In-app Connect: Q&A with Jamie Mercer, Chief Product Officer

We sat down with Jamie Mercer, our Chief Product Officer at Student Beans, to discuss our exciting new product offering – in-app student verification! 

Tell us a bit about your role here at Student Beans.

Hi, I’m Jamie, Chief Product Officer at Student Beans. I’m proud to lead the technology teams working on developing an incredible loyalty platform for students and Gen Z, but also working with incredible brands all over the world that want to offer discounts and savings to the Gen Z demographic.

What is the latest example of innovation in our product offering for brands?

The latest product we’re really proud of is what we call In-app Connect. It’s a conversion optimization tool that finds students inside your own ecosystem. We can then offer a gated offer to Gen Z and really help them convert when they’re looking.

This Gen Z audience is incredibly value-driven, and they want to make the most of every disposable dollar or pound they have. So we have this incredible software that allows us to offer discounts within the brand ecosystem right then and there. And that is shown to drive up average order value and drive conversions within an app ecosystem.

What kind of brands benefit from this product?

This product is useful across many different verticals, whether it be travel or fashion, or events. Gen Z loves shopping online and in particular, they love shopping within ecommerce apps. So having a great discount right there at checkout really pushes them over the line.

Why is it important to engage Gen Z in-app?

I think it’s incredibly important to develop a strong relationship with Gen Z early on. If you’re concerned with driving up a high customer lifetime value, getting those first few purchases early on is key.

We work from students aged 16 until they graduate. So starting to build that habit of purchasing within your brand is really important. And students love shopping in apps. We’ve seen 60% growth in in-app usage over the past year. So meeting them in the app with a great discount can really drive conversions and push students over the edge to making that purchase.

Why choose Student Beans for this in-app solution?

Ultimately, it’s a simple solution. One of our Brand Partners implemented in-app Connect within 10 minutes. It keeps students inside your app and keeps them within your ecosystem. And it authenticates them right then and there so you can keep these offers gated to this user group. 

It’s just an incredible opportunity to drive that customer loyalty long-term. And at Student Beans we’re committed to brand success – we offer 24/7 operational support. Our tech teams are always there to assist with any issues and we’re committed to making sure this drives success for Brand Partners.

How can we find out more? 

Please reach out to Student Beans! We have an incredible partnership team who will answer all your questions, and you can book in a demo. We’re here to make sure you find success with In-app Connect.

Get a full overview of In-app Connect – get in touch today. 

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