Mobile Commerce

Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Verizon-Redbox Looking to Compete With Netflix

February, 2012

Verizon Communications and Coinstar, the owner of Redbox DVD kiosks, will be introducing an online streaming-video service that will directly compete with Netflix the second half of this year.  The service will allow users to stream video content via the web, mobile devices and downloads, with the option of physical DVD through rental kiosks.  Verizon will own a 65% stake in the service and Redbox will hold the other 35%. For more information, please see Adage.com.

02/06/12
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Mobile Commerce | ,

Pizza Hut and Amex Launch Super Bowl Deal

February 2012

Pizza Hut and Amex are teaming up for a Foursquare Super Bowl promotion, offering a $5 rebate on Pizza Hut orders over $10. Amex members will check into Foursquare’s “Super Swarm Sunday” feature, and upon ordering via phone, online or in-store at Pizza Hut they’ll receive an alert within moments regarding their Amex account credit. Pizza Hut will also run their pre-game spot on NBC, a part of their user-generated video contest promoting the Foursquare deal. For more information, please see Mashable.

02/03/12
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Mobile Commerce |

Home Depot and PayPal Test Mobile Payments

January, 2012

Home Depot and PayPal will be testing mobile payments in-store in 51 stores. Guests who will be participating in the test will be able to pay for purchases by entering in a pin on their mobile phone or by using a PayPal designated credit card. In addition to mobile payments, the company has said they may include location-based offers to help incentivize and ease the use of mobile payment. To learn more, please visit TechCrunch.com.

01/19/12
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Mobile Commerce |

Sephora Leverages iPod for Mobile Commerce

January, 2012

Select Sephora stores are currently using iPod Touches to complete in-store sales. The use of the iPods is dedicated to alleviating long waits in check-out lines. Consumers can also receive better customer service as their sales representative who has helped them find their product can execute the check-out. To learn more about how Sephora is leveraging mobile devices for mobile commerce, please visit MobileCommerceDaily.com.

01/10/12
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Mobile Commerce | Mobile site |

Saks Fifth Ave. Turns to Mobile For Holiday Push

December 2011,

Saks Fifth Avenue will drive holiday shopping this season via their in-store window displays, as well as customized QR codes. When visitors passing the windows scan the QR code, they can either watch a holiday video or visit the mobile shopping site. Along with the normal drop down departments, the mobile site also offers “Best Sellers” and “Designers We Love” options for quick holiday gifting ideas. To learn more about this combination of retail display and mobile activation, please visit LuxuryDaily.com.

12/20/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

HelloWallet Tracks Spending on iPhone

November, 2011

Newly launched HelloWallet will aid iPhone shoppers by providing them updates on their budgets. An interesting feature on this app is it’s ability to track budget spending by category, sometimes based on venue. The app also shows past spending habits in a bar-graph, which may be beneficial to impulse buyers or those concerned with the amount of money they have available to make a purchase. The app is currently available for download (free) in the iTunes store. Please visit TechCrunch.com to learn more about this application.

11/22/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social |

Pepsi and SavingStar Launch FB Campaign

November, 2011

Pepsi Co. partnered with SavingStar to provide incentive to consumers to purchase Pepsi Max. When users on Facebook buy $15 worth of Pepsi Max product during the month of November, they will receive $5 back in cash at the end of the promotion. Currently, the Pepsi Max and Diet Pepsi pages have seen an increase in likes, with users visiting the page to learn more about the promotion. Please visit Insidefacebook.com to learn more.

11/08/11
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Mobile Commerce | Mobile site |

David Yurman Introduces mCommerce Site

November, 2011

David Yurman, luxury jewelry designer, recently launched an mCommerce site to increase sales, especially during the holiday season. After learning about the increase in mobile purchases (20% of luxury shoppers, accumulating roughly $5 million in sales each year), Yurman decided to revamp his mobile site to be more consumer-friendly. Visitors to his site can search for products based on the campaign or celebrities who have worn particular pieces. Upon clicking on a particular item, consumers can now easily move a product into their shopping bag and seamlessly purchase the item. “[Consumers] will [now] enjoy the greater speed, ease and convenience of shopping on-the-go from anywhere they please at any time of the day,” he said. “It will make holiday shopping faster and easier for time-pressed shoppers as well as discriminating affluent consumers searching for the most unique and perfect gifts,” said Createthe Group’s Mr. Kung. To learn more about this new site, please visit LuxuryDaily.com.

11/08/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Square launches Card Case App to pay on tab

November 2011

Square launches Card Case, the mobile app allowing users to pay hands-free by creating tabs with the merchant. Within 100 meters of the retailer location, geo-fencing capabilities allow the app to detect the user’s presence. Once users walk into the merchant’s location they are abe to automatically open a tab, charging to the credit or debit account tied to the app. For more information, please see gigaom.com.

11/04/11
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Mobile Commerce | ,

YouTube Launches Merch Store

October, 2011

YouTube has made a move into the music e-commerce business with The Merch Store.  YouTube has partnered with several e-commerce companies including Songkick, Amazon and iTunes to offer consumers the ability to purchase digital downloads, concert tickets and various branded merchandise from YouTube channels.  To learn more, please visit mashable.com

10/17/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Guess Challenges Consumers to Check-In

October 2011

Fashion retailer Guess launched their mobile and social promotion, Urban Jungle Check-In Challenge, for the G by Guess line bringing customers in-store and rewarding them for their participation. Customers who checked-in via Facebook and foursquare were rewarded with special offers on their in-store purchases. QR codes placed throughout the store encouraged customers to snap the tag for more information about the challenge. Additionally, a leaderboard featured online displayed store locations with the most check-ins to heat up competition for customers and employees alike. For more information, please see Mobile Commerce Daily.

10/07/11
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Mobile Commerce |

Perka Launches a Simple Loyalty Platform

October, 2011

Perka, a start-up that is quickly stepping into the social spotlight, believes they have found a loyalty rewards program that will allow small businesses to compete with larger corporations in the rewards game. Essentially, Perks will be taking the “buy 10 get 1 free” punch card idea to online and mobile devices. The simplicity of the rewards platform is how Perka expects to succeed. For more information, please see Perka Rewards.

10/05/11
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Mobile Commerce |

Groupon to Start Rewards Program

September, 2011

Groupon is planning to introduce a program that rewards its return customers. When Groupon users spend a certain amount of money at a business, they will earn Groupon Rewards. The purchase amounts will not be monitored by any NFC chip or mobile chick-in. Groupon plans on tracking the purchases directly through the users credit card, allowing users to automatically receive rewards if they purchase with the same credit card. For more information, please see Groupon Rewards.

09/28/11
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Mobile Commerce |

MasterCard’s Payment Process of the Future

September, 2011

MasterCard has developed a payment prototype that will allow users to wave their hand in front of their T.V’s and make a purchase. The technology comes from an integration with Xbox Kinect and will use a prototype app called QkR. Essentially, users will move their hands in front of an icon in the corner of their screens, then they will be taken to a purchase funnel. A receipt will then be sent to their QkR app. For more information, please see MasterCard.

09/16/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Five Guys Promotes Mobile Ordering App

August, 2011

To help consumers avoid the long lines, Five Guys restaurant chain has created a mobile phone application that allows users to place an order on their cell phone. Users can save their favorite meals, or place the order immediately by inputting their credit card information. The company plans to release iPhone and Blackberry apps to accompany their existing Android app.

08/23/11
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Citi and Best Buy offer Mobile Rewards

August, 2011

Citi Bank and Best Buy are now offering consumers the “Citi Thank You Rewards” app for  iPhone and Android devices. The app is an extension of the Citi Rewards program which allows Citi consumers to earn points by using their credit card or participating in other banking activities. Customers can now use this mobile app to track how many points they have, points in turn can be used to purchase Best Buy products. For more information, please see Citi Thank You Rewards.

08/19/11
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Mobile Commerce |

Exent Launches GameTanium Mobile

July, 2011

Extent and GameTanium team up to launch an “all-you-can-eat” system for mobile Android games. GameTanium will charge its users a monthly fee for unlimited download of its Android games. This system is similar to Netflix, but for the mobile gaming world. For more information, please see GameTanium.

07/20/11
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Mobile Commerce |

PayPal Mobile Simplifies Payments

July, 2011

PayPal is implementing near field communication technology (NFC) with its mobile devices through a new update. This technology will allow users who own a phone with NFC features to make peer-to-peer payments by touching two phones together. This ‘bump-style’ technology will be available late this summer with improved speed capabilities over the previous version. For more information, please visit Mashable.

07/18/11
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Mobile Commerce |

Market Street Creates Online Loyalty Program

July, 2011

Market Street, a small grocery chain with only six locations in Texas, has developed an online program that offers daily giveaways and sweepstakes to its loyal customers. Facebook, Twitter, and in-store touch-screen kiosks are utilized to make the program quick and easy for the customers. Points are added to the customer’s account at a rate of one point for each dollar spent. The customers are also given choices with the points they accumulate, such as a five-dollar discount on their future purchases or a twenty-five cent per gallon discount on gasoline. For more information, please visit Promo Magazine.

07/01/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social |

Facebook Expands “Deals” to 3 More Cities

June 2011

Facebook Deals is now expanding to three new major cities; Charlotte, St. Louis and Minneapolis. Any businesses in those cities are welcome to participate now. Users will be able to access Facebook Deals in the next few weeks. For more information, please see Facebook Deals.

06/30/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Groupon Offers Deals With Grocery Chain

June, 2011

Groupon has launched a new deal partnership in New England with grocery store chain Big Y Foods.  This new partnership includes typical Groupon deals for goods at any of the 61 stores in the region.  This partnership is a new step for Groupon since it is the first partnership they have entered into with a multiple store grocer, and also the first time the daily deal site has linked its deals with a retailer’s loyalty card program.  Customers of Big Y Foods who purchase the deals from Groupon can link the deals to their Big Y Foods loyalty card and have them automatically redeemed at the checkout without needing to print out the Groupon or redeem on their smartphone as with normal Groupon offers.  This new service is the newest venture for Groupon who has recently been expanding their services and platforms offered.  Most recently Groupon announced travel deal through Expedia, ticketing deals through Live Nation, and a new real time deal platform.  For more information see Mashable.

06/09/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social |

Groupon & Expedia Partner for Deal Site

June, 2011

Groupon and Expedia have announced that they will be partnering to offer a travel deal site as an extension of the Groupon line of offers.  The new site will allow customers to book hotel rooms and airfare from Expedia at a steeper than normal discount. According to a press release, the deals will be “typically around 50% off retail rates found at other online travel sites.” The deals will work in a similar fashion to Groupon’s current offers where customers have a limited time to take advantage of a deal, after which they are granted a voucher to be redeemed at a later date.  The partnership between Groupon and Expedia will have a similar structure to the partnership Groupon entered into with Live Nation Entertainment for concert deals.  For more information, see The Wall Street Journal.

06/02/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Nestle Rewards Ice Cream Fans Via Mobile

June, 2011

Nestle tapped mobile company CheckPoints to drive users to the store to learn more about Nestle ice cream products. When users visit their local grocery store, log-in to CheckPoints, and scan products such as Edy’s and Dreyer’s Slow Churned Ice Cream, they may be rewarded with coupons off the purchase price. When the users scan the products, they are also provided with product information.

06/01/11
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Mobile App | Mobile Commerce |

Google Announces Google Wallet

May, 2011

Google announced its newest app, Google Wallet today at a company press conference.  Google Wallet will be a mobile payment system working in conjunction with its other new venture, Google Offers.  The two ventures allow Google to combine payment and customized discounts at the point of sale through one mobile device.  Google Wallet has initially partnered with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint as the accepted cards and mobile platforms for the service.  Google will start a field test for the app on Thursday May, 26th and expects to fully launch the service this summer.  Consumers will be able to download the app on their phone and using their Google account, link their payment info with the app.  Using the unique “single tap” system, consumers will be able to provide payment info, coupon and loyalty cards in one swipe at supporting retailers.  Google is working to grow the number of retailers that will support the platform.  For more information, see Mashable.

05/26/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social |

Facebook Offers Credits To Watch Ads

May, 2011

Facebook started a program Thursday that gives users an incentive to watch ads.  The program will give users Facebook Credits when they view certain ads.  The credits are worth about 10 cents and can be used in conjunction with the new Feacebook Deals feature to purchase real-world goods.  Previously, credits only allowed for purchase of virtual goods.  Most of the ads will appear in various games, which will be more branded entertainment as opposed to traditional advertising.

05/06/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social |

Frito-Lay Thanks FB Fans for World Record

May, 2011

As a thank you for making Frito-Lay the Guinness World Record holder for “Most Facebook Likes in 24-Hours”, the brand provided customers with printable $4 coupons available on the brand’s Facebook page. “The chip coupon was intended to be a thank-you to the people who had participated all week long in our streaming program,” said Ram Krishnan, director of marketing for the PepsiCo-owned brand. The first 24,000 visitors to the Facebook page on April 29 could click on a special tab to redeem their coupon. For more information, visit PromoMag.com. To read the original post regarding the world record, click here.

05/04/11
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Mobile Commerce | Social | ,

Facebook Launches Deals in Select Cities

April, 2011

Facebook is finally rolling out its Deals feature to compete alongside Groupon.  Five cities were chosen as test markets including Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco.  Deals will be featured in users’ news feeds and will also be sent through email.  Deals will also be able to be purchased by using Facebook credits as well as major credit cards.  Please visit moosylvania.com to read further on Facebook’s new Deals feature.

04/26/11
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MMS/SMS | Mobile Commerce | , ,

Visa Enters Geolocation Mobile Marketing

April, 2011

Visa has entered the geolocation mobile marketing market and positioned itself as a direct competitor to Foursquare, Groupon, and even eBay.  Visa has launched a new mobile marketing service that allows retail stores to send text messages to consumers that are triggered by purchase habits logged on their Visa cards.  Consumers must opt in to the program online and provide their phone number and credit card information.  Anytime a consumer swipes their Visa card to make a purchase, that data is logged and scanned to see if they are eligible to receive any offers or messages from nearby retailers.  Consumers are eligible for offers if they meet pre-specified criteria such as shopping in a certain zip code, shopping during a certain time of day, or purchasing certain items (i.e. gas, groceries, clothes).  Retailers pay to be a part of this service and can outline the criteria the consumer must meet in order to receive their offers.  The offers are texted to the consumer’s phone and can be presented at the cash register to redeem. The service is free for Visa card holders. This move by Visa to enter the mobile marketing market comes after major new market entrances by giants such as Foursquare, Groupon, and eBay.  Foursquare recently partnered with AmericanExpress during South By Southwest to offer exclusive deals for AmEx holders unlocked by Foursquare checkins.  Groupon and eBay both recently purchased smaller companies specializing in mobile deals unlocked by location based software.  For more information see Ad Age.

04/21/11
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Lindt Serves as Open Sponsor

April, 2011

Through their sponsorship of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, chocolatier Lindt USA has explored a variety of branding opportunities. During the event, Lindt will be offering chocolate samples and providing seat upgrades through “Sweet Seats” text promotions that occur during the event. Through the website, the brand will host an online sweepstakes, which includes a three-day trip to Zurich and lesser prizes. What’s more, they will take advantage of social media by implementing a Twitter promotion, where if users follow the brand and retweet a Lindt giveaway message, they have a chance to win more prizes. The sponsorship will also expand on Lindt’s partnership with Swiss tennis great Roger Federer.

04/08/11
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Mobile Commerce |

AT&T to Be Biggest US Wireless Provider

March, 2011

If the 39 billion dollar deal just struck between AT&T and T-Mobile USA meets regulatory approval, AT&T will surpass Verizon to become the largest wireless provider in the US. This would also mean their 4G LTE network becoming available to 95% of the population; over 46.5 million more Americans in rural areas and smaller communities would gain coverage. Looking at market share, Verizon and AT&T will own 3 out of every 4 wireless subscriptions, potentially creating trouble for other US mobile competitors and for consumers hoping for lower prices.

03/23/11
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