WHITEFISH – Serial entrepreneur and Whitefish resident Huntley Ritter was in an unlikely setting when he divined the concept for his latest tech venture.
In the waiting room of a doctor’s office, Ritter, a former Hollywood actor, was staring at a “Where’s Waldo” children’s book, mesmerized by the cluttered illustration’s red-herring style of trickery and the character’s elusive talents.
As he scanned the pages in search of Waldo and his signature stripes, something else caught Ritter’s attention – brand emblems and company logos were embedded throughout the scene.
“I thought, that’s so smart from an advertising perspective,” Ritter said.
But Ritter still hadn’t found Waldo, so after his physical he returned to the waiting room and pored over the book until he spotted the character. Strangely, he felt rewarded.
“It felt like an accomplishment, like beating a game. And I thought, what if I take the brands and retroactively insert them in the content, and we make finding the brands the game? So I called some brands.”
The brands, it turned out, thought it was a great idea, and companies like Nike and Coca-Cola jumped on board, as did the University of Montana, Glacier Restaurant Group and the Missoula-based Liquid Planet.
And so USeek was born. A technology startup in the field of streaming video and mobile gaming, Ritter launched USeek last month in conjunction with UM and several other local businesses and nonprofits.
The USeek game is a 30- to 60-second video clip featuring between seven and nine objects hidden within the content. Users employ speed and concentration to focus their attention and find and tap these logos or objects. When the user is successful, they earn digital rewards, which are automatically stored in USeek’s digital wallet.
USeek’s mobile app, web player, and Facebook app are free to users, who can redeem their points for rewards at the UM campus or statewide businesses like MacKenzie River Pizza and Universal Athletic.
Most importantly, Ritter says, their purchase triggers a donation by the local business to that business’s favorite charities.
“Our motto is play a game, save money and change the world,” Ritter said. “There really is no down side.”
It was also important for Ritter to base the company in Whitefish, and he quickly assembled a team of business leaders in Flathead Valley’s technology sector, including Mike Kazmier, chief technology officer of the Kalispell-based Vubiquity, one of the fastest-growing tech companies in North America.
“It was really important for us to keep it in Whitefish,” Ritter said. “Montana is something of a sleeper state in the technology business, but there’s all these great minds doing amazing things in this area of Montana.”
Ritter, 38, spent 20 years in the entertainment industry as an actor and producer before relocating to Montana full time.
In 2004, Ritter co-founded Hatch Fest, a nonprofit think tank based in Bozeman and focused on fostering the growth of creative minds in various industries through mentorship, exposure, and networking.
In 2011, Stafford Multimedia signed a service contract with Virgin Produced and Huntley became president of Branded Entertainment for Virgin Produced, where he currently oversees the company’s productions and branded entertainment initiatives. Ritter is also the founder of Matrix Branding, LLC, which owns multiple IP properties in the outdoor sports arena including a TV show on the Sportsman Channel.
Last year, Ritter produced a music video for Kayla Adams, and the Kalispell-based sensation’s video is among the content that USeek users view in search of company logos.
“It’s a great way for content owners no matter who they are to promote their content and brand and in the near future it will become a revenue source for them,” Ritter explained.
USeek has deals with some large partners like Relativity Media and Jukin Media, as well as with independent artist like Adams.
Download the USeek app on mobile devices including IOS, Android and Kindle Fire.
“We all like to play games, we all like to save money, and it’s my belief that most of us really want to help people and do good,” Ritter said. “If we can help you have fun while engaging with those brands and save money with the business, which in turn gives money to the charities, it is a seamless experience.”
For more information, visit useek.com.