Customer data is power, and these M’sians are putting it back in the hands of brands

[Written in partnership with MaGIC, but the editorial team had full control over the content.]

For many businesses in the service industry, regardless of sector, being able to retain loyal customers is one way to analyse the longevity of a brand, and more.

In their careers, Jared Khoo and Jason Chew had identified a similar pattern: most brands are unable to drive customer engagement effectively.

To provide context, Jared is an experienced creative design lead in an advertising agency while Jason is a digital transformation specialist with extensive experience in crafting lifestyle privileges reward programmes for local banks and telcos.

After working on multiple agency projects together to help different businesses bolster their digital efforts, they believed that they had come up with a proven solution.

It was enough for them to take the plunge and establish a SaaS startup which came to be known as HeyOmni in September 2020.

Putting power back in the hands of brands

HeyOmni aims to help brands effectively foster long-lasting brand loyalty by putting data ownership back in the hands of brands.

“Using a real case study for example, an F&B client of ours is on several third-party platforms such as GrabFood and foodpanda to extend their customer reach,” Jared and Jason shared.

“However, they are at the mercy of the platforms because they would lose access to these customers considering that they do not have direct engagement with the users.”

In contrast, HeyOmni enables brands to convert end-users into members and re-engage them directly even after choosing to leave these platforms.

It does this by providing brands with the membership data they own, collected via HeyOmni.

We believe that customer loyalty is the key to profitability, yet we realised that a lot of brands are spending their budget aimlessly without a proper strategy. This translates to getting results that do not equate to sales.

Jared & Jason, HeyOmni.

Customers who are interested in being members of a brand’s loyalty programme simply have to scan a QR code or verify their membership through a link.

When making a payment, one just has to provide their phone number or member ID to ensure the transaction is recorded. The company can then send over activity updates across various platforms, provide points and rewards which can be viewed and claimed by members.

One difference can make all the difference

When searching for loyalty programme service providers in Malaysia, you’ll realise that we don’t lack options. It’s something that HeyOmni’s co-founders acknowledge too, but they believe that there is still ample room for innovation, particularly with their solution’s ease of use and adaptability to market trends.

“To put it simply, to use HeyOmni, you do not need to download any applications and do not require any additional hardware other than your smart device and your web browser, for both our brands and their users,” Jared and Jason said.

“At its core, HeyOmni is an API service that can be used on and alongside any other platforms that you may already be using, and this includes even other loyalty programme services.”

Speaking of ease of use, the team stated that their tools can be used without complex staff training. It’s crucial because business owners in different industries usually struggle to implement their own SOPs to circumvent missing features from other solutions, hence the complex training.

That’s according to Jared and Jason, who have spent many hours on the ground with such businesses. With automation, self-serve, and customisation features, HeyOmni alleviates pain points for companies and their staff.

One example is its no-code practice that enables brands to easily customise and launch their loyalty programme by simply dragging and dropping elements on the backend.

This lets brands customise their microsite, and make more decisions such as foregoing HeyOmni’s frontend to just use its API as a service to manage their membership databases.

Aside from its 2020 launch offer (limited time) of US$25/month, HeyOmni’s only plan is applicable to all sizes of businesses from individuals to large companies at US$50/month.

Do note that the plan is limited to one device account and one registered location, and a brand will have to add on US$25/month per additional outlet location and device account.

Casting a wider net

To date, HeyOmni has over 150 active accounts, with some notable companies who are using it being MyKori from F&B, Tropicana Corp Berhad from the events industry, and Concept2 from the fitness industry.

This number marks significant growth for the startup, because when it first started out, its solution was very much focused only on the retail industry. When the pandemic hit retail businesses, HeyOmni subsequently felt the blow.

Since then, it’s pivoted to cater to a larger audience, including the creator market. “With the rise of the creator market and more people starting their own businesses especially from home, HeyOmni is capitalising on this and is actively helping even the smallest of businesses that are just starting out grow their outreach at a rapid pace,” Jared and Jason said.

Along the way, MaGIC has lent its support, mainly through HeyOmni’s participation in the recent Global Accelerator Programme (GAP) where it’s been able to gain valuable insights and casual mentorship.

HeyOmni is currently fundraising for its seed round in order to grow its team and expedite its growth to serve the larger Southeast Asian region in the next 2 years. “We plan to be the go-to membership platform for all brands, including creators, that provides a seamless outreach to both physical and remote audiences,” Jared and Jason concluded.

• You can learn more about HeyOmni here.
• You can read about other Malaysian startups here.

Featured Image Credit: Jared Khoo and Jason Chew, co-founders of HeyOmni