We often extol the virtues of mobile marketing and the role that the cellphone can play in forging stronger relationships between brands and consumers. As with anything though, the proof lies in the pudding. That is, it’s the proof points and case studies that really make people sit up and take notice.
Which is why it makes sense that the second day of the Mobile Marketing Association EMEA Forum here in London focused on case studies from leading brands and media agencies.
We have been shown some great examples of campaigns from various industries but the ones that stood out were from the retail sector. While the focus is on the role of mobile, the killer campaigns were those that mixed traditional and digital media in a multi-channel approach. Let’s take, for example, Colgate, as explained by Greg Stuart, CEO of the MMA. Because much of the audience they were trying to reach was illiterate and based outside of urban areas, they used the mobile voice channel, empowered by geo-targeting. This video sums it up well.
Another example was given by Andrew Walmsley, chairman of Fetch, who claimed that marketers are often driven by the wrong initiative and that they need to focus on building loyalty through service back into their businesses. More can be read here as summarized by The Drum.
There were plenty of other case studies including one from Unilever showing how to use mobile to transform products into platforms with a campaign that combined mobile voice calling with content. Another well-known case study is Dove, which can boast to be the most viewed video due to its viral effect. It was shown in 110 countries and has been translated into 25 languages.
Another great case study was the Magnum campaign which took place in Istanbul, asking consumers to decide whether to turn the city pink or black. This campaign was integrated, however, drawing on mobile social networks, TV, radio and digital, resulting in the event itself being broadcast live with celebrities in attendance. Some of the results were just incredible, including a social media boost of 970% and over 100,000 tweets. Or how about the Hellmann’s case study which involved a digital app that told shoppers what to cook based on the items they had bought? This had a direct impact, with sales of Hellmann’s mayonnaise increasing by 44% in the stores with the recipes printed on shopping receipts.
There were so many examples and success stories that it’s hard to know where to stop. But let me conclude with this one. Caroline Bertrand from AXA outlined how an app can go beyond changing brand perception but can also be useful in our day-to-day lives. In this instance, AXA has developed a driving app to help customers to become a better driver, including tips and a game to develop a more secure driving style as well as a claims app, supported by a cross media campaign from Shazam. When watching the video, consumers with a Shazam app are immediately connected to the AXA app. To paraphrase Caroline, design for mobile first, then tablet and desktop, and don’t forget to bridge the gap between mobile and TV.
Once again, another successful #MMAF2013 and many successful brand stories. Let’s see what we can achieve ahead of the next forum.
