Commentary

On Their Terms: In The Moment And On The Go

Multiply the $2.5 trillion of purchasing power controlled by mothers (BSM Media) by the 50% of moms who used a mobile device to make or influence purchases last year and what do you get? Okay, I know you can’t multiply unlike terms, but work with me here. You get a plethora of spending power funneling into one channel to buy, or influence the buying of, a wide variety of goods and services. What this means for marketers looking to speak to moms—and engage with them in new way—is that the mobile channel and the mobile device should be the linchpins of any brand’s strategic marketing plan. 

Volumes could be written about the various ways to engage mothers with mobile, but for now I want to focus on one specific tactic that has proven, both in the field and through independent research, to help drive moms to make purchases. I’m talking about strategic in-store messaging paired with mobile activated calls-to-action that deliver relevant, in-the-moment incentives to influence or cement purchasing decisions while moms are on the go. 

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How effective are real-time mobile incentives? 

Marketing Charts, a Watershed Publishing publication, recently ran a study that details how in-store messaging drives two out of three impulse buys, and this is particularly true for mothers with 68% of the respondents saying that they have been influenced by in-store messaging before making purchases. Combine this data with the fact that female respondents were 70% more likely than average to download and redeem mobile coupons or discounts a trend emerges that offers brands and marketers actionable tactics for increasing engagement and driving revenues. 

What this means for brands looking to influence buying decisions with mothers at or immediately preceding the point of purchase is that they must ensure their advertising appears in bricks and mortar retail locations, and, if possible, those advertisements should include a mobile component that will deliver tangible value to a potential customer and help entice the purchase. 

So the research tells us one thing, but what about real life?

Two brands that clearly understand the value of this tactic are Target and Nickelodeon. These influential companies have strong ties to both mothers and their children and they teamed up to use mobile to provide targeted content and rewards based around Nick’s “Dora Rocks” products to customers while they were in the store. 

The truly interesting piece of the campaign, however, is that they used mobile to deliver unique and relevant content to moms and their children simultaneously. For moms who responded to the in-store messaging on their mobile devices they received a digital coupon for money off anything related to Nickelodeon’s “Dora the Explorer” while also delivering exclusive Dora audio content for the enjoyment of their children. The end result was that mom got the much-needed discount and the kids received free entertainment all from the same, simple mobile campaign. The promotion was a clear success garnering a 30% coupon redemption rate and enticing engagement at a rate 10 times higher than normal for prior initiatives that didn’t include a digital component. 

Another well-known brand getting in on the mobile action is Huggies. Recently Huggies used in-store signage and FSI placements to entice moms to download a coupon going towards the purchase of specific child-care products. Knowing that moms are usually in a rush and always in need of a little extra cash back whenever possible, Huggies delivered tangible value while also giving moms a platform to engage with them in real time and help increase brand loyalty going forward. The mobile optimized messaging and rewards garnered four times the normal engagement that Huggies usually sees with their coupon programs which means four times the moms interacting favorably with the brand. Not a bad result.

Moms are always on the go and in need for ways to save a little money. Help them out by leveraging in-store advertising and pairing that with relevant mobile content and discounts to put your brand’s message in front moms on their own terms. Not to mention, give them powerful incentives to engage with your company immediately and in the future. Moms are a powerful market and building a mutually beneficial relationship with them will only strengthen your bottom line and help create sustainability for your business.

1 comment about "On Their Terms: In The Moment And On The Go".
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  1. Mike Einstein from the Brothers Einstein, November 1, 2013 at 11:43 a.m.

    I love this stuff, Joe. They're definitely in the moment and on the go, that's for sure. But to suggest that it's on anyone other than the media's terms is an insult to logic, common sense and Moms everywhere.

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