Mobile phones have been more than just a means of communicating with friends for a while now. However now they’ve also become a channel with which companies can communicate with us. According to this article on Yahoo (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/SixtyTwo-Percent-of-Fortune-bw-2029362336.html?x=0&.v=1), 62% of fortune 50 companies are now using mobile communication to reach both their consumers and stakeholders.
The forms of mobile communication being used by these companies include the use of mobile applications, websites optimised for mobile phones and QR (quick response) codes. Having realised how easy it is for consumers to access information on their phones, companies are now trying to ensure that the information being accessed is about their company or brand. After all it makes sense to utilise a channel that consumers carry around with them everywhere.
Consider how many brands/companies we may have access to on a daily basis. Before leaving the house we might decide to check the status of the tube lines – for which there is TfL (Transport for London) mobile website. Waiting at the bus stop we might see an advert for a car, and in order to pass time decide to have a look at the website by scanning the QR code on the billboard advert. At work you decide to check up on the item you’re bidding on on eBay using their mobile application where there is a mobile version of the website. On the way home you remember that you’ve run out of bread. The solution to this doesn’t even require being near a computer as you can do your grocery shopping online via your mobile phone. Hence mobile communication offer companies the opportunity to talk to their consumers at any time of the day, serving as a constant reminder of their company or brand.
Target sends users of its mobile application a number of daily and weekly alerts notifying users of any deals in-store. Users who sign up to receive text alerts receive exclusive offers in the form of mobile barcodes via text which can be redeemed in-store. Users can also opt to be notified by email whenever your favourite items are on sale. This mobile application entices consumers with ‘online-onlies’ deals that keep users coming back to the application and shopping at Target.
Walgreens, an American online pharmacy takes another approach with its mobile application. Their application allows users to renew their prescriptions by taking a picture of the barcode on a bottle using their phone or by typing the prescription code. The prescription will then be ready to pick up in store. Normally the idea of buying medicine via phone wouldn’t sit too comfortably with me, however it seems that some precautions are being taken as users still have to go in-store to collect their medicine.
With these types of mobile communication becoming more popular can we except to see advertising campaigns taking place solely via mobile? Companies already conduct social media campaigns which rely to a degree on consumers accessing social media websites on their phones, so it wouldn’t be too big a change for campaigns to solely occur on mobile.
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