EPrize Touts Small Businesses

By Jewel Gopwani, Detroit Free Press

Jan. 17–Local Internet marketing firm ePrize has set its sights on mom-and-pop shops.

The 8-year-old company, with 350 workers in its Pleasant Ridge headquarters, designs promotions for big companies like the Gap and General Motors Corp.

But on Tuesday, it launched a Web site, www.caffeinenow.com, where small businesses can put together their own sweepstakes and reward programs for free. But businesses pay for the responses their promotions receive, starting at $1 per response, said Alesya Opelt, ePrize’s senior director of marketing.

The move is part of a trend to offer Internet advertising for small businesses.

Google uses a similar model where businesses pay when Web users click on their ads.

EPrize’s new product has won over at least one test customer.

Livonia-based Fathead LLC, which makes life-size vinyl images of sports stars, started testing the service last year.

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