Friday, November 23, 2012

Mobile Marketing for Black Friday

      Although the term was first coined in the 1960s, it wasn't until 2005 that Black Friday became a the busiest shopping day of they year. Thanksgiving being the official start of the Christmas holiday season could be one of the main reasons for shoppers to get a head start on their holiday shopping. Retailers caught on this phenomenon early. Macy's with its Thanksgiving day parade has been attracting shoppers since 1924.

     Getting the best deal on Black Friday usually requires waiting in line for hours before the store opens. In the begging of the internet age, blogs and forms were dedicated to help shoppers make a plan of attack for the big day. Today shoppers might find their smartphones to be the best tools to save money.

     Shoppers have plenty of price comparison and review apps to help them determine what to buy, precisely where and when. There are three types of Apps that help the shoppers:

1. Price - Comparison Apps: According to Nielsen, nearly 40% of smartphone owners use these apps for in-store price comparisons. Amazon had made a big push in this category last year. Their app lets the shopper check for a lower price on Amazon while shopping in a competitor's retail store and order it online.

2. Product - review Apps: Comparison apps include expert and peer reviews that help customers plan their purchases

3. Discount Apps: Most retailers are beefing up their deals for the holiday season, these apps aggregate the discounts in one place.

      One common theme in most of these apps - they help market products to customers that are willing to buy. This is a great new medium for marketers to reach a targeted customer base. 

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