The mobile app industry is humming this morning with news that New-York based Buzzd is making its app available to the Canadian BlackBerry market.
The app, which keeps club-hoppers in the loop with real-time venue hotspot updates as well as social media and event/venue rating features, has been among the most popular apps on BlackBerry App World, with up to a million users a month, and a mobile web variant increase of 125% in inbound traffic since it launched last May.
One of three mobile startups in which Blackberry invested last October as part of the Toronto-based $150 Million BlackBerry Partners Fund (along with Digby and WorldMate), the app allows users to browse and search updated event feeds (layered at the top of event listings throughout the platform), which include pricing, location, as well as user-generated ratings and reviews posted in real time.
Now optimized for Canada, the free app offers geo-targeted, demo-targeted and, currently in development for next year, behaviourly-targeted ad options, along with standard ad units like display banners on every page of the app.
Custom branded skins and takeovers for entertainment industry clients are also available, such as blanketing the site with promos about opening night releases.
Last year, Buzzd developed a number of integrated sponsorships with spirits brands like the ‘Buy a Friend a Drink’ promo for Jim Beam (it had users buying friends drinks via credit card and text), and is currently working with the Miller Coors Vibe Guide to send bar and venue activity updates ‘powered by Buzzd’ to Miller Coors account holders.
Buzzd CEO Nihal Mehta tells MiC the company plans to court Canadian marketers in coming weeks, with a focus on industries like spirits, entertainment, gaming and theatre.
An iPhone version of the app is also expected to launch later this month.
Besides BlackBerry Partners Fund, Buzzd is also backed by Monitor Ventures, Greycroft Partners and Qualcomm Ventures.
