The real differentiator here is coming down to experience. Everyone talk about the validation of the promotions space. Promotions have been around for 125 years. Krein believes the key asset for promotions companies isn't media, but real-world retail stores. Then, when the go to the Web to sign up, the retailer can gather important data about the customer.
Data gathering is, after all, one of the key objectives of marketers.
GetRelevant CEO Mitchel Harad says he doesn't feel threatened by the newest players, either. People are becoming increasingly aware that they're not getting enough bang for their buck. But Harad isn't ruling out mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. Things are going pretty well, but I have had, and continue to have, conversations about partnering. Most likely, the answer will be some combination of the two.