Former minister of Transport & Communication, Ketil Solvik-Olsen takes lead of the AISPOT Advisory Board
Online stores knows «everything» about us and can target offers. In our own neighbourhood, the physical stores do not know our needs and preferences, and probably lose many sales. The web giants are the only winners, while we as consumers do not get the benefit of all the information they have about us. Now, AISPOT will change the digital model. The user should regain control of their own data, and the local business community should better know their customers’ behavior.
From left; Nicolai Prydz Aispot, Harald Jellum Aispot, Lars Erik Grønntun, Bente Sollid Storehaug, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, Nils Røine og Per Arne Friestad, Aispot
From left; Nicolai Prydz AISPOT, Harald Jellum AISPOT, Lars Erik Grønntun, Bente Sollid Storehaug, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, Nils Røine og Per Arne Friestad, AISPOT
Harald Jellum is an experienced entrepreneur. His latest company is Your.MD which has become a leading health app in more than 100 countries. Through the use of artificial intelligence, AI and good analytical tools, it can make accurate diagnoses as an important tool for doctors and those who feel ill. It`s especially helpful in areas where there is a lack of medical expertise.
Now, Jellum uses his experiences and knowledge in a new initiative. Through the start-up company AISPOT, he has in recent years developed a new innovative service and digital model that will strengthen the local business insight and communication tools, and at the same time give the end-users more relevant information about the business sector’s local offerings both when you are at home and out traveling.
– I want to make everyday life easier for people and strengthen the experiences where you are, while at the same time making the local business sector more attractive and competitive. Through AISPOT I want to give people a better opportunity to communicate with the local business community where they are, on their own terms. The individuals should earn benefits from their personal data, rather than having a few large net giants taking it all. It is a win / win situation for both parties, says Jellum.
– When we shop online we get pushed information about “relevant” offers for us all the time, but when we are out in our neighborhoods, the business sector does not know we are there. Our solution is a kind of a «digital friend» that you can trust and give you relevant information at the right time and place. You have full control of all your data, and it matches your interests and needs with appropriate local players.
New super-app is a «Matchmaker of interests»
– Today, there are many app solutions for single shops, hotels and restaurants, but it has become a jungle of information channels. I don’t think people want hundreds of apps they have to navigate between and even remember which discount agreements and bonus cards they have through different organizations and businesses. We therefore create an app that does more. You control what information you want to share, and it will use the information to keep you updated on everything relevant to you, whether it be shops, restaurants, attractions or events. When you receive information back through the app, you will earn benefits in terms of points with monetary value. It will remind you of concerts relevant to your music preferences, about new restaurants relevant to your food and quality preferences, or tips about relevant attractions when traveling to new places. An app that is relevant in several areas will also be used more often. Our app should represent simplicity and be practical to use for our customers, says Jellum.
– Our goal is for the super-app to become a close friend you can trust and to share information with. It will only work for your interests, is your local expert wherever you may be in the world and over time as it learns more about you it can also help you more.
The ultimate tool for the physical business
– Local business needs to know their customers better. On the web we can automatically get relevant offers because we are tracked and analyzed all the time. We want to give the user the same insight and tools and choose to share it with the local businesses so they can communicate the right message to the relevant recipient at the right time and place. It will provide a far better customer dialogue and increased conversion to sales, explains the enthusiastic entrepreneur.
– Until now, the technology has been used to strengthen the Internet’s role in the retail business. We want to use the technology to strengthen our local stores. After all, I think many of us want to have a vibrant city center with a broad range of offers. We use analysis and AI to understand your profile. When in mode, the app will share relevant parts of your profile anonymously and receive relevant offers back. It first filters these offers and then share it with you. Those allowed to communicate their information to you will pay you directly for it. The AISPOT app will be a data and profile guard that stands between you and your surroundings. I think local businesses, which today pay to Google and other large giants, will agree that it’s a fairer model that they pay users to be able to communicate with them at the right time and place when they know you’re relevant to them. In our model, the technology works for the users and the local business community, not the tech giants, tells Jellum.
New Advisory Board
– In order to succeed with our new digital model, we must attract a large ecosystem. We need to mobilize local business to succeed in creating a fairer model. It should be easy to join, and the rewards should be visible quickly. There is an urgent need to put in place a large local ecosystem and create alliances across the industries. Therefore, we have established a solid Advisory Board that will assist in our work.
Aispots new Advisory Board consists of highly recognized people with complementary network and competence:
Ketil Solvik-Olsen: Former Norwegian Minister of Transport and Communication
Lars Erik Grønntun: Global President of the WPP-owned ,Hill & Knowlton Strategies
Bente Sollid Storehaug, Successful entrepreneur and advisor to Ministers and CEOs
Nils Røine, Background from Schibsted, Cisco and The Norwegian Sports Association.
– We are pleased to have established such a solid advisory board. Especially when the work we are now initiating is so important for our common future.
Solvik-Olsen: Aispot can become a game-changer
– It is exciting for me to engage in visionary companies who want to make a difference. Aispot has a very skilled and experienced team that can succeed if they get the necessary support. As a conscious citizen, I am interested in the issue AISPOT is trying to solve, says Solvik-Olsen.
– It is really worrying when Google and Facebook have taken 60% of the Norwegian digital advertising market on only a few years. What will happen in the next 6 years if we sit passive? Google’s and Facebook’s global advertising revenue has increased from $ 400 billion to over $ 1,500 billion in about five years. It is more than the Norwegian state budget.
These players now represent a speed, power and size we haven’t seen before – something that Amazon shows when they recently announced they want to build their own airport to reduce shipping time. In addition, their global presence allows them to adapt to tax systems and to take full benefits that our national and local players cannot. Now, they engage in new industries where they want to transform and take even new market shares. Therefore, it is important that we work for solutions where we do not end up with a few winners ultimately taking everything. This is important for our business community, as the alternative is not sustainable.
Solvik-Olsen is looking forward to contributing to AISPOT’s development. He believes the business community need to make alliances across sectors in order to maintain profitable shops, good banking connections, efficient suppliers and good owners of commercial buildings. The media relies on its advertisers and local market. It makes sense to establish alliances across industries as it will lift these clusters locally and nationally. Solvik-Olsen believes the AISPOT’s model should be something the industries can join to develop into something completely unique ensuring future vibrant local communities. A model which can also easily be exported to other markets.
