ePrize Acquires Mobile Marketing Firm Cellit

David-WachsSignaling a shift in its digital promotions and couponing business toward mobile platforms, ePrize has acquired mobile marketing company Cellit. ePrize was founded in 1999 and provides sweepstakes, customer loyalty and other promotional strategies to MGM Grand, Coca-Cola, American Express and 20th Century Fox. Cellit is a Chicago-based agency founded in 2005 by David Wachs. It provides CRM, messaging and mobile Web development solutions to 450 clients, according to Crain's Detroit. The company will be absorbed into ePrize as Cellit: ePrize Mobile Solutions. Cellit brings with it relationships with Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut and others.

Wachs tells Mobile Marketing Daily that day-to-day business for the company will not change."Cellit will continue to operate as an independent business unit," he says."All employees will stay as Cellit employees.  However, we will have the resources of ePrize at our disposal."

Wachs says the combination of the two companies allows for unique mobile integrations. "We’re confident this will lead to innovative multichannel campaigns for our clients, and allow us to offer prizing and contesting solutions without having to involve an outside firm.  In addition, we'll be able to offer ePrize's clients our mobile marketing and point-of-sale integration technologies." Cellit has a long history of providing mobile coupons for a range of customers.   

ePrize tells Crain's that 80% of its clients’ campaigns are expected to have a mobile component in 2012, up from 20% last year.  About 20% of its $50 million annual revenue comes from mobile already. Crain’s estimates that Cellit and its 16 employees generated $6 million in revenue last year. 

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