Mobilized Marketing: How to Drive Sales, Engagement, and Loyalty Through Mobile Devices

Chapter 23

The Rise of Loyalty Clubs

From his first Hipcricket-related meeting in Starbucks in 2004, Ivan Braiker preached the benefits of asking consumers for permission to market to them. He knew then that those who would choose to interact with brands or broadcast stations would receive great value in the relationship and likely buy more stuff from the advertiser or listen more to the station.

By 2009, growing consumer interest in mobile marketing and customer loyalty programs had created a significant and largely untapped opportunity for brands to connect with customers on their mobile devices. The second annual Hipcricket Mobile Marketing Survey showed that whereas 37 percent of consumers would be interested in participating in a mobile customer loyalty program from a brand that they trust, 83 percent said that their favorite brand had yet to market to them via their most personal device—their mobile phone.

Further, the study showed that mobile marketing campaigns were becoming significantly more influential and effective. Hipcricket found that of those consumers who had received mobile marketing offers, 47 percent had brand recall and 94 percent of those remembered the specific call to action.

Up until that point, arguably no one had fully taken advantage of the opportunity to engage, then reengage, with consumers. And then Arby’s turned to Jimmy Kimmel.

Arby’s Goes Mobile Late-Night

Some, probably many, may have had too good a time to remember, but a great deal of us among ...