Well-known brands generally have different goals than lesser-known companies. Their objectives are more focused on maintaining brand equity and building brand loyalty, which can be done very effectively with mobile marketing. Most of the first forays into mobile marketing were undertaken by big brands that wanted to test the channel. Big brands tend to have bigger budgets that they can use to test new technologies and to reinvent themselves to appear innovative and new.
Big brands also usually have more research and information about their customers, to help segment and direct their marketing efforts. To target their messages appropriately, big brands—especially big brands that have a variety of product lines— should limit their mobile messaging to a specific type of product or service. For example, someone who wants to buy a S30 leather dog collar from Coach is likely very different from the person who wants a full set of Coach luggage. Similarly, a shopper who is interested in Apple software may be very different from a shopper who is interested in an iPod Shuffle.
Brands Case Study 1
Many international car manufacturers have made a good entrance into mobile marketing, the most notable being BMW, which has undertaken a number of great mobile marketing projects. To sell more snow tires in fall 2008, BMW tire centers in Germany sent customized MMS messages to all the people in their customer database who owned BMWs. The message reminded recipients of the importance of snow tires in bad driving conditions. It had a personalized greeting, recommended a specific tire for their car, gave the price, and listed dealerships in their area. The campaign achieved 30% conversion rate, which is no doubt attributable to the targeted nature of the offer to their list of recipients.
Brands Case Study 2
Starbucks is another company that embraced mobile marketing early. Starbucks tried a number of different campaigns, but in 2009, it launched a mobile loyalty campaign in Mexico that saw tremendous success. It started with postcards that encouraged the recipient to text the word "Starbucks" to a short code. When users texted in, they received a 2D barcode (QR codes) coupon that could be scanned off
the phone in the Starbucks cafes. The offer changed each time the barcode was scanned, so recipients were encouraged to redeem the coupon multiple times. Starbucks experienced a 60% redemption rate on the first redemption of the coupons, and the program created an engaged audience of recipients.
Brands Case Study 3
NASCAR is another big brand that has had massive success with mobile marketing. NASCAR has gone in a different direction, working directly with carriers such as Sprint to provide fans with special NASCAR features on some handsets that Sprint offers. NASCAR has also had success with text messaging and ring tone downloads, as well as Bluetooth location-based marketing at races. NASCAR has integrated mobile marketing with TV broadcasts during races and with its branded reality show, NASCAR Angels. Additionally, NASCAR has experimented with mobile microsites dedicated to helping its audience save gas. This project has included a mobile coupon element that gave participants discounts at ExxonMobile and Auto Zone.
