Marketing firm aims to deepen ties between consumers and Columbus businesses

A Columbus marketing company that specializes in consumer loyalty unveiled a new mobile rewards application for businesses in the area.

SparkBase's app, PayCloud, lets companies digitize their loyalty and rewards programs, sending deals and discounts to consumers' smartphones. The marketers noted that this tactic could greatly enhance businesses' reach because mobile phones are the sole object that consumers are "most likely to eat, sleep, and most importantly, shop with."

Doug Hardman, CEO of SparkBase, said the application was a better option for small businesses that don't have the resources to steeply discount products just to attract customers who will never return.

"What they need is a program to help them build a loyal customer base of frequent shoppers to increase sales for the long run," he added.

Another way that businesses may be able to increase customer loyalty through marketing is with online group coupons. A recent study from Ipsos found that daily deal organizations such as Groupon and WagJag were actually helpful in creating repeat customers for the companies that offered discounts and promotions through the sites.