Columbery is a blockchain-based platform that aims to connect small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) around the world with this avid demographic who are eagerly seeking out local goods and services when they explore new places.

The company combines AI and blockchain technologies to deliver a unique travel experience to this important consumer group, while it also rewards users with Columb (CLMB) tokens when they check in, review, and rate businesses using the platform. The company is presently preparing to initiate the private sale phase of their ICO, which will begin on May 15, 2018.

Columbery’s platform makes finding great places to visit while traveling more fun with its Columbery Discover, a gamified quest-style product within the platform that encourages users to search for new places and reap rewards for checking places out and rating them. Businesses can lure potential customers with special offers, discounts, and rewards in CLMB tokens, while users can swipe right or left to find potential matches to their interests. Users can then use their tokens to buy tickets, vouchers and other benefits. The mobile app relies on its data-driven AI capability to deliver a tailor-made experience to each of its users’ unique “Traveler personality DNA” profiles.

Marketing to millennials has been a kind of holy grail amongst advertisers for some time. The generation’s appeal for advertisers is understandable, as they are expected to spend over USD 1.4 trillion on travel expenses during the next two years alone, but they’re definitely not looking for mainstream tourist haunts.

They want something unique and authentic, which often means they’re seeking out places off the beaten track and frequenting smaller local businesses, which typically don’t have the budget to reach these travelers. Traditional advertising efforts often fall flat, since millennials tend to respond better to word of mouth (WOM) and influencer marketing, but developing the level of grassroots branding needed can be expensive for an SME.

Also, there can be a low return on investment for marketing strategies that require users to click on ads within content. Not to mention that click bots and other types of fraud can drive up the cost of online advertising without delivering actual viewers. Columbery’s platform offers SMEs a unique solution, because it allows businesses to engage directly with a target audience.

The project aims to create a network effect that will drive the growth of the ecosystem. As more businesses join the platform and offer rewards, more travelers will be attracted to participate in the overall rewards system. Columbery’s CEO & Co-Founder, Igor Arkhypenko, believes the platform will revolutionize business engagement with travelers.

“Columbery allows businesses with limited marketing budgets to create genuine goodwill through valid word-of-mouth recommendations,” he said. “That means travelers no longer need to slog through meaningless travel ratings websites to find what they’re looking for. Our app will analyze and deliver businesses based on their unique profile, while SMEs can spend less on marketing efforts because they are reaching a very specific and engaged customer.”

Columbery has brought in ICOBox, the world’s premier SaaS solutions provider for blockchain growth promotion, to assist with the launch of its ICO. Columbery’s private sale will begin on May 15, 2018, featuring a 30% discount with a minimum purchase requirement of USD 10,000.

They will also host two presale stages with decreasing bonuses and minimum purchase requirements, the first of which will begin on June 15 and run until July 15, with the second lasting from July 16 to August 15. The public sale will begin on August 16, with a minimum purchase requirement of just $50, and will end on September 30, 2018.

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