Archive for November, 2010

Mobile coupons have become a far more important way to reach retail shoppers than ever before and the results are starting to pay off.

According to Insight Express, 10% of all consumers admitted to having gone to a retail store due to receiving a mobile coupon.  Of young adults 18-34, 20% said they had gone to a retail store due to having received a mobile coupon or other mobile offer.

Here’s how consumers wish to receive your mobile coupons?

Send me coupons by text message!

Or, should we say: 62% of retailer are still NOT using mobile marketing.

Retailers are learning mobile sells.

According to a study from Aberdeen, only 18% of retailers were using mobile at the end of 2008.  Since then, however, the increase in the use of smartphones and improvements to other mobile technology has increased a retailer’s excitement for mobile.

The study surveyed 129 retailers this summer to find that 38% are using mobile.  Another 50% are not far behind, said the study, and do plan to use mobile marketing some day.  15% said they would employ mobile within the next year.

Retailers are anxious to begin to employ mobile for merchandise promotions, mobile coupons, mobile advertising, and retail loyalty programs.  Of course, at the core of any mobile program is text message marketing.

And, with Black Friday on us, what could be a better blog post than one that discussed mobile marketing for retailers?

Many politicians employed text message advertising during the recent sweeping Republican victories in the 2010 elections.

Texting is gaining popularity in part because its often the only way to reach the voter, especially the younger voter, as more and more Americans ditch their landline phones in exchange for becoming cell phone only households.

“Texts are great, because there’s a really high open rate for those,” said US Senate candidate Robin Carnahan.  Like many candidates, Carnahan hoped to capitalize on the success of the Barack Obama campaign that helped launch the Illinois senator to the presidency just two years ago.

Mobile marketing has never been hotter than during 2010, but it won’t hit $1 billion in sales until next year.

So, if you think mobile has been hot in 2010, I’ll bet you can’t wait for 2011.

Mobile advertising spend is up $416 million in 2010 versus 2009–a whopping 79% gain.  Next year, a similar increase will bring the mobile advertising industry to in excess of $1.1 billion, according to a study by eMarketer (Sep 2010).

Text message advertising remains the top producer this year, estimated to be a $327 million industry.