Companies combine print and digital platforms to help local businesses in Houston

Hownd, provider of a promotional marketing platform that helps local merchants build stronger, healthier relationships with nearby consumers, and Hearst Newspapers, publisher of the Houston Chronicle and other newspapers in Houston and beyond, have announced a joint marketing agreement and pilot project in the Houston area that will see the two companies work together to better serve local brick and mortar businesses.

Hownd helps local businesses with physical locations generate revenue from their existing customers and find new customers via its proprietary digital marketing platform. A combination of cloud software and a mobile app, Hownd connects local merchants to nearby consumers and then tracks proven consumer visits that can be directly attributed to a merchant’s advertising expenditures.

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The joint pilot will include an innovative combination of platforms that bridges print and digital advertising. For example, consumers may first learn of a merchant’s promotion via print advertising in Hearst publications and then complete their visit on the Hownd platform, connecting print and digital worlds and providing merchants with trackable advertising across media types.

The companies are specifically targeting “Fun, Yum, and Zen” merchants that provide family entertainment, dining, and health and beauty services to local consumers. Local merchants in the Katy and Sugar Land areas of Houston who participate in the pilot program will receive access to Hownd and qualify for promotional placements in Hearst Newspapers’ print and digital platforms, including the Katy Rancher, Sugar Land Sun, and Chron.com.

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“Hearst is constantly seeking innovative ways to serve our advertisers and the local community,” says John McKeon, President Hearst Texas Newspapers. “Hownd provides a unique way to link print advertising and attributable customer visits, helping our business customers better understand the full value of their relationship with our company while delivering great deals to consumers.”

“We’re excited to work with such a large and innovative organization as Hearst,” says Brandon Willey, CEO of Hownd. “We are thrilled they recognize the substantial value Hownd can bring to them and the local merchants we all serve and we look forward to getting things started in Katy and Sugar Land.”

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