Multi-Channel Mobile Campaigns Work

Shedd Aquarium rings up the sales with Mobile Marketing
SMS may lack sizzle to many flashy marketers, but it can deliver the goods if provoking your audience to action is the goal, as Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium recently discovered from its summer test campaigns.

To attract visitors to its new Fantasea aquatic show, Shedd Aquarium put a couple of direct-response tactics to the test to see if consumers preferred SMS or web-based calls to action. At the end of 30-second spots that aired on Chicago’s NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox affiliates, the aquarium announced a contest with prizes that included a hotel stay and VIP seats for the Fantasea premiere. The commercials were identical across the networks except for the calls to action: All the ads directed viewers to a Web site to register for the contest, except one spot, which gave viewers an additional mobile option to enter the contest by sending a text message to a special code.

The SMS call to action generated 325% more entries than the web-based call-to-action, making up 52% of the total entries, though it ran in only 25% of the ads.

According to Jay Geneske, Shedd’s assistant marketing director, the results show that the “phone is always with you, it’s nearby and immediate,” even when you’re watching TV. Shedd also ran a one-day print campaign in a local paper with a text call-to-action, yielding the highest or near highest number of responses for a single-day print piece, Mr. Geneske said.

Additionally, when people are watching TV, they’re more likely to have their cellphones near them than a computer.

Fresh impressions
“The mobile phone gives the consumer the ability to respond to the advertisement in real time, while the impression is still fresh in their heads,” said Aaron Watkins, a former mobile-marketing agency executive turned independent consultant.

Likewise, companies like QVC use Mobile Marketing Alerts and Text Ordering to send out promotions every day, throughout the day, and drive real-time purchases via SMS.

To get consumers to respond via the web, on the other hand, means they not only have to be interested in the ad but need to recall the website address later if they were not near a computer when the ad ran. The likelihood that they will remember the address drops “exponentially,” given the nonstop barrage of messages and media that hit people every day, Mr. Watkins said.

Mobile works best when overlaid with mass media such as TV and radio, because they radiate that much more reach, compared to, say, mobile apps or display banners, Mr. Alpert said.

For consumers to text in, however, the offer has to be compelling and valuable, whether it’s entertainment, information or access to something special. Shedd’s campaign worked well because the short code was part of the narrative and script, rather than an afterthought of just slapping a code at the end of the commercial.

Mr. Alpert said over the hundreds of mobile campaigns his agency has managed, an average 85% of those who opt into a campaign will respond to more requests for information, such as age and ZIP code.

September 21, 2009 in Blog   |   No Comments

First Moment of Truth & Mobile Coupons

Mobile Coupons & the First Moment of Truth (FMOT)

A few years ago, P&G (Procter & Gamble) introduced their findings that brands have “three to seven seconds to win the consumer” in-aisle. First Moment of Truth (FMOT, pronounced EFF-mot) are the 3-7 seconds after a shopper first encounters a product on a store shelf. It is in these precious few seconds, P&G contends, that marketers have the best chance of converting a browser into a buyer by appealing to their senses, values and emotions. Other Consumer Packaged Goods companies proceeded to assign FMOT directors to develop FMOT marketing strategies to win the consumer in this shopping inflection.

While in-store marketing certainly isn’t new to anybody involved with digital merchandising initiatives like touchscreen kiosks and digital retail signs, the advertising world at large traditionally didn’t pay a lot of attention to it, instead choosing to focus on mass-media like TV, print and radio. So over the last few years, marketers have testing new ways to attack FMOT.

Today, everyone is looking at mobile – THE just-in-time retail solution to compliments any FMOT strategy. So how do you make that item you’re marketing make it into your customer’s shopping cart? On average, 80 percent of the consumer’s shopping list is bought. However, the shopping list only account for 40 percent of their final basket. This allows for a fair amount of freestyle shopping and FMOTing.

One influential factor could be a mobile coupon. Traditional paper coupons produce 0.05 percent redemption. But mobile coupons enjoy a 20 to 40 percent higher redemption rate than paper.

Grocery stores including Kroger and Safeway are testing solutions that take mobile offers and link them to store cards. Mobile coupons are selected on the phone and transferred to the physical loyalty card which is swiped at checkout. In recent trials with J.C. Penney in Houston, the company tested 2D codes presented on the phone. These codes were then scanned with specially installed image scanner at checkout. Traditional laser scanner cannot read the screen because of refraction.

All encouraging news for 2-D barcodes, but the sample size is still small. The challenge will be growing the installed base of mobile-powered consumers.

Other reasons to use Mobile Coupons to effect First Moments of Truth:
1. It is cost-effective. Unlike newspaper coupons, you only pay for engagement.

2. Mobile Coupning represents a NEW demographic. The retailer is not cannibalizing the existing paper coupon consumer. Statistics show that 30 percent of mobile coupon users have never clipped a paper coupon.

3. The medium allows for onward engagement. Unlike paper coupons, you have a two-way channel.

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Implement your mobile coupon strategy with QWASI. QWASI offers SMS Promo Codes, Unique Trackable Coupons, 2-D barcodes and other mobile coupon solutions.

Contact QWASI today at 877-747-9274.

August 17, 2009 in Blog   |   No Comments

QWASI powers interactive mobile media platform for Gas Station TV

Gas Station TV teams up with QWASI to provide mobile to it’s Toyota “Prius Neighborhood” ad campaign.

July 10, 2009 – QWASI, a leading mobile marketing and mobile commerce company providing cross-market interactive solutions, announced they were selected by Gas Station TV (GSTV) to power their interactive ad campaign for companies like Toyota. With a consumer base in over 800 major cities (including New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.), GSTV reaches consumers on-the-go – now with the power of mobile by QWASI.

As leaders in destination marketing and technology, GSTV can now provide their viewers with a social & mobile media platform from QWASI. Using QWASI’s Mobile Marketing Center, GSTV can provide advertisers with the tools to take their ad campaigns to the next level through the power of mobile marketing. In the same venue, consumers now have the opportunity to directly respond to ad promotions via text message as they view advertisements while pumping their gas.

Starting on June 15, 2009, GSTV and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. announced an ad campaign to promote a community based interactive program, the “Prius Neighborhood.” Through this program consumers can generate ads for local events and community happenings at-the-pump. GSTV incorporates text messaging to help further promote the message and cause.

“Gas Station TV is an extremely innovative out-of-home advertising channel. We look forward to working with them to further their “on-the-go” advertising efforts using mobile,” states David Geipel, COO, QWASI, Inc.

ABOUT QWASI
QWASI, Inc, is a leading mobile solutions provider of interactive applications for over 15,000 clients across the US utilizing SMS (text messaging), MMS, WAP, iPhone Apps and Mobile Chat. QWASI makes complexity simple with intuitive mobile marketing, mCommerce (mobile commerce), private label mobile search tools, click-to-chat, click-to-text, Mobile IM (MIM) applications, customized alerting and interactive property marketing services for Fortune 1000 business. QWASI powers several other platforms for clients including CellSigns, a wholly owned subsidiary, providing Real Estate Mobile Marketing and Mobile Agent, the only mobile search for real estate.

QWASI CONTACT
Patricia Scanlon, QWASI, 877-747-9274, patricia.scanlon @ qwasi.com

July 10, 2009 in Press Releases   |   No Comments

Prom gone Mobile

QWASI launches integrated mobile marketing campaign for David’s Bridal Prom Mobile

PHILADELPHIA, May 6, 2009 – QWASI, a leading mobile marketing company, announced the launch of David’s Bridal Prom Mobile which allows girls to access the latest fashions for prom on their mobile phones. The Prom campaign was launched on QWASI’s Mobile Marketing Platform that enables David’s Bridal to tap into the power of mobile marketing. The campaign includes SMS promotions, a mobile site with a click-through slideshow of the retailer’s latest fashions, a store finder and send-to-friend capabilities.

Teenagers- or anyone for that matter- can text the keyword “PROM” to 74362 to get content on their cell phones, vote for their favorite dress styles, and get special targeted promotions leading up to the big day. They can also browse styles at the new mobile website, http://m.davidsprom.com,

“We have seen a positive reaction to our initial mobile marketing messages from our customer base. We utilized the mobile channel to communicate an urgent ‘last chance to enter’ message for a scholarship contest running on davidsprom.com. The mobile call to action produced a spike in contest entries 24 hours following the message, notes Carol Steinberg, VP, Internet, David’s Bridal Inc.

David’s Bridal launched their mobile initiative at the start of the Spring 2009 prom season. Interactive by nature, teenagers are the heaviest users of text messaging; according to a 2008 Nielsen Mobile report, the typical U.S. teen mobile subscriber (ages 13–17) now sends or receives 1,742 text messages per month (compared to making or receiving 231 mobile phone calls).

“We’re excited to see the early results from this text messaging campaign. It’s obvious that teenagers desire to engage in mobile campaigns. Brands have realized that it’s important to reach customers and David’s Bridal is clearly demonstrating the power and reach of mobile marketing,” says David Geipel, Co-Founder QWASI, Inc. “We created a complete mobile experience for their customers that helps teens identify their styles and browse dresses directly from their cell phone. They can then receive additional targeted offers, share the mobile site with their friends and have access to a store finder to locate local stores. Mobile is all about relevancy and interaction and they’ve nailed it in this one.”

QWASI provides agencies and retailers of all sizes the means of driving in-store traffic, increasing order size, building customer loyalty, improving communication and reaching new customers through an interactive mobile ordering solution. The Mobile Marketing and mCommerce Platform makes it easy for catalogers, ecommerce, retailers and brick-and-mortar companies to quickly realize the benefits of mobile through measurable mobile marketing campaigns.

ABOUT DAVID’S BRIDAL With more than 50 years of experience, David’s Bridal understands the importance of providing teens and brides-to-be with a vast selection of exquisitely crafted dresses, available at affordable prices. Today, with over 300 locations nationwide, David’s Bridal continues to expand its retail store locations, while maintaining its philosophy of superior quality, value and service. To locate a store nearby, consumers can call 1.877.706.PROM or visit www.davidsprom.com.

ABOUT QWASI
QWASI, Inc, is a leading Mobile Consultancy and Solutions provider of interactive applications for over 10,000 clients across the US utilizing SMS (text messaging), MMS, WAP and iPhone applications, Since 2004, QWASI has been providing mobile solutions including mobile marketing, mobile retail & mCommerce (mobile commerce), mobile search, chat and other interactive mobile platforms to Fortune 1000 clients in industries such as eCommerce, Retail, Financial Services, Real Estate and Enterprise Communications. The company has received multiple awards for its CellSigns Real Estate & Publishing services from Inman News and the NAA (Newspaper Association of America). QWASI can be found online at http://www.qwasi.com.

May 6, 2009 in Press Releases   |   No Comments

CellSigns by QWASI Featured in REALTOR Magazine

Reach out and Text Someone Article points to Texting overtaking Voice on your cell phone.

If phone calls and e-mail are still your preferred way to share information with clients, it might not be long before text messaging takes priority. According to the 2008 REALTOR® Technology Survey, 35 percent of real estate practitioners use cell phone texting on a daily basis; another 27 percent text on at least a weekly or monthly basis.

The general public has also embraced the convenience of texting. While the number of phone calls made or received by wireless subscribers in the United States remained relatively steady from 2006 through mid-2008, text messaging skyrocketed nearly 450 percent, according to a Nielsen Mobile analysis.

Many real estate practitioners have recognized this phenomenon and are incorporating text messaging into their client communications. “One of the first things I ask when I meet new clients is if they can receive text messages on their phone, and if they would like to be updated by e-mail or text,” says Richard Van Kluyve, broker-associate with Century 21 Premier in Mount Juliet, Tenn.

About half of Van Kluyve’s clients tell him they prefer text, including one house-hunting couple in their 20s who’ve taken texting to a whole new level: “We may have spoken on the phone 10 times, but we’ve probably sent 100 text messages back and forth in the weeks I’ve been working with them,” he says.

But don’t just assume that only younger clients are apt to text. With texting now available on all mobile phones, consumers of all ages are appreciating the ease of using their keypad to send real estate practitioners a quick question, arrange a meeting, or comment on a home they’ve toured. In fact, a whole class of mobile marketing services has emerged to deliver listing data directly to a consumer’s cell phone—and capture leads for real estate practitioners in the process. Once you’re subscribed to services like CellSigns, you can post a special text code on your listings’ For Sale signs. Consumers who drive by the home can punch the code into their phone to receive a return message with property information and photos. Van Kluyve hopes for the day when clients can even receive text alerts as listings are added to the MLS, similar to e-mail alerts that are now commonplace.

Even as text messaging goes mainstream, there are times when it’s better to do things the “old-fashioned” way—with an e-mail, a phone call, or a meeting. Texting’s casual convenience is ideal for any situation in which a quick and informal message will do. Messages that are long or complicated or that can potentially spark questions from clients are better left to other media. Here are some other general guidelines:

•    Don’t text without permission. Ask clients if it’s OK for you to send them text messages. They may not be familiar with the medium, or they may simply be annoyed by it. Depending on their phone service, they also may have to pay for received messages. And never text a prospect you don’t know; it can land you in legal trouble. A pending revision to the CAN-SPAM Act prohibits sending unsolicited text messages to a wireless phone number unless the recipient has given prior consent or you have an established business relationship with the recipient. Also, the federal Do-Not-Call registry applies to text messaging.

•    Learn the lingo. Texting is all about fitting the most words into a maximum of 160 characters for the sake of speed and convenience. Even if you feel silly using shortcuts like BTW (by the way), QQ (quick question), or THX (thanks), you’ll want to be familiar with the terms so you can decipher clients’ messages. For a list of common abbreviations, visit Webopedia (www.webopedia.com).

•    Be considerate. Texting can quickly become addictive. But when meeting with clients or colleagues, don’t be absorbed with your cell phone—reading messages and hammering out replies. Let clients know at the outset if you’re anticipating an important message that will require your immediate attention. Otherwise, turn your ringtone off and reply to messages when the meeting’s over.

•    Set limits. When you encourage others to text you, you’re implying that you’ll always be ready to take their message—and customers often expect a quick response. You may want to establish hours you’ll be available.

Mike Antoniak is a journalist and technology expert with a focus on real estate applications.

May 2, 2009 in Press Releases   |   No Comments