In-store competitions go mobile

By providing instant, in-store activations through mobile phones, brands can connect with their consumer at point of purchase better than ever before. If executed correctly, in-store mobile activations can encourage brand loyalty and enhance the direct relationship between brand and consumer, says DESERE ORRILL, MD of Mobimedia.

Some practical tips which agencies and advertisers should bear in mind are: make it easy to enter a simple mobisite with an entry form with pull down menus (avoid free flow text typing wherever possible), keep entry costs to a minimum (eg. avoid using SMS as an entry mechanism), for easy access use a QR code on your product and lastly, make the turnaround quick, i.e. respond straight away and let the consumer know if they have won while they are still in the store. Immediate gratification is what consumers want and expect.

In addition to providing an opportunity for brand contact, a mobile entry form also helps brand owners to create a reliable and detailed database, allowing them to further understand their clientele. By knowing the number of people who visited the mobisite, and from which store they made their purchase, brands can target their marketing more effectively to benefit customers in various areas around the country. By giving clients the option to opt-in to receive further communications from the brand, a permission-based contact list is also developed.

As a brand owner, the focus should be to encourage customers to connect with the brand at the least inconvenience to them. Desere’ Orrill, MD of Mobimedia, has long since seen this trend emerging and shares some tips on how to optimise this platform. We recently launched a mobile promotional campaign for a food services company which saw consumers buy the product in store, scan the QR code with their phone, visit the mobisite and instantly find out if they had won. Redemption took place in store. It was that simple. There was no direct cost to the consumer or any hoops to jump through to receive the prize. By the same token, the brand owner was able to track and monitor the number of prizes that were redeemed: a useful exercise in stock control and reduction of natural shrinkage.

South Africans are becoming increasingly mobile and so too should the brands they love. By using a competition mechanism that is technically advanced, but simple and easy-to- use, your customers will truly view competitions as a reward and not the pricey obstacle courses they so often become.

*