A case study by Khushboo Aulakh for Smartphone Genie
With a significant increase in the use of smartphones and tablets, mobile advertising spend is forecasted to increase by a whopping 62 per cent in 2012 to $6.4 billion, as estimated by research giant, eMarketer. Although mobile represents only 1 per cent of the global advertising industry, companies are developing creative mobile marketing campaigns to reach out to a wider audience. According to an independent research by Nielsen in July 2012, 22 per cent consumers in the United States of America made a purchase after seeing a mobile ad, while tablet users were more likely to make an online purchase compared to smartphone and other mobile users. This is likely due to the larger screen size and better viewing capability of a tablet. Another startling result of the research was that consumers were less likely to make a purchase through their smartphones, such as an iPhone, or tablets because most websites are not optimised for payment processing through a phone. Companies with brick and mortar stores also noticed an increase in offline sales with geographically targeted mobile ads.Clearly, this data creates a strong case for investing in mobile marketing in the coming years.
Improved versions of iPhone and Android phones will catapult companies into action and users can watch out for highly targeted mobile advertisements.
Which brands are doing it right, then? Whose example can you follow? Here’s an example of one the best mobile marketing campaigns of 2012 so far.
KFC’s Chunky Chicken Pot Pie Campaign
In March 2012, KFC ran an interactive mobile marketing campaign in partnership with online radio station, Pandora, to promote the new Chunky Chicken pot pie.
The campaign was designed to increase customer engagement without appearing ‘spammy’, by providing a brand new radio station for listeners, albeit a station that ran frequent Chunky Chicken pot pie advertisements.
KFC ran mobile and audio advertisements on Pandora’s iPhone app, which promoted the KFC Classic Radio station.
When listening to the KFC station, consumers were provided instructions to their nearest KFC location, and also a viewable image of the menu for them to view other available options.
KFC is not a new entrant in the mobile marketing segment. The company has been using mobile ads since 2010 to test various campaigns and promote new products.
What worked in the favour of KFC’s Chunky Chicken Pot Pie campaign?
First, the company launched a targeted radio station to offer something new to Pandora users.
A large percentage of Pandora users who are KFC fans would’ve taken up the offer, although launching a classic music station for a young audience may not have been the best idea.
Because hunger can strike anytime, the company worked smartly to introduce audio and mobile advertisements to promote the Chunky Chicken pot pie.
Hungry users could easily find the location of their nearest KFC store and nutritional information of the pot pie, thus increasing offline footfall.
Consumers who didn’t want to try the pot pie were also given the option of viewing the entire KFC menu.
This move widened the campaign’s reach to create a wholesome experience for users.
Companies are getting smarter about the multiple marketing channels that exist.
Campaigns that piggyback on previous campaigns have a better success rate.
Irrespective of the marketing channel chosen, it’s important to think wisely before launching any marketing campaign – take into account your audience, demographics, and product type.
A mobile campaign is not a good choice for a product targeted at retirees, but may be a good option for middle aged professionals.
Author biog
Khushboo Aulakh writes on behalf of Smartphone Genie – the online consumer advice website for smartphones, tablets and other internet enabled devices.
© Dollargate Publishing 2012. All rights reserved.
