Category: Marketing

3 ways to boost your B2C digital marketing strategy

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3 ways to boost your B2C digital marketing strategy

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The B2C market varies greatly from its B2B counterpart. B2B buyers typically spend much more than B2C customers, and conduct extensive research, draw up reports, and take their time deciding before purchasing; in other words, the sales cycle is long and complex. 

On the other hand, B2C customers can be frugal or impulsive. They are more apt to making their purchasing decisions emotionally rather than logically. While B2B clients will want to see immediate value or return on investment (ROI) from their purchases, B2C customers may be more interested in gamification, entertainment, and VIP perks offered as exciting parts of the buyer’s journey, though a value-rich deal certainly adds to the fun. 

While it may seem to be easier marketing to consumers compared to businesses, B2C strategies have a tendency to get stale quickly and need constant optimization. If your website traffic is stagnating, your email list isn’t growing, or your number of repeat eCommerce transactions fails to increase month over month, it is probably time to finetune your B2C digital marketing strategy. To improve your strategy’s performance, you can simplify the decision-making process to help consumers overcome mental fatigue and cut through the clutter; focus on taking transactional relationships to the next level by cultivating a better brand experience; and drive better brand awareness to reel in a stream of new prospects. 

Simplify Decision-Making.

Cornell University found adults make about 35,000 conscious decisions per day, including over 226 decisions related to food.

Decision-making fatigue is a state of low willpower caused by investing effort into making too many choices. Consumers end up avoiding decisions altogether or making spontaneous decisions in a superficial manner, which can ultimately affect purchase conversion.

To combat this, marketers can help shoppers cut through the clutter by offering relevant product information through multiple mediums. For example, Shopkick—a top-performing omnichannel loyalty mobile app—allows partnering retailers and brands to interact with users in different ways all along the path to purchase.

Marketers can become involved in the decision-making process at several critical junctures:

  • Need Recognition — Know what pain points your consumers face. Develop content based on these problems, pitching how your products or services make the perfect solution. 
  • Information Search — Build comparison charts with popular alternatives to show where you differ. Create videos showcasing your products or services in action compared to competitors. 
  • Remove Obstacles — Aim to alleviate or remove obstacles to purchasing, such as time, money, convenience, return and exchange policies, brand loyalty, or unfavorable brand perceptions. 
  • Simplify Selection — If possible, reduce the number of product or service choices offered through consolidating, rotating offers seasonally, or showing personalized option menus. 
  • Final Push — Make sure your website is optimized with basic product, price, and location information. Product samples, coupons, or rewards provide an added incentive to try.

Go Beyond Single Transactions.

Transactional marketing focuses on increasing efficiency and volume at the point-of-sale through four P’s: product, pricing, placement, and promotion. The emphasis is more on alleviating obstacles related to selling rather than cultivating a long-term relationship with prospects. Once a transaction is completed, there is typically no further interaction with the customer.  

To boost your B2C marketing efforts, focus on keeping the conversation going with relationship marketing tactics like sending out post-sale surveys and follow-up emails, personalizing social ads using a CRM system that tracks consumer behavior, and launching a loyalty program with an easy-to-use app.

If you’re debating whether this is the best strategy or not, consider this: Reichheld & Schefter found relational marketing increases customer retention rates by 5% and increases profits from 25% to 95%.

Cultivating Long-Term Customer Loyalty in B2C Digital Marketing Strategies

Nurture Relationships With Email.

Brands make an average ROI of $42 for every dollar spent on email marketing, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to nurture a B2C relationship.

Email is also an easy-to-sell “buy-in.” Consumers freely give their email because they want access to a tangible confirmation regarding their purchase, but it also becomes an open invitation to helpful, relevant communications in the future. (after receiving consumer permission, of course!) 

Consumers also subscribe for:

  • Discounts and promotions
  • News and announcements
  • Educational content

Setting up “drip” campaigns triggered by specific consumer behaviors is a great way to minimize the risk of users unsubscribing. For instance, after a person visits your product page, your email campaign might include a message reinforcing benefits and features, followed by a discount offer to sweeten the deal. 

Another example—after someone makes an initial purchase, your email campaign may start with a welcome letter with a little more information about your company values and approach to customer service, followed by a “helpful tips” email that ensures customers get the most out of their purchase, followed by an upsell email featuring commonly purchased accessories. Seek to establish a human connection with your emails to keep subscribers for life. 

Personalize for a Great Experience.

Today’s consumers expect companies to truly “know” them, despite marketing at-scale. One-to-one marketing is essential to delivering a memorable buyer experience.

Here are a few simple marketing ideas:

  • Have humans (not bots) email.
  • Use automation tools.
  • Develop marketing personas.
  • Segment email lists by persona at sign-up.
  • Create persona-driven content.
  • Build targeted landing pages.
  • Send location-based texts.
  • Craft identity-based campaigns.

Content is king when it comes to personalization. Use your content across platforms—whether it’s a dedicated landing page, a text message promotion, an email, a video, a social media post, or an app’s lookbook—to connect with unique individuals. According to Monetate, 40% of consumers buy more from retailers who personalize the shopping experience across channels. 

You should consider using comprehensive CRM software by HubSpot, Salesforce, SEMRush, or Google 360. The right CRM system can level up your business and prioritize marketing activities. Companies that use CRM software see sales increases up to 29%, 34% improved productivity, and a 40% boost in forecasting accuracy. 

Launch a Loyalty Program.

The Edelman Brandshare report found 87% of consumers want relationships with brands, but just 17% believe brands make an honest effort to establish such ties. Since 80% of your future profits will come from the top 20% of your buyers, it makes sense to prioritize them.

A loyalty program is an ideal way to:

  • Treat VIPs to exclusive offers.
  • Solicit customer feedback.
  • Keep buyers up-to-date.
  • Track and incentivize behavior.

While launching your own loyalty program is beneficial, partnering with a third-party loyalty app can be easier and more affordable, not to mention more convenient for shoppers experiencing loyalty fatigue and/or juggling several loyalty programs. Shopkick is a mobile app that offers “kicks” (reward points) when consumers interact with partnering brands and retailers by various means. 

Kicks can be earned by: 

  • Engaging with branded in-app content like videos and lookbooks.
  • Walking into partnering retail stores.
  • Seeking out featured products in-store, and physically interacting by scanning product barcodes with a mobile device.
  • Making in-store purchases and submitting receipts.
  • Making online purchases.
Shopkick is an innovative platform used to foster brand loyalty, as it rewards consumers for engagement, not just purchases. It also works across channels, whether a shopper wants to browse or buy online or in-store.

When eBay partnered with Shopkick, they were able to increase their app install rate by 6%, boost their new audience participation rate 62%, and achieve an 18% repeat-purchase rate. 

Best of all, Shopkick rewards with points instead of immediate discounts, so there is no need to worry about diluting profit margins or devaluing your brand.  

Drive Brand Awareness.

Awareness is the first step in reaching a bigger potential buyer market. Once you have a person’s attention, you have a chance at converting, forming a lasting relationship, and encouraging repeat purchases. 

Studies have found that consumers show an overwhelming preference for brands with high awareness despite quality and price differentials, proving brand awareness to be a dominant consideration factor when shoppers are faced with a choice among various brands. Furthermore, brands in the initial consideration set can be up to 3x more likely to be purchased when compared to brands that are not in it. 

There are many ways to boost brand awareness through digital marketing methods–whether you partner with a popular shopping app, create engaging and educational videos, produce more high-quality social content, or introduce a promotional offer.

You don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel by overhauling your entire B2C digital marketing strategy; it’s likely you can see big results by turbocharging your existing strategy through new tactics. By simplifying your message, cultivating stronger relationships, and generating more effective brand awareness, you’ll have the tools in place to powerfully compete in the saturated marketplace.

Shopkick is an omnichannel loyalty rewards app that can effectively boost your B2C digital marketing strategy. Our partners use Shopkick to increase sales, form strong relationships with repeat buyers, and expand their markets. Contact us to start your first campaign.

6 effective Cyber Monday tips for retailers

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6 effective Cyber Monday tips for retailers

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The holiday spirit remains strong year after year despite the global hardships experienced in 2020. During times of great stress and uncertainty, familiar traditions are a comforting refuge. Shopkick’s 2020 holiday shopping survey—conducted at a time when many states were shutting down for the second time to combat the surge in COVID-19 cases—reveals that American consumers plan to celebrate the holidays as usual with family gatherings and a busy shopping season. However, there are a few subtle changes that will inform retailers on how to proceed with their Cyber Monday campaigns.

  • The majority of consumers (54%) say that free shipping is the most important incentive this holiday season.
  • From last year, there is a 16% increase in consumers who plan to do their holiday shopping online.

Cyber Monday has usurped Black Friday as the most dominant online shopping holiday. Last year, Black Friday sales hit $7.43 billion in eCommerce revenue, up 19.5% from the previous year, but Cyber Monday hauled in $9.42 billion in sales. Most significantly, mobile transactions were up 46% year-over-year, accounting for a third of digital sales. Predictions for 2020 Cyber Monday spending estimate $10 billion in eCommerce, particularly as big box retailers announce store closures for the Thanksgiving holiday and consumers look to digital channels to fulfill their needs.

To maximize your revenue potential this year, Shopkick presents six key Cyber Monday tips for retailers to follow:

Start Early and Extend Offers.

The potential for supply chain disruptions and shipping delays is well-known to consumers by now, and they are planning their holiday shopping accordingly. 

Shopkick’s survey found 34% of shoppers plan to finish a majority of their holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Another 27% plan to shop between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

Like years past, retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Best Buy are planning to appeal to shoppers early and extend “Cyber Monday” deals through the week.

Fearing the shipping crunch, retailers are adjusting their plans accordingly to meet consumer demands:

  • Target, Best Buy, and Kohl’s will begin marketing holiday deals in October, before Halloween.
  • “Comfortable apparel” is leading the category list for the first time as more people adapt to working from home.
  • Same-day delivery using gig economy providers like Shipt, DoorDash, and Postmates will increase this year.
  • Many retailers are expected to shift online and close down physical stores for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
  • eCommerce is expected to reach a new high this year, totaling 15% of all U.S. sales in 2020.

Focus on Digital Efforts.

The notion of jamming into packed stores and fighting for the last big screen television set is less appealing in 2020 than in years past, with a new layer of concern regarding virus exposure added. 

Our survey found 67% of shoppers plan to make their holiday purchases online, up significantly from 51% last year. 

Amazon continues to lead the eCommerce pack this holiday season, with 65% of online shoppers saying they’ll make purchases through them. The remaining online shoppers surveyed said they’d choose big box retail sites, including Target.com and Walmart.com (18%), as well as department store sites like Macys.com and Kohls.com (6%). Consumers looking to shop with online-only retailers are also primarily looking to Amazon for their gifts (72%), but others are looking for unique gifts on Etsy (56%), eBay (43%), Wayfair (39%), and Overstock (32%).

To boost your digital efforts further, consider incorporating these three critical techniques into your 2020 holiday retail strategy: 

Offer BOPIS & Shipping Assurances

Low prices were the most important incentive for 2019 shoppers, but free shipping tops the chart for 54% of 2020 consumers. Only 24% of surveyed shoppers believe low prices are the most important consideration this year. 

To alleviate the stress of shopping in-store, many retailers will offer Buy Online Pickup In Store (BOPIS). Our survey found that 44% of consumers plan to take advantage of BOPIS for the holiday season. 

When implemented, you will find that this added convenience feature pays off. Last year, Cyber Monday conversion rates were 45% higher for merchants with BOPIS options than non-BOPIS retailers.

In addition to offering BOPIS, retailers should:

  • Boast on-time shipping guarantees. (if possible!)
  • Expand selection of items eligible for same-day shipping.
  • Offer free shipping for large orders.
  • Market “hassle-free” returns.

Invest in Paid Search and Local SEO

People will be shopping online this year, no doubt, but where are retailers’ dollars best spent? Advertising with Google and capturing organic search traffic will continue to be a priority. 

Omnichannel advertising will need to occur on all fronts to keep retailers top-of-mind. Last year, paid search accounted for 24.4% of all sales, followed by direct traffic (21.2%), natural search (18.8%), email (16.8%), and social (2.6%). 

To boost web presence:

  • Launch local offers at scale.
  • Use local inventory in messages.
  • Ensure search listing accuracy.
  • Update holiday store hours.
  • Manage Google reviews.
  • Focus on site speed and UX.
  • Recognize repeat visitors.
  • Offer personal recommendations.
  • Publish helpful, inspiring blog posts.
  • Assist with comparison shopping.
  • Provide inspiration via video and email.

Don’t Forget to Optimize for Mobile

Mobile plays a key role in the buyer’s journey: 54% of Cyber Monday web traffic and 33% of purchases derived from mobile devices in 2019.

This year, Shopkick found that 82% of in-store shoppers plan to use mobile devices to research their holiday purchases, compare prices, and read reviews. 

Shoppers on-the-go are often using their mobile devices for more information on whichever retail location they’re visiting. Google has noted 3x the engagement from shoppers interacting with mobile ads. Furthermore, 88% of local business searches on mobile result in a phone call or visit to the physical store within 24 hours.

Retailers can optimize for mobile by:

  • Speeding up pages.
  • Reducing checkout steps.
  • Delivering personal texts.
  • Targeting precise segments.
  • Automating activity-triggered texts.
  • Using apps to expand their audience.
  • Encouraging UPC scanning.
  • Automating customer service.

Gain Exposure With a Partnership.

Shoppers are becoming increasingly savvy to shopping rewards apps, which serve as a new form of currency. Consumers can earn rewards this holiday season whether they’re shopping at-home or online through the Shopkick mobile app. 

“Kicks” (Shopkick’s rewards points) are a form of virtual currency that can be redeemed for gift cards of the recipient’s choosing. Earning kicks is easy, as Shopkick offers a number of ways to do so. While scanning a purchase receipt offers the highest reward, Shopkick also offers shoppers rewards for actions that aren’t tied to purchasing, building long-term loyalty rather than one-off sales for our brand and retail partners.

Shoppers are rewarded for watching branded videos, flipping through curated lookbooks, scanning the barcodes of select merchandise in-store, and making purchases with a linked card either in-store or online. Whether shopping from home or at a physical location, Shopkick always provides opportunities for users to earn kicks all along the path to purchase. 

At some stores, shoppers can even earn kicks simply by walking in the door, driving foot traffic and giving participating retailers a competitive edge over other local businesses not offering kicks. 

In other words—when using Shopkick’s unique platform—holiday shoppers are rewarded for activities they would normally do, giving users an extra incentive to choose Shopkick’s partnering retailers and brands over others.

Omnichannel Capabilities: The Overarching Theme in Our Cyber Monday Tips for Retailers

The year’s most important retail season is right around the corner. COVID-19 crisis or not, shoppers have many of the same desires and needs. Holiday gatherings may not be as big and the purchases may skew toward practical clothing rather than expensive electronics this year, but prepared retailers have every opportunity to recoup some of their 2020 losses through a bustling (and extended) holiday season that kicks off with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The 2020 holiday shopping season will be less about bustling in-store events, free samples, and decorated window displays, and more about paid search ads, mobile optimization, and new partnerships. Retailers should begin ramping up their omnichannel capabilities now to ensure success through the end of the year and into 2021.

A partnership with Shopkick this holiday season will provide you with the opportunity to engage with a  large audience of loyal shoppers in a number of fun, unique ways. Our retail partners use the Shopkick mobile app to drive sales, increase foot traffic, and bridge the gap between online and offline channels. To learn more about our effective Cyber Monday tips for retailers and how you can implement them this holiday season, contact us today!

3 proven retail marketing campaign ideas that are exceptionally effective

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3 proven retail marketing campaign ideas that are exceptionally effective

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Marketing departments are always seeking out the most effective uses of their budgets. The overwhelming list of different strategies and tactics can leave creative teams befuddled as to where their dollars are best spent. How do you decide which ones to proceed with? 

Modeling your campaigns off of proven retail marketing campaign ideas is a great jumping off point for businesses looking for immediate success. Three standout methods have consistently yielded excellent results for retailers and retail brands in the past, and continue to remain popular in 2020: tiered loyalty programs, mobile marketing campaigns, and experiential events. Read on to discover how popular brands benefitted from the effectiveness of these strategies in the forms of brand awareness, sales, consumer loyalty, and return on investment (ROI). 

Tiered Loyalty Programs

A tiered loyalty program is a type of membership that rewards customers with special perks and benefits, depending on their ranking within the system’s predetermined tiers. Shoppers typically reach different tier levels when they reach a certain spending threshold, but programs also exist where shoppers can pay for “VIP” status.

Nordstrom is a popular U.S. retailer who has steadily wooed crowds with their impressive loyalty program. A basic “Member” of the Nordy Club receives 1 point for every dollar spent, free basic alterations, curbside pickup, and “first-to-shop” new styles. As they move to higher levels like “Insider” and “Influencer,” they receive added perks like 2-3 points per dollar spent, personal double-points days, credit for alterations, and in-store points on dining, entertainment, and travel purchases. At the highest “Ambassador” level, members have access to invite-only events and a personal at-home stylist.  

Over the past 5 years, the program has grown 20% to include over 10 million active members. Nordy Club shoppers spend an average of 4x more and shop 3x as often as non-members.

The key to a successful loyalty program exists not in a continuous stream of discount offers, but in the cultivation of long-term engagement and satisfaction. Today’s consumers want to feel attended to and cared for by the brands and retailers they support. In return, they are willing to spend more. Consider this: customers with an emotional connection to a brand have a 306% higher lifetime value than those without! Loyalty programs are nothing new, but tiered rewards provide a more engaging, gamified experience. 

When designing a tiered loyalty program, consider how you can meet the “hierarchy of [consumer] needs”:

  • Physiological needs—Provide basic, easy, no-fuss benefits through a program with a “ladder” to climb.
  • Safety needs—Guarantee privacy and data safety; allow for opt-in correspondence, customization, and opt-outs. 
  • Social needs—Fulfill a social need via recognition with special offers unavailable to basic members.
  • Esteem needs—Provide insider status to special sales events, new product launches, and exclusive services.
  • Self-actualization needs—Deliver a truly customized program with individualized services and one-on-one attention.

Once the tiers are created, brands should strive to create a feeling of exclusivity with each new tier by offering benefits that differentiate their shoppers from shoppers at other stores. Many loyalty programs offer a basic “free” level, but upcharge for premium benefits at higher levels. Gamification strategies can work in tandem with a tiered loyalty program to solidify shopper engagement, while segmenting audiences delivers a more personalized level of service.  

Mobile-Based Campaigns

The lines between online and offline shopping are often blurred, as shoppers use mobile devices in stores to find deals, compare products, and overcome obstacles on the path to purchase.

Mobile app marketing is an increasingly popular way to inspire consumers digitally during the pre-trip planning phase and offer helpful, informative content in-store to encourage purchases. Through the use of videos, lookbook ads, recipes, QR codes, and point-based reward systems, brands are able to provide shoppers with the positive experience they desire.

Shopkick is a popular mobile rewards shopping app that brands and retailers can partner with to reach new audiences and cultivate long-term loyalty. Customers receive reward points (“kicks”) for engaging with in-app content, making online purchases through the app, or using the app in-store to perform a variety of unique small actions like visiting a retailer or scanning a product barcode, which they can then use toward gift cards of their choosing for a truly personalized experience.

The following case studies show just how powerful a mobile retail marketing campaign with Shopkick can be in achieving key marketing objectives:

Purina

Purina’s mobile campaign was designed to drive trial and consideration at Target stores during the busy holiday season. They leveraged proximity marketing to motivate shoppers upon entering the store and digital content to engage with them.

The results of the campaign were: 

  • 36% increased brand awareness
  • 47% of shoppers cited future intent to buy
  • 85% incremental sale increase
  • 4:1 campaign ROI 

Kellogg’s

To promote the launch of their new Bakery Delight Crumb Cakes, Kellogg’s ran a mobile campaign that rewarded users with kicks for engaging with branded lookbook content, for scanning the product barcode at-shelf, and for purchasing and uploading their receipt, ultimately earning shoppers a free gift card. 

App marketing results included: 

  • 35% conversion rate
  • 47% of shoppers were first-time buyers
  • 55% lift in future purchase intent
  • 5:1 campaign ROI

Claritin

During allergy season, Claritin sought the use of an effective mobile campaign to differentiate themselves from competitors, drive awareness, and increase sales at Walmart stores. They rewarded shoppers for scanning promoted products in-store.

The mobile campaign resulted in great success:

  • 28 million+ campaign impressions
  • 59% increase of incremental sales
  • 4:1 campaign ROI

Experiential Retail

“Experiential retail” refers to any in-store shopping experience that goes above and beyond the traditional layout. Amenities may include food, live music, unique architecture, art, video displays,  cross-promotions, virtual reality, live demos, and more.

Anthropologie, a popular retailer,  proved just how valuable this strategy can be (when executed and measured properly). In 2019, they recruited local artists to design in-store sculptures and created themed pop-up shops. The events generated astounding results—they attracted over 6,300 attendee check-ins and resulted in more than 3,000 customers added to Anthropologie’s database and loyalty program.   

Today, stores nationwide host everything from workshops, influencer events, and fashion shows, to birthday parties, dinners, and daylong retreats.

It’s all too easy to purchase with the click of a button, but in-store shopping is preferred by 82% of Boomers, 49% of Millennials, and 81% of Gen Z. Roughly 75% of shoppers say they “appreciate a well-curated store experience focused on a limited number of products,” and 73% of those surveyed say they use physical stores for product discovery. 

The trend is likely to continue so long as retailers continue to meet the demands of modern consumers with engaging, visually appealing stores that are whimsical, fun, educational, efficient, and share-worthy on social media. Today’s shoppers desire more than commodities; they want experiences, status, and memories.

For retailers, experiential marketing is not so much about the immediate sales bump—though some growth can be expected. Forrester and Adobe assert that “experience-driven” brands grow 19% per year, compared to 13% for ordinary brands. 

The true value of experiential retail resides in providing consumers with feel-good moments, who reward the retailers with their enthusiastic loyalty in return. The same report found that experiential retailers have nearly twice as many repeat buyers than their less-immersive competitors. 

The Bottom Line on Effective Retail Marketing Campaign Ideas

Whether it’s through a tiered loyalty program, mobile marketing, or experiential retail, successful retail marketing campaign ideas can generate an incredible ROI and inject life into retailers in the forms of consumer enthusiasm and immediate sales. Long-term strategic partnerships are especially effective in helping brands deliver greater value, edge out competitors, and solidify their positioning as an industry leader. A short-term retail marketing campaign is a savvy way to test out the waters before making a more substantial, long-term investment.

Shopkick offers a wealth of tools to execute a number of effective retail marketing campaign ideas that can yield the results you want. Read a few more success stories, learn about becoming a partner, or contact us to get started on your first mobile rewards campaign.

Discover the 3 benefits of mobile marketing in retail

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Discover the 3 benefits of mobile marketing in retail

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Retailers have countless tools at their disposal and numerous opportunities to get their names in front of consumers, ultimately to drive brand loyalty and affinity. However, with finite dollars in any advertising budget, it is important to allocate your money to the most strategic, effective mediums. A rapidly growing channel that retailers should consider is mobile marketing. The benefits of mobile marketing in retail are too effective to ignore, and retailers are taking notice. Researchers estimate that the global mobile marketing market size will grow 18.9% per year, from $10.5 billion in 2019 to $25 billion in 2024.When compared to traditional marketing channels like TV, print, and radio, mobile tends to more effectively capture the attention of consumers. Why? Because mobile is where most consumers are spending their time. The average person spends the equivalent of 100 days per year online (no matter the device). The average 3 hours and 43 minutes that consumers spend on mobile per day now exceeds the 3 hours and 35 minutes spent watching TV.

When compared to digital marketing channels like social or email, mobile is often the first point of contact—in fact, 65% of all emails are opened on a mobile device and about one-third of all purchases are made on a smartphone. Nearly 80% of shoppers go to a physical retail location to buy the items they want or need now, but they use mobile devices for guidance on where to go, and what to buy.

Retailers who focus on mobile marketing have three main advantages over competitors—the ability to attract shoppers based on location, circumvent loyalty fatigue, and tie online and offline loyalty programs together in a simplified way.

Utilize Location-Based Notifications

Location-based mobile marketing targets shoppers based on their location. There are many ways to effectively implement location marketing:

  • Automated marketing messages can be triggered based on a person’s proximity to a beacon or geofence.
  • GPS data can lead a shopper to the nearest local store selling what they need.
  • Geo conquesting allows you to target your competitors’ market with attractive localized offers.
  • Apps with stored location data can be used to suggest stores and specific products tailored to the individual.

Although audiences have to opt-in to this form of marketing, they generally do so because they find it very insightful.

Why do retailers love location-based marketing?

  • 83% of marketers say they can run more successful campaigns when location data is taken into account.
  • 84% of marketers use location data in their marketing and ad campaigns, and 94% plan to use it in the future.
  • 94% of Millennials own a cell phone that they use frequently throughout the day (often to plan shopping trips).
  • 9 in 10 marketers say location-based advertising has increased their sales.
  • Targeting is the primary use of location data, but 52% use it for engagement, campaign strategy, and personalization.
  • Researchers found location marketing to be 20x more effective than displaying generic ads.
  • Mobile is the primary vehicle for geolocation, preferred by 81% of marketers.

Reduce Loyalty Fatigue

What was once viewed as a benefit years ago has become so common that the incentive has lost some of its power.

The average person belongs to 14 loyalty programs, but only actively participates in 6.

Early loyalty programs were fraught with problems—strict participation requirements, confusing reward structures, and poor redemption communications, to name a few.

One solution to the problem is to partner with a mobile loyalty program that works across a number of retail chains, like Shopkick. With this type of platform, shoppers grow familiar and comfortable with the user interface, build up points (“kicks”) quicker, and consolidate space on their phones with one streamlined app.

Retailers can tap into a wider prospective customer base using Shopkick, in addition to retaining and strengthening loyalty amongst existing shoppers.

Three Qualities of a Top-Performing Loyalty App

Encourages user interaction

Shoppers are looking for a user-friendly experience.

To create an effective shopping app in-house requires time, money, and numerous resources. A retailer would have to do the following

  • Conduct research
  • Identify needs
  • Choose essential features
  • Streamline login and checkout
  • Enable search filters and indexing
  • Guarantee payment security
  • Utilize high-quality images and graphics
  • Create a dynamic interface that works on mobile devices of all sizes
  • Highlight product information
  • Speed up loading times
  • Employ expert customer service
  • Promote the app across channels

Rather than reinventing the wheel, retailers can partner with an existing app that consumers already know, love, and use on a regular basis, saving them valuable time, money, and resources.

Reduces smartphone clutter

The average smartphone user has 60 to 90 apps downloaded, but 96% of time is spent in the user’s “Top 10” apps.

In fact, two-thirds of apps are used once after download and then never again!

Given these statistics, retailers may want to think twice about developing their own store loyalty apps.

Even those with their own apps already may be looking for re-engagement strategies to increase loyalty.

In addition to apps for social media and email, the most-used apps are for video viewing, web browsing, location mapping, and shopping. Partnering with a shopping app can greatly extend one’s reach.

Narrows consumer choice

Consumers know how much they’re worth to retailers. Given the stakes, why shouldn’t they expect a bit of appreciation in exchange for their attention and purchases?

Even before the global pandemic, decision fatigue was an unfortunate byproduct of America’s highly cognitive, distractive, “plugged-in” way of life.

Decision-making fatigue can make even the simplest of choices—like what brand of pasta sauce to buy for dinner—completely overwhelming. Increasingly, consumers are welcoming tools to simplify their options and effectively make the choice for them.

By using a mobile shopping app, consumers can effectively narrow down their choices to pick among retailers offering rewards for their loyalty.

Offer an Omnichannel Loyalty Experience

Offer an Omnichannel Loyalty Experience
Shopkick offers shoppers the opportunity to interact with brands and retailers, and earn rewards points called “kicks” throughout the entire shopping journey, whether at-home or in-store.

Shopkickers can discover new brands or products while browsing on their mobile devices through the Shopkick app. They can choose to either shop at a brick-and-mortar location, or they can make a purchase in just a few clicks. Users are rewarded with kicks no matter where or when they decide to shop.

There is no need to enter a special code or physically carry a reward card around. All shoppers need is their mobile device, which 80% of consumers already use for making online purchases or browsing in-store.

The advantages of mobile marketing in retail are still developing, but the current collection of benefits are enough for retailers to consider strategy implementation. Evolving capabilities include mobile pre-order and pickup, contactless checkout, augmented reality, robotic shopping assistance, facial recognition, and smart mirrors.

Additionally, customers are increasingly scanning items with their mobile devices at the point-of-purchase to discover more about the products before buying. Heading into 2021, shoppers will continue to choose retailers who augment the shopping experience with mobile technology.

Shopkick is an innovative mobile rewards app that utilizes an omnichannel approach to retail marketing. contacting us to discover how Shopkick harnesses the benefits of mobile marketing in retail to help its partnering retailers and brands acquire greater market share.

‘Tis the Season: Consumers Will Turn Online to Holiday Shop During the Pandemic

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Shopkick survey finds majority of holiday shoppers will make more online purchases than usual, but many plan to host normal holiday gatherings.

While 2020 has been a year full of change, one familiar feeling is setting in — the holiday season will be here before we know it. With states shutting down for a second time due to an uptick in COVID cases, more consumers plan to shop online (a 16 percent increase compared to last year), but nearly half (45 percent) expect to host the same amount of friends and family at this year’s holiday gatherings.

Shopkick surveyed nearly 17,000 American consumers to gain insight on when, where and how they will be shopping this holiday season. The survey uncovered how much shoppers plan to spend, and how they think the current health and economic crises will impact their behaviors.

Key findings include:

● Online Occasion: While online shopping is beloved by many year-round, it will be especially useful this holiday during the pandemic. The majority of shoppers (67 percent this year vs. 51 percent in 2019) expect to make their holiday purchases online to avoid crowds and exposure. Of those shopping online, 65 percent plan to purchase gifts via Amazon, followed by big box retail sites like Target.com and Walmart.com (18 percent), and department store sites like Macys.com and Kohls.com (six percent).

● Amazon and Etsy and eBay, oh my: For those planning to shop at online-only retailers, 72 percent plan to find gifts on Amazon, followed by Etsy (56 percent), eBay (43 percent), Wayfair (39 percent), and Overstock (32 percent).

● Spend Trend: Sixty-three percent expect to spend a similar amount of money as last year on their holiday shopping (ranging from $301 to $600), however, 23 percent expect to spend less than last year. Meanwhile, 14 percent expect to spend more.

● Add Free Shipping to the List: Last year, low prices were the most important incentive for shoppers, but with more shopping online this year, the majority of consumers (54 percent) are most incentivized by free shipping. Just 24 percent believe low prices are most important.

● BOPIS with a Bow: With the help of “buy online, pick up in-store” (BOPIS), making holiday purchases is more convenient than ever. Just 17 percent of consumers say they will not be taking advantage of BOPIS this year, compared to nearly half (44 percent) who say they will.

● More Clothes, Fewer Toys: This year, 25 percent of gift-givers plan to spend most of their budget on apparel, beating out last year’s top category – electronics. Following closely behind, 21 percent plan to spend most of their budget on electronics, toys and video games.

● Early Bird Gets the Gift: Shoppers are still itching to cross off their holiday lists early this year. With nearly identical results to 2019, 34 percent plan to get their shopping done before Thanksgiving, 27 percent plan to shop between Black Friday and Cyber Monday and 17 percent expect to shop on Black Friday.

● Gifts and Gatherings: Considering the surge in COVID-19 cases, it is no surprise that nearly 50 percent of Americans plan to host fewer friends and family at this year’s holiday gatherings. However, 45 percent of Americans expect to host the same number of people, with five percent even planning for larger holiday celebrations.

“As the most important season for retail quickly approaches, there is rising concern about the impact the COVID-19 crisis could have on consumer shopping behaviors,” said Dave Fisch, general manager of Shopkick. “Our data shows that holiday shoppers are already preparing for the season in new ways. With less of a focus on the experiential holiday activations that have dominated years past, brands and retailers must step up their omnichannel and e-commerce capabilities to be successful through the end of the year and beyond.”

To learn more about how Shopkick can help you reach consumers wherever and whenever they’re shopping this holiday season, get in touch at partners@shopkick.com

This survey was conducted between June 25 and July 1, 2020.