Whether you own your own retail shop in consumer packaged goods (CPG) like Sugarfina or you’re fighting for space in a multinational retail store like Walmart there are an abundant number of reasons to consider an in-store mobile app to engage with consumers. More than ever, maintaining or even gaining control of your in-store presence is critical with the number of options consumers have available in the CPG space. With millennials and gen-z demanding sustainable products, it’s crucial to understand how your brand can stand out. With 77 percent of consumers using their phones while in the shopping aisle to gain product information and find deals, it’s more important than ever to offer a mobile experience while in the aisle. Let’s dive into how an in-store app can benefit your brand and the consumer’s experience. Your Brand Stands OutWhen you walk through the typical store, your eyes are constantly viewing competing messages from countless brands. And for the most part, all of the brands are communicating the same way based on their packaging on the shelf. If you really want to stand out then you have to do something different, and one way to do that is through an in-store lightweight mobile app with no download required! For example, if you’re a wine company you could use fun promotional signage on the wine bottle to call out the app or use traditional shelf or floor talkers. But, most importantly you have to create a mobile app experience that provides value such as suggesting recipe pairings for the wine, providing a quiz to help you pick out the right wine for your meal, etc. If you create a mobile app experience that provides value to consumers while they’re in-aisle and is helpful in their shopping experience, then they’ll actually want to use it the first time and continue to use it in the future. It’s also important to not forget that no matter how helpful your app content, if consumers don’t know how to easily access it then you’re in trouble. That’s why you must have a strong call-to-action in all of your messing with an option to scan a QR code or text a keyword to a short code to access the app for the first time. If you make it easy to get and provide value then consumers will take advantage of it. Loyalty and DiscountsYour brand can also use in-store mobile apps to provide discounts to customers. (Let’s admit it...we all LOVE a good coupon.) Yes Marketing found “about 57 percent of more than 1,000 consumers surveyed said they have used a retailer's mobile app while in-store, often to redeem or find coupons or discover items on sale.” You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to gain or maintain a consumer by not having an in-store mobile app that provides your loyal and new customers with coupons. Coupons are known to help increase the number of new customers, increase sales of a specific product, reward current customers, and so much more. One way to enhance your mobile coupon game is by using geofencing to your advantage. Retailers can send proximity-triggered coupons through their in-store app but as a CPG brand holding shelf space in a larger retailer - you can also prep the customers with coupons on your mobile app prior to shopping as well. Show How’s It MadeNielsen reported in 2015 that “73 percent of global millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings.” You no longer automatically gain consumers because you are a top brand. Standing in an aisle it can be difficult for potential customers to understand the benefits of spending an extra dollar on your brand versus the store brand. But what if your product told the story of where it was produced, what ingredients are in it, and how it is beneficial to the environment and consumer without needing to know the chemical vocabulary on the ingredient label. Look into using QR codes connected to apps to tell the story of your product. This could be through a blog, a quick video (we highly recommend this), or a quick graphic. If you stand behind how your product is made and ethically produced you should be able to share that with customers!Leveraging the benefits of an in-store mobile app should be on the top of your marketing priorities as a CPG brand if it isn’t already there. Being able to meet your customer where they are in the buying process while in-store is crucial to winning the sale.
Meet with one of our experts to see how easy it is to centralize your product data, manage digital assets, and create digital product experiences. Trust us…you’re going to be wowed.
