AirBolt
AirBolt locks Crowdfunding Success
A media blitz propelled AirBolt to the highest funded GPS tracker crowdfunding campaign ever
Challenge
How do we take something as common as a GPS tracker in a sea of GPS trackers and propel it to a level of success that would meet or exceed its fundraising goals? AirBolt knew Bluetooth wouldn’t cut it and was committed to GPS, but not just any GPS. AirBolt took it to the next level -- with live global GPS.
And let’s not forget the fact that we launched this campaign in the middle of a pandemic that was tightening wallets around the world and travel was essentially non-existent. We needed to find other ways to pitch our story, diversify offerings and make sure to achieve the goals we set for ourselves with this campaign. AirBolt was destined for great things, it just needed a creative push and the right team to succeed in what some may call a challenging time.
Process
Since we had already advised AirBolt through a successful crowdfunding campaign for its AirBolt Smart Travel Lock in 2015, we knew there was a strong community to tap into with its new campaign.Thanks to timely product delivery from AirBolt and strong communication materials we drafted, we were able to validate running a crowdfunding campaign during economic unrest.
AirBolt needed an awesome website and campaign video. From scripts, costumes, accessories for the product videos, we stepped in to help.
We packed the campaign pages with great videos, press-friendly high-res images, and tons of GIFs. We found the best use cases to pitch across different verticals other than travel, such as a pet tracker to track our furry four legged friends, making the story appealing to more mainstream press. We also emphasized the device’s unique selling point, its 12-month battery life, to tech publications. With all these angles at our disposal to different types of publications, we began an extensive outreach weeks before the campaign went live and continued pitching throughout.
AirBolt GPS skyrocketed to its crowdfunding goal in under 48 hours
Solution
We utilized different angles for different verticals, requiring some out of box thinking then the most obvious use case (travel) was unavailable due to the pandemic. With engaging video and GIFs that told a story, generating media interest was that much easier.
Results
- Our initial campaign for AirBolt Smart Travel Lock in 2015 topped $142k on Kickstarter and created huge buzz around the internet, laying the foundation for TSA approval of the product and building a successful company thanks to our crowdfunding outreach
- AirBolt GPS reached its crowdfunding goal of $35,290 in two days, raising over $750k on Kickstarter and a little under $830k on Indiegogo
- The campaign set new crowdfunding records for GPS trackers on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo, making it the number one GPS campaign ever
- AirBolt GPS was covered by top tier sites and tech powerhouses including Forbes, Engadget, Android Authority, and more
- AirBolt GPS continues to grab headlines and generate coverage worldwide, long after the crowdfunding campaigns were originally launched
Coverage
As featured in
“"The rechargeable tracker is small enough to fit on your keychain -- or suitcase, pet, bicycle, child, you name it -- and comes with GPS, LTE-M and NB-IoT. Unlike Bluetooth, it will track your device no matter how far away it is. It’s waterproof and can ping you if your device gets wet. It works with Android and iOS, and you can set up a geofence to let you know if your tag is further away than you’d like."”Read article →
“"The AirBolt GPS supports a wide range of tracking features, including separation alerts and geofencing — perfect for tracking pets. And if someone finds your wandering pet (or lost luggage), there is an alert button on the AirBolt GPS they can press to instantly ping you."”Read article →
“"If you’ve ever had your baggage lost or stolen while traveling, chances are you’ve wished for a better luggage lock. The travel industry is full of technological innovation these days, so why are we still using combination locks to secure luggage and keep our personal belongings safe? That’s the question that inspired AirBolt, a Bluetooth-enabled smart lock that layers a variety high-tech security measures into a system that you control entirely from your smart phone. The AirBolt smart lock is comparable in size to most old-school combination locks, but despite this small footprint, the device is absolutely stuffed with features that put the safety of your stuff back in your hands."”Read article →
“"In addition to offering assistance with the retrieval of your lost airplane luggage, the TSA-friendly AirBolt has plenty of other interesting features. You can unlock it with a smartphone app and it comes with proximity alerts that will prevent you from forgetting it in a coffee shop or losing it to a thief."”Read article →
“"This TSA-approved smart lock is extremely compact and provides location tracking, proximity alerts, and a variety of privacy controls that can be accessed from your smartphone. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to one year before needing a recharge via a Micro-USB charger. Even if you don't have your smartphone handy to wirelessly unlock the AirBolt, you can use the backup button feature to get to your goods."”Read article →
“"One company is looking to make the luggage-laden travel process a little bit easier with the AirBolt smart travel lock, which is designed with Bluetooth connectivity and a host of useful functions to keep bags secure and accounted for. Keys can be lost and combinations forgotten, which is why you can find more smart locks today than ever before."”Read article →
