Spring Break
Get coupons through texting, not clipping
Ulynk.com offers chance to receive coupons off the internet from favorite local businesses through texts
Ben Sundberg
Issue date: 10/8/09 Section: News
By Ben Sundberg
The Daily Barometer
Tired of clipping coupons? Launched in early 2009 as a branch of the yourcampusrent.com network, Ulynk.com is a Web site which allows local businesses to send sales promotions directly to registered users' cell phones. People who register for the service are eligible to receive up to four messages per week from any individual business.
Created by Marques Alexander, a senior in political science, and Alexander Neighbors, an OSU graduate, Ulynk.com makes it easier and more convenient for students to take advantage of sales promotions at local businesses and aims to eliminate the use of paper coupons.
"People like coupons, and everybody has a cell phone. So why not have a service that will allow businesses to text out promotions rather than wasting a bunch of paper?" Alexander said. "We wanted to find a way to make it more energy efficient."
Over 240 people in the Corvallis community have registered for the service and are receiving promotions from 65 Corvallis businesses.
"Ulynk.com allows people to have easier access to businesses that they frequent," Neighbors said.
Among those businesses is Brew Station.
"So many college students are on their phones virtually all the time, I think it creates a little bit of visibility for our business and that it's a good way to reach new customers," said Roger Wylie, owner of Brew Station and Personal Summer Tanning Salon.
The site currently has 225 businesses registered on the 633 prospective universities nationwide. With sites in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada, Ulynk.com looks to be a nationwide company inside of the next year.
"Our goal is to hire 1,000,000 people in the next 12 months," Alexander said.
By facilitating more efficient communication between businesses and their frequent customers and by providing prospective employees with the opportunity to build a career within the company, Alexander believes that the Web site will help economic development in the United States.
While anyone with a SMS compatible phone can register and receive promotions, the Web site currently only includes businesses in university towns.
"We're looking to open the system up to cities, not just universities," Neighbors said.
For a full list of local businesses which participate in the program or to register, go to Ulynk.com
Ben Sundberg, staff writer
737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com
The Daily Barometer
Tired of clipping coupons? Launched in early 2009 as a branch of the yourcampusrent.com network, Ulynk.com is a Web site which allows local businesses to send sales promotions directly to registered users' cell phones. People who register for the service are eligible to receive up to four messages per week from any individual business.
Created by Marques Alexander, a senior in political science, and Alexander Neighbors, an OSU graduate, Ulynk.com makes it easier and more convenient for students to take advantage of sales promotions at local businesses and aims to eliminate the use of paper coupons.
"People like coupons, and everybody has a cell phone. So why not have a service that will allow businesses to text out promotions rather than wasting a bunch of paper?" Alexander said. "We wanted to find a way to make it more energy efficient."
Over 240 people in the Corvallis community have registered for the service and are receiving promotions from 65 Corvallis businesses.
"Ulynk.com allows people to have easier access to businesses that they frequent," Neighbors said.
Among those businesses is Brew Station.
"So many college students are on their phones virtually all the time, I think it creates a little bit of visibility for our business and that it's a good way to reach new customers," said Roger Wylie, owner of Brew Station and Personal Summer Tanning Salon.
The site currently has 225 businesses registered on the 633 prospective universities nationwide. With sites in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada, Ulynk.com looks to be a nationwide company inside of the next year.
"Our goal is to hire 1,000,000 people in the next 12 months," Alexander said.
By facilitating more efficient communication between businesses and their frequent customers and by providing prospective employees with the opportunity to build a career within the company, Alexander believes that the Web site will help economic development in the United States.
While anyone with a SMS compatible phone can register and receive promotions, the Web site currently only includes businesses in university towns.
"We're looking to open the system up to cities, not just universities," Neighbors said.
For a full list of local businesses which participate in the program or to register, go to Ulynk.com
Ben Sundberg, staff writer
737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com
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