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Mobile Ads Are For LoversAugust 4, 2010 – 5:50 pm |
 Abdul Fattah Ismail |
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The expansion of smartphones across the country are an opportunity for advertisers to reach a consumer from a different angle. This in itself is quite lucid. According to an Infographic article on Fast Company, over two-thirds of the United States population owns a mobile device. The article also states that coupons are emerging as a tool to stimulate sales, especially in the form of QR codes. Beyond Calvin Klein’s racy billboards in New York and LA, corporations such as Sprint have deployed them at movie theaters for subscribers to claim prizes.
I recently visited the Ziegfield Theater in midtown and caught their promotion for the first time. It took a little while to generate the coupon after several scans, but I received an offer for a free small popcorn after purchasing a large one with a large drink. In my opinion, the deal was hardly enticing since movies in New York have become such an exorbitant cost. I think that retailers stand to benefit greatly, along with national drugstore chains, where consumers tend to make impulsive and instantaneous decisions. For example, if Walgreens offered toothpaste and personal care items through a locked QR code, you would see profit gain. These products are an inelastic demand, leading to purchases for present and future inventory.
Marketers are still testing methods to entice consumers that are especially mobile. The iPhone, with thousands of applications, have leaped forward, while the Droid is catching up with pure sales but lags in applications. Mobile advertisers must give away themselves a little more in order to receive a bigger payoff, such as free admission to exclusive events. The customer may spend those fees on items with higher ticket prices. You then get a friend in New York and Pennsylvania.
