Best Practices: The Mobile Widget

For marketers, mobile widgets are interactive tools that enhance a marketing strategy. The flexibility of mobile widgets maximize screen space and allow marketers to create and build a direct-to-consumer subscriber lists for strategic targeted marketing. Mobile widgets change the way marketers approach a marketing campaign.

What is a Mobile Widget?
A mobile widget is simple code (flash or html) placed on a site, company page, Myspace, Facebook or marketing banner. Customers enter their mobile phone number and receive a text message. The text could be a mobile opt-in to receive mobile alerts, WAP site to a mobile internet page or channel to send multimedia content to subscribers’ mobile phones.

Here are a few great examples of mobile widgets designed by Waterfall Mobile partners and a few considerations to help deliver on your strategic mobile marketing objectives.

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Msgme Campaign Spotlight: Red Light Management

Red Light Management

Campaign Overview
Red Light Management artist, Dave Matthews Band has over one million fans in the general email subscriber database and paid online memberships. The management company wanted to continue its fan-centric philosophy and create a direct-to-consumer mobile marketing channel. For Red Light Management, creating innovative ways to deliver its artists’ music to their fans has always been a key marketing initiative.

Mobile Objectives
Create and build Red Light Management mobile subscriber lists and drive the label’s direct-to-consumer marketing strategy with mobile.

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Mobile Resources: Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce

Mobile Marketer

Mobile commerce: It’s a reality

“Targeting retailers, mobile marketers and service providers, Mobile Marketer’s Classic Guide to Mobile Commerce offers best-practice tips, insight and analysis on the next frontier of retail.”

The mobile commerce guide targets major retailers, marketers, advertising agencies, service providers, site developers, ad networks, analytics companies and provides insight on the mobile commerce industry.

View the article and download the guide.

Prove It or Lose It: Mobile Matters Now More Than Ever, By Matt Silk

In a recent Mobile Marketer column, Matt Silk, senior vice president, Waterfall Mobile, discusses surviving a slowing economy with mobile marketing.

Prove It or Lose It: Mobile Matters Now More Than Ever
A Waterfall Mobile article by Matt Silk

In virtually every direction, there is a storm on the horizon.  Prices are up, credit is scarce, revenue is down, consumers lack confidence and marketers are being forced to fiercely defend their budgets.

When times are uncertain, our survival instinct tells us to pull back. Duck and cover. Make ourselves small to avoid being hit hard. If all you want is to survive, this is likely good advice.

However, in the competitive media and advertising marketplace for consumer mindshare and discretionary dollars, if you are just trying to survive, chances are you will not. There are too many players trying to expand their businesses while you are just trying to protect yours.

So, to survive, you need to focus on deepening your engagement with existing customers and profitably finding new customers.

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Industry Case Study: Harley-Davidson’s V-Rod Muscle 2009

Campaign Overview
Harley-Davidson wanted to create a non traditional marketing experience to showcase the new 2009 V-Rod Muscle motorcycle.

Campaign Objectives
Build awareness of the new V-Rod Muscle motorcycle. Emphasize the non-traditional style and strength of the upscale V-Rod. Use mobile to connect with loyal followers and build a two-way relationship.

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Industry Case Study: Ford’s Lincoln MKS Mobile Campaign

Campaign Overview
Ford Motor Company considered the mobile marketing channel with equal value as television and the internet and used mobile as a key component to build excitement around its new 2009 Lincoln MKS.

Campaign Objectives
Ford wanted to showcase the technological features of the Lincoln MKS, such as the in-vehicle communications and entertainment system and market to affluent, high-tech mobile phone users.

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Msgme Campaign Spotlight: Nebraska Book Company

Campaign Overview
Leading North American textbook distributor, Nebraska Book Company, Inc., (NBC) wanted to integrate mobile marketing into its national college bookstore marketing strategy.

Campaign Objectives
1. Provide NBC’s 280 college bookstores with mobile marketing solutions
2. Drive traffic to its retail locations and strategically increase sales
3. Appeal to a younger interactive mobile demographic
4. Build exclusive NBC mobile subscriber lists to send promotions and discounts

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Industry Case Study: Entourage Air SMS Campaign

Campaign Overivew
Virgin America wanted to promote its new non-stop route between JFK and Las Vegas.

Campaign Objectives
Enhance Virgin America’s relationship with its loyal, exclusive Elevate members with mobile marketing. The airline will create and build exclusive Elevate mobile subscriber lists for targeted mobile marketing.

Marketing Tactics
Virgin America created a mobile campaign and invited its Elevate members as guests to party for the day on September 4th in true Entourage style and kick-off the new non-stop route between JFK and Vegas on “Entourage Air.” With partner HBO, Virgin America is offering customers the opportunity to spend time in Las Vegas with the Entourage Air Live It! Sweepstakes! Winners receive four first class seats on Virgin America, $5,000 in cash, a two-night stay in a luxury suite at the Palms Casino, a spa treatment and more. Virgin America Elevate members text HBO to 38714 or click here to find out how to win. Elevate mobile subscribers can also receive airline news, promotions and discounts direct on their mobile device.

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Industry Case Study: Subway Celebrates with Mobile

Campaign Overview
Subway continues to promote the story of Jared Fogel, “The Subway Guy.” Jared lost more than 240 pounds by eating the healthy selection of Subway sandwiches. Since Jared and Subway’s advertising partnership began in 2000, Subway sales have more than doubled to $8.2 billion.

Subway continues to find creative ways to promote the Jared Fogel phenomenon. Most recently the “Tour de Pants” campaign celebrated Jared maintaining his weight loss for 10 years and his plan to “retire” an old pair of 62-inch jeans to a museum. For this campaign, Subway added an interactive mobile component.

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Industry Case Study: Village Inn’s Mobile Coupon Campaign

Campaign Overview: National dining franchise Village Inn wanted to create a mobile channel to attract consumers, reward loyal customers and promote the restaurant’s Mobile VIP Club program.

Mobile Objectives: 1) Drive consumers to Village Inn locations in Phoenix, AZ, increase sales and alert interested consumers of coupons, special offers, promotions and new dishes. 2) Create and build exclusive Village Inn Mobile VIP Club lists for loyal customers to receive updates on promotions, discounts and sweepstakes.

Marketing Tactics: The Village Inn placed mobile calls-to-action inside the chain’s Phoenix locations and on television spots for subscribers to receive mobile coupons. Village Inn customers and television viewers were asked to text CREPES to 74642 to receive coupons. Users opted-in and received a text message that included a mobile coupon, then received a second text asking them if they were interested in joining the Village Inn VIP Club.

Campaign Results: The total percentage of double opt-ins was 30 percent, according to Village Inn and 100 percent of the offers were redeemed.

For more information on mobile marketing, Waterfall Mobile, please visit www.waterfallmobile.com or contact sales@waterfallmobile.com.