Building on how retail has played a role in the Social-Local-Mobile (SoLoMo) space, many brands have started to drive awareness, buzz, and even promotion into consumers’ lives through the smart integration of digital, mobile, and social technology into their brick-and-mortar businesses. DEALChaat, a discovery engine launched by Ideafarms in Delhi NCR late 2012, is a true location-based Advertising & Promotions platform on smartphones. This document gives a background of the status of the platform and highlights its potential for becoming an early example of the whats and wherefores of SoLoMo play.

1.
Discover Everything
Around Local
ABSTRACT
Building
on
how
retail
has
played
a
role
in
the
Social-­‐Local-­‐
Mobile
(SoLoMo)
space,
many
brands
have
started
to
drive
awareness,
buzz,
and
even
promotion
into
consumers’
lives
through
the
smart
integration
of
digital,
mobile,
and
social
technology
into
their
brick-­‐and-­‐mortar
businesses.
DEALChaat,
a
discovery
engine
launched
by
Ideafarms
in
Delhi
NCR
late
2012,
is
a
true
location-­‐based
Advertising
&
Promotions
platform
on
smartphones.
This
document
gives
a
background
of
the
status
of
the
platform
and
highlights
its
potential
for
becoming
an
early
example
of
the
whats
and
wherefores
of
SoLoMo
play.

2. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
CONTENTS
THE
“WHY”
OF
DEALCHAAT
3
THE
STORY
SO
FAR
6
WHY
DEALCHAAT
–
The
problem
6
THE
DEALCHAAT
MODEL
6
HOW
IT
WORKS
7
HOW
DOES
DEALCHAAT
MAKE
MONEY
8
ROADMAP
9
MEDIA
MENTIONS
10

3. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
3
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
“Social,
local
and
mobile
(SoLoMo)
integrations
have
allowed
consumers
the
ability
to
take
control
of
their
own
experiences
with
brands
and
be
given
opportunities
to
share
their
experiences
within
their
own
social
channels.”1
THE
“WHY”
OF
DEALCHAAT
Small
physical
retailers
aspire
to
provide
similar
or
better
service
to
their
customers;
the
big
advantage
they
have
over
larger
brands
is
that
they
are
part
of
the
local
community
and
understand
the
realities
of
their
own
hyperlocal
contexts
way
better
than
the
“researched”
reality
that
marketing
managers
of
large
brands
can.
On
the
other
hand
they
have
challenges
of
their
own.
The
challenge
is
one
of
affordability:
they
do
not
have
deep
enough
pockets
to
afford
state-­‐of-­‐
the-­‐art
technology
(meaning
they
cannot
make
the
huge
investments
needed
in
technology)
and/or
budgets
for
advertising
on
traditional
media.
Perhaps,
in
today’s
age
of
smartphones
and
cloud
they
don’t
even
need
to.
The
question
therefore
is
how
they
can
communicate,
advertise
and
promote
themselves
in
their
own
customer
communities
and
the
larger
universe
of
shoppers.
Every
physical
store
owner
needs
to
grow
her
customer
base
and,
at
the
same
time,
minimize
churn.
The
latter
challenge
calls
for
ways
to
ensure
loyalty.
The
following
merchant
pain
points
therefore,
are
primarily
what
DealChaat
seeks
to
address
and
solve.
§ Can
technology
be
made
available
to
the
small
stores
without
their
having
to
invest?
In
other
words,
is
there
a
way
to
avoid
capital
outlay
and
use
technology
on
a
pay-­‐as-­‐you-­‐go
basis.
§ Can
advertising
spend
get
more
bang
for
the
buck
through
hyperlocal
targeting?
In
other
words,
can
I
spend
on
communicating
where
I
want,
when
I
want
and
to
my
own
customers
rather
than
pay
for
broadcasting
to
the
whole
world?
1
http://goo.gl/zH4Z0
–
Michael
Ventura,
How
experiential
marketing
has
changed
in
a
Social-­‐Local-­‐Mobile
world

4. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
4
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
§ Can
customers
get
communication
of
in-­‐store
offers
without
walking
into
the
shop?
In
other
words,
are
there
ways
to
notify
customers
in
my
vicinity
of,
“Today’s
Specials”?
DealChaat is a Discovery engine – helpful when you’re not
quite sure what you’re looking for, or aren’t looking at all. It
helps you uncover information you didn’t know existed,
didn’t know you needed, or didn’t know you wanted – yet
DELIGHTS you when you find it.

5. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
5
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
A
little
background
…
RETAIL
REVOLUTION2
There
is
hectic
activity
in
the
Retail
sector
in
India
in
terms
of
expansion,
entry
of
international
brands
and
retailers
as
well
as
focus
on
technology,
operation
and
processes.
India’s
increasingly
affluent
middle
class
of
around
300
million
consumers
has
made
it
the
accelerator
of
the
great
Indian
retail
gold
rush.
There
are
over
15
million
retail
outlets
spread
across
India,
earning
the
country
an
epithet
–
“Shopkeepers’
Nation.”
More
than
80
per
cent
of
these
15
million
outlets
are
run
as
small
family
businesses.
The
striking
feature
of
today’s
Indian
retail
scene
is
the
duality
which
has
recently
emerged,
forming
the
basis
of
modern
and
traditional
retail
in
India.
However,
small
traders,
comprised
of
traditional
retail,
have
conspicuous
presence
controlling
96
per
cent
chunk
of
the
retail
sector.
Corporate
retailers,
however,
plan
to
augment
the
share
of
modern
retail
from
the
current
4
per
cent
to
approximately
15
per
cent-­‐20
per
cent
in
the
next
four
years
by
investing
more
than
US$25
billion.
CONSUMER
AGE
Each
consumer
in
India
will
spend
over
Rs.
200
a
day,
on
an
average,
by
the
year
2025,
steered
by
a
ten-­‐fold
increase
in
the
country's
middle
class
population
and
a
three-­‐fold
jump
in
household
income
during
this
period.
This
churn
in
consumer
spends
will
largely
be
driven
by
preferences
that
the
younger
sections
of
the
population
exhibit.
This
could
create
the
perfect
opportunity
for
new
consumer-­‐centric
organizations.
More
young
consumers,
greater
incomes,
global
aspirations
and
a
greater
propensity
to
spend—all
of
this
have
marketers
excited.
To
woo
this
young
consumer,
marketers
will
be
forced
to
make
many
changes.
While
small
retailers
need
to
upgrade
and
innovate
their
technology
and
operating
systems
to
meet
the
needs
of
this
consumer,
modern
retailers
need
to
bring
the
same
level
of
service
which
is
given
by
single
unit
retail
store.
2
India
Small
Business
Report-­‐
a
year
book
on
franchise,
retail
&
small
business.
(2008)
[http://www.franchiseindia.com/buyrepNbooks_smallBus.php]

6. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
6
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
THE
STORY
SO
FAR
In
October
2012,
Ideafarms
launched
a
pilot
in
Delhi
NCR,
a
do-­‐it-­‐yourself
platform
for
mid-­‐market
retailers
to
directly
publish
and
manage
promotions,
delivered
through
a
location-­‐aware
smartphone
app.
Dealchaat
is
currently
in
the
pilot
phase,
pre
revenue,
–
Delhi
NCR
–
some
1800
brands,
mostly
small
retailers,
are
on
board.
In
a
market
flooded
with
several
flavours
of
group
buying
and
deal
aggregation
websites,
the
platform
branded
as
DealChaat
is
unique
in
that
it
gives
control
directly
in
the
hands
of
retailers
to
promote
themselves
hyper
real-­‐time
and
hyperlocal.
It
also
gives
consumers
the
ability
to
identify
a
convenient
source
for
their
needs
–
immediate
or
otherwise
(i.e.
necessity
based
or
‘am-­‐bored-­‐lets-­‐
shop’
based).
WHY
DEALCHAAT
–
The
problem
The
small
retailer’s
average
monthly
marketing
spend
is
approximately
Rs
3000.
This
is
mostly
spent
on
sending
SMSs
to
loyal
customers,
flyers
inserted
in
local
newspapers
and
advertisements
in
local
classifieds.
These
forms
of
communication
require
dedicated
time
and/or
involvement
of
third
parties.
There
is
no
direct
way
to
measure
the
efficacy
of
the
communication.
Moreover,
once
crafted,
there
is
no
way
for
the
retailer
to
change
the
promotion.
Storefront
notice
boards
displaying
daily
‘specials’
offer
a
cost-­‐effective
solution
to
small
retailers,
but
with
a
very
small
reach.
DealChaat
extends
the
reach
of
a
retailer’s
notice
board
beyond
the
storefront
and
on
a
state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art
platform,
at
a
fraction
of
current
marketing
spend.
More
importantly,
communication
is
targeted
and
therefore
more
effective.
THE
DEALCHAAT
MODEL
As
opposed
to
all
traditional
methods
of
communication,
promotions
can
be
created
in
real-­‐time
and
can
be
updated
at
any
time,
without
involving
additional
resources.
DealChaat
follows
a
pull-­‐based
marketing
strategy.
Instead
of
marketers
pushing
their
promotions
to
the
customers,
DealChaat
gives
customers
the
freedom
to
search
for
the
promotions
that
they
are
interested
in.
This
reversal
of
sorts
matches
customers
better
to
retailers
around
them.

7. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
7
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
The
ability
to
rate
and
review
stores
further
bridges
the
gap
between
the
customer
and
the
retailer,
making
the
communication
a
two-­‐way
process.
With
smartphone
usage
increasing
at
a
fast
pace,
the
only
technological
investment
required
by
the
retailer
is
most
likely
already
in
her
hand.
HOW
IT
WORKS
The
underlying
discovery
engine
consists
of
modules
and
components
configurable 3
to
‘build’
customized
meaningful
experiences
that
fit
consumers’
SoLoMo
lifestyles.
The
value
proposition
of
the
platform
addresses
two
needs
–
1. Spontaneous
discovery
of
offers
and
promotions
on
location
for
the
consumer
and,
2. Scheduled,
self-­‐managed
promotion
for
the
retailer.
Besides,
it
does
away
with
coupons
so
the
shopping
experience
is
seamless
and
fun.
The
retailer
needs
simply
craft
the
offer
and
schedule
it
even
for
selective
locations.
The
offer
appears
instantly
on
the
DealChaat
smartphone
App.
It
opens
up
and
creates
new
opportunity
for
the
delivery
of
offers
without
disrupting
the
user’s
shopping
experience.
And
consumers
can
rate
and
share
deals
as
well
as
instantly
review
merchants
from
wherever
they
are
on
Social
Media.
3
One
avatar
is
available
as
a
proof
of
concept
(PoC)
in
the
form
of
iProMo,
a
location-­‐based
solution
for
consumer
promotion
in
FMCG
companies.
The
solution
offers
real-­‐time
measurement
of
campaign
efficacy
to
brand
managers.Details
are
available
on
request

8. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
8
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
HOW
DOES
DEALCHAAT
MAKE
MONEY
Monetisation
is
primarily
from
merchant
subscriptions
(the
smartphone
app
is
free
to
users
on
both
Android
and
iPhone
platforms)
and
in-­‐app
Advertising.
In
the
next
phases,
as
data
volume
magnifies,
analytics
and
trends
are
expected
to
become
steady
revenue
streams.
There
are
opportunities
being
explored
in
Enterprise
white-­‐
labeling,
franchising
and
territorial
licensing.
We
are
actively
seeking
expressions
of
investment
interest
from
– Equity
investors,
and
– Strategic
partners
(critical
functional
link
areas
in
the
overall
ecosystem),
who
can
accelerate
the
intrinsic
growth
potential
of
our
venture
via
funds
infusion
and
complementary
execution
strengths.
The
Application
has
potential
to
incorporate
gamification
to
increase
the
use
of
the
App
and
decrease
churn
of
customers.
With
adequate
investment
on
brand-­‐building,
the
customer
base
can
be
increased.

9. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
9
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
ROADMAP
Clearly
there
is
a
need
to
generate
brand
and
product
awareness
to
stabilize
revenues
and
help
both
stakeholders
–
merchants
to
promote
more
effectively
and
consumers
to
have
a
way
to
engage
directly
with
hyperlocal
brands
–
by
exploiting
the
full
power
available
to
them
through
the
platform.
The
app
captures
location
and
behavior
data
that
can
be
used
to
create
useful
dashboards
for
merchants
to
gain
insights
of
their
consumers,
especially
in
their
own
area
of
operation.
Partnering
with
Big
Data
companies
is
part
of
the
strategic
intent
to
provide
real-­‐time
usage
statistics
to
brands.
The
back-­‐end
location-­‐based
content
delivery
engine
is
being
continually
augmented
with
modules
to
create
different
avatars.
These
will
allow
brands
to
address
Social-­‐Local-­‐Mobile
lifestyles
of
consumers,
to
help
link
the
offline
and
online
world
and
build
loyalty
and
trust
in
consumers.
To
actualise
the
full
potential
of
DealChaat’s
value
propositions
–
a
brand’s
direct
management
of
its
hyper-­‐local,
hyper-­‐realtime
engagement
in
a
SoLoMo
context
PLUS
creating
brand
loyalty
without
interfering
with
the
consumer’s
experience
viz.
eliminating
coupons,
codes,
etc.
–
investments
towards
Customer
Acquisition,
Brand
Building
and
Awareness,
Platform
and
App
Promotion,
Social
Media
Management,Platform
Enhancements
…
being
among
the
main
application
of
funds.

10. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
10
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
MEDIA
MENTIONS
18 February 2013
18
Presently none of the leading websites
have mobile apps. To some extent,
DealChaat overlaps with restaurants and
nightlife listing sites like Zomato and
Burrp, however they are limited only to
food and nightlife category
Read
article
online:
http://www.nextbigwhat.com/dealchaat-­‐for-­‐android-­‐297/

11. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
11
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
11 July 2013
Read
article
online:
http://www.livemint.com/Industry/tCAMKZ0sd75cVAMD22ttUP/Online-­‐deal-­‐sites-­‐seek-­‐a-­‐new-­‐deal.html

12. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
12
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
14 January 2013
DealChaat
for
Android
and
iOS:DealChaat
is
a
location
based
service
that
offers
discounts
and
special
offers
for
categories
like
eating
out,
entertainment
and
shopping.
Unlike
coupons
or
deals
website,
there
is
no
expiry,
there
are
no
deals
to
buy,
no
purchases
required,
no
coupon
codes
to
be
copied
or
printed
out
-­‐
what
you
get
is
relevant
Information,
delivered
right
to
your
smartphone
screen.
You
can
either
choose
a
category
or
let
the
location-­‐aware
app
inform
you
of
nearby
deals.
Deals
can
be
viewed
on
a
map
and
you
can
share
deals
with
your
friend
(using
Facebook,
Twitter
or
by
email).
Although
currently
only
available
in
Delhi/NCR,
the
developer
promises
that
the
service
will
be
launched
in
other
major
Indian
cities
soon.
Read
article
online:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/120431868/Economic-­‐Times-­‐features-­‐DealChaatseek-­‐a-­‐new-­‐deal.html

13. DEALChaat
–
Discover
Everything
Around
Local
13
Ideafarms.
2014
-­‐
Confidential.
Please
do
not
share
or
distribute.
14 January 2013
18
Daily deals may not be very hot right
now but Ideafarms’s new smartphone
app called DealChaat has the potential
to make searching and securing deals
more convenient.
Read
article
online:
http://www.watblog.com/2013/02/20/we-­‐take-­‐a-­‐look-­‐at-­‐the-­‐
new-­‐location-­‐aware-­‐smartphone-­‐app-­‐called-­‐dealchaat/