Stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues are in a unique position to leverage mobile marketing because of their ability to target local foot traffic. They can set up location-based Bluetooth broadcasts that send marketing messages directly to the consumer when they are in the area. They can also develop strategies that incorporate outdoor advertising, to allow users to text in for specials, menus, show times, directions, or other information.
In many instances, urban areas are largely segmented by the type of business in the area. Shopping, restaurants, and entertainment venues might be in one area; business and commerce locations might be in another; and transportation services might be in another. This makes targeting your mobile marketing message simple because the potential recipients have self-identified their interests.
The type of messaging that works best for brick-and-mortar stores depends on the product or service being provided. In general, your mobile messaging should be as specific and actionable as possible. If you are a store, give specific deals with expiration dates and instructions for redemption. If you are a restaurant, send out your specials for the evening and include prices. Restaurants can even allow visitors to text in to get on a waiting list, or receive a text message when their table is ready. Concert venues or clubs can let people know important details about the show, such as who will be playing and when, and how much it costs to get into the venue.
Brick-and-Mortar Establishments Case Study 1
In Oswestry, England, in 2007, a text-messaging campaign created by a restaurant called The Venue encouraged diners to text the word "Venue" to a short code to add themselves to a list that would receive special offers and notifications via text. After only two text-message broadcasts, the average number of diners in the restaurant more than tripled. This was ideal for the restaurant because it could send out text messages at exactly the time it wanted to bring in foot traffic. The restaurant also noted that this approach saved time and money compared to the print flyers it had tried previously.
Brick-and-Mortar Establishments Case Study 2
In 2009, T-Mobile launched a Bluetooth marketing campaign that targeted London shoppers as they passed local T-Mobile stores. Graphics in store windows encouraged passersby to activate their Bluetooth. Those who did, or who already had Bluetooth enabled, were sent messages encouraging them to upgrade their phone to one of the T-Mobile exclusive handsets. T-Mobile reported an increase in foot traffic and sales in stores, and noted that customers seemed very interested in the marketing initiative.
Brick-and-Mortar Establishments Case Study 3
In 2007 in Las Vegas, the MGM Grand created a marketing campaign that started with "moving billboards" driving the strip. (These were actually small trucks with billboards on the rear of the cabs.) The billboards advertised the award-winning nightlife at venues within the MGM Grand and encouraged pedestrians to text in to be "added to the VIP list." People who texted in a code were sent a response asking for their first and last name and the number of people in their party. The campaign successfully drove traffic into the casinos and also helped build a database of people who opted in to receive text messages.
