Big privacy moves by Apple and Google have made it difficult for marketers to measure and track their campaigns in recent years.
Mobile marketing company Tappa wants to help brands solve some of these problems by driving traffic and engagement within mobile apps. The company is touting a software development kit (SDK) that app publishers can use to create branded mobile keyboards within their apps.
Tappa has raised $4.9 million in a seed round of funding led by Alicorn Venture Partners to expand its product and hire sales and technical talent, CEO Leo Giel said. He said the startup plans to begin raising a Series A round early next year.
Branded keyboards use deep links to direct users to specific parts of your app. Brands can create their own custom icons or images that appear on the keyboard when someone uses an app, which could help consumers remember the brand, Geer said. For example, in a financial app, you can use a keyboard with buttons to send money or quickly find cashback offers. Geer said these branded keyboards are opened 500,000 times each month.
Geer said Tappa is trying to solve the challenges marketers face in understanding mobile audiences.
Tappa uses AI to collect data from how you use your keyboard, including determining what other apps you use and what content you engage with the most. There are also products that package it for brands. Geer said that Tappa's data is collected collectively and not from individual users, so privacy is safe.
Tappa's clients include sports teams like Real Madrid and apps like Bottled and Benjamin.
“There was a lack of innovation in the mobile ecosystem,” Geer said. “CEOs are constantly challenging their team members to improve retention, increase lift, deepen consumer engagement, better understand their audiences, and understand their high-value customers.”
Below are 7 important slides from Tappa's investor deck.
