All posts by PLUGHITZ Live

Advocado allows advertisers to connect TV ads with Google Search



Advocado Online Marketing ToolsOne of our absolute favorite interviews from Collision 2018 was with a company called Advocado. That’s why we brought back the co-founder, Brian Handrigan, to give us an update on the platform.

The platform is designed to give companies the ability to enhance their online advertising experience while making it less expensive to accomplish. It all works by knowing what is happening on television and responding accordingly. Advocado’s system watches television all over the country looking for specific advertising and content. When that content is detected, the system goes into action, making changes to Google AdSense advertising rules for a short period after the trigger.

Since last year, some big changes have happened. First, no longer does the system require a special watermark to identify the triggering content. This is important because it means that an advertiser can now run online micro-campaigns based on content that is not theirs. Previously, Amazon could buy Google keywords for AWS and cloud for 3 minutes surrounding their Amazon Web Services commercials. Now, Microsoft can buy keywords for AWS and cloud for 3 minutes surrounding commercials for Amazon Web Services. This is a game-changer for companies who want to take advantage of the increased search traffic of their competitors.

The second big change is the response from Google to the platform. Google uses AI to detect changes on the internet to identify indicators for search results. For example, a trending topic on Twitter might change the way search results are displayed for related keywords. Advocado’s technology has been so effective for their customers that Google’s AI has detected the platform’s buying directives as search trend indicators. This means that the longer a campaign runs for a particular keyword, the better the results will get for the advertiser.

Advocado’s advertising platform is available now as a full-featured platform. To learn more, check out their website.

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Bee My Ears brings market research capabilities to small artists



Bee My Ears Indie Musician PlatformBeing an independent musician can be incredibly difficult. Signed artists have the weight of a publisher behind them, giving them access to tools and processes to expand the reach of their music. Without those tools, indie artists struggle to get useful feedback about their music, as well as finding new avenues for listeners to learn about them. Bee My Ears is trying to help bring some of these tools to the artists that need them the most.

There are three tiers to the platform, with all offering the most important aspect for artists: feedback. Listeners are given access to the music provided by the artists and are then asked to complete a survey about what they have heard. This survey allows artists to know what the public likes and, more importantly, what they do not. This gives the artist the ability to adjust their style to respond to the feedback, hopefully without abandoning what makes them who they are as an artist.

For more detailed information, the upper tiers expand the depth of the survey and, with it, the type of information available. For example, artists can get information on whether or not the music they are hearing would make sense to be paired with particular brands. Some music is obvious, referencing the brand by name, while others are more subtle. For example, the inclusion of MC Chris’s Hoodie Ninja in a Honda Civic commercial was far from obvious but was a good match in the end. You can also gain the feedback of professionals in both the music industry and in advertising, helping to pair music with brands on an even higher level.

Bee My Ears is currently in testing in Brazil, with plans to expand the reach in time. To find out more about the platform, check out their website.

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FarCloser Travel allows adventurers to experience a whole new world



FarCloser Travel AdventuresFor some, travel is a simple function of exploring somewhere that is not home. They travel to a city and explore the local hot spots and tourist experiences. For others, it’s a more specialized experience designed to get to experience life in a new location. They find big tours that explore sights that most people never get the opportunity to see. For those adventurers, there is FarCloser Travel a platform that allows travelers to find and book exciting experiences.

There are talented local guides in every location around the world. They know the area like no one else and can provide experiences that are unmatched. But, there are also risks involved. How do you know that the listing you are reading is legitimate? What happens when you wire the money internationally? Did they get it? Most importantly, when you get to the meeting location, will there be anyone there to meet you? All of these examples are real-world and happen more often than is fair to these adventurers. FarCloser Travel makes all of those concerns a thing of the past, giving safety and security to both parties.

For travelers, you now have one place to find and explore in-depth experiences all over the globe. Some can be short, like a 2 day Lake Nakuru Safari in Nairobi. Others can be more involved, like 8 days in Kilimanjaro Marangu in Moshi. Once you find the experience you want, you can pay directly through the platform, and the money is held in escrow. The guide can only get the money once the experience has been delivered. This protects the traveler, their safety, and their money.

For the guide, it brings a new way of discovery for their excursions, allowing these guides to make more money and bring their experiences to more people. It also eliminates the negotiation and trepidation that travelers have to deal with people they do not know.

To learn more about the platform and explore the experiences available, check out their website.

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BooknBrunch brings people together over food, fun, and reading



BooknBrunch Book ClubsIn an age where technology is becoming our companion, it is getting harder and harder to feel connected to other people. For some, it can create a deep depression, which causes isolation, only exacerbating the problem. In this case, simply finding a way to connect with someone over a commonality can be a lifesaver. Such was the case for the sister of Daniela Kelloway, who created BooknBrunch after seeing her sister’s experience with depression. By simply creating a book club and spending time with people, her depression began to lift.

BooknBrunch is a platform that allows people to create a meal-based meetup group without all of the overhead of going out to eat with a group. The platform has information about restaurants that cater to groups, including group menus and private room details. Once the restaurant is chosen, the style of meeting can be chosen. You can have people pay for their meals ahead of time, taking the financial burden off of the organizer. It also eliminates the awkward and annoying period at the end of the meal, but before the end of the event, where a server comes around with checks. Now you can simply enjoy the event during the event.

There are also big benefits for attendees, in addition to the end of event financial benefits. If the organizer has made the event public, anyone can find it and join the group. You can see the restaurant details, event menu, and price of the meetup. Plus, you can see the book that the group will be discussing with a link to purchase, so you can make sure to read it ahead of time. You can also see information about the host, including a rating of their past events.

Because of the need to build venue relationships, BooknBrunch is currently available in a couple of parts of Canada, with expansion plans for the near and long term future. Find out more about the platform on their website.

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ChiKeey helps you and your loved ones connect with your emotions



ChiKeey Digital Mood RingWho remembers the mood rings of the ’70s? They were all the rage and in the day the first year sold 20 million units. Fast forward to today and the technology available to improve on the idea. Guiliana Kotikela is the founder and CEO of ChiKeey which is modernizing the mood ring of the ’70s and ’80s. It is a biometric digital mood ring made to show emotions that allows you to connect with people.

On the ring, there are bio-physiological sensors that help you to understand yourself and in turn, understand others. Determining factors are the way you speak, skin temperature and the sweat that is emitted from your skin, and even your blood oxygen level. In the testing, the vocal biomarkers were found to be 90% accurate in 100 different trials. As of now, 8 different moods can be detected: fear, anxiety, desperation, joy, ecstasy, frustration, contentment, and neutrality.

In her previous job, Guiliana traveled a lot and had to leave her children home. While skyping with a daughter in the evening, she always asked her how her day was and felt that a quiet “fine” was not quite accurate because there was no eye contact from her daughter. Two days later the school called her to say that the girl was being bullied. That incident is what prompted the idea for this ring. Now there is relief on the mothers part because she can immediately know what her daughter’s mood is and if there is a problem.

Mood sharing is made possible through the connected app. The wearer has the option to share their readings in real-time with the friends and family of their choosing. These people can respond based on the moods shown. For example, if you see that your bestie is having a hard time, you can call them up and offer to bring over ice cream to make it better! Connections with friends and loved ones are important to our overall daily well-being.

This product is available soon. For more information go to their website.

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Comb app offers simple and convenient mobile appointment setting



Comb Scheduling AppThe Ayeworld Agency is a creative agency that is a hybrid of marketing and technology. They offer a variety of custom solutions for their clients, everything ranging from IT design, development, and content solutions. They came to Collision Conference 2019 because they are launching a new mobile reservations application called Comb. Founder and Managing Partner of Ayeworld, Aysha Abdullagtif came by our studio to introduce it to us.

Online services, like food ordering and ticket purchasing, have made our lives so much easier. But it seems that service industries haven’t quite caught up with the times and it isn’t as easy to schedule these appointments without calling each business. The purpose of the Comb app is to eliminate the need for so many phone calls and search engines while looking to make these service appointments. It can be such a pain to search for the right company and then place a call that almost always results in a back and forth of who is available when. Well, this app can help you with everything from scheduling facials to making an appointment for an oil change and it couldn’t be more simple. All you have to do is access the app and use the filters, such as location, time and availability. You will also have access to company reviews and pricing all right there while making the reservation.

And it’s not only easier for consumers. The app allows small and midsize businesses to maximize their appointments, inventory, etc. To start out, they will be focusing on three service industries: personal care (beauty, facial, nails, spas), therapeutic services (massage therapy, acupuncture), and fitness studios (yoga, pilates, fitness classes, etc.). And in the near future, they are looking to expand to others, such as automotive, family medical and home services. The system is so convenient and easy for the businesses to use, it even has an available plugin that will integrate into the system that they are already using.

You can learn the details by watching the full interview and also by checking out their website.

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HiRide is the safer way for students to travel long distances



HiRide Student CarpoolIt is not unusual for college students to not have their own cars, or not have the ability to travel long distances, such as going back home. Because of this, students have tried to look for ways to find people traveling to the location they need to go to in order to carpool. This causes all kinds of problems, the most prominent of which being the incredible danger it puts the student in. There is no way for the students to get background information on the driver or to be confident in their safety. That’s why HiRide was born.

HiRide is a carpooling app especially for college students looking to travel longer distances. It provides students and parents with a level of security that will make the experience better for everyone. Like other carpooling or ride-sharing apps, the drivers are vetted to provide ease of mind for the riders. Once they are approved, drivers can enter into the app where they are going and when. From there, students can find drivers who are going to where they need to go and join the trip.

In an effort to provide more transparency, HiRide provides live GPS tracking of the route, both to the student and to other trusted parties, such as parents or roommates. This allows the other person to know exactly where the student is, in the event something goes wrong.

One of the biggest benefits of the app is that it tries to pair drivers and riders together that will enjoy traveling together. This allows the student to actively engage with the driver, rather than just being a passenger in the car. Traveling long distances with someone who you have nothing in common with is far less fun than traveling with someone you can talk to.

HiRide is currently available in a testing phase, with plans to expand in the near future. You can find out more on their website.

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Bidali uses cryptocurrency to make wire transfers a thing of the past



Bidali Cryptocurrency PaymentsFor most people involved in the cryptocurrency market, they are treated more like stocks or bonds, held onto in the hopes that their value will rise and then sold for fiat currencies. However, cryptocurrencies are intended to be exactly that – currencies. However, it’s simply not that easy to use these currencies for payments. That’s where Bidali comes in. This platform allows people to send money to one another using a variety of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Etherium, and Litecoin.

Being able to make these person-to-person transfers are a big boon to the cryptocurrency world, but there is also a big benefit to those who have never looked into cryptocurrencies at all. It’s neither easy nor cost-effective to transfer money around the world. Even during our trip to Canada for Collision, the cost of transferring money from one currency to another was not inexpensive. However, when moving money across the world, it can be even more expensive.

Between currency exchanges and the cost of wiring money, it can cost a large percentage of the total transfer to make the move. Plus, there is no safe way of knowing that the transfer has been completed. The infrastructure for transfers is antique, so getting an accurate notification of success can be questionable at best, especially if the money is going to a country with an older financial system. With Bidali, you can see exactly when the funds have arrived, and know for sure that the money arrived where it was supposed to.

All of this comes along with the best benefit of all: a significantly lower cost than traditional wire transfers. It makes personal transfers better, and it makes it easier to conduct business internationally. The platform is available now in beta form, with a wider release coming soon.

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Businesses and influencers will love CLIC’s effortless content sharing



CLIC Content ManagementSocial media. There is certainly no lack of opinions and judgments on this topic. The debates seem to grow larger by the day. Whether it’s the root of all evil, the most amazing tool for staying connected, or somewhere in between, there’s no doubt that it plays a very substantial role in our current society. The truth is, social media is a very important tool for businesses and consumers, alike. It enables a business to not only connect, grow, and influence, but also get important feedback. Alternatively, it allows consumers the ability to stay informed and improve their purchasing power. But how does a company most effectively utilize such a powerful tool and make sure that their message is personal and on point? CLIC Technologies has an answer for that.

Seraj Toefy, CEO and Founder of CLIC Technologies came from Cape Town, South Africa to Collision Conference 2019 to exhibit their solution for businesses that have multiple social media users. CLIC stands for Central Library of Integrated Content. They realized that the increasing number of images and messages that are now constantly bombarding us on social media is just creating a haze in our feeds. So they are working on a new way of allowing content owners the ability to create their specific content in a way that is easily received and shared by their audience.

CLIC’s platform makes it easy for enterprises and businesses to create and share their messages. They do this by offering a content library that allows users to access pre-approved text, images, video, infographics, and podcasts. Having these items easily accessible right at your fingertips makes it easier to get content out to your target demographic quickly. Content can also be personalized to each user with images and the ability to have your personal details automatically embedded. We especially love the newsletter generator that creates brand consistent communications in seconds and the reports that allow you to track everything on the dashboard, so you know what is working and what is not.

To learn more about how CLIC can personalize and streamline your communications, be sure to watch the complete interview. And don’t forget to check out their website.

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CoHealth brings medical peace of mind to patients and caretakers



CoHealth Patient ManagementIf you have ever had to deal with a chronic health issue, or even a serious one-time issue, either for yourself or a loved one, you know that the biggest issue is communication between the medical professional and the patient and caretakers. Doctors’ instructions can be missed, steps can be misheard, and life-altering side effects can be the result. Luckily, now there’s CoHealth, a patient relationship platform that enhances the experience of both patients and caretakers.

Take, for example, the experience of one of the company’s co-founders, Zack. He broke his leg while playing Ultimate Frisbee (yes, everyone involved knows it’s an embarrassing injury). While we all think of a broken bone as a fairly routine issue, Zack’s experience was anything but. He was told that, if his leg began to tingle, he should return to the hospital IMMEDIATELY, because it could indicate a serious issue. Unfortunately, because of the trauma of the injury and/or the medications, he didn’t hear this instruction. When his leg began to tingle, he almost didn’t respond, Fortunately, he went to another hospital, who told him if he had waited any longer, he might have lost his leg. All this because of Frisbee.

This experience was the birth of CoHealth. No longer are there missed instructions, because they are all spelled out in the app. No longer are family members left in the dark, as caretakers can also be given access to the app – able to see the same instructions and follow-up care as the patient. And, to make it better, the platform is made available to patients and caretakers at no direct cost. This means that the enhanced medical experience will not cost the patients anything.

The platform is available now from various healthcare providers in the Northeast, including Canada and New York, with plans to expand its reach over time.

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