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Home / Tech  / Get GOing: New social app launches in Auckland

Get GOing: New social app launches in Auckland

Recently launching in Auckland, social app Go aims to get people off their phones and bring them together in real life. Matching local businesses with interested consumers, the platform truly is a win-win.

Over 350 businesses have already signed up for the app, allowing them to build a loyal customer base and create opportunities to interact with interested users. Through Go, businesses can find and connect with people in the exact moment they’re planning their days and nights, and can provide them with relevant, timely offers. Similarly, the app can match business events with people most likely to be interested with the help of Go’s proprietary machine learning engine.

Frustrated by the way technology has failed to improve our social lives, Go founders Sean Conrad and Jesse Berns, spent a year building the app with the intention of launching in Portland, Oregon prior to the pandemic.

With New Zealand triumphant against the pandemic, it was an obvious choice to launch the platform in Auckland instead.

“New Zealand has really effectively handled the pandemic and because of that, people enjoy the level of social freedom that we needed to launch Go,” says Berns.

“Beyond that, Auckland shares a lot of similarities with Portland, with a comparable metro area and demographic make-up. This means we can really accurately use insights from our launch here to inform our global rollout when the pandemic response matures in other markets and our launch there is less risky,” adds Conrad.

Respectful of personal data, Go only shares your interests and preferences with other users who you want to see it. From here, you can curate your feed based on your chosen areas of interest, from coffee and crafts to music.

“It’s based on the interests you select, rather than your demographic and in-app usage data sold or shared with third parties, unlike other social platforms,” Conrad.

“We’ve had a really positive response to that from Auckland businesses.” 

One of the many businesses enjoying Go is Craft Beer Tours Matakana. Owner Bryce Read says he was looking to partner with a platform that focuses on getting people back out into the world rather than being glued to the internet.

“Go actually encourages participation so I know that the people that like Craft Beer are actually actively looking to take part. It’s a platform designed for people who want to get out and do things with a bit of back-story and education thrown in which is great,” says Read.

He advices other local businesses across New Zealand to sign up too.

“It’s an innovative company with a great idea, connecting businesses and people to actually encourage participation and not focus on likes and followers.”

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