The world of marketing for brands and retailers is changing. No longer can they depend on the printed page or their website to attract and keep regular customers. In today's tough economic climate the retail market is increasingly dependent upon brand loyalty to draw in business. For many brands this has meant expanding their promotional efforts into mobile marketing - be it through an app or bulk SMS campaign, or indeed both.
The rise of mobile applications
One of the latest trend to set the retail industry alight has been mobile apps. Several well-known brands on both sides of the Atlantic (such as Amazon, H&M and Tesco) have adopted this technology with gusto, allowing consumers to see or buy products through their mobile phone. And while many retailers' mobile apps have been readily downloaded by consumers (suggesting that there is a demand for this) designing mobile apps for retail is not easy. To do this well, your mobile campaign will need to have an apps for all the different platforms (or at least start with one for iPhone, RIM and Android). If you have an online presence you'll probably want to tweak this so that it facilitates mobile browsing.
Text message marketing
Another mobile campaign retailers are using to promote their goods to consumers is bulk SMS. This mobile marketing tool is used to give opted-in customers mobile vouchers, increase sales of particular items, provide deliver updates - even invite valued customer to pre-sale events. While not as content rich as mobile apps, bulk SMS has the distinct advantage of being ubiquitous across every mobile phone. Large brands such as North Face, Gap and Starbucks have jumped on the SMS bandwagon and offered mobile vouchers. Many consumers prefer getting promotion information via text message, and are very willing to sign up for a mobile campaign, especially if it means that they will get something in return, such as a sales voucher.
The development cost of a bulk SMS campaign are low,http://www.cheapnorthfacejacketssale.co.uk/north-face-denali-jacket-mens-north-face-denali-jackets-c-5_6.html, and retailers can reduce costs further by using HLR look up to verify a mobile number and so ensure that their text message isn't wasted. HLR lookup also enables retailers to determine the location of the recipient, so retailer can avoid sending a time-critical mobile voucher to a recipient that is overseas. Another development in SMS messaging is two-way communication. Retailers can take advantage of this to create hype around a new product by getting consumers to text in to receive a voucher or free gift. It is also useful when it comes to deliveries, allowing the customers to alter a delivery time by replying to a delivery notice sent as a two-way text message.
The future of mobile marketing for retailers
In the years to come, it's likely that an increasing number of consumers will be using their mobile phone to purchase goods, creating a new payment method. Once more mobile phones have incorporated new technology (such as Near Field Communication) retailers can use mobile campaign that target nearby shoppers with a SMS voucher to tempt them into the store or restaurant. Increasingly, mobile technology will change the way that retailers interact with their customers.
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