LOCATION. LOCATION. LOCATION.

It’s all about location.

It is critical for brands to understand the consumer journey and what are the touch points during this path. These key moments represent the times when a consumer is more open to purchase or consume a certain product and when it becomes really relevant to deliver a call-to-action.

To know about those moments means collecting multiple data about the consumers and his behaviour. And knowing about their location means that the brands can connect and engage with the consumer at the right moment.

Location-enabled advertising is not a new concept but the different arrays of the technology and the proliferation of smartphones are only now allowing marketers to take full advantage of it.

Location data is playing an important asset for brands to connect with consumers in the real world, and the smartphone is being the key communication channel to deliver that engagement everywhere.

Pre-installed mobile wallets applications on smartphones, such as Apple Wallet or Android Pay, allow brands to reach their audience in a relevant and compelling way, giving the opportunity for marketers to benefit from mobile wallets as a new mobile marketing communication channel.

And one of the most interesting features of mobile wallets is the possibility to engage in real-time with the consumers using native location-based technology or by interacting with beacons. Marketers can specify strategic locations or associate beacons to the mobile wallet, in order to trigger location-based notifications directly to the consumer smartphone.

Learn more and try to create your own location-based mobile wallet marketing campaigns with a free Passworks trial.

MOBILE WALLETS ADVANTAGES

Apple Wallet (including Apple Pay), Android Pay and Samsung Pay are changing how we interact with our phone by implementing mobile wallet functionalities that go beyond payments. We are now able to store, save, share coupons, store or loyalty cards, rewards, boarding passes, event tickets, while engaging with the users in real-time.

Mobile wallets are simple to implement and a highly effective for a brand and business to interact with their clients, not only in real-time but also based on their location.

Here are some of mobile wallet marketing main advantages:

Take advantage of native Apps
Reach prospects that do not have your App installed through mobile passes in mobile wallets native Apps, such as Apple Wallet, Android Pay or Samsung Pay. Build marketing campaigns and programs that “live” inside your customers’ smartphone.
Promote your own App
Take the opportunity to promote your app through a mobile channel with the ability to open or install it directly from the digital pass.

Passworks Platform_Add Pass copy

Ease of use on how to install a mobile wallet pass
You can distribute your mobile wallet pass by sending and email or an SMS with a url link, by printing or embedding a QR code on a website or App or even sending the .pkpass file as an attachment.

Mobile wallet pass content can be updated in real-time
With real-time multiple content, value and look & feel updates, you have the opportunity to establish an on-going conversation with your consumers, in order to keep them always up-to-date.

Send push notifications
Engage with your audience through a mobile channel in a convenient and relevant way: send messages to promote offers, make reminders and inform updates directly to your consumers’ smartphone, giving you the chance to be on your consumers’ top-of-mind.

Trigger location-based notifications
Take the advantage of the location-based technology by defining geo-based and beacons-based messages which will be triggered when passing by your store or a specific and strategic location.

Besides the great advantages, there’s a true power of timing regarding the use of mobile wallet marketing on a communication strategy and of each use case: there are different types of passes for different purposes just as much as the same type of pass can be used to achieve so many goals. Don’t miss this chance to use mobile as a strategy. Start now!

APPLE WALLET NEWS WITH IOS 9.3

Apple just launched the new version of the operating system: iOS 9.3. Despite not being spoken on March 2016 Apple event there were small changes/improvements on Apple Wallet.

App Icon

Apple Wallet has been an amazing channel for brands to engage with their customers and one of the features was allowing brands to promote their App at the back of their passes.

With the new iOS 9.3, if a brand integrates the App with the pass, the App icon will also appear on the bottom left of the front of the pass where previously was the share icon

If you tap on the icon one of two things will happen; if the App is already install it will automatically open, otherwise you will be directed to the App store to download the App.

Share Link

Since the begging of Apple Wallet on the bottom left corner of the pass there was share icon. By tapping on that icon users were allowed to share their pass via message, mail or airdrop.

In iOS 9.3, and covered by previous point, the share icon has been removed and now appears on the back of the pass as a link right bellow the Automatic Updates and Suggest on Lock Screen.

HOW TO DELIVER A PASS INTO YOUR CUSTOMER MOBILE WALLET?

A Mobile Wallet Pass can take the form of a membership card, a boarding pass, a coupon, an event ticket, a store card and others.

It is really easy for a customer to install a Mobile Wallet Pass. The most common ways to distribute it are shown below.

EMAIL

You can distribute your mobile pass by sending an email to your customers with the url link, a .pkpass file or the QR code of the mobile pass to be scanned.

SMS

Communicate the url link of your pass via a text message.

MARKETING MATERIALS

Insert the QR code of your pass on your marketing materials for customers to install the pass directly into the mobile wallet, once they scan it.

WEBSITE

Enable customers to install your mobile pass directly from your website by adding a add to wallet button (mobile) or a QR code to be scanned (desktop).

MOBILE APP

Allow your customer to store a mobile pass directly from your mobile app.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Integrate and communicate your pass from mobile social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter

On-Going Conversation & Customer Engagement

Mobile Wallets allow to start on-going conversations with your customers by managing the wallet pass. With the ability to do real-time pass updates, you can refresh the content of the pass frequently according to your brand strategy, so your customers always have an up-to-date pass and keep it on their mobile device indefinitely.

Paez, an international Argentinian shoes brand, provides exclusive value to their customers through Paez mobile wallet pass.

Paez first mobile wallet pass

Paez wallet pass is regularly updated to communicate new campaigns and deals, while giving Paez a powerful on-going mobile engagement channel and the ability to amplify an offer when it real counts. In this way, Paez is giving to their customers the opportunity to get the most value of their shopping experience.

Mobile wallets are proving to be a great tool to improve customer experience and delivering sales growth. Paez is already on-board with happy customer and great results!

SMARTPHONE USERS WANT REAL-TIME PROMOTIONS

Mobile is fast changing the retail landscape, specially when it comes to real-time promotions. Accenture^* surveyed more than 10.000 adult smartphones users worldwide, who shopped both in-store and digitally for the past 3 months.

Consumers use their smartphone when shopping and receiving real-time promotions is one of top smartphone retail services they desire.

Nearly half of smartphone user worldwide said they can´t wait to receive real-time promotions from retailer on their smartphone device. Also, 42% said they want the ability to credit coupons and discounts automatically.

Despite the majority of the respondents mentioned they want to receive real-time promotions, the fact is that only 7% of worldwide retailers are offer that service to their consumers.

Retailers understand the benefits of higher mobile engagement and Mobile wallets are one of the methods that retailers can have to give to their customers what they want. With Mobile Wallets, such as Apple Wallet or Android Pay, retailers can send to their customers’ real-time promotions and offers without the need for an App.

By taking advantage of the non-payment side of Mobile Wallets, the retailers can create a Perpetual Coupon that once is installed on the smartphone opens a real-time communication channel between the retailer and customer.

The Coupon can be updated in real-time with new promotions or offers according to the retailers’ strategy.
Directly send a notification to the customer´s lock screen alerting them of the new promotion.
Creates geo-fences and/or beacons that tie for a more personalized experience.

^* Source: Accenture February 2016 “Retail customers are shouting – Are you adapting?”

The new Passworks platform is here!

At Passworks our customers are always our focus, and as a result, we’ve just released the new version of our platform. Many of you have already experienced the new platform and be sure we appreciated all the feedback received.

Aside of many small improvements, the new platform brings:

A cleaner and more intuitive interface to design the passes and roll out the campaigns;
New features adding even more value to what our customers are already doing, including CSV file integration, EAN128/GS1 – 1D barcode integration, among other features, and preparation for upcoming releases;
New pricing model with monthly and yearly subscriptions in order to give you control over your campaign’s budget and, of course, with everything included (unlimited push notifications, pass updates, etc);
Several new functionalities were added to our API: https://api.passworks.io;

The right moment for Mobile Wallets…

The shift to mobile is definitely happening in 2016! For more information or support to create your mobile coupon campaign contact us.

Have a great week! 🙂

*Sources: Forrester’s Consumer Technographics Financial Services Survey; NCH Marketing Services & State of the Mobile Coupon Industry report by Koupon Media

Passworks at RBTE 2016!

Passworks team will be present again at the RBTE event on March 9th & 10th at Olympia, in London!

Feel free to contact us to arrange a speed dating meeting or come by and visit us at stand 159 to further discuss what are the new features of mobile wallets and Beacons! We will be happy to meet you! 🙂

SEPHORA DIGITAL STRATEGY & THE IMPORTANCE OF APPLE WALLET

Sephora has built a reputation as a big player in mobile. The Sephora mobile strategy is wide ranging and might seem complex, but there is a pattern that they use repeatedly.

First, and most important, Sephora strategy is customer focussed and on providing an informed experience, rather than holistic or technology focussed. Secondly, with the customer always at the centre, Sephora develops integrated cross-channel strategies that merge seamless for the customer.

“Sephora strategy
is customer-focused
and on providing
an informed experience”

Sephora knows digital. They know the importance of mobile and how mobile fits into the bigger picture, whether online or offline and, most of all, they understand how to combine and move between channels in a way that makes sense to their customers.

Sephora have their hands in Web, App, social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest), CRM, email, SMS, mobile commerce, digital loyalty using Apple Wallet Passes (Passbook) and more.

Main Elements of Sephora’s Mobile Strategy

Updated & excellent usability on the Website
Good mobile App
CRM with Email and SMS
Apple Wallet (Passbook) with Loyalty Card, Discount Coupons and Gift Cards
Integration with social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
Mobile Shopping experience
Seamless experience across functionalities and promotions
Active promotion of mobile features across all channels

Overview of Mobile Results and Performance

1/3 of all traffic to the Sephora website is from mobile devices
Over 50% of Sephora’s emails are opened on mobile devices
Mobile website m.sephora.com (full shopping and Beauty Insider)
Successful Sephora Apps
More than 600,000 Sephora customers who have their Loyalty Card installed it on Apple Wallet
Apple Wallet users spend twice as much annually and purchase twice as frequently as average Sephora customers

“1/3 of all traffic to the Sephora website is from mobile devices”

There is a lot to learn from the way Sephora has implemented their mobile strategy. Sephora has driven significant value from connecting in-store and offline media with Mobile Apps and Apple Wallet Passes, using multiple channels to build awareness. Email, SMS, Mobile Media, QR Codes and loyalty programmes have been put to good effect in supporting consistent brand messaging throughout.

For retailers, integration with existing loyalty programs makes excellent sense as a first step into mobile. And the use of services like Apple Wallet to enable digital loyalty cards, offers and coupon redemption are a must have without the need to build custom technology.

It´s official, Customer Experience is in Charge

Customer experience emerged in 2014 as a top priority for marketers. In 2015 gained its momentum. Now, it is the main priority for marketers.

Adobe Digital 2016 Trends Report tells the customer experience story. The report shows that top marketers talked about their most exciting opportunity, and the top three answers were i) “optimising the customer experience”, ii) “creating compelling content for digital experiences” and iii) “data-driven marketing that focuses on the individual”.

Customer Experience

Other important key findings on the Digital Trend Report include:

Customer experience remains a top priority and is now defining other priorities;
Marketers’ strategic priorities for 2016 are very much centred on data, but more than 1 in 3 report difficulties in attracting and keeping analysts;
Increased collaboration between creative and marketing will benefit customer experience optimisation;
Personalisation and content optimisation are the highest priority digital-related areas;
Mobile remains a top-3 priority for more than half of the respondents.

Meaning that Marketers in every sector are embracing this new customer experience reality.

And while it brings new challenges, it inspires creativity, enthusiasm and success.

Mobile Wallet Marketing is a key tool to allow Marketers to put their customer at the center of their mobile marketing strategy and deliver a best in class customer experience while being capable to make data-driven decisions and activities.