January 12, 2023

SOCi to Support Multi-Location Enterprise Businesses Through Apple Business Connect API

Originally published to PR Newswire on Jan. 12, 2023. SAN DIEGO — Jan. 12, 2023 —SOCi Inc., the marketing platform for multi-location brands, today announced an integration with Apple Business Connect to provide up-to-date, local business information and special offers and promotions to consumers across Apple Maps and other Apple apps. Mapping and navigation applications are essential tools for consumers seeking information and even discovering new local businesses throughout their purchase journey. With nearly 7 of 10 consumers accessing these tools monthly, it is imperative that multi-location businesses maintain accurate and up-to-date information for all of their locations across these platforms. Through this integration, SOCi customers will be able to take advantage of:

A direct API connection between SOCi and Business Connect. This will provide multi-location businesses with a conduit to update location information in the Apple Maps place card.
The new Showcases feature in Business Connect to enable enterprise brands to share localized content, including offers, events, and other updates, across location profiles at scale. This feature expands the type of information brands can share in Apple Maps to promotional content that they are likely already creating for other search and social channels.
Access to data and insights to help enterprise brands make informed decisions on how to maximize their local digital presence in Apple Maps.

“We created Business Connect to provide Apple users around the world with the most accurate information for places to eat, shop, travel, and more,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “Apple Business Connect gives every business owner the tools they need to connect with customers more directly, and take more control over the way billions of people see and engage with their products and services every day.” Now, brands managing their digital presence across hundreds or thousands of locations will be able to create, schedule, and share Showcases and manage location information in the Apple Maps place card all from within the SOCi platform using the SOCi Social and Listings toolsets. “People around the world rely on Apple Maps, and our clients will now be able to provide up-to-date information to those consumers,” said SOCi CEO Afif Khoury. "Over the past few months, SOCi has worked with a number of its largest brand partners to pilot Business Connect API and the Showcases feature. As of today, every SOCi customer can access the Business Connect integration.” To learn more about how SOCi's all-in-one platform helps multi-location businesses connect with customers across the Apple ecosystem, visit www.soci.ai/apple-maps-business-connect-showcases-soci/.