SOUTHFIELD – Pixo Group, a full service, cross platform, interactive development studio, caught the attention of reps from the NFL with its new phaware365 mobile app. Why? Because the mobile app captures a cornerstone of today’s culture (the selfie) and couples it with awareness for pulmonary hypertension, a rare, chronic lung disease that can lead to heart failure.

The mobile app, developed and programmed by Pixo, will be featured in a full-page ad in this year’s Big Game 50th Anniversary Commemorative Program Book and was also featured in the 2016 Pro Bowl Program Book. phaware features the mobile app in their Big Game Big 50 Contest taking place between now and Rare Disease Day (February 29th) at www.phaware365.org.

Pixo isn’t new to the selfie world. Remember the Michigan State University Spartan Selfie – seen by over four million people since it launched – that was released last year? Thank Pixo for that. Steve Van Wormer, phaware’s Co-Founder and President, is a Spartan alumnus, which led the new non-profit to Pixo in the first place.

“When Steve reached out to us after seeing the Michigan State Selfie mobile app, we were very excited to support the phaware efforts. We knew we were able to find a solution that would provide a great way to reach their audience and increase awareness about the disease,” said Sean Hurwitz, CEO of Pixo Group.

The mobile app utilizes top technology to reach people around the world using social media. Users show they are #phaware by uploading a selfie, adding awareness stickers and decorations to it, and adding custom PH facts. Pixo’s proprietary technology and flexible platform allows for dynamic customizations that can change based on campaigns happening at that time, without having to update the mobile app. Users can then post their images across social media, or share them directly with phaware to include them on the phaware365 Selfie Stream.

“Our phaware365 mobile app lets us connect with patients, caregivers and medical professionals from Burbank to Barcelona… from Buenos Aires to Beijing! We are grateful to Pixo not only for their tech expertise, but for allowing us to participate in their shared vision of marrying the social and mobile experience to engage for a cure in a whole new way,” said phaware Co-Founder and President, Steve Van Wormer. “From our first call to Pixo, the entire team embraced phaware’s mission to create global pulmonary hypertension awareness through social media engagement and innovation, to forge a new course to a cure for this life-threatening lung disease.”

phaware365 was developed and released in November, 2015, 30 days after the two companies met and agreed on a path. Leading up to the Big Game, an update has also recently been released to improve user optimization. All of the mobile app development, including coding and creative, was done out of Pixo’s Detroit offices.

Pixo maintains a dashboard that allows phaware to aggregate content (both user generated and input from the backend), identify influencers based on social activity and reach, add new campaigns, release dynamic creative without forcing users to update, engage in influential marketing, engage in cross-platform and cross-network execution, and personalize features. All parts of the dashboard are available via a personalized cloud-based, web portal. A powerful analytics engine captures user interaction, allowing phaware to measure key metrics and then use PUSH technology to communicate with users of the mobile app.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen branded mobile apps come and go, but most of the goals remain the same. Specifically, engaging an audience and achieving a quantifiable return on the investment via mobile engagement. In too many cases, brands are just checking the box to have a presence. Pixo has developed a scalable, flexible platform named Faksion, of which Selfie is a component. Faksion is the most efficient and affordable way for brands to reach their target audience,” Hurwitz said.

To find out more, click on www.pixogroup.com