Monday, June 16, 2008
Adding Mobile to your Marketing Mix
Digital Dealer
by Richard Abronson
Marketing through mobile phones is increasingly finding its way into the advertising mix for dealerships across the country, and the promise of reaching consumers who are “on-the-go†has great appeal. The increasing ubiquity of SMS text messaging and the mobile web can transform a dealer’s traditional advertising into a virtually “clickable†medium. The first step is for a dealer to “mobilize†their vehicle inventory and create a mobile phone-optimized presence for their stores by engaging a mobile marketing platform vendor. Once setup, the next task is for the dealer to begin driving that mobile traffic.
Mobile calls-to-action
It’s surprisingly simple for a dealer to begin capturing on-the-go consumers through mobile phones and it’s best illustrated by drawing an analogy to adding toll-free numbers and web URLs to traditional advertising. For instance, no dealer would dream of not including their phone numbers and web addresses in his newspaper ads, TV commercials, outdoor signage, or any other advertising venue. In fact, the dealer may even include different toll-free numbers in different locations in order to track leads (and subsequent ROI) back to a particular campaign or creative. Mobile calls-to-action work in much the same way.
By definition, a mobile call-to-action is simply an invitation to consumers to “text†a keyword(s) from their mobile phones to what is called a short code. A short code is a five- or six-digit “mobile phone number†operated by the mobile marketing vendor that hosts the dealer’s mobile web site and mobile inventory. Various dealer-defined keywords will trigger real-time delivery of text messages back to consumers that contain information and links for a dealer’s mobile web site, vehicle listings, or dealer promotions. What’s more, mobile calls-to-action function very similarly to web clicks, which means they are trackable, measurable, and engage consumers in an interactive experience with the dealer directly from traditional ads. The trick is creating the right mobile calls-to-action and placing them strategically.
Creating and placing mobile calls-to-action
Like web links, mobile calls-to-action can point to different pages. For instance, they can connect consumers with a dealer’s home page, with a specific vehicle, or to a special promotion. As a result, a dealer needs to take into account the venue, the placement within that venue, and the content or vehicles he is trying to promote.
• Newspaper ads
Mobile calls-to-action can rejuvenate the typical dealer newspaper ad. Typically, the dealer (Universal City Nissan, for example) will run a bold masthead advertising a promotion and feature half a dozen vehicles with large photos. Underneath this there may be another dozen or two vehicle specials that do not include photos due to limited space. In the masthead, the dealer could include something like, “Text UCN to 48696 to Claim Your VIP Discount!†The text message returned to the consumer will include details about the VIP discount. With each featured vehicle he can add, “See more photos, text UCN X43742 to 48696.†In this example, Universal City Nissan’s main keyword (UCN) is combined with a stock number to deliver more information and photos to the consumer’s mobile phone. With these simple additions, the newspaper ad becomes interactive and the consumer can immediately access more information at the moment his interest is piqued. In fact, where toll-free numbers are typically called by consumers at the very bottom of the purchase funnel, mobile calls-to-action capture those who are at least one step earlier.
• Outdoor signage
Outdoor advertising is a great venue for including mobile calls-to-action. Street banners and electric signs become interactive and capture the attention of passersby (those in the passenger seat, we hope). Again, specific dealership promotions or vehicles are most effective.
• TV commercials
I’m not about to get off my comfy couch to type a web address if I see a dealer commercial that interests me, but chances are I have my cell phone in my pocket.
• Radio spots
Dealerships are some of the most prolific radio advertisers who seem to have a knack for creating memorable jingles. The very nature of radio advertising is targeted to consumers who are on-the-go and provides an obvious medium to add a mobile call-to-action. Inviting customers to access vehicle specials on their mobile phones and then show their phones to a sales representative at the dealership is a great way to drive on-lot traffic. In fact, the concept of the VIP discount described above can be easily applied here as opposed to trying to promote vehicle listings.
• Window labels
You might think, “Why place a mobile call-to-action here… he’s standing right in front of the car?†Some car buyers who visit the lot may just be browsing and a mobile call-to-action lets them effectively “bookmark†the vehicle right there on the lot. It’s as if he just took an electronic flyer and put it in his pocket. Often, dealers work with window label companies that already have access to vehicle data so it becomes rather simple to add a dealer’s keyword with stock numbers.
Consumer response and adoption
The usage of SMS text messaging across demographics is growing dramatically along with increasing usage of the mobile web. In fact, 40 percent of 35- to 54-year olds are using SMS daily (InsightExpress, September 2007). The mobile carriers are quickly opening up their “walled gardens†and offering flat-fee “all-you-can-eat†data and messaging plans, which will cause usage to grow even faster.
Furthermore, our culture is handling the job of educating consumers about text messaging and mobile calls-to-action. The obvious example of this is American Idol text message voting, but we’re also seeing more and more retail businesses including mobile calls-to-action in their signage, posters, and display advertising. The possibilities are boundless and only limited by the creativity of a dealer’s marketing department and the will to implement mobile marketing into the mix.
Dealers can explore and experiment with mobile channel fairly cheaply and with minimal effort. Like any advertising, testing is crucial. However, the promise of mobile marketing is too compelling to be ignored and the sooner dealers create their mobile presence, the sooner they will be able to take full advantage of this open channel that reaches their buyers anytime and anywhere.
Rich Abronson is co-founder and vice president of Gumiyo, a company that connects buyers and sellers by extending the traditional online marketplace to mobile phones. He has 12 years of integrated e-commerce interface design and online marketing expertise.
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