Mobile vouchers could prove popular
Jul 12 2010
Retail Wrap >>

Using a cross section of Shoprite and Checkers customers in what was reportedly the first mobile voucher study undertaken in South Africa, over 68% of participants said they are very interested in receiving mobile vouchers. The other interesting insight from the research is that consumers do not want spam on their phones; they want vouchers and coupons that are targeted, relevant to them and asked for specifically.

The independent survey, undertaken on behalf of Mobilitrix and Shoprite, also showed that 43% of respondents indicated they mostly received in-store coupons, 13% used general paper-based coupons and 18% mostly received vouchers in the form of gift cards.

The latest findings suggest that targeted marketing campaigns are set to become more specific and relevant to the consumer and bring new feet into stores amongst those mobile users keen to engage with retailer and brands offering vouchers.

With the overriding majority of South Africans using mobile phones and a significant majority eager to receive mobile vouchers, the real time ability for direct customer engagement for brands and retailers now becomes a reality. Better understanding the customer data and tracking this to customer-generated results from mobile surveys provides the new standard in marketing in a digital world.

Ensuring ease of adoption, mobile vouchers and coupons are receivable via any mobile phone and these phones do not require any software upgrades from the consumer side. Furthermore, from the retailer side, there is no requirement for new hardware upgrades.

Given the importance of green technology, the Mobilitrix innovation is also set to add significant environmental advantage, displacing the previous paper coupon system and print marketing strategies that have been in use until now.

"The mobile voucher research has also shown that some attention is needed when it comes to educating consumers on the 'how to' of using a mobile voucher. However, it is a simple challenge considering the huge upside for those brands and retailers who get it right from the start."

Adapted from Source: retail.bizcommunity.com, 19 July 2010

• UCS Group
• UCS Solutions USA