Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Captain Morgan Mobile Contest
Rum brand Captain Morgan has added a mobile component to its existing Pose Off campaign.
“The simple objective of allowing mobile entry is to increase the number of total entries to the Captain Morgan Pose Off contest, thereby increasing the level of brand interactions at point of purchase by adults of legal drinking age,” said Alex Hall, chief operating officer at TigerSpike, New York.
“Mobile entry helps achieve a higher promotional response rate by allowing people to engage as soon as they read the call to action, while the motivation is still in their mind,” Mr. Hall said. “Assuming the communication message is relevant, mobile entry then allows consumer to act at the right time for them, from any location.
“In the case of a spirits promotion, it means that a call to action in bars, in retail outlets or in traditional media can be acted upon at times when online activity is not generally possible,” he said. “The main reason for using both MMS and email in this campaign was purely to extend reach and convenience for consumers. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/ArC5b
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Tylenol PM "Sleep Tracker" iPhone application
The Tylenol PM Sleep Tracker iPhone application lets users track their sleep hours and moods, see their sleep history over time, add notes and customize their icons and get tips to help them sleep better. Tylenol is promoting the application as part of its "Get Ready for Bed" campaign.
A click-to-download banner ad campaign that ran across iPhone sites and applications drove close to 3,000 downloads and increased Tylenol's ranking in the App Store from No. 120 to 14, which in turn drove additional organic viral spread of the application. "With tens of thousands of apps in the App Store, promotion is crucial to getting your app highly ranked, which is critical for discovery," said Tony Nethercutt, vice president of sales at AdMob. "Consumer discovery is difficult with 50,000 apps, so being ranked in the top 25 most popular apps in your category is critical to getting more downloads.
Tylenol PM Sleep Tracker ads across AdMob's network issued a call-to-action urging consumers to click through to the App Store to immediately download the application. While specific click-through rates weren't revealed, AdMob claims its clients see conversion rates between 5 to 20 percent, with the average being closer to 10 percent. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/MLFRs
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
What's Nearby app
The Metromix’s free social-planning application lets consumers locate restaurants, bars and clubs, events and music, as well as movie theaters and showtimes within walking distance or a short drive away from their current location. Already downloaded more than 100,000 times, What's Nearby also gives Metromix's 4 million monthly users, who are located across 37 United States markets, the ability to post reviews and photos to Metromix.com using their iPhone and share those submissions on Facebook using Facebook Connect.
Metromix’s national network of local entertainment Web sites target 21-to-34-year-olds and provide information on where to go and what to do.This group of adults is obviously very tied into social media trends and are most likely the ones interested in downloading our What’s Nearby iPhone application, since it allows them to share information across a variety of communication channels including our Web site and Facebook,” Mr. Smyth said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/2E9mih
More information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Domino’s Pizza - Mobile commerce growing at astounding rate
While the pizza franchise continues to invest heavily in traditional media, it has seen significant growth from its mobile initiatives and plans to increase its investment in the mobile channel going forward. In addition to promoting its mobile site on Dominos.com and via email blasts, the company partners with mobile ad networks and with publishers directly to run banner ads across most of the top 10 mobile Web sites in the United States, including Pandora, ESPN and CNN.
“Mobile is a rapidly growing segment of our business, one that we expect to grow for years to come,” said Rob Weisberg, vice president of multimedia marketing at Domino’s Pizza, Ann Arbor, MI. “A major growth agent for our company over the last few years has been online ordering in the digital space. “A lot of what we get to see that’s occurring in our Asian markets and places like Iceland—mass consumer adoption of mobile commerce—it’s a crystal ball for what’s to come in the U.S. market.”
Mobile coupons have been increasingly relevant for consumers—and thus an increasingly effective tool for brands—during the current recession. Domino’s mobile coupons are tailored to consumers’ ordering history and are often time-sensitive. “We send out coupons via SMS that are relevant to you as an individual, an offer that’s strong and takes you to the site and all you have to do is hit confirm,” Mr. Weisberg said. “As far as our system-wide average, 85 percent of our business is delivery, and because of that, we know who you are, your name, address, phone number and what you’ve ordered in the past..
“By opting-in to receive these communications, you’re ensuring that you’ll receive the strongest deals Domino’s has to offer, mobile coupons that link directly back to our mobile ordering site,” he said. “In terms of ease and convenience of the transaction, mobile commerce can’t be beat.”
Domino’s believes that the importance of the mobile channel for its bottom line will only continue to grow.
“What gets us excited about the mobile space? You walk out of your home with your wallet, your keys and a third-screen—the three screens are TVs, computers and smartphones with a data plan,” Mr. Weisberg said.
“People are taking that third screen wherever they go, and mobile phones are one of the few things that aren’t shared, so we know exactly who we’re talking to via that mobile device,” he said. The hectic pace of modern life also makes mobile an indispensible channel for businesses. “Consumers are time starved, and as far as making meal decisions, 72 percent of consumers don’t know what they’re going to have for dinner at 4:30 p.m.,” Mr. Weisberg said. “Most people don’t plan that far ahead because of the time-starved nature of the world today, so our goal is to connect with consumers around that time of day, which is a major objective for quick-service restaurant companies like us. “The mobile screen is an opportunity to engage with them in a way that is relevant to them via SMS offers, mobile coupons,” he said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/16Otap
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Friday, September 4, 2009
Hot Sauce SMS campaign sees 58 percent double opt-in
Baumer Foods' Crystal Hot Sauce ran a mobile campaign to build an opt-in mobile database of New Orleans Saints fans for highly-targeted future marketing efforts - Crystal Hot Sauce used mobile as a means of creating an exciting brand image and building awareness among the 23-54 year old male sports-fan demographic
To accomplish this, Crystal Hot Sauce ran promotional spots as well as in-game telecast mentions on Cox Media’s CST network, during Saints’ games, prompting viewers to text to win a signed jersey and Crystal Hot Sauce gift pack. ”Crystal Hot Sauce and Baumer Foods are happy to be using mobile text advertising and the results speak for themselves,” said Tina Stubbs, marketing director at Crystal Hot Sauce, Metairie, LA. “We had an overwhelming response to our text sweepstakes and look forward to engaging with our customers, new and old, via this new marketing outlet.”
The results were astounding. On one Saturday alone, the campaign received in excess of 4,700 responses, and more than 54 percent of respondents double opted-in for future offers. To date this campaign has received more than 8,200 responses and achieved a double-opt-in rate of more than 58 percent.
For more information contact Andrew at andrew@zipstripe.com
To accomplish this, Crystal Hot Sauce ran promotional spots as well as in-game telecast mentions on Cox Media’s CST network, during Saints’ games, prompting viewers to text to win a signed jersey and Crystal Hot Sauce gift pack. ”Crystal Hot Sauce and Baumer Foods are happy to be using mobile text advertising and the results speak for themselves,” said Tina Stubbs, marketing director at Crystal Hot Sauce, Metairie, LA. “We had an overwhelming response to our text sweepstakes and look forward to engaging with our customers, new and old, via this new marketing outlet.”
The results were astounding. On one Saturday alone, the campaign received in excess of 4,700 responses, and more than 54 percent of respondents double opted-in for future offers. To date this campaign has received more than 8,200 responses and achieved a double-opt-in rate of more than 58 percent.
For more information contact Andrew at andrew@zipstripe.com
Chipotle Mexican Grill enters Mobile Commerce
The quick-service-restaurant brand’s first foray into mobile, Chipotle’s iPhone application leverages the device’s GPS functionality to find the location closest to the user and enables mobile ordering. A key feature of the application lets customers pay for their food directly from their mobile device.
“We wanted to create a user experience that is similar to what we offer in our restaurants, but using the iPhone platform,” said Chris Arnold, spokesman for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Denver. “It allows time-starved customers another way to access Chipotle in a way that’s relevant to them.
“Our core customers skew young, educated and more affluent than a typical fast-food customer,” he said. “It’s probably a close match to iPhone users. “Having the app lets us deepen relationships with these customers by giving them a way to interact with us that is meaningful to them.”
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
CoverGirl targets women with mobile ads for LashBlast mascara
"It is a no brainer that young women live and breathe on their mobile phone," said Steven Rosenblatt, vice president of ad sales for Quattro Wireless, Waltham, MA. "Cover Girl has been an industry leading brand in mobile for years now and their agency BrandInHand absolutely understands how to develop successful mobile campaigns. "This is a great opportunity to connect with women and to also create a one-on-one dialogue with them through the text club," he said.
Consumers that click on the banners are routed to a landing page, which is available in both English and Spanish. The landing page is a micro site created especially for LashBlast products. The landing page gives users more information on the new LashBlast mascara and also links to CoverGirl’s Color Match line of products. Site visitors can browse CoverGirl products, watch videos or get tips from the experts.
Consumers can get tips from pros on how to apply shadows, liners and mascaras, as well as tips on how to get the perfect brows.
"Mobile is the ultimate one-to-one marketing vehicle," Mr. Rosenblatt said. "If a consumer opts-in and says that they want to receive information from your brand on their mobile device, these are definitely your most loyal and engaged customers. "Marketers have to be thinking about using mobile advertising to help build their consumer database because more and more consumers are using their mobile as their primary text communication device, whether via email or SMS," he said.
Site visitors can click to join the CoverGirl Text Club, which lets consumers opt-in for marketing messages from CoverGirl. Participants get deals, tips and freebies via two or three messages per month. Consumers that sign up for the CoverGirl Text Club get coupons sent to their phone as well. For example, one of the text-message promotions is a coupon that lets participants save $1 on any CoverGirl product and another gives any CoverGirl face product free to consumers that buy a foundation. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/KR37x
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Price Cutter woos shoppers with mobile coupons
“The strategy is to use the power of mobile to offer shoppers a new level of customer service that will make shopping at Price Cutter more convenient,” said Nathan Pettyjohn, CEO of Aisle411 Inc., St. Louis. "By using mobile to offer a customer service tool, Aisle411 and Price Cutter hope to gain the trust of consumers and thereby offer relevant promotional offers in the form of audio messages and mobile coupons.” Shoppers who call, state their location and the store, ask for the item and then receive the location of the product via an audio message and by text within seconds.
“It is our expectation that the mobile coupons offered through Aisle411 are at the peak of the purchasing cycle within the store, and we expect to see high redemption rates based on the timing of the SMS coupon delivery – within minutes or even seconds of a purchase,” Mr. Pettyjohn said. “With SMS, we’re also looking at bridging the gap between the more sophisticated phones that play video, by offering Web links that can display product demonstration videos or reviews for customers while they’re in store. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/EKaPl
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Vogue, Rachel Roy let consumers Shop, Watch, Win
The interactive experience features a shopable fall look book from the new Rachel Rachel Roy collection, episodes of the Rachel Roy documentary produced by Vogue.TV and a sweepstakes to win looks from the new Rachel Rachel Roy collection. “The Rachel Roy brand came to us wanting to look at ways to bring the brand to a place where people can interact with it anywhere any time,” said Stephanie Horton, creative services director at Vogue, New York. “The iPhone is really big right now so we thought it would be cool to do something on it and appeal to that market.”
The interactive look book includes 13 fall looks personally selected by Rachel Roy from her new diffusion line, Rachel Rachel Roy and includes affordable contemporary sportswear, footwear, handbags and jewelry.
The iPhone initiative also features the three-episode documentary called Behind The Lens, produced by Vogue.TV and famed director Douglas Keeve. The documentary gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look into Ms. Roy's daily life, from fittings in her showroom to time with her family and the launch of her new diffusion collection. IPhone users can also sign-up for email updates from Rachel Roy about seasonal trends and new products or visit Rachel's Facebook or Twitter pages.
For more information contact teresa@zipstripe.com
JCPenney Expands Initiative With Mobile
The JCPenney Weekly Deals application lets users browse a select group of store-advertised sale items that are featured in the latest weekend sales circular. Additionally, consumers can create a portable shopping list within the application by saving items as favorites. “The launch of the new JCPenney Weekly Deals application builds on the retailer's Know Before You Go initiative, which allows consumers to have the research on the best prices, style and discounts right in the palm of their hand — making shopping easy and efficient,” said Margot Inzetta, digital publicist at 360i, New York.
The strategy was based on the fact that shoppers increasingly do research online prior to visiting a store.
The JCPenney site added innovative features such as enhanced search capabilities and product information, merchandise availability at local stores, and the ability to view weekly sales circulars online, making shopping at JCPenney easier. Now with the launch of this new iPhone application, customers can check for the latest special offers and find the nearest store to either their current location or to a ZIP code/city name right from the palm of their hand. Weekly content updates to the application will be automatic and require no action by customers.
Additionally, earlier this summer JCPenney launched its Schooled in Style: Smart Looks for Less, multichannel campaign for the 2009 back-to-school season.The campaign combined mobile, digital, social and traditional media such as events. The mobile aspects let teens sign-up to receive text messages on their mobile phones about back-to-school sales and special offers at JCPenney.
“Furthermore, with more than 13 million iPhone users in the U.S. — along with 12 million iPod Touch users who can also download apps – the launch of an iPhone app allows us to share our style, quality and affordable prices each week with a rapidly growing base of consumers,” he said.
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Tiffany Targets Ladies Via Smartphones
Tiffany wanted to create buzz and excitement around its new collection, drive footfall to its new concept store in California and generate product sales. The jewelry brand also wanted to underline the key differences of the new concept store compared to former incarnations. “The goal was to drive consumers in store,” he said.
As a luxury brand, a clean, seamless and intuitive interface and user experience wTiffany’s key demographic is high-net-worth females ages 28-54, with a strong interest in fashion, shopping and luxury products.ere key. “Our insight combined with their consumer research found that many of their target consumers are iPhone or BlackBerry users,” Mr. Carney said. “We identified the iPhone in particular as not only a great way to deliver brand innovation and get that story out, but provide content and functionality that is relevant to that audience, letting them experience the Tiffany shopping experience via their smartphone,” he said.
The mobile site let visitors find out about the new store, get directions via Google Maps and click-to-call the store. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/13I4kV
For More Information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Audible adds Mobile Calls2Action to Traditional Ads
Traditional ads include a mobile call to action, asking consumers to text AUDIBLE to short code 35620 to get Thomas Friedman’s No. 1 bestseller free. The mobile calls to action are present on New York City subway trains, within New York Times and Wall Street Journal print ads, and online via banner ads.
“We are trying to offer customers a chance to have an instant interaction with our ad,” said Will Lopes, vice president of business development at Audible.com, Newark, NJ. “Offering the ability to text gives consumers an opportunity for instant gratification to a free piece of audio with no obligations.” Audible is a provider of audiobooks read by authors and celebrities in addition to magazines, radio shows, podcasts, stand-up comedy, and speeches. Users who use Audible can download to their computer or sync to a mobile device. Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon.com.
“The broader strategic goal is to target commuters and communicate the utility of using Audible while commuting, as well as engaging them with an offer to which they can respond immediately,” Mr. Lopes said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/155z2K
For further information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sears, Loehmann's, Rubio's using Mobile Coupons to Drive Consumers In-store
Big brands such as Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, Sears, California Pizza Kitchen and Loehmann's are leveraging location-based mobile-coupon network Yowza. Consumers simply show the digital mobile coupon on their iPhone or iPod touch at the time of payment to redeem the discount on their purchase. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3GTKhZ
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Petcentric Mobile App for Pet Lovers
Purina’s new iPhone application is using the phone’s location-based capabilities to help pet lovers and their four-legged friends.Nestlé Purina Petcare’s “petcentric places” is a free download for both iPhone and iPod touch users. Consumers also can share photos of their pets in a photo gallery and are encouraged to add and rate pet-friendly places and services available on the application.
“Our strategy for petcentric places is to provide on-the-go pet owners with a one-stop source of helpful information that can enrich the lives of their pets — from local veterinarians to dog parks to pet products and pet-friendly travel accommodations,” said Laura Lee, digital brand manager at Nestlé Purina PetCare, St. Louis. The Purina application provides a way to find pet-friendly locations and activities in the United States, such as lodging, dog parks, dog beaches, campgrounds, amusement parks and travel accommodations.
The application also provides search services to find veterinarians, animal shelters, pet sitters, kennels, groomers and dog walkers.
“At Nestlé Purina, we're always looking for new ways to reach our consumers with information that can enrich the lives of their pets and strengthen the bond between pets and their owners,” Ms. Lee said.
“We're making petcentric places available for on-the-go pet lovers who use mobile phones as a source of information about their pets,” Ms. Lee said. “Our research shows that a growing number of pet lovers are using their mobile phones for fun and information, and "petcentric places" is a great way to connect with them.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/OBdSm
For more information contact Andrew damico@zipstripe.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
Globe & Mail newspaper goes Mobile
“By launching multiple apps on different platforms, we're trying to reach new and existing readers wherever they might be, and also learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each platform,” said Matthew Ingram, communities editor at The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada.“We're trying to reach younger readers and users as well as digital influencers – those who are most likely to try new devices,” he said.
The Globe and Mail application is available to download for free from the Apple App Store, the BlackBerry App World and soon, the Palm Pre App Catalogue.
“Mobile platforms are a way to reach readers quickly and easily when a news event occurs, since most people have their mobile device with them wherever they are,” Mr. Ingram said.
“One of the big potential benefits of mobile news is the ability to allow readers to provide valuable feedback and content through comments, reader-submitted photos and videos and etcetera – something we hope to incorporate in all of the apps soon,” he said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/ic7Cw
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Network TV using Mobile for Roundtrips
Television networks are increasingly turning to the mobile channel to drive audiences back to the TV screen for the debut of the fall season entertainment line-up.Networks are launching official iPhone applications as well as mobile sites. Additionally, text alerts are being used to remind viewers their favorite shows are returning.
CBS uses mobile video. Recaps, previews and behind-the-scenes videos see the most traction for CBS.
“Your phone is arguably the most personal device you own,” said Paul Scanlan, president of MobiTV," Emeryville, CA. “As better devices and better content continue to drive mobile TV growth, networks and advertisers have an opportunity to reach an ever-increasing audience in new and more personal ways." Features like interactivity and immediate calls-to-action unique to mobile TV offer the consumer an enriched viewing experience.
“[The experience is] something networks can capitalize on, especially for big events like season premieres," he said. "In fact, earlier this year, Showtime debuted the season premieres for three of their most popular programs on MobiTV in advance of the television airing.” Users can sign up on CBS.com to receive alerts about CBS programming from How I Met Your Mother to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In addition, SMS alert sign-ups exist on each of the show homepages on CBS.com. The network’s reality hit, Big Brother, uses mobile weekly. Viewers vote every week and have an impact on the show’s outcome. mobile marketing is going to become more personal and interactive in the future. He cited new applications and said they are a new generation and provide more interactivity.
“[Mobile is] a great medium,” he said. “Large percentages [of people] carry mobile devices with them. With mobile we can do things in real time and push alerts are very powerful. You may not even be thinking about CSI and then we can send an alert with something relevant to the show. “Devices are always connected and more interactivity means they’re always engaging.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/z1Zvy
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Jaguar Sinks Teeth into MobileAds
Jaguar is promoting its XF car model with mobile banner ads within ESPN’s Fantasy Football 2009 Draft Kit iPhone application.Banner ads are running at the bottom of the iPhone application's screen. The ESPN application is the latest component of the sports network's overall multichannel portfolio and the company’s mobile strategy will only grow in importance going forward.Consumers that click on the Jaquar XF banner ads are routed to a landing page where they are asked to enter their email address to receive a free brochure about the XF. Upon entering their email address, consumers are opting-in for future marketing communications from Jaguar.
Since 72 percent of iPhone users are male, Jaguar realized the potential of reaching out to consumers via the device. Additionally, ESPN’s application users are likely to skew male as well. There is a world of opportunity in mobile for luxury brands like Jaguar, as the automaker is focused on appealing to consumers on an individual level.
Jaguar has invested heavily to create and maintain its brand and mobile is about accessibility and personal attachment. The carmaker realized that luxury brands need to use mobile to reach their target consumer. It is a natural fit. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/NSlKP
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Churches use SMS to engage congregations nationwide
Christian churches nationwide are using text messaging to engage and communicate with their congregations. "Direct and to the point, the church's influence can extend beyond Sunday morning.
“Different churches do different things—they may ask questions about various topics with SMS surveys or polls, or run a scripture challenge using alert groups,” she said. “A high school ministry can send a scripture verse every day to give them something to think about and encourage them to pray every day. Questions are moderated and can be displayed on side-screens, a teleprompter or the facilitator’s mobile phone.
For more information contact teresa@zipstripe.com
“Different churches do different things—they may ask questions about various topics with SMS surveys or polls, or run a scripture challenge using alert groups,” she said. “A high school ministry can send a scripture verse every day to give them something to think about and encourage them to pray every day. Questions are moderated and can be displayed on side-screens, a teleprompter or the facilitator’s mobile phone.
“Different ministries are trying different things such as live events on the weekends, where the audience members can text in questions while the pastor is teaching,” Ms. Baldwin said. “It’s changed the way they run their services so Q&A is incorporated, and the pastor can address those to the entire congregation,” she said.
“It’s great for people giving them a safe place to ask questions that they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing otherwise.”
The concept of writing prayer requests on a card at church and putting it into a box has evolved into texting in prayer requests at any time of day or night. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/Nsk6zFor more information contact teresa@zipstripe.com
ESPN - Mobile is their media "Glue"
ESPN digital media executives stressed that mobile is a key component of the sports network's overall multichannel portfolio of products and services and will only grow in importance going forward.Given that ESPN operates in every channel one can think of -- television, print, online, radio and mobile -- the executives praised SMS in particular for connecting all of the various media and making them interactive. ESPN claims that it has the most-trafficked sports mobile Web site, the most-downloaded sports application for iPhone and the No. 1 sports SMS alerts service, as well as a growing amount of mobile video coverage.
"Mobile is the glue for everything we do," said Oke Okaro, vice president of ESPN Mobile, Bristol, CT. "It's an activation channel, a way to bring people into the fold, let them test the mobile waters and then bring people into more comprehensive platforms such as the mobile Web, applications and live video on the mobile phones... It's important to drive awareness and adoption of our mobile products and services, and integration with our TV programming is a great way to accomplish that," he said. "The X Games had robust mobile messaging campaigns that enabled people attending the events to text information to screens and vote on outcome of events themselves, which saw really good engagement.
"There are two mobile use cases: people looking to complete a specific task such as check a score, and people looking to kill time -- entertainment," he said. "We try to satisfy both." Smartphones drive 70 percent of our mobile Web traffic, with BlackBerry alone representing 40 percent, so it makes sense to bring this all-encompassing experience to BlackBerry devices," Mr. Okaro said. "It features contextual integration of sports data with video and alerts that bring you into the app so you can then consume the latest content.
"We want to use all different channels -- TV, print, online and radio -- and mobile is the glue that sticks everything together and drives engagement," he said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/E9fudFor more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Actionable Alerts - cover your nsf?
“The various mobile products and services the Bank of Stockton offers Mobile Web, Mobile Text, Mobile Alerts, and in the fall, Actionable Alerts, which enable Bank of Stockton to have a hand-shake with its customers via their handsets
“We send an alert, for example, about insufficient funds, and give the customer the opportunity to respond to the bank with a 'yes' if they want us to transfer funds for them to cover the NSF,”.... “Actionable alerts provide even more value to the customer, since they not only deliver information that the customer wants to know, but allow action to be taken by the bank on their behalf.”
“One reason the Bank of Stockton has been so successful is that they’ve always looked at how to provide better service and improve their communications with customers, engaging customers early on via online banking,” said Joe Salesky, founder, chairman and chief strategy officer of ClairMail, Novato, CA. “They were also one of the earliest banks to embrace mobile.
“It’s an opportunity not just for customers to seek out information via mobile, but for the bank to proactively serve the customers via alerts,” he said. “They put up billboards to promote it, proving they saw mobile as a key channel. “They see the opportunity to deepen and evolve the relationship with their customers over time using mobile.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/Nsk6z
For more information contact andrew@zipstripe.com
Future of SMS Marketing
SMS marketing is where Internet marketing was 10 years ago: still in its infancy, but evolving faster than anyone could imagine.
Everyone is texting. It is basically becoming more common than email and regular phone conversations.
Text is the future of communication. It is the backbone of teen and young adult's social lives and will grow with this new generation "Generation TEXT" into their professional lives. Even in daily business, text is how many meetings get scheduled.
Since people probably spend more time texting than watching TV, ads will naturally have to gravitate towards the viewers. We are starting to see that evolution now. More TV commercials are including a text component with text-to-win, viewer feedback and etcetera.
An effective mobile marketing campaign provides critical market research on a mass scale, which is much more effective than the use of focus groups. In addition to market research, mobile is a great way to drive sales while building a one-to-one relationship with the consumer.
Mobile introduces an entirely new relationship with the consumer. In the past it was one message to the masses. Today, using mobile, brands send the message of "How can I build a closer personal relationship with you, Mr. Consumer, and deliver exactly what you desire." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/11Mk1P
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Levi's & JCPenney going mobile "Tuition" campaign
Levi Strauss & Co. and J. C. Penney Company Inc. have added mobile components to their national “Tuition” campaign to drive consumer participation.Levi's and JCPenney teamed up with the Today Show iPhone application. Ads within the application encourage consumers to click to enter to win one of two $50,000 college scholarships.
“Levi’s and JCPenney’s national promotion is giving away $50,000 in college tuition, and if you look at the cost of education today, this is offer has tremendous appeal,” said Cindy Spodek Dickey, vice president of marketing at Zumobi, Seattle. The campaign combines mobile, digital, social and traditional media such as events. The mobile aspect lets teens sign up to receive text messages on their mobile phones about back-to-school sales and special offers at JCPenney. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3fGkc
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Theme Park & Chrysler multichannel campaign includes Mobile
Six Flags Theme Parks and Chrysler have teamed up to offer consumers the chance to win a Jeep Wrangler.Users can enter Six Flags' 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sweepstakes via mobile, the Six Flags Web site, mail or at the theme park itself. The Wrangler is worth over $33,000. Television spots running on Cox Media’s cable network ask consumers to text the keywords WILD or WET to short code 269411 to receive a discount on admission.
Chrysler and Six Flags used the mobile platform in the promotion last year and it’s a key part of Six Flags’ marketing strategy. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/2C6sM8 For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Why Mobileweb Use is on the Increase
In the past, before the mobile Web actually worked, people took a break from their [mobile] phones on vacation. These days, the phones are actually kind of fun.
The calls might get sent straight to voice mail, but the browser stays on. And for those workaholics, well, laptops are very uncool on the beach, so the mobile browser saves the day. Appetite for information doesn't go down during vacation for most people, but the nature of their information cravings change in obvious ways. The mobile browser is the most readily available way to get their fix. At home, the mobile was possibly the second choice, but on vacation it is often the only choice.
As people search for things to do and places to go in the summer, like concerts, parties, night clubs and the like, their mobile devices become increasingly important.
Mobile Web browsing provides singular utility, in that once you've found what you're looking for, you can get directions or place a call directly to the location, right from your mobile device.
Brands and marketers can leverage the inherent utility of mobile searches, by delivering mobile Web sites (optimized for mobile screens) and adding offers to their mobile landing pages, which can be redeemed by the end-users performing these searches.
For example, if you're looking for a place to watch the upcoming Mayweather vs. Marquez fight, you'd probably respond favorably to a 2-for-1 drink special offer from a bar broadcasting the fight that night. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/GbMRC
Please contact andrew@zipstripe.com for more information
Pier 1 Imports launches 1st Mobile Effort
Pier 1 Imports is partnering with Barnes & Noble for an SMS sweepstakes as part of its efforts to reach a younger demographic.The retail giant has deployed in-store mobile calls-to-action — signage next to the prize, a Papasan chair — in 100 Barnes & Noble bookstores near college campuses. Consumers who text in receive a text message confirming their registration in the sweepstakes and asking them to opt-in to receive promotional emails from Pier 1 Imports.
“This was our first time utilizing SMS as a channel, and we’re excited to be out there testing it,” said Jeff Haddox, direct marketing analyst at Pier 1 Imports, Ft. Worth, TX. “SMS made perfect sense for our partnership with Barnes & Noble. “The response rate would’ve been much lower without the direct call-to-action that SMS provides,” he said. “The Papasan chair is a tried-and-true Pier 1 product—it’s the ultimate reading chair—so it was the perfect incentive for the text-to-win campaign, and it fit well because it was sitting in a college bookstore.
“We’re reaching a younger demographic than we at Pier 1 haven’t have, and Barnes & Noble is a great partner that is well-versed in reaching that younger demographic .... We have to speak to a younger demographic in a different way,” he said. “We’re trying to engage them and getting them to come in-store, and there are various ways, including the SMS sweepstakes.” “For several years we’ve been trying to focus on a younger demographic, because Pier 1 customers get older and older every year and they aren’t making as many home purchases as college students and recent college grads,” he said. “Barnes & Noble reaches 6 million students, and we’re taken a fully integrated, layered approach.”
SMS is basically a data-capture vehicle, in that Pier 1 is not opting them into to an SMS program, but rather asking them for their email address. “The goal for the SMS initiative is integration with the email campaign, basically creating a trickle campaign on the back-end,” Mr. Haddox said. “Rather than lumping these college students in with our main marketing campaign, we’re segmenting them and treating them differently.
“College-age students are a tough group to communicate with, because they’re always on the go, and they’re not necessarily seeing our typical marketing vehicles such as direct mail and newspaper inserts,” he said. “We do run online banners and search ads, but we felt that a mobile component great way to reach them — better than traditional marketing vehicles.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/2C6sM8For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Tennis tournament uses SMS & email to Connect with Fans
“We’re trying to interact with fans on a more intimate level and gauge their interest in participation via SMS during the event,” said Brandon Moore, social media manager for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
At the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, tournament officials ran an SMS campaign to drive newsletter signups via text messaging. The call-to-action asks fans to text keywords TENNISINDY SUBSCRIBE NEWS {EMAIL ADDRESS} to short code 88769 to join its biweekly eNewsletter subscriber list. The Indianapolis Tennis Championships has also sought out additional subscribers online and through radio advertisements with an SMS call-to-action. The tournament lets fans opt-in to receive voice-messaging updates and offers from the tournament and athletes.
At the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, tournament officials ran an SMS campaign to drive newsletter signups via text messaging. The call-to-action asks fans to text keywords TENNISINDY SUBSCRIBE NEWS {EMAIL ADDRESS} to short code 88769 to join its biweekly eNewsletter subscriber list. The Indianapolis Tennis Championships has also sought out additional subscribers online and through radio advertisements with an SMS call-to-action. The tournament lets fans opt-in to receive voice-messaging updates and offers from the tournament and athletes.
The most recent technology addition to the tournament is the interactive text-message quizzes featured on the tournament’s Jumbotrons. The large screens featured trivia questions that let fans to reply with an answer via SMS for a chance to win prizes and discounts.
ExactTarget ran an SMS ticket promotion whereby fans could text in a keyword to receive a promotional code to be used at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships’ box office for buy-one-get-one free tickets. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/1EJo4S
For more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Opportunities for Local Merchants in the Mobile Space
The opportunities for local merchants in the mobile search space are huge. “Location-aware devices are changing the order of ‘instant gratification,’” Mr. Dunlap said. “It used to be that buying online was the fastest since you would get it in 24 hours. Now with a location-aware mobile device, you can purchase it near you and have it in your hands within the hour.”
“A store’s physical location is its greatest asset in a location-based world, .... Why buy from Amazon when you can have it in one hour down the street? As long as local merchants are sharing what brands and products they have (so searchers can find them), they will become the ‘instant gratification’ choice. In most cases, they can charge a premium for this since there is no hassle, no shipping, and you can have it now"
“We’ve seen the most success for local merchants by teaming up with magazines,” he said. “For example, we have an iPhone app for Runner’s World that allows you to read reviews and see images of over 100 shoes. If you want to try on a pair, you just tap “find near me” and it finds the closest specialty running store that has your size (these are typically small businesses).
“Runner’s World is great at producing content that inspires people to purchase, but it’s the local merchant who benefits. Note that there is no need for the local merchant to do anything. This is where I suspect you are going to see the biggest benefit for local merchants – media and brands adopting the technology to drive local purchasing.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/HURmcFor more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
2,000 Opt-Ins to Pizza Hut Mobile Campaign
Quick-service restaurant Pizza Hut used mobile to generate buzz about its new Hershey’s Dunkers offering and built a mobile database of consumers to remarket to.Calls to action ran on Cox Media's cable network asking viewers to text the keyword HUT to short code 269411. Consumers who texted in were entered for a chance to win a Pizza Hut pizza, once a month, for a year straight.
“Mobile was a great tool for this client because it offered a great way for the client to connect with their target demographic ... The combination of mobile and the sweepstakes offer of free pizza for a year proved to be an unbeatable combination,” she said. “The results were outstanding, and more than enabled the client to build a vast mobile database which they could use for future marketing.”
Ms. Simmonds said that in just two weeks the campaign has received more than 2,000 opt-ins and 54 percent moved on to double-opt-in.
Pizza Hut has been making a lot of headlines in the mobile space lately. Last month the company created a unique mobile ordering experience for its customers via an application that breaks traditional application boundaries. The fast-food chain launched an iPhone application that lets users order menu items from their phone. The application also serves as a source of entertainment for hungry customers waiting for their food delivery. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3wUrkx
For information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
NY Mets launches SMS MLB campaign
The New York Mets have launched an in-stadium mobile campaign, sponsored by Xerox, Wise, Caesar’s and Verizon Wireless, for the 2009 Major League Baseball season and beyond.The campaigns include a variety of sponsor-driven promotions as a means to engage fans and make the Citi Field experience even more fun and enjoyable. Mobile promotions run at all home games with SMS calls-to-action on the video board offering an opportunity for the fans to interact with the team and its sponsors.
“The Mets had a deal with Xerox, which wanted to be able to do a bunch of interactive mobile concepts to engage fans during the game, and Verizon, Xerox and the Mets agreed to do a cobranded graphic on the video screen,” said Michael Falato, vice president of sales and business development at Txtstation, Austin, TX.
Snack-food giant Wise sponsors the “Eighth-Inning Sing-Along,” with a call-to-action urging fans to vote using their handsets, texting their preferred keyword to a short code to weigh in to decide what song should be played during the 8th-inning break.
Luxury hotel and casino Caesar's Palace sponsors the Mets’ “Fan Forum,” letting fans send in user-generated content via text messages, giving fans the chance to express their take on a pre-determined subject.
“Txt-of-War” is another mobile featurewith an SMS voting format that pits opposing sides against each other. For example, fans have to choose between various keywords in a poll that compares interaction rates—the left side of stadium versus the right side or which state (NY, NJ or CT) has the best fans.For each of the above promotions, voting results and content are displayed in real time on the video board in high definition, thus providing an interactive atmosphere for fans and brands.
“Participation has been great, and these guys at the Mets know how to activate a campaign, they know how to engage fans,” Mr. Falato said. “They’re getting fans excited the about mobile polls and other text-messaging initiatives we’re doing with them. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/IzGgrFor more information contact Andrew at damico@zipstripe.com
91% Moms Don't Leave the House without their Mobilephone
A report from BabyCenter showed that 91 percent of mothers surveyed say they never leave the house without their mobile phone, meaning the majority of this demographic are dependent on mobile technology to manage their lives. BabyCenter is Johnson & Johnson's, an online resource for parenting supplies and information, which has launched a new iPhone application called "PhonyPhone" to help moms on the go. BabyCenter is an online resource for parents, fostering 78 percent annual reach of online new and expecting mothers and more than 16 million visitors on a monthly basis.
Fifty-five percent of moms today let their children play with their mobile phone regardless of handset model or price, according to “BabyCenter’s 21st Century Mom Report.” With this in mind, BabyCenter came out with the PhonyPhone application, which provides for an educational experience for the child and a mother’s uninhibited ability to let children play on.
“Moms today are using their mobile devices for more than just making phone calls,” said Linda Murray, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter, San Francisco, CA. “The PhonyPhone marries the digital device that moms can’t live without with a child’s never-ending curiosity and delight around handheld gadgets.”
BabyCenter’s first mobile initiative consisted of getting helpful pregnancy tips to one's mobile phone, a program called Booty Caller. Also, BabyCenter created a mobile Web site, which is accessible from any from Web-enabled mobile device. Subscribers receive weekly texts chock full of pregnancy advice. Once the baby arrives, the Parenting Tips service sends new parents helpful parenting tips twice a week till three months.
“As consumers spend more time on the phone, there is great potential to engage them further and create opportunities for advertisers,” Ms. Murray said. “In the developing world there are billions of consumers who own mobile phones but are without Internet connection. “We see mobile as a way to greatly extend our reach to a new audience,” she said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/cGEgh
For more information contact teresa@zipstripe.com
Fifty-five percent of moms today let their children play with their mobile phone regardless of handset model or price, according to “BabyCenter’s 21st Century Mom Report.” With this in mind, BabyCenter came out with the PhonyPhone application, which provides for an educational experience for the child and a mother’s uninhibited ability to let children play on.
“Moms today are using their mobile devices for more than just making phone calls,” said Linda Murray, editor-in-chief of BabyCenter, San Francisco, CA. “The PhonyPhone marries the digital device that moms can’t live without with a child’s never-ending curiosity and delight around handheld gadgets.”
BabyCenter’s first mobile initiative consisted of getting helpful pregnancy tips to one's mobile phone, a program called Booty Caller. Also, BabyCenter created a mobile Web site, which is accessible from any from Web-enabled mobile device. Subscribers receive weekly texts chock full of pregnancy advice. Once the baby arrives, the Parenting Tips service sends new parents helpful parenting tips twice a week till three months.
“As consumers spend more time on the phone, there is great potential to engage them further and create opportunities for advertisers,” Ms. Murray said. “In the developing world there are billions of consumers who own mobile phones but are without Internet connection. “We see mobile as a way to greatly extend our reach to a new audience,” she said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/cGEgh
For more information contact teresa@zipstripe.com
"Be Humane" campaign launched on iPhone mobile app
The American Humane Association is turning to the iPhone to extend its brand and “Be Humane!” campaign.American Humane hopes to reach a younger audience with the development of this iPhone application. This is just one of the company's marketing techniques. “The strategy is to get younger audiences excited about American Humane’s mission to create a more human and compassionate world by ending abuse and neglect of children and animals,” said Michael E. Blimes, vice president of development for the American Humane Association. “We hope this exciting iPhone app will enlist and encourage younger potential constituents to spread the word about American Humane’s important work,” Mr. Blimes said.
Once on the application, the user can do a variety of things on the American Humane channel. Users can watch a short video about American Humane, view images of some of the animals and children the organization has helped, send an email to a friend to learn more about the nonprofit, donate to the cause, click-to-call and visit the Web site. Users can also read movie reviews detailing how the animal action was achieved and read the CEO’s blog entries.
“This app will help us with regard to branding,” Mr. Blimes said. “People who don’t clearly understand what American Humane does will now be able to easily get a clear picture of our mission, our work, and the distinctions between American Humane and other, seemingly similar humane organizations.”
“We want to target a new and younger audience with this iPhone app,” Mr. Blimes said. “We hope that this new generation will spread the word through viral marketing, explore our website, potentially donate and ultimately help us to create a more humane and compassionate world.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/14cXee
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Using Mobile for Public Transit Ticketing
The U.K. aims to have a plan by the end of this year that lets people use their mobile phones or smart cards to pay for travel across England's public transport system.
The government calculates such a system could save £2.6 billion (US$4.3 billion) per year in cash, convenience and the reduced use of motor vehicles. The smart cards and mobile phones would use near-field communication (NFC) technology, with embedded microchips storing transport credit.
The system would be centered around a technical platform called ITSO, which was created by a nonprofit organization. ITSO is a set of technical standards for integrated smart ticketing, which would allow passengers to use smart cards or their mobile phones for tickets sold by different transport entities. It is an open specification, and any manufacturer can build products that use it.
The system offers many benefits for passengers. Tickets don't have to be purchased in stations, which reduces queues at stations, passengers can board buses and pass through turnstiles faster, and passengers don't have to deal with loose change.
For information contact andrew@zipstripe.com
The government calculates such a system could save £2.6 billion (US$4.3 billion) per year in cash, convenience and the reduced use of motor vehicles. The smart cards and mobile phones would use near-field communication (NFC) technology, with embedded microchips storing transport credit.
The system would be centered around a technical platform called ITSO, which was created by a nonprofit organization. ITSO is a set of technical standards for integrated smart ticketing, which would allow passengers to use smart cards or their mobile phones for tickets sold by different transport entities. It is an open specification, and any manufacturer can build products that use it.
The system offers many benefits for passengers. Tickets don't have to be purchased in stations, which reduces queues at stations, passengers can board buses and pass through turnstiles faster, and passengers don't have to deal with loose change.
For information contact andrew@zipstripe.com
Ronald McDonald Mobile Charity Donations Fundraiser
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana used mobile at Macy's Glamorama event to raise money to build the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world. The annual Glamorama fundraiser took place Aug. 21 in Chicago with musical performances and, fashion designers and celebrity appearances all focusing on the main goal of the event—raising money for charity.To help achieve its fundraising goals goal, RMHC integrated an SMS campaign to let event guests donate to the charitable cause via text messaging. “When people are most inspired they will be able to donate to the worthy charity using the only form of media they have available at that time—their mobile phone.”
“The main strategy behind this campaign is to increase awareness of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and garner donations via a new interactive method to raise money to build the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world," said Jason George, CEO of Telescope Inc., Los Angeles. “Because it is in-venue, mobile offers a direct-response mechanic to engage fans at the event. Once engaged, the participants receive all the information of how to complete their donation online and can opt-in to receive updates and additional information on RMHC-CNI,” he said. "This is a great example of how mobile can be best used alongside other media to drive maximum benefit for the marketing partner.”
During the event, guests were shown a video presentation highlighting the role of Ronald McDonald House in keeping the families of hospitalized children together and the need for the new House. The video concludes with a call-to-action that asks the audience to text their donation amount to the short code 21523. After the audience texted in their pledge amount for the RMHC, they received a reply message confirming the amount and the Ronald McDonald House Charity Web link with instructions on how to complete their donation online. Attendees had the opportunity to opt-in to receive a reminder message from Ronald McDonald House Charities, as well as further information via SMS about upcoming RMHC events. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/3mWBt
For more information contact damico@zipstripe.com
Armani Exchange campaign with 14.5% Interaction Rate
Armani Exchange's first mobile ad campaign to promote its Spring 2009 collection saw an average click-through rate of 1.22 percent and interaction rates as high as 14.5 percent on the mobile site.The banner ads drove more than 48,000 users to the mobile site, more than 36,000 video views and more than 2,600 store locator look-ups. Armani Exchange is "Accessible Armani" that defines a new dress code with a collection that takes its cue from urban lifestyle and music culture. “Armani Exchange’s target audience is high-income households and tech-savvy 18-49 consumers, a target that aligns extremely well with the iPhone demographic,” said Johanna Werther, product marketing manager at AdMob, San Mateo, CA.
The luxury retailer Exchange tested the mobile waters last summer with a text-to-win campaign. The "A/X $1,000 Shopping Spree Sweepstakes'" call-to-action was printed on the retailer's shopping bag. It asked customers to text the keyword AX to short code 276264 (ARMANI) for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree. Consumers who texted in were added to a mobile database and later sent text messages announcing new collection arrivals, exclusive offers, A|X events and mobile downloads. “This was a brand and a mobile experience that consumers found extremely compelling,” Ms. Werther said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/alJtFor information please contact mike@zipstripe.com
Friday, August 21, 2009
Malls Using Mobile to Drive Traffic
Illinois' Promenade Bolingbrook mall is using the Mallfinder Network's mobile marketing service to help the shopping center and its retailers connect with mobile shoppers. The mall will be targeting mobile shoppers with SMS campaigns and a mobile Web site. Twenty shopping centers managed on behalf of Forest City Enterprises will use Mallfinder's mobile services.
“Mobile is not only the most direct and personal vehicle to engage with shoppers, but it’s also a marketer’s closest proximity to influence shoppers with they’re about to make a purchase decision,” said Lawrence Phipps, senior vice president of marketing and product strategy at Mallfinder Network, Denver. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/17wlYg
More information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Why Mobile for Pre-Christmas?
As the holiday season quickly approaches, marketers need to start their campaign planning. This year may be different than any other in terms of the role that mobile will play. Marketers have quickly come to embrace mobile and all that it offers in terms of a one-to-one communication vehicle. There is no doubt that we will start seeing a shift in how major brands and retailers market for the holidays. In addition, most major brands and retailers have decreased their advertising budgets, and managers will be looking for a more cost-effective and trackable solution in order to justify each dollar spent,” she said.
For information contact Andrew damico@zipstripe.com
“In this regard, mobile is the most powerful marketing tool for these brands – it will allow them to place information directly into the hands of consumers, and quickly drive an increase in foot traffic at the point of sale.”
Advertisers have already begun their holiday marketing planning. As with other times of the year and all other campaigns, the key is to know one’s audience. Consumers are increasingly mobile, or on the go, and therefore the best way to reach out to them is on the device that they never leave home without – the mobile phone.
With the economic problems, marketers are looking for ways to save a buck or two, and because mobile is still a fairly new marketing medium the prices are still pretty low. The volume of holiday marketing campaigns makes mobile very attractive to marketers looking to break through the clutter. Marketers that leverage the channel will have a great vehicle to get through to and reach their target audience.
Last year, department store chain JC Pennry launched an integrated marketing campaign and mobile just happened to be one of the components. The campaign highlighted JCPenney's affordable gift assortment and invited customers to celebrate in the joy of giving during the holiday season.
But a new idea Mr. Everett is hearing about is tied into retailers overriding objective to get the customers into their stores first, before they've spent most of their holiday gift budgets. That is why the big chains have Thanksgiving newspaper inserts touting their "DOORBUSTER" promotions saying "doors will open at 5am or 6am" on Black Friday. Sometimes they open as early as midnight on Thursday.
“What we're hearing is that some marketers are considering a second chance promotion where they could now use SMS to inform their database of shoppers that they have a midday price break, say between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and note some of the bargains on offer,” Mr. Everett said.
“The idea is essentially a mid-day, real-time shout-out to their customer database to get them to abandon their current shopping destination and head over to the SMS store's side of the mall,” he said. “So if they can't get them in the morning, they can still try for half a loaf in the afternoon." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/6d2tCFor information contact Andrew damico@zipstripe.com
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Goodyear SMS campaign sees 5.2 percent CTR
Tire-production giant Goodyear launched a mobile campaign to raise awareness in men, right in time for the winter.The "Time For Winter Tires" promotional campaign ran in Poland during the last quarter of 2008, from Oct. 13-27. It was coordinated by Upgrade Interactive Marketing and included an SMS campaign and a mobile site. The target was male drivers aged 25-54, using mobile Internet,” said Kazimierz Piekarz, CEO of Upgrade Interactive Marketing, Warsaw, Poland. ”Or alternatively, men interested in purchasing winter tires of premium quality for their private cars.”
Time For Winter Tires was marketed via a personalized SMS campaign sent out to over 80 thousand men. The SMS contained and advertising message and WAP link to a mobile microsite.
“[The call to action] was encouraging potential customers to visit a mobile microsite,” Mr. Piekarz said. ” The message read translated into English: "It is time for Goodyear winter tires. Fifteen sets of tires and 15 mobile phones worth 25000 PLN to win! Visit wap.gy.plus.pl," he said.
Mr. Piekarz said that during the 15-day campaign there were more than 2.2 million impressions recorded. Mobile banners had a 3 percent click through rate while the SMS portion had 5.2 percent.
Goodyear is not the first to try and sell tires using mobile. In April, a BMW Germany mobile campaign was deployed to sell more winter tires and is said to have achieved a 30 percent conversion rate. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/wo979
For more information teresa@zipstripe.com
Volvo Launches XC60 by Mobile
Automobile giant Volvo has turned to the mobile channel to promote its brand in Russia.“Auto companies were early to the mobile Web and have been building consumer relationships via mobile — an uncluttered device and channel,” Ms. McKelvey said. Auto companies are using mobile to reach customers in new ways. "Not only are customers interested in getting more information right away, but they might also want to build their own car models and find the nearest dealer right from their mobile phones ... It facilitates the user experience with the automotive brands and provides an alternative to static mobile marketing campaigns.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/TvFbF
Petco and National Geographic Team Up for Mobile
The National Geographic Channel ran an SMS alert campaign promoting its “Dog Whisperer” program, which saw 2,000 opt-ins and prompted pet store giant Petco to come on board as a sponsor. The campaign was launched in honor of the Dog Whisperer’s 100th episode with the intent to engage viewers and extend advertising opportunities for National Geographic. “Using the mobile phone as an additional communications channel makes the TV watching experience more interactive,” said Chris Brassington, group managing director at 2ergo, Manchester, Britain. The technology platform allowed NGC to automatically add new subscribers through a keyword-to-short-code system, easily upload tips content and schedule a specific send date and time, keeping the management time for the program at a minimum.
The initiative involved on-air calls-to-action along with an online call-to-action asking viewers to text the keyword DOG to the short code 64288 (NGCTV). After replying "yes" to the standard double-opt-in message, users are sent a tune-in reminder along with dog-training tips straight from the show’s star Cesar Milan four hours before the show airs on Friday nights.“Relevant and timely content that offers value to consumers should always take the lead in mobile marketing and messaging programs,” Mr. Brassington said. “You’ll get more subscribers who are more engaged and more likely to stay engaged with your brand over time.”After realizing the potential of this campaign, Petco chose to jump on board as a sponsor so that all SMS alerts would read “Sponsored by PETCO” and contain a mobile coupon code for 10 percent off purchases made at Petco.com.
“Not only can SMS drive viewership of the show through a timely text reminder, but SMS is more convenient for the viewer than making a phone call or going online to interact with the show,” Mr. Brassington said. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/n3YZW
For more information contact damico@zipstripe.com
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Ace Hardware debuts Mobile Coupons
Ace Hardware has introduced a new mobile service that helps shoppers find products on store shelves and encourages repeat business with mobile coupons via text message that can be used immediately in the store where they are shopping.
If consumers would like a mobile coupon sent to their phone via SMS, they can say “Send coupons” to get a text message with a numeric coupon code that Ace enters into their point-of-sale system.
Some mobile coupons are dated for the following week, encouraging consumers to return at a later date to spend more. For example, a storewide promotion will offer consumers $5 off a $25 purchase at Ace Hardware via SMS. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/ixoVF
Wheaties "FUEL" - New Product Intro by Mobile to Target Demographics
General Mills is running a multimillion dollar “Evolution” campaign that uses mobile to introduce Fuel, a new kind of Wheaties.
The multichannel Evolution campaign features an SMS call-to-action in Men's Health magazine, online and via an upcoming free-standing insert (FSI) delivered to consumers via conventional mail. Consumers are asked to text the keyword WHEATIES to short code DOTCOM (368266).
“We understand our target consumer is actively involved in mobile media around the clock,” said Dan Stangler, marketing manager for Wheaties at General Mills, Minneapolis, MN. “SMS interaction provides another piece of the puzzle in our overall digital communication strategy. “A text reference is provided in print and digital communications, enabling consumers to extend their experience beyond the Web site,” he said. “The SMS calls-to-action are part of our digital strategy to communicate with consumers through the most efficient touchpoints. “SMS is a great way to round out our digital execution, interacting with our consumer when they are on the move.”
“The Wheaties SMS initiative provides consumers with a number of engaging elements that encourage interactivity,” Mr. Stangler said, such as creating interactive mobile strategies with a focus on SMS, with content such as sports scores, trivia quizzes, recipe ideas and health tips. The firm then integrates brand messages within the information as part of an ongoing, multi-tiered conversation. The four dimensions of the SMS program, designed to support and enhance the other elements of the ad campaign, include interesting information about the elite athletes who helped create the new Wheaties. A trivia game tests consumers’ knowledge about the athletes. There is an option to sign up for email alerts to stay informed about new developments. There is also an opportunity to opt-in for weekly nutrition tips or fitness tips, automatically delivered to consumers’ mobile phone via SMS. The nutrition tips were developed in partnership with Men's Health Magazine. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/uX51O
For more information contact mike@zipstripe.com
Hugo Boss takes Italy by Mobile
Procter & Gamble’s Hugo Boss luxury brand raised awareness for its Element fragrance via a multichannel mobile media campaign. The campaign targeted independent, unconventional and modern Italian male consumers who are on-the-go."While the growth of luxury brands using mobile marketing could be perceived as part of the larger push towards brand engagement via mobile, a closer look reveals undeniable synergies between the two," said Ben Tannenbaum, communications manager at MX Telecom, New York.
"The personal nature of the mobile channel, when combined with the intimacy of the luxury brand-consumer relationship, makes mobile marketing an obvious and effective opportunity for luxury brands," he said. "The marketing strategy must appeal to the tastes of the targeted market, which are not necessarily the same as your everyday mobile user.
Why are luxury brands increasingly moving to the mobile space?
"Brands today need engagement, and luxury brand are not to be excluded. It's not simply about getting hundreds of thousands of consumers to see your ad," said Patrick Mork, vice president of marketing at GetJar, London. "It's more about building a relationship with them, which brings them closer to the brand in a way that is fun, innovative and personal." From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/nHh68
For more information contact Andrew at daminco@zipstripe.com
Blockbuster Expands the Brand to Your Phone
BlockBuster said Tuesday it will bring its streaming movie service to Motorola mobile phones.
The deal is the first time BlockBuster is bringing its onDemand service to mobile devices, and it will eventually enable Motorola users to have on-the-go access to thousands of movie titles. The companies did not announce when this service would be implemented, or how much it will cost.
The market is expected to see rapid growth over the next few years as networks and handsets get better, and as the business models are refined.
"Mobile video entertainment is exploding, as consumers are demanding the widest selection of content: the movies they love in their living room and on their PC, now also available on their mobile phone, while on the go," said
The move is just the latest by BlockBuster to get expand its services beyond its retail locations in order to combat rivals such as Netflix, Roku, TiVo, and on-demand video services from cable providers.
For more information contact andrew@zipstripe.com
SMS initiatives to engage Political Millennials
Nonprofit political organization Rock the Vote is using mobile at events such as Lollapalooza to engage young Americans by connecting them with musicians and interactive politics.
Rock the Vote is ramping up its interaction with the millennial generation by leveraging interactive tools such as mobile polls and votes, broadcasting election news, narrowcasting voter registration information and providing the ability to send comments and mobile pictures to the Rock the Vote Web site.
“We ran a robust SMS campaign for the first time in 2008, and now all of our public service announcements include the SMS call-out,” said Chrissy Faessen, vice president of communications and marketing at Rock the Vote, Washington. “Mobile is integrated into all of our marketing and communications programs. “We use mobile in conjunction with other media as an opportunity to reach out to our target audience, ages 18 to 29,” she said. “We want to engage young people about politics and all of the issues that are important to them, and mobile is an excellent medium to connect to young people, because it helps up moves past geographic and demographic restrictions."
In addition, RTV can now send pertinent information to its constituents that they have expressed interest in and opted in to receive. "We also help them segment their messages to specific geographic areas based on key elections or votes within their priority initiatives encouraging young American voters to engage in the political system and realize they can make a difference."
RTV plans to incorporate their mobile calls to action in various types of advertising such as TV, radio and print throughout the country. They will also be getting the word out through grassroots tactics at live concerts and festivals, such as on-stage calls to action from the artists themselves or displayed on jumbo screens, as well as RTV volunteers handing out fliers and verbally encouraging attendees to participate in their various mobile campaigns. RTV also uses online widgets on their Web site and various social networks to entice young Americans to get involved. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/18JH2y
For more information teresa@zipstripe.com
Rock the Vote is ramping up its interaction with the millennial generation by leveraging interactive tools such as mobile polls and votes, broadcasting election news, narrowcasting voter registration information and providing the ability to send comments and mobile pictures to the Rock the Vote Web site.
“We ran a robust SMS campaign for the first time in 2008, and now all of our public service announcements include the SMS call-out,” said Chrissy Faessen, vice president of communications and marketing at Rock the Vote, Washington. “Mobile is integrated into all of our marketing and communications programs. “We use mobile in conjunction with other media as an opportunity to reach out to our target audience, ages 18 to 29,” she said. “We want to engage young people about politics and all of the issues that are important to them, and mobile is an excellent medium to connect to young people, because it helps up moves past geographic and demographic restrictions."
In addition, RTV can now send pertinent information to its constituents that they have expressed interest in and opted in to receive. "We also help them segment their messages to specific geographic areas based on key elections or votes within their priority initiatives encouraging young American voters to engage in the political system and realize they can make a difference."
RTV plans to incorporate their mobile calls to action in various types of advertising such as TV, radio and print throughout the country. They will also be getting the word out through grassroots tactics at live concerts and festivals, such as on-stage calls to action from the artists themselves or displayed on jumbo screens, as well as RTV volunteers handing out fliers and verbally encouraging attendees to participate in their various mobile campaigns. RTV also uses online widgets on their Web site and various social networks to entice young Americans to get involved. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/18JH2y
For more information teresa@zipstripe.com
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Discovery Channel debuts ad-supported Mobile-video App
The Discovery Channel has debuted an ad-supported application for Apple’s iPhone, providing consumers with new videos, daily news, quizzes, photos and television schedules. The application enables users to get full-length episodes of Discovery Channel programming and providing Discovery with another monetization method in addition to advertising. Footwear giant Puma is among the brands running pre-roll video advertising within the application.
“With increasing consumption of entertainment on smartphones, we wanted to enable our fans to stay connected to their favorite programs wherever they go,” said Doug Craig, senior vice president of digital and home entertainment at Discovery Communications, Silver Spring, MD. “The launch of our Discovery Channel iPhone app is a natural extension of our mobile strategy, which offers consumers engaging mobile Web and video content through multiple carriers and services,” he said.
“The app serves as another touch point to engage Discovery Channel fans across demos by providing an immersive experience that includes videos of Discovery Channel's top programs, quizzes, photos, Discovery News and more.” From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/LvwNP
Home Shopping Network goes Mobile
Home Shopping Network has launched an application for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users that will allow them to watch the network's programming on the go. The 45 million subscribers to the devices who download the HSN Shop App now have the ability to view HSN programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the US. The launch creates the e-commerce industry's first live-video "3-screen experience," enabling consumers to browse and shop the network's 35,000-plus array of products from home or on the go.
"Our customer is fashionable and discerning, and thrives on information, ideas and discovery," said HSN CEO Mindy Grossman in a statement. "HSN strives to be the true multichannel experience, and this new iPhone app now allows our customer to take HSN with her, anytime, anywhere, and be that reliable, ‘on-the-go' resource for lifestyle information she craves."
HSN will make live TV, including its library of original videos, HSN programs like Today's Special, Items Recently Aired, and hosts, featured designers and its products available through the application. In addition, the HSN Shop App will have a set of new features, including the interactive Shake2shop, which, with a simple shake of the device, generates random product recommendations as well as deals and promotions targeted at HSN's mobile customers.
"HSN truly leads the way in total convergence of its media technologies," says Brian Bradley, EVP/ GM, HSN Online & Advanced Services. "The loyalty of our customer base has been predicated in large part on a unique ability to engage them in all aspects of their lives, and the addition of a mobile 'third screen' opens up an entirely new dimension for interaction."
Users will also be able to make purchases through the application, whether by calling HSN directly or by using the device's browser.
"Our customer is fashionable and discerning, and thrives on information, ideas and discovery," said HSN CEO Mindy Grossman in a statement. "HSN strives to be the true multichannel experience, and this new iPhone app now allows our customer to take HSN with her, anytime, anywhere, and be that reliable, ‘on-the-go' resource for lifestyle information she craves."
HSN will make live TV, including its library of original videos, HSN programs like Today's Special, Items Recently Aired, and hosts, featured designers and its products available through the application. In addition, the HSN Shop App will have a set of new features, including the interactive Shake2shop, which, with a simple shake of the device, generates random product recommendations as well as deals and promotions targeted at HSN's mobile customers.
"HSN truly leads the way in total convergence of its media technologies," says Brian Bradley, EVP/ GM, HSN Online & Advanced Services. "The loyalty of our customer base has been predicated in large part on a unique ability to engage them in all aspects of their lives, and the addition of a mobile 'third screen' opens up an entirely new dimension for interaction."
Users will also be able to make purchases through the application, whether by calling HSN directly or by using the device's browser.
Marlboro uses mobile to promote Marlboro Ducati Racing Team
Cigarette brand Marlboro has developed mobile offerings meant to increase the link between consumers and the Marlboro Ducati Racing Team. The branded iPhone game was created as part of a campaign in the Dominican Republic to target young professionals between 22 and 38 years old.
“The strategy behind adding a mobile component, was to use a consumer engagement solution in bars, clubs and lounges …The idea was to use devices and solutions that are innovative and to attract people with a relevant solution for the brands and the motorcycle activity,”.
The objective was to develop a consumer engagement experience in which participants would enjoy the apps, while increasing their interaction with Marlboro and Ducati. Mobile allows for fast and simple connectivity through WiFi, which allows for real-time reporting.
From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/JsVmI
“The strategy behind adding a mobile component, was to use a consumer engagement solution in bars, clubs and lounges …The idea was to use devices and solutions that are innovative and to attract people with a relevant solution for the brands and the motorcycle activity,”.
The objective was to develop a consumer engagement experience in which participants would enjoy the apps, while increasing their interaction with Marlboro and Ducati. Mobile allows for fast and simple connectivity through WiFi, which allows for real-time reporting.
From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/JsVmI
Mobile Oreo Branding
Kraft Foods' Oreo tapped the mobile channel for a promotion meant to drive awareness of the cookie brand among British consumers. “The mobile device is a consumer’s third screen,” said Maya Mikhailov, vice president of Slifter, New York. “Like television and the Internet before it, no true 360-degree branding campaign is complete without presence on the most ubiquitous device in a consumer’s hand – the mobile phone.”
Through the promotion, Oreo targeted family members going to the movies together by sponsoring advanced screenings of family movies in cinemas across Britain.
To enter the promotion, entrants use their mobile phone to take a photo of their family and friends with the life-size Oreo and text it to a short code. Entrants received an SMS confirming their entry, followed by another SMS inviting them to go and see if their picture has been selected for the Oreo online gallery. Consumers are also able to download and print pictures from
Kraft has used mobile before. In May, Kraft Foods expanded its reach to consumers through the launch of a new mobile Web site, which was promoted via mobile search and banner ads on Yahoo’s Web portal. The mobile site is meant to offer new and existing Kraftfoods.com members access to recipes while on the go. The site extends Kraft Foods’ reach to any mobile phone with an Internet connection. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/17hXyk
Monday, August 17, 2009
L'Oréal Paris Develops Brand Awareness Mobile Campaign
Beauty products giant L'Oréal Paris ran a mobile marketing campaign to extend brand awareness around their new products, where the similarity between L'Oréal Paris' target groups and the mobile phone owners population recommended image and couponing campaigns.
The first L’Oréal Paris campaign was designed for the new "Combleur Collagène Lèvres," a collagen and hydrollic acid lip treatment. The campaign targeted women ages 35-49 by sending 105,000 French women a message with supermodel Linda Evangelista fronting for the brand.
L'Oréal Paris used mobile to promote a coupon offer for the new men’s hair-care product, "StudioLine MineralFX aux actifs minéraux.” A message was sent to 45,000 men ages 18-35 who had a smartphone. The message displayed Patrick Dempsey, a star from television’s “Grey's Anatomy.” He invited mobile consumers to connect on the L'Oréal Paris Web site to print a coupon for a discount on any product from the L’Oréal MineralFx range.
This is not the first time that a big brand has turned to the mobile channel to reach consumers with a message. For example, Puma used mobile messaging & a rich media mobile site to keep sailing fans updated about the Puma Ocean Racing Team. Of mobile phone subscribers, at least 90 to 95 percent have SMS or MMS capability, and as long as the content is relevant, they don’t mind receiving it and responding to it. From Mobile Marketer at http://bit.ly/mQlZx
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