True Love this Valentine’s Day: the Right Content at the Right Time
Melinda Orlando, Director of Content, Triad Retail Media
Triad Retail Media and Sam’s Club® Introduce a 360° Approach to Valentine’s Day
We now live in a multiscreen world, where we have access to a variety of devices to gather product information before we make any purchasing decision. In fact, Google recently found that 67% of people have used multiple devices sequentially to shop online. Shoppers need the right content at the right time to complete the path to purchase or the retailer might lose the sale. Cue Valentine’s Day: the perfect way to create targeted
content to a targeted audience.
That’s why Triad created a holistic 360° marketing campaign focused around Valentine’s Day for the Sam’s Club member. The seamless execution included a robust digital desktop experience, a mobile-optimized destination, in-club TV spots, in-club signage, gas-station digital displays, social posts, seasonal emails, and display and mobile media.
This opportunity allowed members to receive consistent Valentine’s Day messaging, layout and design, product information and special offers across multiple platforms for a true 360° marketing approach. Plus, this also helped Triad work hand-in-hand with the merchants and marketers internally at Sam’s Club to sell and manage all aspects of the campaign.
Major highlights include:
- A robust, desktop landing page with product details, shopping links, category browsing, shipping message and relevant brand sponsorship
- A mobile-optimized experience with the same key features, brand sponsorship and messaging as the desktop experience
- Three complementary in-club TV spots to be viewed by more than 7 million members
- Two complementary in-club signage pieces to be featured on the jewelry counters and in display cases in all club locations
Additional cross-platform complementary tactics:
- Six gas-station display screens
- Social posts on the Sam’s Club Facebook page
- Pinable functionality for Pinterest
- Seasonal emails
- Display media
- Mobile media
Now, Sam’s Club members can view seasonal product inventory, related content and more on any device or screen available. There really is more to love about shopping at Sam’s Club for all your Valentine’s Day gifts.
Heath Fogelman, Associate Director, Social & Mobile, Triad Retail Media
Once upon a time, shoppers went to a store, browsed the shelves and made a purchase before leaving. That experience is a process of the past, as consumers are increasingly relying on their mobile phones and tablets to browse and conduct product research before even setting foot in a retail location.
In fact, a new report from Latitude titled, “Next-Gen Retail: Mobile & Beyond,” found that mobile devices are fundamentally changing how consumers shop. Namely, when they shop on mobile devices, consumers are in a “zen-like” state of mind. The report claims that mobile shopping “makes people feel more relaxed, productive and informed, as well as more open-minded and receptive to discovering new things.”
Mobile marketing was once viewed as catching consumers while they are “on the go.” But the information introduced in this report suggests that marketers need to find new ways to reach mobile shoppers while they are in this relaxed state.
Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru was one of the first to discuss this new flavor of digital buying — what she refers to as “lean back” commerce. According to Mulpuru, the #1 place the smartphone is used is the living room (followed by the car and office, respectively). And the #1 place the tablet is used is also the living room, followed by the bedroom, then airports/planes. Consumers shopping from their couch or bed on a mobile device have a much different browsing behavior and shopping intent from those “lean forward” consumers shopping from their desks.
The challenge for agencies is to bring fresh ideas to their retail and brand clients about how to cater to this new group of “lean back,” “couch commerce” and “zen-like consumers.” We’ve seen that some of the best ways to do this include making sure online experiences are mobile optimized (or compatible, at minimum), targeting mobile media via geo-fencing and demographics, and making sure the user experience properly balances user engagement through links, store locators and other relevant calls to action.
To read more about Latitude’s new study, check out this MediaPost article, “Consumers Want Mobile-Enhanced Retail”
We are thrilled to announce that Triad has been acquired by Rockbridge Growth Equity, owned by Internet pioneer Dan Gilbert!
Rockbridge’s investment gives Triad access to a host of resources, data and analytics tools, enhanced technologies and partnerships that enable us to bring our clients even more advanced media solutions and shopper insights that will drive results.
You can read more about this exciting new partnership in today’s AdAge article.
Tom Boisvert, VP Product Innovation, Triad Retail Media
There are many ways to engage customers both in-store and at home on their mobile devices. For the past several years, retailers and brands have been experimenting with different channels and calls-to-action to figure out exactly what works (and what doesn’t). As an industry, we’ve finally reached a point where we as marketers can move beyond the experimental phase and execute strategic mobile campaigns. As we start 2013, we’d like to look at what’s working, and help brands and retailers plan their mobile strategy for the new year.
As with any advertising channel, it’s important in mobile to have a mix of reach and personalization. For example, a mobile banner campaign might have the broadest reach, but a branded mobile game will deliver a richer experience and really engage with the customer. So how do you go about finding the right balance? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
Mobile provider Celtra recently analyzed 170 mobile campaigns. It found that the most successful mobile tactic was location-based services, followed by gaming and video. Here is the breakdown:
- 18.8% of mobile users engaged with location-based features
- 13.9% engaged with gaming features
- 9.6% engaged with video content
- 9.3% engaged with branding and presentation content
- 8% engaged with social media (9.1% interacted via Twitter; 6.1% interacted via Facebook)
The study also included some interesting details about calls-to-action and exit destinations. The most popular by far was asking a user to visit a mobile website (58%), followed by downloading apps (23%) and getting tickets (16%); surprisingly, coupons ranked the lowest (3%).
So what does this mean for your mobile strategy? It’s clear from looking at these numbers that personalization is important to mobile users. Delivering customers an advertisement based on their specific location is by far the most successful tactic. Also, never underestimate the power of information. In the study, promotions such as coupons were much less successful than we would have predicted. Users were more interested in visiting mobile sites and downloading apps, both informational rather than promotional. Of course, creativity is still at the core of everything we do as marketers. Reaching the right audience at the right time with a personalized message is the key to successful mobile campaigns.
Heath Fogelman, Associate Director, Social & Mobile, Triad Retail Media
Move over, Facebook and Twitter — there’s a new sheriff in the retail world by the name of Pinterest. That’s right … according to a recent report by eMarketer, consumers are following more retailers on Pinterest than on any other social property — including Facebook and Twitter.
The popularity and growth of Pinterest has been widely reported — and with good reason. No site has ever grown in size so quickly — 10 million unique monthly visitors in less than two years, according to findings from comScore. Current estimates place the total U.S. Pinterest audience at more than 23 million users as of July 2012 — or, about 10 percent of all Internet users
Let’s take a quick look at Pinterest’s core group of users*:
• 66% are ages 35 and older
• Average age of user = 40.1 years
• 79% of users are female
In addition, the site’s influence on purchasing decisions is incredible. According to BlogHer, close to half of all female Pinterest users in the U.S. made a purchase based on something they viewed on the site. That’s compared to one-third of female users who make purchase decisions based on what they see on Facebook and Twitter.
In addition to these powerful numbers, consider this:
• Pinterest users tend to spend more money per session and buy more items
• They also tend to share, which is the core of social commerce
While the retailers and brands seeing the greatest returns from Pinterest are those specializing in home goods, apparel and accessories, we expect this will continue to evolve as more creative implementations happen around other categories, such as consumer packaged goods.
Have you been using Pinterest to reach shoppers? We’d love to hear about your use of Pinterest, or any creative campaigns that you think set the bar for how social marketing should be conducted on this rapidly-growing platform.
And, for tips on creating your first Pinterest campaign, check out our blog post, “What Brands Need to Create a Successful Pinterest Campaign.”
*Sources: Compete, July 2012, DoubleClick
Will Cohen, Director of Emerging Media & Product Innovation, Triad Retail Media
As our population becomes increasingly connected through digital and social, holiday trends are also shifting. Here is what we see as the five biggest trends in retail this holiday season:
1. Mobile Enhances the Store Experience
Marketers are using mobile initiatives not only to reach customers at home, but also to engage them with the brand while they are in-store. Stop & Shop recently launched its Scan It! app, which allows shoppers to keep track of their groceries and simplifies the checkout process. And several brands, including Taco Bell, Kraft and Duane Reade, have launched QR code campaigns throughout the year, and many more will continue into this holiday season, enabling shoppers to learn more about products and purchase online.
2. The Influence of Social Media and Apps on Mobile
Gartner predicts that “by 2015, companies will generate 50 percent of Web sales via their social presence and mobile applications.” Mobile check-in apps let shoppers know where they can find the best deals nearby, saving them precious shopping time and their hard-earned money, while Pinterest and other “wish-list” apps provide idea generation and a place to remember those intended (albeit deferred) purchases.
3. Mobile Shopping Anywhere and Everywhere
The rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets has increased consumers’ connectivity with brands. Your customers now have the ability to shop from work, on the road, at home — virtually anywhere. We expect that tablet commerce will experience a huge spike this holiday season, as tablets provide the portability and convenience of other mobile devices, while maintaining the rich digital content consumers have come to expect from e-commerce.
4. Halloween Is the New Christmas
Christmas lights have been hung long before December, in fact, before Halloween in some malls. Retailers are taking advantage of the busiest shopping season of the year by launching promotions and deals earlier than ever before, starting online. This extended holiday shopping season (October–January) is intended to squeeze the most out of early birds and last-minute shoppers.
5. Cyber Monday Continues to Dominate
Black Friday saw more shoppers than last year browsing products from the comfort of their living rooms, thanks to digital commerce. According to a recent BizReport article, “in 2009 $889 million was spent online Cyber Monday, that grew to $1 billion in 2010 and $1.25 billion in 2011.” With the year-over-year increase in spending, Cyber Monday 2012 is estimated to top $1.4 billion.
To compete in this connected environment, marketers need to ensure a consistent and engaging experience across all its channels — the Web, social and mobile. What other trends are you seeing this holiday season?
Noble Carter, Director, Interactive Development, Triad Retail Media
Pocket Presence Part 2
With so many apps available, many brands are concerned their own app will get lost in the shuffle. But just like a good website, creating an app users love and use is all about two things: knowing what your customers are looking for and making it easy to find and access.
Easy to find
Remember to promote your mobile experience where your customers spend their time. If you find that your online desktop experience is a popular resource for product information, let your audience know what information they can also carry along with them on their phone to help guide their purchase decision. Include links to the app store allowing users to download and install your app directly to their phone from their desktop so they don’t have to go searching for it.
Social networks are also a key part of the desktop experience for most consumers, so use keyword searches to find relevant communities. By following and engaging in the discussions, you’ll see what questions your target demographic is asking and be better equipped to identify their challenges and offer solutions. The keys to successfully driving app downloads are easy access and simple installation.
Quick to access
If, on the other hand, your research shows that your audience is more inclined to look for that information in-store or while they’re out shopping, make sure your brand is available at just the right time with real-time mobile marketing techniques. Mobile scanning through the use of QR codes on shelves, packages, trays and endcaps is a great way to be found at the right time. This approach is most effective when used in conjunction with an optimized mobile Web presence for immediate loading of product information.
When integrating within the retailer site, it is crucial to remain no more than one or two clicks away from a search. Integrating with some retailers also opens opportunities to have ads for your mobile experience served to users when a competitor’s bar code is scanned with a phone. You can also take it one step further with geo-fences that alert consumers when they are in proximity to your product. This gives your app users convenient access as they approach the retailer.
While driving to the app is important, it’s also crucial that the mobile experience itself is easy to use, including quick navigation to key content and recommendations based on users’ needs. Mobile apps can also boost access speed by allowing the consumer to pre-plan their trip, leaving more time to decision-making while comfy at home.
How do you see smartphones enhancing the consumer experience throughout the next year? Tell us in the comments section below.
