Mobile Marketing: An Example of Excellence

Starbucks is the best example of how a business has embraced mobile technology and run with it. It is no wonder that it was awarded the 2012 Marketer of the Year title, the highest honor bestowed by the MobileMarketer.com website.

What makes Starbucks a clear champion is the business’s thorough, 360-degree mobile advertising strategy that provides a number of different functions and develops an ongoing partnership between the label and its clients.

As opposed to putting its money into a single mobile channel, Starbucks sees to it it has a presence on each and every one.

Channel 1: SMS

SMS is perhaps one of the most efficient channels marketing experts utilize to create an ongoing discussion with consumers and drive brand name involvement.

Starbucks has utilized SMS a great deal, not just to build its My Starbucks Rewards program, but to additionally keep opted-in consumers in-the-know concerning the most recent promotions and discounts.

SMS is the basis of the coffee titan’s My Starbucks Rewards. To get involved, customers are motivated to text the keyword GOLD to the short code 697289.

Moreover, to drive as many opt-ins as possible, Starbucks has actually relied on in-store signage and e-mail to ramp up its SMS program efforts.

By means of the My Starbucks Rewards program, customers can easily earn perks when they pay with their Starbucks Card. Free drinks and refills are just some of the benefits of the program.

Channel 2: QR codes

In addition to SMS, Starbucks has made use of QR codes extensively.

The Business’s way of utilizing QR codes is very different from that of other online marketers. Rather than placing them on and inside everything, Starbucks tactically positioned the codes where they would be maximally visible to consumers. To promote its Blonde, Medium and Dark roasts earlier this year, for instance, Starbucks positioned QR codes on bookmark fliers that were distributed to consumers.

When browsed, the mobile QR code took coffee fans to the business’s mobile-optimized internet site where they had the ability to see an online video and find out more concerning the company’s coffee.

Most recently, Starbucks utilized QR codes to advertise its Verismo items, and also allow consumers to buy the products by means of their mobile phones after they scanned the QR code.

Channel 3: Augmented Reality

Rather than just utilizing one interactive technology, such as QR codes, to drive customer engagement, Starbucks also dipped its toes into augmented reality.

In 2011, Starbucks introduced an augmented reality application to deliver its holiday red cups to life. The business continued its push on Valentine’s Day to once again popularize the cups.

The project was a winning strategy on Starbucks’ part due to the fact that it allowed consumers to interact with their coffee cups in a brand new, intriguing method.

Yet another aspect that puts Starbucks ahead of other online retailers is the business’s superior experience in mobile payments. The coffee giant is one of the foremost players in the mobile commerce arena.

Channel 4: Mobile Apps

Starbucks has also been a pioneer in the harnessing of mobile apps. It presents its mobile apps on a range of platforms such as iPhone, iPad and Google Play, which are consistently updated to keep consumers current.

Starbucks unveiled its mobile payments and loyalty app in 2010.

Using the Starbucks Card mobile app, consumers could examine their balance, refill their card and view deals.

The mobile payments and loyalty app began with 16 selected Starbucks shops in Silicon Valley and Seattle and at any U.S. Target Starbucks outlet. This grew to 6,800 company-operated stores a year on.

As of November, Howard Schultz, president/CEO of Starbucks, announced the business is seeing at least 2000 mobile payment purchases occur weekly.

With its integration into Apple’s Passbook, Starbucks has demonstrated that it is an innovator in the mobile payments space. Competitors such as Dunkin’ Donuts are as expected following suit with their own mobile payments applications.

Conclusion

For every holiday season, celebration and new product, Starbucks makes use of mobile marketing as described above. The coffee bar chain recognizes the power of the channel and remains to count on it to steer in-store website traffic, sales and understanding of brand-new products.

A mobile-friendly website plus QR codes plus loyalty/payment apps plus augmented reality: that’s a dynamite combination, and one that every business needs for drawing in the enormous base of prospective customers that mobile users represent. Make sure yours has it!

(Of course, if you need any of these things done for you, we provide them all. Go to our mobile marketing services page to learn more.)

Source: Starbucks is 2012 Mobile Marketer of the Year