As a student at the University of Michigan, Scott Meves noticed that marketing from local bars and restaurants just wasn’t getting through to local patrons. He knew there had to be a better way. So he started a business that leveraged technology and social proof to create engaging promotions. It took off.
Nearly 600 miles away, Shawn Geller, a student at Temple University, saw the same problem: Restaurant promotions seemed to be broken — lots of expensive advertisements with little return. Shawn also launched a business that leveraged technology and psychology (this time, anticipation) to help. Lines for the restaurants he served stretched out the door.
After college, Scott’s business got acquired. Shawn moved forward with his. One of the investors he spoke with knew Scott and introduced the two. Legend has it that when they first met, they showed up wearing the exact same thing, sunglasses and all.
The two founded Quikly in 2012, a company that has recreated promotions through the use of psychology, incentives and technology for hundreds of brands and over 17 million consumers. And they decided to do it in Detroit, in hopes that they could contribute to the (then new) tech scene that was helping to grow the city.
Today, Scott and Shawn are just as fueled about recreating brand promotions as they are about growing a business with an awesome team in a city they love.
Scott and Shawn after they first launched quikly in 2012
Quikly by the Numbers
8
Years in business
200
Brands helped
1K+
Brand activations
32M
Consumer opt-ins across activations
17M+
Unique consumers engaged
30%
Average increase in consumer response
