Clover revolutionized the point-of-sale (POS) system market when it launched its first cloud-based Android POS platform in 2013, the Clover Station. Unlike other POS systems at the time, which provided all hardware and software in a closed system with few if any options for customization, Clover followed a strategy similar to Apple when it launched the iPhone in 2007.
Merchants purchased Clover hardware and operating system, and then subscribed to apps that enabled them to customize the Clover system to their particular needs. Apps vastly expanded Clover capabilities from simply a POS device. The variety of apps spanned from time management to functions such as accounting, customer loyalty and inventory control.
More than 20 Tier 1 awards earned
Additional new products followed Clover Station. With the announcement of Clover Mobile, merchants could serve customers throughout the store, in addition to simply at the register. Clover announced Clover Mini in 2015. It featured a barcode scanner and printer built into the device and was designed to replace stationary terminals.
%
Increase in transaction volume
%
Faster growth of the Clover App Market
Building a PR Program with Multiple Goals
Clover anticipated multiple goals for its PR program. It wanted to:
- Attract new merchants to purchase its hardware and subscribe to apps, demonstrating its superiority to traditional POS systems,
- Encourage app developers to write new apps, convincing them they would receive an attractive return on their investment,
- Entice consumers to shop at stores/restaurants and other venues with Clover products installed, demonstrating an easier and more satisfying shopping experience.
UPRAISE’S initial project involved supporting Clover at TechCrunch Disrupt, starting the day after we were hired! Our team fanned out on the show floor and set up 18 media interviews over two days that resulted in coverage by media including BBC, CNN, The Deal, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Huffington Post, MergerMarkets, NPR, Reuters and the Washington Post. Clover earned more than 100 original articles in the first six months of the media relations program.
UPRAISE also initiated a speaking engagement campaign to increate Clover’s brand awareness among financial services partners and app developers. Clover founders spoke at 15 conferences in the first year of the program.
Awards Seal the Deal
Media coverage, speaking opportunities and trade show support rapidly enhanced Clover’s brand awareness and contributed to it emerging as the fastest-growing POS platform in the world, faster than better-known rivals such as Square. However, they weren’t enough to help Clover achieve all of its objectives.
In addition to our media relations, speaking program and trade show support, we embarked on an aggressive awards program to gain recognition for Clover innovation. To date, Clover has won more than 20 awards, significantly more than its competitors. We avoided the “pay for play” awards we basically pay a fee and win an award, and focused on awards where the sponsoring organization had created a strong brand that would support Clover’s brand. Just a few of these are listed below:
- Best in Biz Award
- Emerging Payments Award
- Edison Award
- Engadget Award
- Mobile Excellence Award
- NACHA Payment System Award
- PYMNTS Innovator Award
- Retail Week Customer Excellence Award
- UX Design Award
- VentureBeat MobileBeat Award
One key component of Clover’s success in winning awards was the involvement of merchants, financial services partners and app developers. Including at least one testimonial from at least one of these audiences allowed our submissions to stand out versus competitors.
We also worked with Clover to heavily promote award wins to its merchant and app developer communities through media relations, social media, in the Clover App Market and on its website. This strategy proved very effective. After one year of focusing heavily on winning awards, merchant-generated transactions increased 17% above the trend line for prior years and the App Market gained 22% more new developers than in previous years.
“We turned to UPRAISE to raise Clover’s profile versus better known brands with merchants as well as developers to feed new applications to our App Market. The team succeeded beyond all expectations with both audiences.”
Former Founder and Vice President, Business Development, Clover
