A digital brand engagement tool developed in New Zealand and officially adopted by the All Blacks and NZ Rugby is attracting attention in marketing circles.

Go Team is a business-to-business sports-picking app wrapped up in an engagement programme that enables brands to connect with customers, clients, VIPs and staff.

Developed by Auckland-based bkaBoom, Go Team is the official sports tipping game of New Zealand rugby. Already 10 companies are running competitions in the ITM Cup national provincial championship.

Go Team is designed to accommodate a variety of team sports across various high-profile competitions both nationally and around the world.

Brands pick a competition, invite a range of audiences to participate – clients, friends, staff, endorsers and the like – add prizes and kick off. Players compete to predict results, make their way up the leader board and collect prizes along the way, simultaneously being exposed to brand messages.

bkaBoom CEO Barb Anderson says apps such as Go Team are the future of staff and customer engagement.

“The tradition of the rugby sweep goes back generations and supports the premise that sports picking is the most fun way to engage with the people. Go Team is where the sweep and digital meet.”

bkaBoom is targeting three market segments with Go Team – large corporates, SME owners and marketers and small users.

“We can build layers on the basic app so it meets the needs of several tiers of clients,” Anderson says.

“For example, at the small user layer Go Team provides a fundamental level of connection whereas large corporates can access a much wider range of bells and whistles such as full branding and bespoke design.”

New Zealand Rugby general manager of public affairs Nick Brown is a big fan.

“We want rugby to reach the widest possible audience so we are always looking for new and innovative ways that encourage fans to connect with the game.

“Go Team B2B is certainly that. It’s a smart and a fun way to harness competitive passions in the work place and get people fired up about their favourite teams no matter if they are a diehard fan or just have a casual interest in the game,” Brown says.

The Go Team app is available on iPhone, Android, iPad and Windows and Mac platforms so players can participate anywhere at any time.

Anderson says prizes are usually merchandise or similar, chosen to reinforce brand association such as a travel voucher for a travel business or a TV monitor for a major appliance brand.

bkaBoom is a product of bka Interactive, a web development business based in Auckland.

For more information go to www.bka.co.nz or contact Steve Allison steve@bka.co.nz.

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