September 17, 2011
Through our Decision Mapping process, Suitcase helps to define a Customer Journey that enables marketers to engage and motivate consumers by delivering the right message through the right media to the right person at the right place. We call these the Four R’s of engagement. This new infographic published by AdAge is a great snapshot of who’s consuming what media, and when.
Category: Advertising, Customer Journey, Decision Mapping, Engagement Marketing, Infographics, Location Based Marketing, Location-Based Experiences, Media, Media Consumption
When it comes to the tourism industry, there’s arguably not a more competitive sector than accommodations. Destination marketing campaigns and core attractions may bring in the visitors, but it’s the hotels who fight to put their share of “heads in beds”, as the saying goes. Amidst fierce price competition and a more value-driven consumer, hotels are sharpening their marketing strategies and expanding their media mix to include new engagement tactics.
Category: Case Studies, Destination Marketing, Engagement Marketing, Facebook Marketing, Hotel Marketing, Local Marketing, Location Based Marketing, Location-Based Experiences, Mobile Apps, Mobile Commerce, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Tourism Marketing
You say “Crocs” and we say “No thanks,” but when it comes to implementing SMS campaigns, we’re all ears.
Crocs has been using mobile media to proactively engage consumers. Across 185 stores in the U.S., signage prompt shoppers with instructions to redeem a 15% off coupon.
By sending a text message on their mobile phone to a specified number, a special code is returned to the consumer that provides them a 15% discount on their Crocs purchase at the point-of-sale. Store staff help facilitate the process and encourage participants to opt-in to receive further messaging and deals from Crocs.
Seems pretty simple, but Crocs has distributed 94,000 coupons in the first month of the campaign. Shoppers who opt-in receive more targeted messaging based on previous shopping experiences, their purchase history and online interactions.
“Mobile helps us reach our customers, regardless of their location,” explains Jay Custard, global online marketing director at Crocs Inc.
Mobile can be an excellent way for brands to engage and interact with potential or loyal customers. Giving customers an incentive to buy at the point-of-purchase is much more efficient and effective than email offers. At the end of the day, brands can end up learning more about their customers than they could ever have hoped for.
SMS is just one way of reaching customers, but combine that with social media, a mobile app or a mobile optimized website and you’ve got yourself a band you’re ready to take the stage with. Contact us at info@suitcaseinteractive.com to see how your company can benefit from these types of strategies.
Category: Engagement Marketing, Location Based Marketing
April 8, 2011
As part of their Modern Media Agency Series, Mashable has posted this interesting infographic that shows how brands are moving towards more diverse touchpoints and social media strategies.
Category: Engagement Marketing, Location Based Marketing, Location-Based Experiences, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing
February 22, 2011
Being digital marketers at the core, we obviously believe strongly in the power of the web as a communication tool. What’s interesting though is that as we work with more retail brands, we’re discovering that the web in conjunction with social media tools, is a marketing platform that actually allows your message to grow and spread to the masses on a large scale. Continue reading
Category: Branding, Location Based Marketing, Mobile Marketing
February 18, 2011
Loyalty programs have been slowly moving into the mobile space, but three recent developments, Facebook Deals, Starbuck’s Mobile App, and the Clip coupon app, show that this trend is picking up steam.
Facebook Deals was recently launched across Canada as part of the Facebook Places feature. Now, by using a smart phone to check-in their location to Facebook Places, consumers are provided with a list of nearby stores offering deals.
Category: Location Based Marketing, Mobile Marketing
February 15, 2011
To say that Suitcase has embarked on a new direction might not be entirely accurate.
Sure, we have a new positioning, and we’re creating a new set of solutions to offer to our clients, but the direction of our agency is exactly the same as it always has been – merging the latest technology with creative, effective executions.
When we started Suitcase ten years back, the digital world was bouncing back from the dot-com hiccup of the late nineties. Despite the cautiousness of the time, we were able to envision the very real role that websites and digital platforms would play in connecting a brand with consumers. What we know today, after a decade of experience, is that engagement, and more importantly how you engage your consumers, is the key to an effective marketing plan. I believe that the growth of social, mobile and location-based technologies are unlocking never before imagined opportunities for that engagement. Continue reading
Category: Branding, Location Based Marketing, Mobile Marketing
January 25, 2011
Being digital marketers at the core, we obviously believe strongly in the power of the web as a communication tool. Interestingly, as we work with more retail brands we’re discovering that the web is a marketing platform that actually allows your message to grow and spread when it’s merged with social-media tools.
In other words, this multi-faceted platform can engage the voice of a brand directly to its consumers, and also be a tool that empowers those consumers to spread the word to other consumers. In my opinion, this brand extension is quickly becoming a retail marketer’s greatest asset.
I’m not proposing that traditional advertising is dead, or outdated. If planned properly more traditional methods, which are always effective at directing people online, don’t have to be replaced, but can be leveraged. Imagine rolling all your traditional advertising into a snowball and then pushing it down a hill. You’d be able to watch as its influence grows exponentially as your consumers interact and share information about your product, service or company. The image below illustrates how this can work.
For example, a flyer can still remain a flyer, but a social campaign call-out can be added to the cover. A TV spot can remain a TV spot, but with a social media call-to-action where consumers are invited to interact with your brand and other consumers. The goal is to have your media mix working together to ultimately drive foot traffic to stores.
It does however take some time, experimentation, TLC and patience. Don’t think that it’s a switch you can just turn on. Starbucks, Oreo, Skittles and Coke definitely didn’t acquire their millions of fans overnight. It’s taken years of tweaking and investing but what a powerful asset they’ve built. Each of the above brands list have in excess of 15 million people listening to and conversing with them on Facebook. This connection is something they use at the drop of a hat to run quick promotions, events, sales, campaigns, and more.
That’s the kind of nimbleness and opportunity almost any company would aspire for – what about yours?
If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you, please comment here on the blog, or you can reach me at trent@suitcaseinteractive.com
Category: Location Based Marketing, Location-Based Experiences, Mobile Marketing, Uncategorized
They always say that you need to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going. And as a knowledge based agency, we’re always keeping an eye on the digital industry to see where things are going.
We’ve rounded up a few interesting trends in social media, mobile and location marketing that we think will be affecting things to come.
Foursquare Boasts Over 5 Million Users
While only an estimated 4% of adults actually use GeoSocial services, they seem to be on a somewhat steady incline which was highlighted by Foursquare’s recent 5 million user milestone. Continue reading
Category: Destination Marketing, Location Based Marketing, Mobile Marketing
January 6, 2011
Rob Howard, Suitcase Eastern Canada’s Managing Director, made a big impression on the Canadian marketing community in 2010.
Of course we’ve seen his influence around the office through his pitches and strategies, but his July 27, 2010 post Here and Now Culture has been named one of 2010′s top 5 articles by the readers of the Canadian online marketing website onedegree.ca.
In the piece, Rob deftly compares and contrasts the traditional and location-based marketing models. His conclusion is that the older model resembles a treasure map where success relies on the consumers ability to follow the clues and end up at the cash register. The newer model, location-based marketing, in Rob’s assessment (and one we all share) is like a radar, a beacon where. “… the consumer is delivered an experience relevant to their physical location and needs at the time.”
And, as Rob also explained in the article, the key to being in the Here and Now, with the consumer is to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of your customer’s journey, as they consider, compare, learn about and interact with your products and brand.
Delivering a location-based brand experience requires not only mapping out the customer journey, but also tailoring each interaction to the customer’s needs or motivations based on their physical location at the time of each interaction.
As Rob boldly states, “Location-based experiences can — and will – transform the way consumers interact with brand organizations big and small.”
We raise our glass to Rob for all the tremendous work he’s done for this industry in 2010 and for his insightful thoughts moving forward into the new year.
Category: Location Based Marketing, Location-Based Experiences
