ParcelGenie allows people to send gifts to others using their mobile phones. It is one of just seven mobile internet startups that have reached the final of the Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2011 competition.

Vodafone Mobile Clicks is an international competition with local finalists being selected from Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Parcel Genie is the winner of the United Kingdom round and goes forward to the final.

The final of the competition will be held in the Netherlands on 15 and 16 September. Before then, you can learn more about the competition and vote for your favourite entrant by visiting the Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2011 website.

We spent some time with John Taylor, CEO of ParcelGenie, learning more about the company and about John’s experience of running a startup.

Can you tell us a little bit about what ParcelGenie does?

ParcelGenie is the world’s first instant gift messaging service that makes sending real products to friends and family almost as simple as sending an email or a text message. It is possible to send a gift to someone using just their mobile number – no delivery address is required.

The recipient of a gift receives an instant gift alert via SMS and registers for delivery via text message. The real gift arrives the next day along with a printed personal message from the sender. It is possible to buy and send a real gift in a matter of seconds, narrowing the gap between thought and action. ParcelGenie is live on iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone 7, and also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

What did you do before you became CEO of ParcelGenie?

Before entering the world of gifting and communication, I was a technology strategy consultant and a Director at a UK think tank. Immediately prior to starting ParcelGenie I set up a consulting business as a spin-out for the think tank and once established, co-founded ParcelGenie with my business partner.

How do you feel about being a Mobile Clicks Finalist?

We’re delighted to be in the final of Mobile Clicks, particularly given the strength of the companies participating. We’re pleased that our unique model and service has been recognised in this way and relish the continued opportunity to showcase what we do. Mobile Clicks is a great initiative and one in which we’re delighted to be a part.

What was the inspiration for the business?

The original idea for ParcelGenie came from seeing people sending virtual gifts to each other on social media and paying to do so. Virtual gifting had the strength of being instant but lacked real meaning because the recipients just receive pixels, and ultimately this left both sender and recipient feeling somewhat disappointed with the result.

By combining instant virtual alerts with real products through instant gift messaging, it is possible to enable spontaneity and rapid action without losing the engagement and personal touch that real products deliver.

How long has the business been running?

The idea for the business came in 2008 and the launch onto mobile in 2010.

What was your biggest challenge as a startup? 

The biggest challenge was to build a truly scalable technology platform that could operate internationally and provide simple and quick user journeys. A great deal of work went in to testing the technology and refining user journeys before launch.

You offer your services via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as well as on mobile platforms. Are these as popular as the mobile platforms? 

ParcelGenie is focused on mobile because it perfectly suits instant gift messaging. Being able to respond to news from friends on the go, and to ping a little prezzie in seconds means that mobile is a natural home for ParcelGenie. That said, social media plays a very important role in engaging with customers and it is important to create strong connections between our mobile services and social media services. They both sit on our instant gift messaging platform and share common back-ends.

Are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn newer or more established than the mobile platforms? 

ParcelGenie first launched on social media and much of the service iteration and refinement of user journeys and technology occurred here. The move to mobile has been so successful that this is now a key focus for the business.

Do you see more or less of a future for your web based services as opposed to mobile phone based ones? 

The mobile services are performing extremely well with excellent customer behaviours and feedback. Our services are complementary. Ultimately we wish to provide a simple route to send real products regardless of platform. However, the growth in mobile is quick and the number of opportunities currently facing the business means that mobile is the main focus.

What is it about being a mobile business that helps with your success?

The key to ParcelGenie is providing a quick and convenient process to send real little gifts between people. Mobile delivers a simple and speedy way to send a little something to someone to mark an occasion or to share a moment. Gifts can be sent from anywhere to anyone.

Are there any particular challenges you’ve faced because you are a mobile business?

As ParcelGenie expands internationally, the different telecoms infrastructures and regulations require careful research and testing. Much of this work is now complete but running a transactional mobile service internationally is not a trivial undertaking.

Do you see any particular challenges you might face in the future as a mobile business?

ParcelGenie is focused on managing its growth over the next 12 months. Mobile businesses exist in a rapidly moving space and one which is growing quickly. Choosing the right partners and which opportunities to execute is central to ensuring that ParcelGenie continues to thrive.

How would you like to develop the business over the coming year? 

ParcelGenie is building its consumer brand and is also in discussion with a wide range of partners about how our instant gift messaging platform can add value to and monetise third party’s business. Our new retail plug-in enables gifting via mobile from any website and this is gaining considerable interest. With just a single line of HTML required for implementation, there are few barriers for ecommerce players to enable gifting of their products via mobile and without an address. This opens up new revenue streams and creates user journeys that are highly relevant to modern communication behaviours.

Ultimately the success of ParcelGenie is based on our customers and ensuring that they remain loyal and excited about the service. Above all other things, ParcelGenie is customer-centric and this drives everything we do.

Sandra Vogel

Also read:

Innovating your office with One Net Express