Archive for January, 2011

The growing use of smartphone technology and the economic downturn have caused a boom for cost-conscious consumers to clip more coupons.  Only, now, they don’t need to clip them.  They are finding them on their mobile phones.

While smartphones are a great resource for distribution of mobile coupons, it is important for the savvy retailer to use text message coupons as well since the penetration of those who text is far greater than those who own smartphones.

A recent survey shows how smartphone users would like to receive mobile coupons:

• 79% download to mobile phone
• 73% as they pass by an item in a store

Conversely, only 48% have downloaded a coupon from their PC.

It’s not surprising.  Today’s young consumer is more likely to forget his or her wallet or purse than their cell phone.

(Source — Accenture)

Marketers that want to reach Hispanics should turn to text message marketing and other forms of mobile marketing as according to Scarborough Research, cell phone use by Hispanics is increasing at a faster rate than it is among the general population.

Since 2005, Hispanics use of cell phones increased by 25% compared to 18% by the general public.  Today, 82% of Hispanic adults use cell phones, almost equivalent to the 84% used by the general adult populace.  19% of Hispanics own smartphones.

Hispanics use text messages at a greater rate than the norm, 64% versus 56%.  Hispanics also use their cell phones to access the mobile web at a rate of almost 3 times that of the general public.

It simply makes sense to make your brand stand out to the Hispanic market via mobile marketing. Hispanics tend to be younger and more urban and are more likely to live in cell phone only households. Hispanics also spend more time on their cell phone than the general public.

Pizza is big business and small pizza businesses are hoping to get a bigger slice of the pie with text message marketing.

There are nearly 65,000 pizzerias in the USA.  Of those, the top 50 chains make up 42% of the pizza stores and 48% of the overall industry sales.  That leaves a lot of room for small single shop pizzerias to make a significant impact on the industry.  Unlike other industries where the super-stores have taken over and made it difficult for entrepreneurs to compete, pizza shops are of a different flavor.

But, what is the secret sauce for increasing sales at pizza shops?

Certainly, the large chains have discovered that mobile marketing is one way to help sales mushroom.  Little Caesar’s, Papa John’s and Domino’s have used text message marketing to offer mobile coupons to drive pizza sales in this sluggish economy. Papa John’s went one step further and developed an iPhone app to entice its fans to order any item from its menu via the app.

And, Americans are eating it up.  $38 billion worth of pizza were sold in 2009–52% by small pizza restaurant providers.

Many of those pizzas are now being sold with the help of a special topping–text message marketing.  The US pizza industry spent $545 million on advertising last year and an increasing part of that advertising investment is going to text message marketing.

Savvy pizzeria owners like Main Line Pizza in Wayne, Pennsylvania are jumping on the mobile marketing bandwagon.  Main Line Pizza encourages its customers to text MLPIZZA to 84444 to get the special offer of the week.  Advertisements are on its pizza boxes, on the door to its restaurant, and even on the local Little League field outfield fence.

Main Line Pizza, like many other privately-owned pizza restaurants, maintains a database of its customers who have sent a text message to its short code offer.  Then, Main Line Pizza sends special offers via broadcast text message to its database.  Its a great way to keep Main Line front of mind and a great time to reach Wayne, Pennsylvania pizza fans when they are most likely to buy: just before lunch or dinner or during a big game like the upcoming Super Bowl.

Sounds like a winning game plan.