Strategies for Summer Market Research

Summertime

Image source: vistaprint.com

With summer quickly approaching, a huge opportunity exists for businesses to gather data and develop ideas about meeting consumer needs. Yet finding innovative ways to focus your summer research can be a challenge. Depending on your industry or product base, a unique twist can yield valuable insights. Here are some strategies to consider as you implement your summer market research plans. Continue reading

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How Multiple Screens are Changing The Market Research Process

Multi-screen world infographic

Image source: googlemobileads.blogspot.com

During a recent presentation at the 2013 Mobile Market Association’s annual event, a top executive from Google talked about how mobile usage is changing the direction that marketers need to take in structuring their measurement of success. His point was that with multiple devices owned by the same person mean that most people interact with brands across a range of devices. A shopper might find a store locator on her tablet, go to the store, and then pull out her smartphone to check prices. Ultimately, she may go home and buy the product online to take advantage of a discount. This trend isn’t isolated to shopping. It also has an impact for marketers. Continue reading

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How Lowe’s is Creating Value for Mobile Customers

Lowe's Never Stop Improving

Image source: epa.gov

Companies can no longer pretend that mobile is simply a passing fad. There are over 137 million smartphone users in the United States, and that number continues to increase daily. Numerous forward-thinking retail stores are turning to mobile engage with their customers on the go, drive foot traffic into their stores, and make the overall shopping experience more convenient. Here’s how one home improvement store is using the mobile channel to create value for their customers, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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Priceline.com: Mobile Deals On the Move

View of a hotel at night

Image source: codingacrossamerica.com

Have you ever gone on a long road trip with the intention of driving straight through, only to stop for the night a couple hours from your destination? Or perhaps attended a party and decided you were too tired to drive home? Chances are you’ve probably used your smartphone to locate a nearby hotel while en route to your destination. In fact, the results of a recent survey estimated that approximately 50% of mobile users booked their hotels on the go. Here’s how one online travel site is using this knowledge to connect with potential customers where they are, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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The Statue of David: H&M’s Unique Mobile Marketing Strategy

New York H&M store

Image source: nymag.com

Brick and mortar stores are going mobile. Savvy entrepreneurs understand the importance of using mobile to connect with their customers on the go. Many retailers are incorporating location-based campaigns into their marketing mix in order to increase their visibility and engage with customers. Here’s how the clothing retailer H&M created an innovative location-based marketing campaign in order to drive foot traffic into their stores, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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P.F. Chang’s: Making Amends with Mobile

P.F. Chang's restaurant

Image source: foxbusiness.com

There’s no denying that mobile is changing many aspects of our lives. We use our mobile devices to access the news and weather, and connect with friends on social networks. Mobile is also making the dining out experience more convenient for many people. In past posts, we’ve covered several restaurants that are doing interesting things in the mobile space. Today, we’d like to focus on P.F. Chang’s mobile marketing efforts. Here’s how the popular restaurant is using mobile to connect with customers, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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What You Need to Know About Back-to-School

Back to school shopping aisle

Image source: syracuse.com

Are you an eCommerce site or brick and mortar retailer that’s working to figure out your next profitable period? Back-to-school might be a great choice. A recent survey from the National Retail Association highlights how the period from July to September is the second largest consumer spending period behind the Christmas season. Consumers will spend an estimated $83 billion dollars on everything from pencils and pens to cookware and sheets for college dorm rooms. Here’s how your store can capture a bigger part of the profit this year. Continue reading

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Murphy USA: A Surprisingly Innovative Mobile Case Study

Murphy USA mobile campaign

Image source: juggernautinteractive.com

When we think of mobile case studies, certain businesses come to mind before others. We may think of local restaurants offering special discounts for mobile users, brick and mortar stores running location-based marketing campaigns, or brands that are using scannable QR codes in print advertising and on billboards. Chances are good that gas stations are not at the forefront of our minds when we think of businesses that are using mobile in innovative ways. This is not to say that entrepreneurs who own these businesses aren’t employing effective mobile marketing strategies. Today we’re going to take a look at how Murphy USA, a gas station chain, is effectively using mobile to engage with customers. Here’s how they’re doing it, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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The Buddy Stamp: QR Codes Done Right

QR code wall

Image source: smarchitecture.blogspot.com

QR codes are everywhere. We see them daily on billboards, juice containers, our morning coffee cups, and direct mail advertisements. And like any other marketing campaign, some QR code campaigns are much more effective than others. As the bar codes have grown in popularity, many companies have simply jumped on the bar code bandwagon. The results are typically a boring, ineffective campaign that does little to enhance the customer experience or improve their business. Continue reading

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Big City Burrito: Location-based Marketing at its Finest

Meal at Big City Burrito

Image source: post-gazette.com

Location-based marketing is a big deal for local businesses. If done correctly, a creative location-based campaign can have a significant impact on foot traffic and sales. When a small restaurant chain based in Denver, Colorado created their first mobile marketing campaign, they got a bit more than they bargained for. Here’s how Big City Burrito used location-based marketing to connect with potential customers, and here’s what you can learn from their case study. Continue reading

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