Tauranga brothers Dropit like it’s hot

Dropit CEO Peter Howell (right) and COO Brendan Howell (left) with Mitsubishi auction winner Nathan Harris and his son. Supplied Photo.

Tauranga brothers Peter and Brendan Howell have hit a home run with the successful launch of their innovative reverse auction website in the United States.

They recently launched Dropit, a mass audience activation platform which turns shopping into a gaming experience, at Major League Baseball's annual spring training tournament in Phoenix, Arizona.

Originally created in New Zealand, Dropit features hundreds of reverse auctions for items like iPhones, Bose speakers, GoPro cameras, Beats headphones and cars.

The launch at the Peoria Sports Complex was Dropit's first live stadium event and about 10,000 baseball fans engaged with the reverse auctions, as the Seattle Mariners played the Kansas City Royals, and then the Texas Rangers the following day, in the Cactus League tournament.

The first day main prize, a 2017 Ducati Panigale 959 worth US$15,400, sold for US$3904 in the 60 second reverse auction. Then on the second day, a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport valued at US$22,280 went for US$11,850.

There were also auctions for smaller prizes each day, as well two charity auctions for baseball memorabilia to stoke up the excitement.

'It's the first time we've had people playing the game on their phones in a stadium while it's running concurrently on the big boards. Dropit brings adrenaline pumping competition beyond the field and into the stands,” says Dropit CEO Peter Howell.

'We believe there were at least 500 tickets sold on the second day to people who just wanted to take part in the auction.”

Mitsubishi winner Nathan Harris says he heard about Dropit online and only came to the game for the opportunity to buy the car.

'It's intense - you're just waiting, waiting, waiting, and don't know the right time to go. I was feeling lucky.”

While Ducati winner Norman Bacon says he'd always been intrigued by the bikes, but had never been able to afford one.

'It's something that you don't really get unless you have a lot of extra money lying around, so getting a Ducati alone is awesome, and getting it at such a good price is even better.”

The Howell brothers moved to the US in 2016, citing greater market potential as the reason behind the move.

Peter says mobile phones have created a huge challenge for live sporting events because fans are constantly distracted and not engaging with the game and sponsor advertising as they used to.

And while screen technology has advanced since large video boards were introduced in 1985, the content has remained within a broadcast frame.

'Dropit is the first interactive use of the big screen, and will bring a new drawcard to the sights, sounds, and excitement of America's favorite sports by creating memorable game day experiences.

'We have combined the pace of a video game with the live action of a big stadium screen, the intimacy of the smartphone screen, and people's love of shopping for a bargain.”


Phoenix's Peoria Sports Complex's 195m2 Daktronics video display board showing the Dropit auction in progress.

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