Fed up with irrelevant online ads for things they didn’t need, the team behind Bristol-based startup app Spirini have brought in the genies.
“I was sick of getting notifications that were totally irrelevant to my needs at the time”
The local offers app lets you tell it exactly what you’re shopping for – your ‘genies’ – be it coffee or clothing (or both!), the app will display local offers relevant to what you’re looking for, without leaving a trail of spam notifications for products you no longer want.
Spirini arrives in Bristol: See the Spirini Genies in action at local Bristol businesses
Keen to find out more about Spirini and its magical genies, we had a chat with Founder and CEO, Chris Needham, to get the lowdown on how the idea kicked off.
Send in the genies
Born out of a broken kettle, Chris wanted to find a way to find and purchase the ideal replacement without the spam ads continuing well after he’d made his first cuppa. He tells us: “From a consumer point of view I was sick of getting notifications that were totally irrelevant to my needs at the time.”
“I wanted to build an app that the consumer had complete control over”
“Things that I’d already bought were pushed to me through apps and browsers. I wanted to build an app that the consumer had complete control over. A ‘when I want something I will let you know’ principle and if I don’t want it any longer I can easily and quickly stop notifications without having to go into settings.
“The genie concept came from the idea that genies bring you what you want when you want it. Sending genies out and bringing them back gives the consumer absolute control, with no pestering.”
To make the app work, all the user needs to do is tap on the genie lamp within the app and select which offers they want to see, e.g. ‘culture’ or ‘DIY’. They’ll then be notified of offers relevant to those categories, but can easily turn them off via the app’s homepage.
Branching out
As relevant to local merchants as it is to frustrated consumers, Spirini also offers shops, cafes, restaurants and bars an easy way to reach consumers in real-time who they know are actively looking for what they sell.
“Bristol is a very good city to launch a product, it’s a vibrant city and people are really supportive”
Chris tells us: “All the money spent on marketing is useless if your business is empty and you don’t have lots of passers by.
“I wanted to develop a way that merchants can see people who are looking for what they sell and divert them to their shop by marketing directly to them with a time-limited offer, exactly when the consumer is looking.”
Idea to reality
Spirini has only been around in Bristol for a few months but it’s already gaining traction through several of its unique competitions inspiring locals across the city – including an art treasure hunt which took Twitter by storm.
Yaaaay, the prize for Day 3 of #FindSpirini has been found! Congrats Suzie! Did anybody else guess @Clifton_Observ? pic.twitter.com/YoSGrwcDr9
— Spirini (@spiriniapp) July 20, 2016
Excited to see yet another talented Bristol-based techie accelerating a startup within the city, we were keen to know what Chris felt the apps biggest successes had been so far. He explains: “Getting Spirini to market and seeing it in action with hundreds of different merchants, each sending out unique offers to consumers who have sent their genies out. Most ideas don’t get further than people’s heads.
“Taking a vision to reality with a group of committed people who have put their heart and soul into a product with absolute belief in it is also very special.”
All-aboard: Despite it being early days, Spirini already has plenty of Bristol businesses on board
Enthusiastic about the South West’s potential for new startups, Chris adds: “Bristol is a very good city to launch a product, it’s a vibrant city and people are really supportive of the idea and willing to provide feedback to help us improve our offering.”
Thanks to Chris for taking the time to answer our questions. Shoppers can download the Spirini app for free on iOS or Android. It’s also worth staying tuned to the startup’s latest news and competitions by following them on Twitter: @spiriniapp.
