“Make it viral! Make it sexy!” Comments all agency folks have heard from marketers at some point. We know is essential to every marketing campaign, but have we been doing a good job via mobile? The days of just creating apps are over. It’s time to create mobile conversations and take our mobile creativity one step further to disrupt the status quo.
Let’s examine a few great campaigns that could have been enhanced with mobile.
Campaign: HBO’s True Blood 1st Season Launch
HBO targets a ‘pro vampire’ niche audience to promote the first season of True Blood. The name of the show was never mentioned in any of the campaign elements, yet it became one of HBO’s most successful shows of all time. The campaign included:
- Direct mail pieces in a “dead language” sent to horror and Goth bloggers directing to a “vampire-only” website featuring videos of “real vampires” struggling with identity issues
- Fake posters promoting vampire products and PSAs for vampire rights
Add Mobile: HBO could have pushed the envelope more by capitalizing on the fantasy element of the campaign with a messaging program. Texting is the natural choice of communication across all demographics (Pew, 2013). The key here is capturing contact information for interested fans and giving the brand an easy way to keep in touch once the conversation has started.
- Subscribers could text to get the “facts” about vampires from “real” vampires
- Opt-in calls-to-action could be included in the posters, perhaps offering a vampire-only mobile coupon would make the hype seem more ‘real’
- The videos could be sent to subscribers via mobile instead of relying on web-driven traffic
- After the show launch, HBO could send episode previews minutes prior to the show to remind subscribers that the show will start soon
Campaign: Prevacid 24HR Perks
Prevacid wanted to increase loyalty among its customers by creating a rewards program, Prevacid 24HR Perks. The successful program resulted with almost 400,000 members in less than 18 months.
- The program was created to reward loyal consumers with prizes that matched their heartburn-free lifestyle
- The program also included: educational videos, in-store support, print, and TV calls-to-action, monthly newsletters, Facebook integration, and more
Add Mobile: This program could also be successful as a mobile messaging program–an easier solution to viewing emails or visiting a website after every purchase because the conversation is directed by the brand instead of relying on the customer to pull content.
- Subscribers could text to receive information such as health tips
- For rewards, subscribers could text in receipt codes after every purchase to redeem instantly in-store
Along with mobile messaging, Prevacid 24HR Perks could also potentially do well with an integrated mobile app strategy and strong value proposition. Subscribers could be sent direct links to download the app to their devices, which could improve and enhance their overall mobile experience.
Campaign: Target’s Hello Manhattan
Target makes a big splash in New York for the launch of its new Manhattan store. The campaign included:
- Blanketing the city and online with uniformed brand messaging.
- Placing its mascot to ring the bell at the Stock Exchange.
- Driving buzz after the store opening with the Target Kaleidoscopic Fashion Spectacular event—a “top-secret” event in which audiences were given minimal details until the day it happened.
Add Mobile: Target could have used this city takeover as a way to get its shoppers even more engaged with the brand via messaging.
- Adding a fun mobile scavenger hunt for the Target symbol would have been a nice touch to include with the campaign. With something like “Spot the target”, participants could find symbols all around the city, take pictures, and submit them for redeemable coupons at the store’s opening or even for chance to win some sort of mini shopping spree.
The Bottom Line: Why Add Mobile?
- Ninety percent of American adults own a cell phone; smart marketers should consider integrating their efforts towards reaching the target audience within the touchpoint they spend the majority of their time (Pew, 2014).
- Mobile messaging is the most personal touchpoint that can effectively reach audiences when it matters the most. In fact 90% of mobile messages are opened within the first 3 minutes.
- A recent Adobe study reveals that 51% of marketers view mobile as “the most critical marketing vehicle to focus on a year from now.”
Mobile’s pervasive ability to reach customers at anytime has the ability to shift interaction between customers and brands. We need new ways to bring this element to the forefront of creative campaigns. This will lead to more engaged viewers and a better result for brands.
Cezar Kolodziej, Ph.D., is president, CEO, and cofounder of Iris Mobile
