Digital Air Strike, the leading social media, AI-powered lead response, and consumer engagement technology company, considers innovation the heart of its success. The company creates new solutions and technology that help businesses better connect with consumers and generate revenue. Digital Air Strike’s relentless innovation is what differentiates it from competitors. The company’s proprietary and patented solutions have changed the way businesses nurture and convert leads on social media, review sites, and messaging platforms. With these tools, businesses are better equipped to engage consumers on all channels and turn them into buyers.
Innovation Story
Digital Air Strike began in 2010 at a time when the iPad was unveiled to the world, Facebook was exploding, and the economy was trying to find its footing after the largest recession since the Great Depression.
As a veteran marketer working with agencies and technology, Alexi Venneri recognized businesses were tasked with generating increased sales but with lower budgets than ever before—and this realization led to the genesis of Digital Air Strike. Rather than spending a great deal of money on traditional advertising, Alexi devised a revolutionary strategy for its time: marketing through social media. This strategy was a low-cost way for businesses to communicate with consumers, but there were no tools or technology to automate the process. So, in 2010 Alexi created her own solution and started Digital Air Strike at her kitchen table. The result: technology that automates the process of optimizing 300+ sites and business listings, manages social media and review sites, and ultimately helps businesses look better online and connect with consumers on social media.
As Digital Air Strike approaches nearly a decade in business, the company is proud to reflect on its history and leading position in the industry. Its innovative technology, seen by consumers 100 million times annually, helps clients streamline their social media programs, manage their online reputation and strategically accelerate lead response, while improving the customer experience.
Digital Air Strike employs more than 200 people in five offices nationwide and is one of the most prominent digital engagement organizations serving the retail automotive industry—the company’s largest vertical. Through its products, solutions, team, and technology, Digital Air Strike influences more than 34 percent of all vehicle sales nationwide.
Over the years, the company has expanded to include many industries including education, healthcare, and retail. The company has grown both organically and by completing three acquisitions that added AI-powered intelligent messaging, targeted advertising technology, and advanced credit analytics to its award-winning consumer engagement solutions.
To stay on top of how consumers choose a dealership when making what is likely their second biggest purchase after a home, Digital Air Strike conducts an annual Social Media and Online Trends Study of 2,000 car buyers and 2,000 service customers. The results show how consumers use social media and review sites to engage with dealerships and how other factors like response time, play a role in their dealership selection process.
Based on this insight, Digital Air Strike developed its Response Path AI-powered intelligent messaging solution to help dealerships and other businesses respond to leads on all channels better and faster. Response Path is highly customizable to be vertical-specific and is currently used by businesses in 12 countries outside the United States. For automotive, Response Path works with Digital Air Strike’s patented lead response solution, Response Logix, to recommend relevant vehicles, deliver personalized price quotes, provide detailed financing opportunities, and promote dealer incentives. Response Path can be used on a business’ website, via SMS messaging, and through Facebook Messenger. It nurtures leads 24/7 by asking and answering qualifying questions, scheduling appointments, and directing the lead to the right department or team member when needed.
The company’s industry-leading market position is derived from its fundamental understanding of the market’s changing needs—an insight acquired by adopting a customer-centric mindset. Digital Air Strike’s mission is to consistently improve how consumers engage with businesses, and it has never lost sight of its guiding purpose. Since its founding, the company has been motivated by innovation, and it develops its technology solutions to meet the changing needs of today’s clients and consumers.
Why Phoenix?
Digital Air Strike was founded in Scottsdale, and the company enjoys Arizona’s pro-business climate that offers economic development incentives, prioritization of pro-growth legislation, leading universities that foster innovation, and low cost of living. Digital Air Strike decided to stay in Arizona even after merging with a larger, Silicon Valley-based company.
The Future of Innovation
Consumers are increasingly looking to interact and transact with businesses online as conveniently as possible, and they want to engage with technology that’s intuitive and fits their needs. Any future offering that enhances this access and personalization will be incredibly compelling to Arizona’s innovation ecosystem. Continued support for the local business community is also required to maintain the growth of innovation.
Advice & Best Practices
1. Be an option thinker and remain positive while looking for new solutions to challenges.
2. Create your own opportunities and don’t settle for what’s being offered.
3. Be curious and stay on top of industry trends.
