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TECH TALK
TwoThumbs Up
New mobile app aims to improve real-time customer feedback
You want to know what your customers think about your business, but do they want to fill out an online
form the size of
War and Peace
? Of course not. That’s why Digital Marketing Sapiens in San Antonio,
Texas, created a customizable mobile app that asks customers just one question about their experience.
One. That’s it, you ask?
Yes!
The beauty is in how the response is handled; if feedback is positive,
respondents can post it to social media and boost exposure for a brand. If it’s negative, the response
is forwarded directly to the business so the issue can be addressed immediately.
While the company’s initial target group is hospitality businesses such as hotels and salons, the
medical sector is also ripe for opportunity: patients will often switch providers after experiencing poor
service at infrequent visits. The app’s analytic reports can be delivered on a schedule, and it also can
record on-the-spot video and audio reviews that are housed on a micro-website.
MARKET SHARE
Pokémon
GOFans:
Catch ’EmAll
Small businesses cash in
on augmented-reality
revival of popular game
The launch of Pokémon Go as a mobile
game this summer sent millions of
players into the streets and beyond
in search of characters to “catch” on
their phones, and local businesses saw
the sudden boom in foot traffic around
town as an opportunity to capitalize on
the trend.
Speaking to
AdWeek
, Jamie
Gallo, president of digital advertising
agency Wunderman, said, “Pokémon
Go essentially breaks down the wall
between technology and real-world
experience, so as brands drive
people into new locations, there’s a
real opportunity for them to do more
ambient marketing.”
Not only could store owners
purchase game features called Lures
to bring customers in, they also
developed special offers exclusively
for players. CitySen Lounge in Grand
Rapids, Michigan, and IconoCLAD in
Salt Lake City, Utah, were among the
small businesses seeking to make bank
off dedicated Pokémon players. The
town of McKinney, Texas, even went so
far as to educate local businesses on
using the app to boost traffic.
In a blog post in July, Kate
Masewich of commonsku shared three
ways for distributors to take advantage
of the recent craze by offering products
to clients that help connect them with
Pokémon Go players and, hopefully,
their business.
1
Offer products with a relevant
tie-in.
Portable chargers and
power banks are perfect for players
whose phones are sapped by the
game, and clients will appreciate the
apropos offer.
2
Pick a side and cater to it.
Incentives for teams, which
you must join to play, cater to the
demographic as a whole by appealing
to loyalties. Give one team a discount
on a certain day, and another team
the same discount—or a different but
equal incentive—on the next day.
3
Publicize participation.
Show your
involvement in the trend through
social media sharing, including photos
of game characters in and around your
place of business.
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SEPTEMBER 2016
|
THINK