They don’t want money. They want marketing advice. Five startups from a pool of 11 have moved on to the second round of a three-part marketing pitch series dubbed, “Brands + Startups”, organized by the Heartland Mobile Council ― a local non-profit integrating marketing, business, and mobile.
The five finalists ― SparkReel, a video sharing platform; GetLusty, a community of people trying to pep up their sex lives; Found in Town, a digital lost-and-found tagging system; Siren GPS, a platform which aggregates emergency reports on a mobile device; and Kurfuffl, an app for competitive types who like to brag about their accomplishments ― are not pitching to investors for funding. Instead they are presenting their marketing plans to a panel of corporate marketing execs such as Jeff Ulrich of United Airlines, and Cory Bieber of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, among others.
“We’re trying to bring value into the startup community by allowing entrepreneurs a view into the window of people who understand the marketing side of a business plan,” said Hugh Park Jedwell, founder and president of the Heartland Mobile Council. “We know that marketing is one of the weak spots of the typical startup.”
The second round of pitches is scheduled on May 20th at 1871. Tickets available HERE. The two winners from that round will have the opportunity to pitch at TechWeek in June. ❒
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