Ms. Rask will now serve as shopkick’s new vice president and general manager of brand partnerships. Additionally, the executive will help in developing relationships with brands.

“Due to increasing interest from brands to partner with shopkick, it was necessary to bring on another person to manage those relationships and help new partners develop customized mobile marketing programs that will generate conversations with shoppers both outside and inside the store,” said Cyriac Roeding, CEO of shopkick.
 
“In her role as vice president and general manager of brand partnerships, Alexis will lead growth of existing brand partnerships and is charged with expanding the shopkick Partner Alliance specifically within the CPG, consumer electronics, entertainment, toy/game, financial services and automotive verticals,” he said.
 
“The more partners onboard the more valuable it becomes for everyone,” Mr. Roeding said. “Alexis has a strong history of building strategic partnerships for Google, LinkedIn and Federated Media, and we are confident that she will do a fantastic job expanding shopkick’s Partner Alliance even further into the brand space.”

In August 2010, shopkick launched the first mobile application that hands consumers high-value rewards, offers and exclusive deals at shopkick’s national retail partners simply for walking into stores and malls.

According to shopkick, Ms. Rask will play a key role in extending the company’s Partner Alliance.

Previously, Ms. Rask was senior vice president of sales development at Federated Media and before that the executive was the founding member of LinkedIn’s Marketing Solutions team. Prior to that she worked for Google.

Mobile shopping
Currently, shopkick works with several brands and retailers including Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Intel, HP, Pfizer, Revlon, American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Crate and Barrel, ExxonMobil, Macy’s, Old Navy, Simon Property Group, The Sports Authority, Target, Toys R Us, west elm and The Wet Seal.

The company has been ramping up its mobile efforts in past years.

In 2010, Target, Best Buy and Macy’s were among the retailers that participated in shopkick’s The 12 Days of Kickmas campaign, which rewarded mobile shoppers for simply visiting their stores (see story).

Last year, Toys R Us gave consumers different ways to save during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend via promotions with foursquare and shopkick (see story).

Earlier this year, Target teamed up with shopkick to bring its location-based rewards application to stores nationwide and let consumers earn points for shopping (see story).

Most recently, Macy’s expanded its partnership with shopkick to drive in-store traffic and reward consumers with exclusive deals and offers when they walk-in to more than 800 of its nationwide stores (see story).

“The more partners onboard the more valuable it becomes for everyone,” Mr. Roeding said. “Alexis has a strong history of building strategic partnerships for Google, LinkedIn and Federated Media, and we are confident that she will do a fantastic job expanding shopkick’s Partner Alliance even further into the brand space.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York