• by Raquel Cadourcy , May 16, 2014

The mobile phone is the modern day concierge, especially for consumers with a luxury appetite. They use mobile devices to shop online, share photos via Instagram, send text messages, check emails, and more, which is why mobile marketing should always be included as part of a brand’s consumer engagement experience.

Including mobile strategy in a marketing plan is much more than simply having a mobile-optimized site. Looking at a brand like Uber, which relies on mobile capabilities to serve its loyal customer base, can provide some inspiration for luxury brands that want to take mobile marketing to the next level.

Here’s where luxury brands can start when implementing a mobile campaign to increase customer loyalty, engagement and drive sales:

Start Small

Implementing engagement campaigns doesn’t need to start as a global effort. Mobile campaigns have the capability of being narrow-casted to reach a local audience. And if a luxury brand has a lot of hoops to jump through to get approval from an international headquarters, pitching a localized effort will serve as a great case study. Uber is known for its loyal users in more than 70 cities. It has thrived with on-demand services and because of this, has launched a new pilot in New York, offering a courier service to their loyal customers. 

Let’s put a luxury lens on this: A recent Wall Street Journal article discussed how customers like to browse in stores, think about their purchase, then buy the item online. But, who wants their $400 designer sunglasses sitting on a doorstep? A simple way to launch a mobile customer service campaign is to do a beta program in one city. Invite customers to opt in for texts on the status of their new sunglasses. When the package is nearing delivery, they’ll receive a text saying the sunglasses will arrive within the hour. It’s a mobile white-glove experience.

Master Rewards Programs

Many luxury brands shy away from mobile rewards programs because they believe it’s only for sending discounts or coupons. But, it’s possible to reward customers and increase loyalty without monetary incentives. Uber recently rolled out Uber VIP in New York for users who have taken more than 100 rides. VIP riders receive the highest-rated drivers over Uber’s standard Black service in New York, providing them with a higher-quality experience.

Let’s put a luxury lens on this: For a brand that just came out with next season’s clutch, have customers opt in to a loyalty program that sends text message updates. Use SMS messaging to send an exclusive text that lets loyal customers know the new bags have arrived in their city, and how many are available for purchase. Text messages receive a 99% open rate, making it an effective tool for communication.

Engage on Social Media

One common misconception about mobile campaigns is they only involve coupons or building a mobile site. This is not the case. Some of the best mobile campaigns live on social media and provide consumers with an excellent way to engage with brands. For example, Uber uses social media to unveil promotions that support local charities, provide exclusive restaurant offers, offer VIP event tickets, opportunities for free car service and more.

Let’s put a luxury lens on this: Marc Jacobs is searching for its next model using social media-based casting. The brand is engaging with its consumers by asking them to submit a photo to be the next face of Marc by Marc Jacobs. This campaign provides an excellent way to give the brand a personality, increase social media activity, brand loyalty and customer engagement. Would wearing a Marc Jacobs item build the case for why someone should win? Probably.

The path to customer loyalty doesn’t need to include a complex matrix of mobile campaigns. It can start small and build into an integrated part of a luxury brand’s overall marketing strategy. Watch for what popular consumer brands — luxury or not — are doing to engage with consumers via mobile, and see if there is some way to put a luxury lens on the engagement tactics. No matter the target audience, there is still a valuable lesson to be learned from smart consumer marketing and integrating it into mobile strategy.