by Mike Sharman (@MikeSharman) Having judged the recent AMASA awards, I was privy to a campaign from a fast-food outlet that used mobile coupons in the most simple, yet effective, manner: push a deal to target customer, customer redeems coupon, and is immediately served an additional call to action. Up-sell FTW. Boom.
What started out as a humble soft-serve ice-cream hook (we know how irresistible those vanilla swirls of goodness are) converted into an end result with an ROI — with real sales — that would make any marketer envious. In this example, more than 1m coupons were redeemed. That’s incredible.
Much opportunity exists
We know the stats. Mobile penetration in South Africa is more than 100%, 13m smartphones, blah blah blah, but why aren’t we taking more advantage of the handset in people’s pockets? So much opportunity exists in the mobile-coupon space.
Many brands will argue that, operationally, it is a logistical nightmare to incorporate a coupon solution into their legacy (read: archaic) POS systems. However, there are a range of solutions that exist, externally, that need not rely upon the integration into existing infrastructure. From WeChat to service providers such as wiGroup, a brand maak a proverbial plan!
Strategy and tactics
As with all tactics, it is imperative that you approach coupons from a strategic point of view; this can’t be a me-too solution. What is the reason for redemption, and does the aforementioned up-sell opportunity exist within your bricks-and-mortar establishment? Most importantly, does a coupon execution support your business objectives and is it on brand?
Disclaimer: this is unlikely to be a premium-brand solution ;)
Fortunately, unlike social media, you can opt to turn a coupon tactic on or off at your convenience. It also allows for greater experimentation without exorbitant financial investment.
What is your approach?
With the festive splurge upon us and a cacophony of Christmas-special clutter at every retail corner, what is your approach to enticing customers into your store? How will you adapt this Silly Season?
Mike Sharman (@MikeSharman) is co-founder of Retroviral, a digital communications agency specialising in content creation, community engagement and client commerce wins. He understands the platforms to guide brands on how to execute the stories, in order to have a direct impact on sales. Mike contributes the monthly “Tech Speak” column, dedicated to the advancements on the marketing-technology front and addressing the trend of tech vs storytelling, to MarkLives.com.
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