is strong. As a combined force we are very strategic and creative and have the ability to produce economic value to our shareholders.
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana
Nomad Ventures Announces Second Purchase Order
May 20, 2015 – News Release – Nomad Ventures Inc. (“Nomad”) (NMD:tsxv) is very pleased to announce that it has received a purchase order for 85,000 tonnes of aggregate and specialty rock products from Headwater Management Ltd. (“Headwater”), a North Vancouver and Lower Mainland excavation and trucking contractor. (the “Headwater Purchase Order”).
The Headwater Purchase Order also includes 100,000 tonnes of construction fill that will be tug and barged back to the St. Vincent Bay Property for processing. The Purchase Order represents revenue of more than $2.3 million and has a delivery schedule over the next 2 years.
The Headwater Purchase Order is another important milestone towards establishing Nomad as a significant aggregate and rock product supplier for the Vancouver/Lower Mainland market.
Additional aggregate and specialty rock supply contracts with British Columbia based construction and development companies are currently being negotiated by Nomad to meet the initial allowable volumes of the Company’s mining permit.
The Headwater Purchase Order and the previously announced Apex Purchase Order announced May 14, 2015, now represents more than $4.3 million dollars in revenue for Nomad.
Technical material in this news release has been reviewed by James H. Place, P.Geo., a Director of the company and a Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101.
The commencement of production on the St. Vincent Bay Property will not be based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability.
Aurora Cannabis Signs Deal with CanGenX for Plant Tissue Culture
Aurora Signs Agreement with CanGenX BioTech Inc. for Pharmaceutical Type Production and Rapid Propagation to Increase Crop Yields
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (CSE: ACB)(FRANKFURT: 21P)(WKN: A1C4WM)(OTC PINK: PSNTF) (“Aurora” or the “Company) is pleased to announce that the agreement to undertake plant tissue culture as the Company’s production basis has been formalized with Dr. Geoff White of CanGenX BioTech Inc.
Plant tissue culture offers several distinct advantages over the traditional asexual propagation technique known as ‘cloning’. With plant tissue culture, each plant is produced under completely sterile conditions ensuring all batches begin in a disease-free environment. These controlled conditions provide for massive scalability in predictable timeframes along with consistency, ensuring the integrity of future crops. In addition, unlike traditional cloning, plant tissue culture allows for faster propagation while utilizing fewer resources. This leads to greater production efficiencies and increased yields due to improved plant vigor and health. Plant tissue culture melds well with pharmaceutical type production as it incorporates Good Manufacturing Practices in every aspect of the process.
Dr. Jason Dyck, Board Director and head of Aurora’s Research Council said, “Healthcare practitioners can be assured that plant tissue culture is just one of the many systems Aurora has implemented to ensure patients have access to safe, high quality standardized cannabis. The signing of the CanGenX BioTech contract confirms once again to our shareholders and industry stakeholders that the Company is committed in ensuring that the Aurora Standard is the Gold Standard throughout North America.”
About Aurora Cannabis Inc.
Aurora’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Aurora Cannabis Enterprises Inc., is a licensed producer of medical marijuana pursuant to the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations and operates a 55,200 square foot expandable state-of-the-art production facility in Alberta, Canada. Aurora’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Australis Capital Inc., seeks to be an active participant in the U.S. Cannabis market. Aurora is trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the trading symbol “ACB”.
- Published in Blog, Medical Marijuana
InMed hires Peter Mountford as Strategic Adviser
INMED (IN:CSE) ENGAGES PETER MOUNTFORD AS STRATEGIC ADVISOR
2015-05-05 – News Release – Former GW Pharmaceuticals financier, investor and non-executive director Peter Mountford has agreed to support InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. as strategic adviser with primary responsibility for the European markets. In this role, Mr. Mountford will leverage his previous success in the emerging field of cannabinoid biotech, providing capital markets counsel and advisory for InMed, as well as enhancing shareholder value by advising the Company on European financing opportunities. As a financier, early stage investor, and Non-Executive Director for GW Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Mountford was successful in assisting the company with raising a substantial level of funds for the successful development of its business and was instrumental in its 2001 initial public offering (IPO).
Peter Mountford commented, “I am attracted to InMed’s growing therapeutic pipeline and accelerated development strategy, as well as the impressive team of executives and advisors that the company has assembled. Their cutting-edge approach of therapy identification and development based on their proprietary platform technology is particularly compelling. As the market for cannabinoid-based therapeutics continues to expand globally, I look forward to supporting InMed with the expectation that my significant experience investing directly and securing investments in this sector will result in enhanced visibility for the company among European investors.”
Craig Schneider, President and CEO of InMed, remarked “Aligning InMed with Peter Mountford brings another highly influential leader in cannabinoid based therapy development to our company. Specifically, we look forward to benefitting from Peter’s proven financing capabilities and deep knowledge of European investors as we seek to expand InMed’s shareholder base and attract new capital.” Mr. Mountford is currently a Non-Executive Director of RWS Holdings plc, one of the world’s leading patent translation and search companies, and one of the top 50 companies on AIM, the London Stock Exchange’s highly successful market for smaller growing companies. Mr. Mountford was instrumental in the IPO of RWS in 2003, and since then its share price has grown more than six times. More recently, Mr. Mountford was one of the founders of Learning Technologies Group plc, Europe’s leading e-learning company, whose share price has risen almost four times since its successful IPO in 2013. Mr. Mountford has invested in and helped many companies raise large amounts of capital from Private Equity funds, pre-IPO investors, and Institutional Investors (through IPOs and reversals into cash shells). He is highly experienced in all areas of corporate finance including fund-raising, acquisitions, disposals, MBOs, MBIs and flotations.
We seek Safe Harbor.
- Published in Blog, Life Sciences