2011 September

Integrating mobile marketing: How and why

Bruce Hershey, Director of Mobile Marketing at Merkle, discuses the importance of marketing. As with any business, one of the first things you want to be able to do effectively is make your brand known, and get your product out there. Marketing is of course, the way to do that. Depending on your product and how you get started, you’ll want a business phone. Establishing this first line of communication is a great way to have clients get in touch with you, and keep the ball that is your business rolling. What comes next? You’ll need computers, internet, and any other form of communication you can get a hold of. You can be reached, but now it’s time for you to the reaching. This is where mobile marketing comes into play.

Why go mobile?

Mobile marketing is inexpensive to add to the marketing plan
It reaches out to important customers
It can be personalized

Important figures

Nine in 10 adults, seven in 10 teens, and one in 5 kids have mobile phones
98 percent of young adults ages 22-24 own mobile phones
70 million people use the web on mobile devices each month
64 of the Fortune 100 companies have a mobile strategy

Mobile’s growing usage

Google’s mobile search has grown more than 500 percent in the past two years
There are thousands of iOS and Android devices purchased every day

Why is mobile unique?

The mobile phone is the only device that is turned on all day that the user carries all the time
We are in a time where multiple channels have converged into one (mobile = phone +email+TV, etc., referred to as “mobile synthesis”)

Building a mobile strategy

60 percent of companies that start using mobile marketing do not have a strategy (alarming)
Strategy is necessary to return results, measure against business goals, and measure increase in revenue
Mobile strategy makes customers want to be engaged with the brand

Types of mobile marketing

Mobile display advertising
QR codes
Digital coupons
Location-based offers
Mobile-tailored web sites
Text message
Smartphone apps

Mobile marketing successes

Target – gives consumers the freedom of choice as to how they want engagement
Starbucks – great integration of smartphone app with location-based marketing, reminds you when you are near a store
K&G Fashion Superstore – implemented text offer to customers currently in the store to be used instantly, had a redemption rate of 87 percent

Using QR codes properly

Uses include link to website, an app, a coupon, registration for newsletter, video, etc.
Tell the user where the QR code is going to take them
Strategy should include what your best use of QR code is
Have back-end support prepared for when QR code response comes in

Don’t leave non-smartphone users in the dust

Only 37% of all consumers have smartphones
Combine QR code with SMS – allow text for a scanner if user doesn’t have a smartphone
Must optimize website for all web-capable devices

View Hershey’s webinar on BrightTALK here.

Social Media hurricane: ABC News affiliate interviews Designated Editor’s Suzanne McDonald

ABC News affiliate interviews Designated Editor’s Suzanne McDonald on Hurricane Irene’s impact on social media and smartphones

ABC6 Anchor John DeLuca interviewed Suzanne McDonald, Founder and President of Designated Editor about social media and smartphone usage while some 370,000 Rhode Islanders struggled with no power 4 days after Hurricane Irene hit.

Social Media Helps Rhode Islanders Stay Informed

ABC6: Tweets. Status updates. As Hurricane Irene plowed her way up the East Coast, social media was used in full force. The storm provided some of the best examples yet of the emerging role of social media. Joining us now live in studio to talk more about that role is Suzanne McDonald, president of Designated Editor. Suzanne, thanks for joining us.

Suzanne McDonald: Thanks for having me.

ABC6: Really a shining moment for social media, as people who lost power were able to use their smartphones to get up-to-date information on what’s happening.

Suzanne McDonald: Absolutely. The key of social media really is a smartphone when you are without power, as so many Rhode Islanders and people in southern New England are. The great thing about social media is it allows very local real-time information.

ABC6: Do you think this will help some people start to discover that it’s not some “evil thing,” and it’s not so hard, it’s not so difficult? And maybe this’ll start to encourage more people who are older, who are reluctant to get involved with it?

Suzanne McDonald: I would say so. Obviously I have a different perspective than older people, but for myself, during the storm on Sunday morning, I was able to log on to Twitter and check to see that there was a possibility for tornado activity in Newport County. And that was really crucial to know even before I did anything else, like turn on the radio or TV. I had to have that information, which was very important for me to know and was direct to my area.

ABC6: So you really see things mushrooming, maybe, because of the storm, or just overall?

Suzanne McDonald: I think so. You see a lot of people online using Twitter and Facebook just to keep in touch. It was a great way to let friends and family who live farther away know that you were OK, that there was no loss of life or major damage, especially on Facebook.

ABC6: You mention Facebook, and a lot of people look at that and say, “that’s not for me,” but as you saw, the role of social media in this case with the storm, it really did provide a great service. More than just a social gathering.

Suzanne McDonald: I think it also played a great role in keeping people sustained in all the difficult times. Now that people have been without power for a long time, to be able to post updates, letting people know “I have power” or “I don’t have power,” “come to my house, take a shower.” It’s been a great tool for people.

ABC6: It really has. Alright, Suzanne McDonald, unfortunately, we’re
out of time. Thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it.

Suzanne McDonald: Thank you.

More on post-Hurricane Irene sentiment in Rhode Island: Anger rises at Hurricane Irene power outages

Archives for September 2011